Avowed Companions Guide — Kai, Marius, Giatta & Yatzli

How Companions Work

You bring two companions into every area. They fight independently but respond to direct ability commands — and the difference between a companion on auto-mode and one you're actively directing is significant, especially in difficult fights. Companions also react to your dialogue choices and build approval or disapproval over time, which affects their personal questlines and late-game story availability.

Companion abilities are upgraded with Copper and special materials. Don't hoard — companions that you invest in become noticeably more capable. A well-upgraded companion is worth more than any piece of equipment.

Two-companion limit: You can only bring two companions to any given area. The right pairing for your build matters — see the synergy notes below.

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Kai

The Loyal Blade

Fighter
Tier S

Personality

Straightforward, fiercely loyal, and occasionally blunt. Kai has a deep personal stake in the Living Lands and a longer history with the region than he initially lets on. He pushes back on decisions he thinks are wrong but follows you anyway. One of the most well-written companions in the game.

Combat Role

Kai's job is to be in the enemy's face so you don't have to be. He draws aggro effectively, deals respectable melee damage, and his active abilities focus on disruption — stuns, knockbacks, and debuffs that create openings for your spells or ranged attacks. The default 'set and forget' companion for caster builds.

Abilities

Shield Bash

Stuns a target for 2s; creates an opening for your follow-up. Direct his shield bash before you cast a big spell.

Blade Flurry

Rapid three-hit combo dealing high single-target damage; use on Paralyzed or Prone targets your Cipher/Fighter set up.

Rallying Cry

Party-wide buff granting +15% damage for 10s. Use at fight start before the first major AoE.

Unbreakable

Passive: Kai takes 25% reduced damage when below 40% health. Makes him harder to focus down.

Upgrade priority: Rallying Cry first — the party-wide damage buff has the highest total impact. Then Shield Bash for reliable CC on demand.

Synergies: Pairs lethally with the Arcane Scholar: Kai tanks the front line while you cast from range, and his Rallying Cry buffs your spell damage. Also strong with Ghost Ranger — he draws all melee aggro while you shoot from stealth.

💬 Affinity tip: Kai responds well to direct, honest dialogue choices. He respects pragmatism and dislikes political maneuvering. Choosing options that prioritize the people you're trying to protect over institutional interests consistently raises his approval.

🗡️ Weapon: One-handed sword + shield 🛡️ Armor: Heavy armor 📍 Joins: Prologue — the first companion you meet

🏹

Marius

The Scout

Ranger
Tier A

Personality

Quiet, observant, and carrying something he hasn't told you yet. Marius keeps his own counsel and engages more through action than conversation. He has a specific past in the Living Lands and his loyalty is earned more slowly than Kai's. Worth the investment — his late-game dialogue is among the best in the writing.

Combat Role

Marius is your second ranged attacker — he and a Ghost Ranger player double the pressure on enemies from range while Kai anchors the front. His twin pistols deal reliable sustained damage and his Marked Prey ability doubles the team's damage on priority targets. Best used to pile damage on the enemy Kai is currently threatening.

Abilities

Twin Shot

Fires both pistols simultaneously at a single target; high burst on priority targets. Direct at bosses and elites.

Flash Grenade

Blinds all enemies in a small radius for 4s — reduces their Accuracy by 40. Use before your Cipher attempts a Charm.

Smoke Screen

Drops a smoke cloud obscuring enemies' vision; your ranged attacks from outside the cloud have increased Accuracy.

Precise Shot

Passive: 20% chance for ranged attacks to deal double damage. Stacks with any damage bonuses already active.

Upgrade priority: Precise Shot passive first for consistent DPS uplift. Then Twin Shot for boss burst.

Synergies: Complement to melee-heavy builds — Iron Bastion holds the front while Marius and you deal damage from range. With Spirit Blade, Marius provides consistent ranged pressure while you cycle melee Focus generation.

💬 Affinity tip: Marius values competence and directness. Choose options that demonstrate you know what you're doing. He dislikes recklessness and empty bravado. Ask about his past when the game offers it — his questline significantly deepens his character.

🗡️ Weapon: Twin pistols / crossbow 🛡️ Armor: Light armor 📍 Joins: Early Act 1 — shortly after Kai

✨

Giatta

The Scholar-Healer

Healer
Tier S

Personality

An Awakened Godlike and former scholar, Giatta is intellectually curious, emotionally grounded, and one of the most useful companions in the game. She asks questions that actually matter and notices things other companions miss. Her questline involves some of Avowed's most interesting Godlike lore.

