Originally published on SWTORHub, checked for accuracy in 2015.

The Smuggler cuts a dashing figure through the world of Star Wars: The Old Republic as he (or she) smuggles goods planet-to-planet. Smugglers survive within the seedy belly of the underworld, staying a step ahead of the law and bounty hunters, all while helping those who have no one else to turn to. Of course, they don’t go at it alone, Smugglers can call in the aid of up to five companions, like other classes in SWTOR can, to help them through their perilous journey. Which companion is right for the job? Well, that all depends on you, the player, and your playstyle. To that end, Swtorhub.com has put together a complete guide to the Smuggler’s companions, including their combat acumen, crew skill bonuses, and likes and dislikes.

Every class in The Old Republic benefits greatly from companions. Their most obvious benefit is standing with the Smuggler in the fire and chaos of combat. The Smuggler gets into trouble constantly, but he's no walking tank. It's vital for a Smuggler to have a companion to take some of the heat off of him or provide extra firepower or healing in combat. Companions are also useful for selling off grey items (vendor trash) while the Smuggler is out questing. This is one of my favorite benefits of a companion as that it saves a great deal of time since you don't have to trudge back to town to free up inventory space. Companions reside on your personal ship and will run missions for you to gather crafting supplies or craft items for you. Companions can also provide much-needed interaction and, in some cases, provide a little romance for the player. Va-va-voom!

As the Smuggler swashbuckles his way through The Old Republic, he'll gather companions on different worlds as he levels. Each of these companions will have different capabilities and it is up to the player to decide how best to utilize them. A companion comes equipped, but a smart Smuggler will take care to upgrade their gear to make sure that it's up to date. Smugglers will also need to furnish equipment that companions do not normally have when they join him, such as helmets, ear pieces, and implants. The slim line between life and death for a Smuggler can usually come down to how well equipped his companions are.

As with all classes in The Old Republic, Smugglers can only have one active companion at a time. The rest of his companions will stay onboard his ship when not active and probably drinking all his contraband booze. Companions do not accompany players into warzones and will "desummon" if a group has more than three players, since companions count towards the cap limit.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to hit ESC to leave a conversation if you’re making choices that anger your companion. If you’re willing to redo the conversation a few times, you can maximize your companion’s affection potential from that conversation.

Corso Riggs

Personally, Corso Riggs is a very decent person, albeit with a weird fondness for giving pet names to his weapons. He is protective of women no matter their disposition, dislikes hurting people for no good reason, hates working with Imperials, and loves volunteering to help people. He usually approves of any Light Side decisions the player makes. Corso Riggs is also a romance option if the player is playing a female Smuggler. Basically, he is a knight in slightly-tarnished armor. Corso Riggs is the first companion that a Smuggler will get while you're on Ord Mantell. In combat, he serves as a ranged tank. While some people scoff at him, I think he's a decent starting companion. He does a good job of generating aggro and keeping the enemy's attention focused on him and not the Smuggler. He does decent damage, but he does have one combat attribute that can be irritating. You will want to turn off his Harpoon Shot as he will usually drag foes behind your cover. However, this does have the side-effect of him not using the close range abilities he gets at higher levels. Still, he gets the job done at lower levels and he keeps the Smuggler from getting squished.

Planet: Ord Mantell
Armor: Heavy
Main Weapon: Blaster Rifle
Main Attribute: Aim
Crew Skills: Underworld Trading (+5 Efficiency), Armstech (+5 Critical)
Companion Gifts:

• Favorite: Republic Memorabilia (if courting), Military Gear, Courting (if courting), Trophy (if courting)
• Love: Weapon
• Like: Republic Memorabilia (if not courting), Courting (if not courting), Luxury. Technology, Cultural Artifact, Trophy (if not courting)
• Indifferent: Empire Memorabilia, Underworld Good

Bowdaar

Bowdaar has the temperament and attitude of a noble gladiator, which is natural since he's been forced to fight in the arena for a long time. Once you free him, Bowdaar believes that you owes you a tremendous debt. He's a very honorable companion and looks favorably on protecting the weak, maintaining his personal honor, and having fights against worthy foes. Bowdaar does not like it when the Smuggler chooses options that reflect cruelty, bullying, giving respect to authority when it's in the wrong, and slavery. He's not a good choice for conversations if you're planning on going Dark Side.Bowdaar is the second Smuggler companion and you'll receive him after you free him from the Hutts on Nar Shadda. Off the bat, I think he's cool as every Smuggler needs a wookie companion! In combat, he serves as melee tank. A lot of Smugglers aren't too fond of Bowdaar as a tank, but there are some things you can do to make him pretty good. The first is to equip him properly as he comes to you really under-equipped. The second thing you can do is to turn off his Wookie Toss ability as that, while it is awesome to look at and useful in confined spaces, it can lead to him aggroing additional opponents in open spaces when he throws an enemy off into the distance. Bowdaar is extremely good for maintaining aggro and is a better tank than Corso Riggs if you're dealing with mobs. My one regret with Bowdaar is that he doesn't come with a bowcaster like Chewbacca.

