Knights of the Old Republic 2 first hit shelves in 2004, treating Star Wars fans to one of the best RPGs the genre has to offer. With the upcoming release of Knights of the Old Republic 2 on Switch, newcomers may be wondering about who are the stronger choices when it comes to party members.
There are many factors involved in arranging a solid party for Knights of the Old Republic 2, especially when trying to complement the custom player character. A well-rounded party is key, so it's important to keep in mind that certain companions may not be as useful as others in certain compositions. A good party will usually consist of a skill-based character that can unlock containers and hack computers, a force user capable of buffing and healing the party, and a combat-oriented character who deals damage.
Knights of the Old Republic 2's Earliest Companions are Some of Its Best
The first character that players encounter is Kreia, who will be an exceptionally useful companion throughout the majority of the game. Kreia plays the role of the cryptic mentor, wisely guiding the player with her insight. Since she is a Force user, the player's first instinct may be to equip her with melee weapons and lightsabers, but she actually works best with a blaster. This allows her to deal damage at range while supporting the party and staying out of harm's way. The Force Deflection power will even allow her to deflect blaster bolts without a lightsaber.
Since Kreia is fixed to a neutral alignment, Charisma doesn't help her as much as other Force users trying to use Dark and Light Side powers. Focusing on improving her Wisdom will grow her pool of Force Points and raise the DC (Difficulty Class) of her Force abilities, making it more likely for abilities like Destroy Droid to succeed. With her high Wisdom, Kreia can devastate rooms full of enemies using damaging Dark Side abilities while keeping the party at peak strength thanks to buffs and heals. Kreia also gets bonus XP, and her Force Chain feat shares any buffs with the player character.
Atton Rand is the second character that players meet, and is another powerful party member who can stay relevant through the final moments of the game. A stereotypical scoundrel-type, Atton is the expert pilot of the Ebon Hawk, a gambler, and a deceptively complex character. He doesn't seem terribly interesting in the beginning, but as more of his backstory is revealed through successful influence checks, the player will learn some of his darker secrets and gain the chance to turn him into a powerhouse Force user.
As a Scoundrel, Atton has a high Dexterity level optimized for ranged attacks with blasters, although he can be a strong melee contender by taking the Finesse feats. Atton's main strength, however, is his Sneak Attack feat. Sneak Attack increases his damage substantially when attacking from behind, from stealth, or when attacking debilitated enemies. Taking control of Atton and positioning him behind enemies is a solid early tactic, while later on a Force user can cast Fear or Insanity to debilitate a group of enemies for Atton to demolish. Once he's a Force user, combining dual blasters with Master Force Speed and Master Rapid Shot can have Atton dealing enough damage to obliterate Darth Sion in just a few rounds.
Knights of the Old Republic 2's Light and Dark Paths Offer Solid Companions
When the player progresses through Nar Shadaa, they'll receive one of two companions depending on their Force alignment. Dark Side-aligned players will receive the Wookie Hanhaarr, while Light Side players will gain Mira as a companion. Both options are strong party members that can play important roles in a party's composition, and the Restored Content Mod allows players to choose one of these companions regardless of alignment.
Players embracing the Dark Side will enjoy Hanharr as a melee damage dealer. Beginning with 20 Strength and 20 Constitution, his potential as a tank is unbeatable. His unique Wookie Toughness feat gives him serious damage reduction and a huge health pool, while taking extra defensive feats like Toughness will further boost his staying power. His Wookie Rage ability gives him an extra 2 attacks per round, so equipping him with the Two-Weapon Fighting feats will make him one of the strongest characters in the game. His high Constitution also enables him to equip the best implants immediately. One caveat regarding Hanharr's strength is that many Dark Side players are already melee-focused Sith Marauders, making Hanharr slightly redundant.
Mira's reputation as a Light Side bounty hunter is well-earned thanks to her natural Force sensitivity, which the player can eventually use to train her as a full-fledged Force user. Her Scout-exclusive feats Precise Shot and Targeting give her bonuses to ranged damage, which can be further augmented down the line with Force powers. She also earns a baseline of five skill points per level, making her useful to keep around for unlocking containers and hacking computers. Her Point Guard feat negates all landmines against the party while she's the leader, making her the most useful character for the Tomb of Freedon Nadd mission.
Finally, Visas Marr is a well-rounded character particularly suited for players who want an alternative to Kreia, with a jack-of-all-trades set of feats and skills. Starting off with Weapon Focus: Lightsaber, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Flurry, and Critical Strike, she's well-suited for lightsaber combat. Her high Dexterity can be exploited with the Finesse feat, making her even more effective up-close. Giving her one point in Charisma allows her to use both Dark and Light Side Force powers without much penalty.
She starts with a similar set of Force powers to Kreia, helping her mostly fill Kreia's shoes with Force support while being a strong damage dealer using dual or double-bladed lightsabers. As a Jedi Sentinel, she has many options for skills, allowing her to balance the party's skillset by putting points into Computer Use, Security, and Stealth. Visas is at her best when she's built specifically to round out the player character's weaknesses.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 is available on Mobile and PC, with a Switch port in development.