Combat Role

Giatta is the only companion with reliable healing and the only one who brings spell-based crowd control to your party. She casts healing spells on low-health party members without prompting and her CC abilities (Paralysis, AoE Daze) create the same kind of burst windows that a player Cipher does. On builds where you're in melee range, Giatta keeping you alive is worth more than another damage dealer.

Abilities

Restore

Heals a single target for a large amount. Will prioritize the lowest-health party member on auto. Direct it manually when you're the one taking damage.

Prayer for the Body

Passive healing aura that slowly restores Health to all party members during combat. Small but free and continuous.

Arcane Dampener

Dispels buffs from enemies in a radius. Use before fighting a heavily-buffed elite to strip their bonuses before engagement.

Pull of Eora

AoE crowd control — Paralyzes all enemies in range for 3s. Your best window for a coordinated party burst rotation.

Upgrade priority: Pull of Eora first — party-wide Paralysis creates your best burst window. Then Restore for reliable emergency healing.

Synergies: The strongest companion for melee builds who take damage (Battle Mage, Iron Bastion, Spirit Blade). Her healing lets you stay aggressive. Pull of Eora + your hardest-hitting ability on a Paralyzed target is the party's peak DPS window.

💬 Affinity tip: Giatta is intellectually generous — she values curiosity and thoughtful engagement with the world's complexity. Choosing dialogue that shows you're thinking carefully about the Living Lands rather than just executing orders raises her approval consistently.

🗡️ Weapon: Staff + Grimoire 🛡️ Armor: Light armor / robes 📍 Joins: Act 1 — after the first major story beat

🔥

Yatzli

The Eager Arcane

Wizard
Tier A

Personality

Enthusiastic, occasionally reckless, and deeply invested in being useful. Yatzli brings energy to a party that might otherwise be quite serious. She has a clear arc from eager-to-prove-herself to genuinely capable, and her reactions to events in the Living Lands often illuminate things the other companions take for granted.

Combat Role

Yatzli is a second caster — she casts offensive spells independently and can double your AoE output when her spells hit the same groups you're targeting. Her Grimoire rotation isn't as precise as player-directed, but she adds consistent spell pressure and her Grimoire swap means she covers element types you might not have invested in. On a ranged or Cipher build, having two casters means most grouped enemies don't survive long enough to reach you.

Abilities

Fireball

Yatzli's primary AoE. Direct it at grouped targets ahead of your own Fireball for staggered detonations.

Ray of Frost

Channeled ice beam that applies Chilled. Combine with your Amplified Wave for a companion-setup Frozen Shatter.

Arcane Veil

Defensive self-buff granting +20 Deflection for 8s. She uses it reactively when focused — it makes her less likely to go down when enemies switch to her.

Grimoire Slam

Melee emergency ability — deals spell damage with her Grimoire in melee range. Only triggers if enemies close to her; it means she's in danger. Redirect enemies with Into the Fray if you see this activating.

Upgrade priority: Ray of Frost first — companion-setup Frozen Shatters are extremely powerful. Then Fireball for raw AoE output.

Synergies: Strong with Ghost Ranger (two ranged attackers with Yatzli adding spell pressure) and Spirit Blade (Yatzli handles AoE damage while you build Focus in melee and use Cipher for single-target CC/burst).

💬 Affinity tip: Yatzli responds to being taken seriously and being included in decisions. She likes when you ask for her perspective. Avoid dismissive dialogue — she's easy to lower approval with by accident if you treat her as junior.

🗡️ Weapon: Grimoire + wand 🛡️ Armor: Robes 📍 Joins: Mid Act 1

Party Composition by Build

Your Build	First Choice	Second Choice	Why
Arcane Scholar	Kai	Giatta	Kai tanks melee aggro, Giatta heals you if you get hit. You cast freely from range.
Battle Mage	Giatta	Marius	Giatta keeps you alive in melee; Marius adds ranged pressure from a third angle.
Spirit Blade	Yatzli	Marius	You handle single-target CC and melee Focus. Yatzli and Marius cover AoE and ranged.
Iron Bastion	Any	Any	You tank everything regardless — bring whoever you want. Yatzli + Marius maximizes party DPS output.
Ghost Ranger	Kai	Yatzli	Kai anchors the front while you and Yatzli deal ranged/spell damage. Double ranged composition.