Planet: Nar Shadda
Armor: Heavy
Main Weapon: Vibrosword
Main Attribute: Strength
Crew Skills: Cybertech (+10 Efficiency), Scavenging (+10 Efficiency)
Companion Gifts:

• Favorite: Trophy
• Love: Luxury, Cultural Artifact
• Like: Weapon, Military Gear, Courting, Technology, Underworld Good
• Indifferent: Republic Memorabilia, Empire Memorabilia

Risha

On the personal level, Risha is a seasoned and cynical adventurer. Due to her past, she is rather selfish and sarcastic, but isn't a bad person at heart. She has had to protect herself through a lot of tough times so she projects an unemotional exterior. For conversation options, Risha prefers ones that reflect profit, new technology, secrets, and personal gain or self-interest. She heartily disapproves of conversation choices that reflect emotional or unprofessional behavior, working with the stupid or uneducated (did I mention that she's sarcastic?), and she does not like the killing of innocents. If you're playing as a male Smuggler, you can romance Risha and try to break through her tough, cynical exterior.Risha is the third companion that a Smuggler will get in The Old Republic. You will first meet her when you manage to get your ship back, but she doesn't fully become a companion until the end of Chapter 1 of the Smuggler storyline. She serves a ranged DPS role in combat. She is best used in sniper mode. She is useful in working with you if you team attack and will help you bring your foes down quickly. However, if you're looking for a tank, then look elsewhere. Risha does not taunt enemies off of you, so if she's firing at a different target that isn't attacking you, she won't pull aggro off of you until she starts attacking the enemy that is on you. If you're specced as a healer, you'll end up tanking usually since you'll be drawing aggro by healing her.

Planet: Alderaan / Your Ship
Armor: Medium
Main Weapon: Sniper Rifle
Main Attribute: Cunning
Crew Skills: Diplomacy (+15 Efficiency), Slicing (+1 Critical)
Companion Gifts:

• Favorite: Luxury (if not courting), Technology (if courting), Cultural Artifact, Underworld Good (if not courting)
• Love: Luxury (if courting), Underworld Good (if courting)
• Like: Republic Memorabilia, Empire Memorabilia, Weapon, Military Gear, Courting (if courting), Technology (if not courting)
• Indifferent: Courting (if not courting), Trophy

Akaavi Spar

Akaavi Spar has a dark personality reflecting her background. She is not an ideal companion to have with you if you're looking to choose Light Side options. In conversations, she prefers it when the Smuggler chooses profit, combat challenges, and irritating authority figures. Conversely, she disapproves when the player selects options that include mercy, dishonorable acts, or the Republic. As with Risha, she is a romance option for male Smugglers, but good luck if you're a goody two-shoes.Akaavi Spar is the fourth companion that joins the Smuggler. She is from a now-destroyed Mandalorian clan who now wanders the galaxy as a true mercenary. She is a true melee DPS in combat, where she will leap into mobs of foes and use her AoE fire attacks and explosions to cut down her enemies. She is a good choice if you're looking for AoE DPS, but not a good choice if you're looking for anything else, such as a tank or ranged damage.

Planet: Balmorra
Armor:Heavy
Main Weapon: Techstaff
Main Attribute: Aim
Crew Skills: Armormech (+10 Efficiency), Bioanalysis (+2 Critical)
Companion Gifts:

• Favorite: Military Gear, Courting (if not courting), Trophy
• Love: Weapon
• Like: Republic Memorabilia, Empire Memorabilia, Courting (if courting), Technology, Underworld Good
• Indifferent: Luxury, Cultural Artifact

Guss Tuno

Guss Tuno is not a noble character. He's a very greedy and materialistic entity who prefers the underworld's dishonest ways to make a fast buck. Overall, he's not really evil or good, but rather that he's out totally for himself. He also has a smart mouth on him, which can lead to trouble. He's handy if you need healing, but I wouldn't trust him implicitly. For conversation choices, he prefers those that include mocking Force users, a good scam, and profiting off those who can afford it. Guss does not like options that risk your life for no gain and the killing of innocents. He is far easier to gain affection with you through the use of gifts versus conversation as that his personality is really neutral.Guss Tuno is the fifth, and final, companion to join the Smuggler in The Old Republic. You'll find this Mon Calamari (It's a trap!) on Hoth. Personally, I would have wished to have had him show up earlier in the game as that he's a healer as I play a Gunslinger. He does a good job of healing (the player and himself) and does decent damage with his blaster if he's getting attacked. His Electro-Trap ability (It's a trap! No, that never gets old to me.) is good for stunning a foe for 8 seconds at the beginning of a fight.

Planet: Hoth
Armor: Medium
Main Weapon: Blaster Pistol
Main Attribute: Cunning
Crew Skills: Archaeology (+10 Efficiency), Treasure Hunting (+2 Critical)
Companion Gifts:

• Favorite: Luxury, Technology
• Love: Underworld Good
• Like: Republic Memorabilia, Empire Memorabilia, Courting, Cultural Artifact, Trophy
• Indifferent: Weapon, Military Gear

There you have it, fellow Smugglers; a complete guide to the companions that will join your crew as you travel throughout The Old Republic. It's up to you to decide which one you will use most often due to your playstyle, not to mention which one you will romance if you choose to do so. Good luck and here's hoping that you keep two steps ahead of customs officials and bounty hunters.