10.
T3-M4If he wasn't necessary for the advancement of the story, I would have excluded him. Seriously, unless you are going for a skill-centric group (WHY), he functions as a weak R2. He exists solely to open a fucking door into the Sith base, and literally nothing more. While none of this is exactly his fault, as he is a utility droid, they could have done SOMETHING else (except maybe selecting him for the Leviathan). 20 INT is good only if you value skills, which, for the average player you aren't going to put much investment into beyond persuade and repair. You can destroy pretty much any door, so security is never mandatory, and neither is computer use unless you love spiking. Anything he does, any other companion can do better AND be efficient in combat. Overall, T3 just doesn't bring much to the table in either strategy or story. Probably would have been better off being blown up while repairing the Ebon Hawk's power conduits. Luckily for this astromech, he is redeemed in KOTOR 2, but his initial appearance still leaves much to be desired.
If you enjoy humorous builds, T3 can be quite the tank, so he has that going for him at least.
Boop beep beep boop beep boop?9.
Zalbaar I consider this one a Shakespearean tragedy of epic proportions. To begin, our furry friend starts off with massive STR and CON, making him an early game wrecking machine. Slap twin vibroblades with two-weapon fighting and watch him go to town. Being a scout gives him free implants, another useful boon for making sure his roles are put to good use. So, where does he go wrong? Unless you have him running like a fucking berserker into melee (even this does not work most of the time), or have him sit in the back with his bowcaster, he is going get annihilated past Dantooine. Considering his walking carpet status, Zalbaar is incapable of equipping armor, meaning his large CON stat isn't going to mean shit once the Sith acolytes start rolling in. Even if you heavily invested into CON early, it still won't account for much damage reduction to the simply fact of no armor. On top of that, his dexterity is also low, so say goodbye to any hope of him dodging anything beyond Kath Hounds. He just falls apart, and there isn't any reason to use him much when there are far better melee companions available.
Zalbaar serves little to no purpose to the story until you get to Kashyyyk (which is really the only time you want to bring him). Prior to this quest, any interaction with him results in him reciting his life debt to you, which gets really fucking dull. Depending on your order of planets, he could remain this way even
halfway through the game and beyond. Of course, being the exile that he is, our Zalbaar spends the majority of his side quest being held captive by his brother while you go and look for their father, all the while desperately trying to remember which Wookie is which since they all look the same. Luckily his side quest is one of the more entertaining ones (unless you decide to leave him there), so he is saved from utter obscurity. Perhaps my strong dislike of Kashyyyk in KOTOR affects my view of him, but I will conclude that his placement is justified.
I must also add that your dialogue options during Zalbaar's quest make it far more enjoyable. Make sure to have him kill Mission if you go down the dark path as well.
8.
JuhaniThis character has always felt, at least to me, to be very awkwardly inserted. Upon your first playthrough, you might just be tempted to just cut her in half for those juicy dark side points. On the other hand, you can persuade her from the edge (btw how did she get a red lightsaber?) and gain a decent Jedi guardian. She isn't terrible, but she isn't really great either. Easily the worst of the Jedi batch that you can use, but that still makes her leagues above any other melee character. My main gripe with her is that she just isn't a particularly interesting character. Juhani represents the typical force user conflicted on her actions and past, all the while juxtaposing certain moral principles in regards to her emotional state. Her screwed up past makes for a decent setup, but the payoff is underwhelming. While it is hilarious to just have her kill Xor at the end of the side quest, KOTOR's heavy reliance on black and white morality make the either choice not particularly compelling. As stated above, she just feels out of place for the entirety of the game. An emotionally unstable force user usually makes for a good story arc, but this one falls flat. Beyond her occasional dialogue and quest, I can't say for certain on whether this character was something I would have agreed to putting into the game. If she were more emotionally conflicted throughout the many interactions you have (provided that you actually bring her along), then maybe.
7.
HK-47Perhaps my most controversial placement. Besides being of great comedic value and having a robust robotic personality, HK really doesn't add much else. Hell, just getting further along his quest involves you putting points into repair (which you need a lot of), and even then you probably don't want to be upgrading intelligence to help boost it along. Despite claiming to be great at butchering meatbags, he dies too fucking quickly and is outclassed by most of the other companions in virtually everything. Buying him is probably the least demanding of his quest, so long as you have done the swoop races on Tatooine. Can't recommend him being in the party unless you want entertaining dialogue and a massive boon towards lore, which might just be your style. I'll have to replay KOTOR 2 soon to see if he was any better.
He does have the best quotes in the game though:
Translation: He requires proof of good faith. We must make a contribution to his people that shows we are not a threat...shall I blast him now, Master?Commentary: Your former pupil is brutal and efficient, even for an organic. I rather liked him when you first introduced me to him. If I had known what he would do to you, master, I would have gladly removed his entrails, right then!Explanation: Two per cent probability that the miniature organic is simply looking for trouble and needs to be blasted. That may be wishful thinking on my part, master.Definition: 'Love' is making a shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometers away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope... Love is knowing your target, putting them in your targeting reticule, and together, achieving a singular purpose against statistically long odds.6.
