Keeping Danse: A Comprehensive Guide to Paladin Danse as a Companion in Fallout 4
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Yes, absolutely! Keeping Paladin Danse as a companion in Fallout 4 requires careful navigation of the main storyline and your relationship with the Brotherhood of Steel (BoS). The key quest is “Blind Betrayal,” where Danse’s true nature as a synth is revealed. Your choices during and after this quest will determine his fate and whether he remains by your side. This guide will detail the intricacies of keeping Danse around, maximizing his affinity, and understanding the consequences of your decisions.
Navigating “Blind Betrayal”
The quest “Blind Betrayal” is the linchpin of your relationship with Danse. It’s triggered after progressing far enough in the Brotherhood of Steel questline. When Elder Maxson orders you to execute Danse, you have options:
- Spare Danse: This is the critical step. When you find Danse at Listening Post Bravo, you can refuse to kill him. This triggers a conversation with Danse where you have several dialogue options to convince him to stay alive. Your exact words don’t matter as much as your Charisma level. Passing a Charisma check is essential to persuade him.
- Convincing Maxson: After sparing Danse, returning to Maxson initiates a confrontation. Persuading Maxson to spare Danse is difficult, and generally unsuccessful. However, even if Maxson remains adamant, sparing Danse at Listening Post Bravo is the vital action.
Maintaining Companionship
After “Blind Betrayal,” Danse’s status is precarious, but you can still maintain your bond:
- Avoiding BoS Aggression: Sparing Danse will likely make the Brotherhood of Steel hostile towards you when he is your active companion. Dismissing him will return them to a neutral state. Sending Danse to Boston Airport will cause all the Brotherhood soldiers to be hostile.
- Continuing as Companions: Even though the Brotherhood is hostile, Danse will remain loyal to you as long as you don’t dismiss him. This allows you to keep him as a companion.
- Romance: After Blind Betrayal and Danse lives, he’ll have the romance dialogue after traveling with you a little. Depending on your actions toward BoS after that, he could go missing or turn hostile.
Faction Choices and Consequences
Your choice of faction significantly impacts Danse’s future:
- Brotherhood of Steel: The most straightforward way to keep Danse as a full companion is to side with the Brotherhood. While challenging, completing the Brotherhood questline while keeping Danse alive allows you to potentially become a Sentinel and maintain his companionship. Note however you must complete blind betrayal for Danse to be at a max affinity.
- Minutemen: Siding with the Minutemen and avoiding becoming enemies with the Brotherhood also allows you to keep Danse as a companion. This requires careful management of your actions to maintain a neutral or friendly relationship with the BoS.
- Railroad: Joining the Railroad forces you into conflict with the Brotherhood. However, if you don’t take “Talk to Lancer Captain Kells” you can keep the Railroad friendly and when you destroy the brotherhood you won’t have to kill Danse. However, Danse won’t be able to follow you after destroying the brotherhood but he will be alive and friendly towards you.
- Institute: Siding with the Institute inevitably leads to conflict with the Brotherhood. If you become an enemy of the BoS after Blind Betrayal, Danse will not turn hostile. However, you won’t be able to have him as a companion anymore.
Maximizing Affinity with Danse
Even before “Blind Betrayal,” you can work on maximizing your affinity with Danse:
- Positive Actions: Danse approves of acts of kindness, generosity, and upholding justice. Actions that align with the Brotherhood’s ideals also increase affinity.
- Companionship Perks: Traveling with Danse and engaging in activities he approves of will gradually increase your affinity, unlocking his personal quest and, ultimately, his companion perk. You will not be able to reach highest affinity with Danse until you complete Brotherhood Quest Blind Betrayal.
- Negative Actions: Stealing from or being mean to fellow Brotherhood members will damage your status with Danse.
The Long Game
Keeping Danse as a companion requires balancing faction loyalties, moral choices, and a bit of strategic gameplay. Be mindful of your actions, dialogue choices, and the impact they have on the Brotherhood of Steel. By carefully navigating these challenges, you can ensure that Danse remains a loyal and valuable member of your team throughout your Fallout 4 adventure.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I romance Paladin Danse?
Yes, Danse can be romanced, but only if he survives “Blind Betrayal.” The romance dialogue options will appear after traveling with him for a while post-quest. However, your actions towards the Brotherhood will impact the romance.
2. What happens if I let Danse live but side with the Railroad?
If you let Danse live and then side with the Railroad, he will not turn hostile. But, you will not be able to have him as a companion anymore.
3. Is Paladin Danse a synth?
Yes, it is revealed during “Blind Betrayal” that Danse is indeed a synth. His origins are mysterious, and his memories of childhood were likely fabricated by the Institute.
4. How old is Danse in Fallout 4?
While his synth body’s age is ambiguous, considering his experiences and the fabricated memories, we can estimate that Danse’s mind is around 30 years old.
5. Can I max affinity with Danse before “Blind Betrayal”?
No, you cannot reach max affinity with Danse until after completing the “Blind Betrayal” quest.
6. What are some actions that Danse approves of?
Danse approves of acts of kindness, upholding the law, using power armor, crafting, giving items and joining the Brotherhood of Steel.
7. Does Danse hate me if I side with the Institute?
If you become an enemy of the BoS after Blind Betrayal, Danse will not turn hostile. However, you won’t be able to have him as a companion anymore.
8. Can I convince Maxson to spare Danse?
Convincing Maxson to spare Danse is difficult, and generally unsuccessful. However, even if Maxson remains adamant, sparing Danse at Listening Post Bravo is the vital action.
9. What happens if I dismiss Danse after “Blind Betrayal”?
If you dismiss Danse, the Brotherhood will return to neutral status.
10. Is Danse a good companion in combat?
Yes, Paladin Danse is an excellent combat companion. He is incredibly durable in his power armor and deals significant damage, making him a valuable asset in challenging encounters.
11. Can I still recruit Danse as a companion after “Blind Betrayal”?
Yes, as long as you spare him during the “Blind Betrayal” quest.
12. What if I accidentally make the Brotherhood hostile to me?
If you become an enemy of the BoS before Blind Betrayal, Danse will turn hostile. If you become an enemy of the BoS after Blind Betrayal, Danse will not turn hostile. However, you won’t be able to have him as a companion anymore.
13. Does Danse leave me if I become Sentinel but spare him?
No, you can let him live and keep your rank as Sentinel. However, if Danse is your active companion, the Brotherhood of Steel will remain hostile to you until you dismiss him.
14. Can Danse still be a companion if I side with the Institute?
If you side against the Brotherhood faction, Danse will become permanently hostile, removing him as a companion.
15. How do I get the best ending for Danse?
The “best” ending is subjective. However, generally, the best ending is either siding with the Brotherhood of Steel or siding with the Minutemen.