The Sons of the Forest companions are Virginia and Kelvin, a mutant and human respectively who serve different purposes in-game. Virginia is a six-limbed figure who meets you on the island and gradually begins to trust you over time, while Kelvin is a fellow soldier who loses his hearing in the game's opening scene and works with you to secure safety. Sons of the Forest is a tough game, no doubt about it, but by working with companions, you'll be able to survive and thrive in what's to come.
All Sons of the Forest companions
There are two companions in Sons of the Forest that we know of so far:
- Virginia: A three-legged and three-armed mutant who will approach the player in the wild.
- Kelvin: A soldier who survived the helicopter crash that kicks off the game, but loses his hearing in the process.
Companions in Sons of the Forest are friendly NPCs that you can recruit to help you complete certain tasks, fight enemies or gather resources. Depending on the NPC, they might take direct orders, or act autonomously in ways that benefit the player overall, still being their own person but willing to tag along and aid the player.
At the moment there's only the two companions above in the game, at least as far as we've found. However, considering that it's in early access, it's entirely possible that more will be added down the line, expanding your potential team roster.
How to get companions in Sons of the Forest
Each companion in Sons of the Forest is encountered in specific and particular ways that we've laid out below, in a situation unique to them. You can't just go to a recruitment board and order them to show up, it's a little more complex than that. We'll cover how to get all the companions in the game below, and where they're found.
How to get Virginia as a companion in Sons of the Forest
Virginia is a six-limbed mutant and currently the only inhuman ally in the game. She will appear in the Forest periodically and approach you, at which point you should stow all weapons and do nothing aggressive. Over time she'll grow used to you, and eventually start to tag along permanently. You can get more detail about how to recruit her in our Sons of the Forest Virginia guide.
This is as close as you can get to Virginia being a proper companion - she doesn't officially agree to join the party, she just silently tags along once she recognises the player isn't a threat.
Virginia appears to be Virginia Puffton, a missing woman who we briefly see a picture of in the game's introductory cinematic. She's clearly been physically altered since then, but remains an ally nonetheless.
How to get Kelvin as a companion in Sons of the Forest
As close to being a "default" companion as you can get in Sons of the Forest, Kelvin is a follow soldier who suffers a serious head injury and loses his hearing in the initial helicopter accident. To get him as a companion, players need to do the following:
- When the story starts, you'll spawn in the wreckage of the helicopter.
- Nearby, Kelvin will be on the ground, indicated by a marker.
- Walk over and press the button prompt to get him up.
There'll be a moment where you inspect him over - noting the copious bleeding from his ears - and then he'll be an ally you can order and around and have follow you! He's the "standard" companion to all intents and purposes, and less independent than Virginia.
How to give orders to companions
Companions are given orders and instructions in different ways, depending on who they are:
- Kelvin: Walk up to Kelvin and press the prompted button to draw your notepad. You'll be given a selection of instructions to choose, pick which one you want and your character will hand that paper to him. He'll follow that order from then on, until he's either finished, attacked, or given a new order to replace it.
- Virginia: Virginia can't actually be given orders! As mentioned before, she does her own thing, and while she'll follow the player and protect them in combat, she can't actually be given orders, though you can put weapons in her hand for her to use in combat. Here's how that works...
How to give weapons to Kelvin and Virginia
There's no way to give weapons to Kelvin in Sons of the Forest, unfortunately. Despite ostensibly starting out as a soldier, Kelvin is a pacifist NPC who will attempt to flee from enemies rather than attack them, and cannot defend himself. However, you can give him clothes you find by interacting with him, as though you were going to give him orders, and selecting "take item". Then choose the clothes you want him to wear.
Virginia is more cooperative in this regard. If you walk up to Virginia and Press E, you have the option to give her any clothes, weapons or Sons of the Forest GPS locators in your inventory, all of which she'll put to use. In fact, weapons in Virginia's hands don't use or require ammo, so while she's holding a pistol, even if you gave it to her empty, she can fire it constantly.
Can companions die in Sons of the Forest?
Yes, companions can die in Sons of the Forest if they take enough damage - either from you or from the cannibals who roam the island. And once dead, they're dead permanently, with no chance of coming back. For that reason, protect them! Virginia will defend herself as best she can, but she's not immortal, and while Kelvin can recognize danger and attempt to flee, he's unable to defend himself or wield weapons directly.
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