Carth[sOmEThInG SeEmS tO bE bOtHeRiNg cArTh.]To me, Onassi represents the epitome of a Star Wars character just being outright fucking annoying. It's a shame since he is propped up be one of the Republic's heroes. Gameplay wise, he actually excels at his job of being a blaster user. Theres really nothing wrong with him when enough DEX is leveled, and his crit can come in handy in every part of the game. His involvement in the story is where he starts to grind my gears. At any given moment during the game, he becomes extremely defensive and inconsistent when it comes to the Mandalorian Wars, practically stuttering his way through the conversation. He then proceeds pulls a complete 180 when it goes on for long enough. This is followed by him giving you the silent treatment for an extended period. His romance option isn't great, and the revelation about his son just kind of comes out of the blue. It's almost as if Bioware forgot to give Carth a quest late into development, so they threw in the Korriban storyline last minute. (This is one of the more forgivable aspects of the character, as we really aren't given much else that would have made even the slightest sense). His conversational skills are a solid 3/10, as they unfortunately descend into one of the more poorly written ones of the game. If he couldn't fly the Ebon Hawk, I would have put him lower.
5.
CanderousThis grizzled Mandalorian veteran is one of the more entertaining characters. Despite a terrible will save, he adds perhaps the most in terms of non-lightsaber users. A great start in terms of armor feats and vitality, with potential to use any blaster category to great effect makes him a good frontliner even without a melee build. His dialogue regarding war stories is actually quite good, though they can feel at times like an old man reliving his glory days. They can drag out for too long, and his quest isn't really all that great. You have to get a healthy amount of points into persuade in order to get the most XP out of it, and the alternative isn't all that climatic, so I'd save this quest late so you have the best chance of making the most of it. His banter with Carth and Bastilla is among the best, and sticks true to his word about being quite the bastard in terms of morality. Like T3, Canderous becomes much, MUCH better in KOTOR 2. It really isn't even a fair comparison, as he has evolved heavily into something far more fleshed out than before. Oh and he builds stims too, which is nice.
4.
Mission She could have easily been the whiny brat that Star Wars has the bad tendency to have in nearly ever story. Luckily, Bioware pulls off a kind-hearted companion who is memorable in every way. She differs from nearly every other character's cynicism with a more upbeat personality. Furthermore, she contrasts the often convoluted explanations someone like Bastilla or Carth would give, instead stating opinions on certain matters with more layman terms. It works surprisingly well, all things considered. Her character is a 14 year old thief caught up in the middle of a galactic conflict, and somehow doesn't collectively lose her mind (I guess Taris is just that fucked up). Her sneak attack and crits are also absurdly fun. If you get bored of a pure Jedi party and have to patience to develop another build, Mission can be by far the most unique blaster user. Although it does take certain situations to use her full potential, it's well worth it to see the turn play out in full. A much welcome change to the pure (and often bland) lightsaber combat that dominates the game from Dantooine onwards. She also doubles as a Pazaak punching bag, so if you enjoy Star Wars blackjack, she is your go to. I heavily recommended bringing her along for Kashyyyk, as she adds heavily to the dialogue in terms of Zalbaar's quest line. Fuck Griff though, he is lame.
3.
TraskHe helps you through the Endar Spire, teaches you the basic fundamentals of the game, AND sacrifices himself to hold off Darth Bandon. What else could you want from a guy? Solid bro tier.
2.
BastillaShe doesn't stand out in terms of gameplay, but still a Jedi is a Jedi. Slap a fully upgraded flurry and watch her melt virtually anything that she comes across. Force powers are alright on her, but being a Sentinel and all, she is better off with a more balanced approach. Her dialogue is the most extensive of the companions, and is also the optional romance for the male character. Bastilla's development as a character is linked directly to Revans, so she really serves more as a secondary protagonist, the only companion to do so. She is rather doubtful of her own powers, thus leading to Malek causing her to crack. It's also funny to see her blush when the player presses her with certain dialogue options. Unfortunately, she can come off as a bit whiny, and while the player can poke at her insecurities about potential, it doesn't change the final outcome all that much. Her paths during either a Dark or Light playthrough are enjoyable (with the former arguably being better), as her character is one of the few that actually gets a full arc. Her side quest tugs at the heart strings somewhat, though it isn't anything extraordinary. Being hot is a bonus, so she's got that going too.
1.
JoleeThe wise uncle of the group, who doubles as the most proficient Jedi companion. He has the best starting Force powers, most Force points, (with 17 more to go), and can excel at crowd control right off the bat. Being a bit of a Grey Jedi, his neutral opinions regarding the war and ongoing struggle between Dark and Light are wholly different from the rest. His years living as a hermit has given him more of a naturalist stance, all the while functioning as the best source of wisdom the game has to offer. Jolee's backstory, while probably littered with bullshit, is by far the most intriguing, as it offers a perspective on matters that Star Wars doesn't often dive too deep into. Having been disillusioned with the Jedi order after the Great Sith War and the death of his wife, he had resolved to explore the galaxy, eventually crashing down in Kashyyyk. While he is aware of what is at stake, he also doesn't consider our involvement to be the most important in galactic history. His side quest on Manaan is also leagues above the rest. Not only can you fuck the Sith over in the trial, but you are also presented with a difficult choice when faced with the truth of Sunry's guilt. It is well thought out, developed, and leaves the player conflicted on whether if it's better to stay true to their moral code, or to give false information for the betterment of the Republic. As if he wasn't already good enough, Jolee makes for the most entertaining choice on the Leviathan. Those Rodians make me giggle every time. It makes me sad to have to kill him when I do Dark playthroughs, but it a necessary step towards achieving galactic dominance.