The Best ESO Companions Ranked - Hack the Minotaur (2024)

This ESO Companion guide will explain everything you need to know about each companion in ESO so you can pick the best companion for YOU!

This tier list takes into account many factors like performance in each role, strength with and without the companion-buffing set Telvanni Efficiency, group utility, survivability, quest, personality, rapport-building, and finally, the worth of each account-wide trinket you can collect when getting the relevant companion achievements.

Understanding these is essential if you only want to commit to a single companion, as high rapport speeds up the process.

Best ESO Companions

The best companions in ESO are:

1. Azandar

2. Sharp-as-Night

3. Isobel

4. Ember

5. Mirri

6. Bastian

Read on to discover what each companion has to offer.

1. Azandar al-Cybiades

The best ESO Companion currently isAzandar. Azandar features three unique skill lines very similar to the Arcanist class skills and will make an outstanding companion choice for new or veteran players.

Azandar is one of Necrom’s new companions and he is great, especially if you decide to wear the powerful Companion Gear set Telvanni Efficiency. He shines as a powerhouse tank and group healer companion. His three healing skills, including the formidable Zone of Recuperation and its recovery buff, create an unassailable defense. This is complemented by the ability to cast infinite shields with low enough cooldowns.

Azandar also provides Major Vulnerability and Minor Vulnerability, increasing the damage your enemies take. In addition, Azandar is the only companion with a class taunt, giving him a lot of flexibility in weapon choices.

Azandar’s rapport-building is very simple and includes turning in your daily enchanter crafting writ and doing the daily delve quest in the Telvanni Peninsula. Negative rapport risks are minimal, making the rapport-building process accessible for players regardless of their content preferences.

Last but not least, his trinket perk is absolutely amazing, a must-have for all and a game-changer. It offers a chance to discover research portfolios in containers. These portfolios harbor crafting recipes, treasure maps, research notes, survey reports, and other valuable documents, including furnishing motifs, some worth millions of gold.

Read the full Azandar Companion Guide linked here.

2. Sharp-as-Night

With Telvanni Efficiency, Sharp-as-Night emerges as a versatile force, excelling as one of the best DPS Companions in ESO.

Sharp-as-Night truly shines when equipped with a bow as all his damaging skills and ultimate are ranged. His standout feature lies in possessing the most powerful companion ultimate, delivering impressive AOE damage and execute damage.

Sharp can still deliver as a Healer companion, however, his kit lacks tank-focused abilities, so I would not recommend him as a Tank companion unless you are dead set on him as your only option.

Beyond combat prowess, Sharp-as-Night’s story quests are a fan-favorite. The premise alone of his storyline is mysterious and intriguing. Building rapport with Sharp is done through engaging in daily boss quests in Necrom or in Ashlander activities, and as long as you keep your gear well repaired, you will be safe from negative comments.

Finally, his trinket perk is a standout feature absolutely worth collecting as it significantly boosts fishing yields, allowing players to amass substantial gold through increased bite rate and a higher chance of obtaining trophy fish.

Read the full Sharp-as-Night Companion Guide linked here.

3. Isobel Veloise

Isobel, the brave and slightly dorky Breton found in High Isle, stands out as the best damage mitigation tank companion in ESO, featuring many strong class abilities similar to the Templar class.

While her other healing abilities and skills are commendable, it’s her burst heal that truly shines as it can easily bring you back from near death. Isobel’smelee range magic abilitiesmay not steal the spotlight, but with Telvanni Efficiency and full Quickened gear, she can become a powerhouse, amplifying player light and heavy attacks by an impressive 50% as long as you can keep her jabbing.

These buffs position Isobel as a top choice for heavy attack builds, right after Bastian, since his 15% heavy attack buff is more reliable. Her ultimate ability, Baneslayer, although not the most powerful, is one of the coolest-looking among companion ultimates.

As mentioned previously, Isobel positions herself as the second-best tank companion in ESO after Azandar. She can be extremely sturdy with good self and group heals, shields and damage taken reduction from her racial ability.

Her trinket offers a chance to recover packs with additional loot after defeating a world boss. This is an enticing incentive for players to let her tank world bosses and is the first trinket of this list that is really worth collecting.

