7 AI companions that weren't total idiots

Incredibly, they aren't all bad.

Knight Solaire - Dark Souls

Praise the Sun!     Dark Souls / FromSoftware / Fair Use
Praise the Sun! - © Dark Souls / FromSoftware / Fair Use

Where would be be without Knight Solaire, founder of the Sunbros and inspiration for a million Praise the Sun memes? Probably still stuck on those damned Gargoyles. In a world as bleak and harsh as Dark Souls’, Solaire is a beacon of light and geniality.

Solaire of Astora is a member of the Warriors of Sunlight, a covenant for followers of the firstborn of Great Lord Gwyn. Nevermind the possibility that Solaire may well be this firstborn, the covenant is one of the few in Dark Souls’ harrowed world to focus solely on helping others. Warriors of Sunlight are able to join the many players attempting to tackle FromSoftware’s challenging RPG, assisting their fight against the game’s tough bosses.

Solaire is the perfect AI epitome of this, showing up as a summon at numerous occasions, usually just before a particularly nasty boss battle. In a world filled with scoundrels, Solaire is easily your best NPC buddy. That is, until he attaches a Sunlight Maggot to his head, goes insane and tries to kill you. But hey, you’ve gotta take the good with the bad in this kind of world. On the positive side of things, if you do manage to save him from madness, he’ll even help you out with the game’s final battle against Gwyn.

The Companion Cube - Portal

Man's best friend.    Portal / Valve Corporation / Fair Use
Man's best friend - © Portal / Valve Corporation / Fair Use

Yup, that’s right, gaming’s finest NPC companion is without doubt Portal’s Companion Cube. Just as the deadly reality of your situation begins to dawn in Aperture Science’s lab, the Companion Cube arrives to reassure you that everything will be okay. The Companion Cube doesn’t judge or complain, instead your loyal ally is always there to listen when you need it most. Not just a caring friend, it also helps block bullets and reflect energy balls of death too. Even when the time comes to part ways, the Companion Cube remains strong, diving gallantly into the flames without a second thought, allowing the player to progress where it could not. What do you mean the Companion Cube doesn’t have AI? It’s talking to us right now. Yes Cubey my love, we will show them the light. In time, they’ll all see.

Associate Editor

Henry Stenhouse serves an eternal punishment as the Associate Editor of AllGamers. He spent his younger life studying the laws of physics, even going so far as to complete a PhD in the subject before video games stole his soul. Confess your love of Super Smash Bros. via email at henry@moonrock.biz, or catch him on Twitter.

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