SWTOR Companions Tier List

Ranked by overall combat utility across all three roles. Availability noted, because the best companion in the game being time-locked is peak SWTOR energy.

By Role

Since every companion can be set to any role, the question isn't who they are: it's what they do. Right-click the companion portrait, hover "Change Role." That's it. Now pick the right one for the job.

Tank

• 1. Blizz
• 1. T7-01
• 3. ISO-5R
• 4. B3-S1 / Shae
• 5. Sgt. Rusk
• Avoid: <30k TPS companions

DPS

• 1. Altuur zok Adon
• 2. Shae Vizla
• 2. B3-S1
• 2. ISO-5R
• 5. Most story comps
• Avoid: CM Beasts

Healer

• 1. Altuur zok Adon
• 1. Z0-0M (raw HPS)
• 3. K1-Z3N
• 4. Kira / Veeroa
• 4. Tuk'ata
• Worst: Treek

Most players default to Healer role for their companion. Reasonable. If you're not dying, switch to DPS and clear content 30% faster. The companion doesn't have feelings about it.

Your companion's tier means nothing at Influence 1. At Influence 50, they have a 2,500 Presence bonus, 75% time reduction on crew skills, and 25% critical rate on crafting. A max-influence average companion will outperform a brand-new S-tier one in every practical scenario. Raising companion influence level is not optional: it's the whole system.

Fastest Ways to Level Influence

• Commander's Compendium: instant Rank 50. Buy from vendor V1C-0RY on Fleet (Stronghold area) or 990 Cartel Coins. The correct answer if you value your time.
• Rank 6 Legendary Gifts: 250,000 credits each from the Smuggled Supplies Vendor at Odessen Cantina. High cost, high return.
• Legacy of Altruism perk: increases gift influence gain by up to 30%. Costs 90,000 credits, requires Legacy Level 8. Buy it once, benefit forever.
• Gift rank matching: gifts one rank higher than your companion's current rank give 110% bonus influence. Two ranks higher: 130%. Stop using the wrong rank.

Using gifts two or more ranks BELOW your companion's rank gives 50-80% less influence or nothing at all. The game doesn't warn you. Now you know.

Getting the Good Ones

Knowing the SWTOR companion unlock methods matters, because half the S-tier companions are gatekept behind events, seasons, or your credit card.

• Altuur zok Adon: Galactic Season 1 reward. Currently unobtainable. If you have him, use him. If you don't, move on.
• Shae Vizla: 6 Galactic Season Tokens. The most accessible top-tier companion in the game. Get her first.
• B3-S1: Complete the Prototype Basilisk Venture questline.
• Blizz & T7-01: Unlocked through Knights of the Fallen Empire for all classes. No excuse not to have them.
• Z0-0M & K1-Z3N: Cartel Market. Yes, the best healer is a purchase. Welcome to 2026.
• ISO-5R: Cartel Market.

The best free-to-obtain companion overall is Shae Vizla. Spend your Season Tokens there before anywhere else if endgame performance is your priority.

Companions for Crafting

Combat tier means nothing in the crafting terminal. For SWTOR crew skills companions, what you want is Influence 50 on as many companions as possible. At level 80, you can send up to 8 companions on missions simultaneously: that's 40 items queued per character if you max the queue. Influence 50 across 8 companions is the endgame for crafters.

The companion you use for crafting doesn't need to be your combat companion. Unlock cheap story companions, slam them to Rank 50 with gifts, and send them off on missions while you're doing literally anything else. SWTOR companion gifts guide resources exist specifically for optimizing which gift type goes to which companion: use them, or spend twice the credits getting there.

Gift Efficiency by Rank

• Rank 1 gifts: cheapest per influence: best early (0 to Rank 3)
• Rank 2-3 gifts: bridge the gap efficiently through mid-levels
• Rank 6 Legendary: highest influence per gift, 250k credits each
• Commander's Compendium: zero effort, instant Rank 50: optimal if credits or CC aren't a concern

Cartel Market Companions: The Honest Assessment

Some Cartel Market companions outperform all free alternatives (Z0-0M, ISO-5R). Others: particularly beast companions SWTOR: are consistently the worst performers in DPS and tanking. Beasts can't apply Sunder Armor, which means enemies take 20% less energy/kinetic damage. That's not a small penalty.

If you're buying a CM companion expecting it to be worth the Cartel Coins: Z0-0M and ISO-5R are justified. The rest are cosmetic purchases that happen to function as companions. Manage expectations accordingly.

It's unclear whether the CM performance gap is intentional or a side effect of Broadsword's visual modernization pipeline. Either way, you're paying real money for a pet that underperforms NPCs obtained for free. Charming.