Isobel’s narrative quests add depth to her character, providing an engaging storyline for players. Her rapport-building focuses on world boss encounters and undaunted dailies which aligns perfectly with her character’s heroic nature. Isobel’s fondness for you summoning dog pets adds a delightful touch to the long list of ways to build rapport with her.

Read the full Isobel Companion Guide linked here.

4. Ember

Ember, the talented Khajiit mage brings a unique flair to companions in ESO with her bubbly personality and her strong shock damage abilities similar to the Sorcerer class. Ember also stands out for her racial passives, with a bonus to critical chance that proves impactful, especially for those focusing on DOT, HOT, and AOE abilities.

While slightly overshadowed by other companions with Telvanni Efficiency, she can be the best healer and magicka DPS companion if your character is not wearing the set. Ember shines with a potent -5s cooldown skill (especially when paired with Quickened companion gear drops).

Ember can also perform well as a tank, showcasing the adaptability of her skill set. Her ultimate, delivering hard-hitting AOE damage, further solidifies her combat strengths.

Beyond her combat skills, Ember’s quest ranks among the best among companions, providing an engaging narrative for players. Moreover, she offers various activities to swiftly build rapport, making her a companion with whom players can easily connect. Ember’s disposition toward criminal activities is clear—avoiding negative rapport is done by being a good criminal and not getting caught pickpocketing or stealing. In addition, she finds fishing boring which will trigger her disapproval.

Her trinket, although providing a chance to acquire hidden wallets during pickpocketing, may be less impactful due to the modest amount of gold involved.

Read the full Ember Companion Guide linked here.

5. Mirri Elendis

Mirri, the spirited Dark Elf adventurer, emerges as a standout companion in ESO, particularly excelling as a single-target healer when Telvanni Efficiency isn’t in play.

Her abilities’ short cooldowns along with their range make her very survivable as a healer. This also applies to her being a great single-target stamina DPS as she is extremely versatile and synergizes really well with bow-focused builds through her ranged class skill and ultimate ability.

Despite being outclassed in certain aspects of tanking when compared to other companions, Mirri remains a reliable tank for various content, showcasing a traditional Nightblade tank playstyle with roll dodges and invisibility. Her ultimate ability contributes significantly to group damage, offering a unique 20% damage boost for 3 seconds.

Building rapport with Mirri is easy thanks to a variety of activities like excavating antiquities and straightforward overland daily quests. Negative rapport instances are minimal, primarily arising from unintentional interactions with flying insects, or simply if you like to collect them for alchemy.

Mirri’s perk enhances the loot potential from treasure chests found through Treasure Maps and overland by giving a 30% chance to find hidden compartments containing gold, sellables, or even recipes—an enticing prospect if you want to sell those on guild traders.

Read the full Mirri Companion Guide linked here.

6. Bastian Hallix

Bastian, the noble Imperial, adds considerable support and versatility as a companion in ESO. While he might not claim the top spot on this tier list, Bastian shines particularly for those who favor a heavy attack build for their character. His ability to provide a unique 15% heavy attack buff, combined with reliable Off Balance, makes him an unparalleled companion for Oakensoul heavy attack enthusiasts, and by far the best companion in that area.

In the support role, Bastian distinguishes himself as a great tank, with his Blazing Grasp chain skill for pulling, particularly beneficial when soloing dungeons with the Telvanni Efficiency set. His damage skills as well as his ultimate force him in melee range which is not ideal for companions as this is where they tend to struggle surviving. Bastian is a flexible and reliable healer, though he will require a mix of class and weapon abilities.

While his ultimate might not be the best compared to other companions, its stunning effect does contribute to his tanking utility, though it is less impactful against stronger enemies.

Bastian’s trinket provides a 30% chance to improve looted potions, proving to be the least impactful perk of all companions, considering most players sell such potions to merchants.

It’s worth noting that Bastian holds a firm stance against criminal activities, reacting strongly to any transgressions that may make it difficult if your character loves to steal. To build rapport swiftly, engaging in the Mages Guild daily proves to be the most effective strategy as it is a very simple and quick quest.

Read the full Bastian Companion Guide linked here.

The Final Word

As you can see, it’s clear that each companion in ESO brings a unique blend of pros and cons. All companions are very well-balanced and can perform well in any role or content. That being said, companions are allies, and were never intended to replace players. Ultimately, the best companion for you is simply the one you will connect with the most, so try them all!