The easiest follower to get in Fallout: New Vegas is ED-E, the damaged eyebot in the Mojave Express office in Primm. He is a non-humanoid companion, and recruiting him means repairing him rather than completing a long quest chain. If you specifically want a humanoid follower, Veronica is the low-effort choice, provided the Brotherhood of Steel has not already been destroyed.
Why ED-E is the answer for most players
A PC Gamer beginner guide published on 2025-12-05 calls ED-E the easiest companion to get, describing him as a floating drone found in Primm, just south of Goodsprings. The guide’s wording is that you need to fix him up, but that it is “not a hard quest.” That judgment matches the recruitment requirements in the community-maintained companion reference, which lists several ways to complete the repair.
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What “easiest” means here
The phrase can point to two different questions, and the answer changes depending on which one you mean:
- Easiest companion overall: ED-E. He needs only a repair, and he is available early in the Mojave, near the start of the game.
- Easiest humanoid companion: Veronica, who can be recruited at the 188 Trading Post. Her recruitment is simple, but it depends on the Brotherhood of Steel still being in the game world. If the Brotherhood was destroyed beforehand, she is not available there under the conditions the reference describes.
“Easiest” also does not mean “best for every build.” Companion bonuses and utility differ, so a companion who is quick to recruit may not suit the skills or combat role you want. The recruitment effort is the only thing this article ranks.
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- Not even nuclear fallout could slow the hustle of Sin City. Explore the vast expanses of the desert wastelands
- Feuding Factions, Colorful Characters and a Host of Hostiles
- Enjoy new additions to Fallout: Special melee combat moves have been added to bring new meaning to the phrase "up close and personal"
- With double the amount of weapons found in Fallout 3
- In a huge, open world with unlimited options you can see the sights, choose sides, or go it alone
How to recruit ED-E
ED-E is found as a non-functional eyebot in the Mojave Express office in Primm. The community wiki reference lists three repair routes. Pick whichever matches your character:
- Go to the Mojave Express office in Primm and interact with the damaged eyebot.
- Choose one of the repair routes the reference lists:
- Repair skill of 65 or higher, or
- Repair skill of 35 or higher combined with Science skill of 55 or higher, or
- Three scrap metal, two sensor modules, and scrap electronics. The reference states that scrap electronics can be obtained at Lone Wolf Radio.
- Complete the repair and recruit him as a follower.
Skill thresholds depend on your character build, so check your Repair and Science values before you travel to Primm. If your skills are below the thresholds, the component route is the fallback.
Rank #2
- Feel the Heat in New Vegas: Not even nuclear fallout could slow the hustle of Sin City. Explore the vast expanses of the desert wastelands from the small towns dotting the Mojave Wasteland to the bright lights of the New Vegas strip
- Feuding Factions, Colorful Characters and a Host of Hostiles : A war is brewing between rival factions with consequences that will change the lives of all the inhabitants of New Vegas
- New Systems : Enjoy new additions to Fallout: Special melee combat moves have been added to bring new meaning to the phrase "up close and personal"
- An Arsenal of Shiny New Guns : With double the amount of weapons found in Fallout 3, you'll have more than enough new and exciting ways to deal with the threats of the wasteland and the locals
- Let it Ride : In a huge, open world with unlimited options you can see the sights, choose sides, or go it alone. Peacemaker or Hard Case, House Rules, or the Wild Card, it's all in how you play the game
Comparing the early and easy recruits
The table below compares the companions covered by the community wiki reference. The “Recruitment effort” column uses the reference’s wording, and the PC Gamer guide is cited where it adds context. Where a companion’s conditions are not described in the reference, the cell says so.
| Companion | Where to find them | Recruitment effort and conditions |
|---|---|---|
| ED-E | Mojave Express office, Primm | Repair, using one of three routes described in the steps above. Non-humanoid. |
| Veronica | 188 Trading Post | Recruited there if the Brotherhood of Steel was not destroyed beforehand, per the companion reference. |
| Boone | Novac, working as a nighttime watchman atop the Dinky the T-Rex statue | Complete “One for My Baby” and choose the relevant dialogue. |
| Cass | Mojave Outpost | Recruitment occurs during “Heartache by the Number.” PC Gamer’s guide describes a caravan-sale quest chain involving either the Barter or Speech skill. |
| Arcade Gannon | Old Mormon Fort, Freeside | Several routes, per the reference: Followers reputation, low Intelligence, Confirmed Bachelor, or completing “High Times.” |
| Lily Bowen | Jacobstown | Recruited during or after “Guess Who I Saw Today.” |
| Raul Tejada | Initially held at Black Mountain | Rescue him, complete “Crazy, Crazy, Crazy,” then find him at his shack. |
| Rex | King’s School of Impersonation, Freeside | Complete “G.I. Blues,” then recruit during or after “Nothin’ But a Hound Dog.” |
Boone, Cass, and Raul all require story progress beyond the first hours of play. Arcade Gannon’s several routes give you more flexibility, but whichever route you take depends on a reputation or skill state that you may not have reached yet.
Rank #3
- Feel the Heat in New Vegas: Not even nuclear fallout could slow the hustle of Sin City. Explore the vast expanses of the desert wastelands from the small towns dotting the Mojave Wasteland to the bright lights of the New Vegas strip
- Feuding Factions, Colorful Characters and a Host of Hostiles : A war is brewing between rival factions with consequences that will change the lives of all the inhabitants of New Vegas
- New Systems : Enjoy new additions to Fallout: Special melee combat moves have been added to bring new meaning to the phrase "up close and personal"
- An Arsenal of Shiny New Guns : With double the amount of weapons found in Fallout 3, you'll have more than enough new and exciting ways to deal with the threats of the wasteland and the locals
- Let it Ride : In a huge, open world with unlimited options you can see the sights, choose sides, or go it alone. Peacemaker or Hard Case, House Rules, or the Wild Card, it's all in how you play the game
Party slots: pairing ED-E with a humanoid follower
The official game manual states that the party can include one human or humanoid companion and one non-human companion at the same time. ED-E fills the non-human slot, so you can recruit him alongside a humanoid follower such as Veronica, Boone, or Cass without giving up either one.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Limits of this answer
- The recruitment conditions come from a community-maintained wiki, not from inspecting the game files directly. Treat the skill thresholds and component lists as the reference reports them. If a route does not work in your copy, check the wiki’s current revision and your game version.
- The PC Gamer guide’s “easiest” judgment is a single editorial opinion, dated 2025-12-05. It is a reasonable basis for the ranking, but it is not an official ranking from the developers.
- The manual is a scan hosted on a fan wiki. It is identified as the game manual, but it is not a publisher-hosted copy.
With those caveats in mind, ED-E is the most accessible permanent companion, and Veronica is the most accessible humanoid one. Start with ED-E in Primm, since he needs the least story progress.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
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