Weird West: How to recruit unique companions

The campaign in Weird West might be split up into multiple acts or chapters, but there’s no shortage of peeps that you can recruit. You can bolster your party or posse not just with generic NPCs/mercenaries, but also with those who are truly special. Here’s our Weird West guide to help you recruit unique companions as you progress further in the campaign.

Note: For more information, check out our Weird West guides and features hub. Likewise, please be reminded that this guide contains minor spoilers.

Weird West guide – How to recruit unique companions

Unique companions

The key differences between unique companions and generic ones in Weird West are:

• Names – Some mercenaries tend to have procedurally generated names. As such, one person who pops up in a particular town might have a different name in my playthrough compared to yours.
• Stats – Unique companions tend to have higher HP in general.
• Method of recruitment – Unique companions have a “more involved” method of recruitment. Either they’re part of the main quest or there’s a bit of dungeon-delving involved.

Note: We’re only discussing unique NPCs here, though you can also refer to our “former” main character recruitment guide.

Journey 1: Bounty Hunter – Sheriff Albright

Sheriff Albright is one of the important NPCs in the Bounty Hunter’s campaign. She can be recruited as a companion much later after you find “Snack” in Big Gulch Mine. Snack says that he wants to be someone’s morsel and you should return to Albright’s Stead for the next step. In the cellar, you’ll see that Sheriff Albright is feasting on a corpse. She finally admits that she’s a siren.

Don’t be alarmed because you can still talk things through with her. Tell her to go along with the plan, which causes her to eat Snack. This will reveal the whereabouts of the Bounty Hunter’s husband. You can then have her join your posse.

Note: Please avoid visiting Albright’s Stead when you’re playing as Pigman. It seems that Sheriff Albright will turn hostile even if you have the Bounty Hunter with you.

Journey 2: Pigman – Pigman Joe

Halfway through the Pigman’s arc, you’ll receive a message from Pigman Joe. This starts The Bard’s Bargain quest. Visit his home and tell him that you’d help.

Next, head to Sterling Mine which should be a highlighted location. Enter the tunnels, collect some loot, and eliminate the Wraith elite. Once you’re done, return to Pigman Joe so you can recruit him as a unique companion in Weird West. He’s got more than 400+ HP, which makes him an awesome tank for melee combat.

Note: Do not attempt to dismiss a generic companion and recruit Pigman Joe in the same area. Otherwise, they’ll end up fighting.

Journey 3: Protector – Pigman Joe

When you’re playing as the Protector, you’ll have a random encounter on the world map. There, you’ll see that Pigman Joe is being accosted by a certain Rn’ld. You can help Joe and ask him to join you once more.

Note: If you dismiss Pigman Joe and you want to recruit him again, just look for his character portrait while you’re mousing over various locations on the map.

Journey 3: Protector – Red Thunderbird

Red Thunderbird is automatically a unique companion when you start the third chapter of Weird West. However, he’ll leave once you make it back to the Protector’s hometown.

He will ask to rejoin much later towards the end (i.e., after you’ve unlocked the mine in Olvidado Pueblo). Whether or not he’s in your party, he’ll show up and turn hostile when you get to Olvidado Pueblo.

Weird West is available via Steam and the Xbox Game Pass for PC. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.