How to romance Barrett in Starfield
Learn how to romance Barrett in Starfield
Wondering how to romance Barrett in Starfield? Barrett is the first romance option that you'll meet in Starfield. Sure, you then leave him stranded on the moon of Vectera for a bit, but fortunately you can soon head back to save him and kick off your romantic relationship. The romance mechanic is mostly hidden in Starfield, though, which makes it hard to know exactly what you should do to romance Barrett.
In this guide, we'll explain how to romance Barrett in Starfield. We'll cover his likes and dislikes, before providing a full walkthrough for Barrett's companion quest. Finally, we'll break down how to complete his commitment quest, which'll end with you getting married to Barrett.
How to romance Barrett in Starfield
Below, we'll break down how to romance Barrett in Starfield:
- Complete the "Back to Vectera" main quest.
- Set Barrett as your main companion.
- Be kind and tell jokes to raise Barrett's affinity.
- Talk to Barrett whenever the objective pops up.
- Select the [FLIRT] option while talking to Barrett.
- When your affinity is high enough, you'll unlock the "Breach of Contract" companion quest.
- Complete "Breach of Contract" and select the [ROMANCE] dialogue option at the end.
- Select the [COMMITMENT] dialogue option in your next dialogue with Barrett.
- Complete the "Commitment: Barrett" quest to marry Barrett.
To romance Barrett, you must complete the "Back to Vectera" main quest. This will send you on a hunt for Barrett, who has been taken by pirates after the Argos mining group was attacked after you originally left.
After completing "Back to Vectera" and returning to the Lodge, set Barrett as your main companion. Then, continue to explore and complete quests with Barrett at your side to raise his affinity.
Affinity is a hidden score that determines the strength of your relationship with a companion, but there's no way to see an actual affinity value in-game. Instead, you'll need to rely on messages that pop up in the top-right corner of the screen as you make choices, such as "Barrett liked that" or "Barrett hated that".
To raise Barrett's affinity, you'll need to be kind on your adventures across the galaxy. Treat people well, and do not demand money where it hasn't been offered for quests. Like other Constellation members, such as Sarah Morgan and Sam Coe, Barrett also likes it when you find peaceful resolutions to conflict with a successful Persuasion check rather than combat. Finally, Barrett also appreciates a good joke, so opt for dialogue options that include a snappy one-liner whenever they appear.
Conversely, Barrett is strongly opposed to unnecessary violence. If you opt to barge into rooms with guns ablaze and kill someone that you could've talked to peacefully, then Barrett will not like it. Similarly, if you attack innocent people, then Barrett will hate it and may even choose to leave your crew.
As Barrett's affinity increases, you will get objectives in your activity log that tell you to "Talk to Barrett". Each time you follow one of these objectives, Barrett will unveil more about his backstory, and you'll also get the opportunity to select [FLIRT] dialogue options. Flirting will provide a large boost to Barrett's affinity, so make sure to take your shot whenever it comes.
These chats with Barrett cover: your newfound powers, the Starborn, Constellation, the Hunter, the Unity, Ervin's death, and a mysterious case that involved Ervin shortly before he died. For the following few conversations, Barrett will unveil more about this case as his contact investigates the events.
Barrett will ask for money multiple times to aid in this investigation, and you should always give it to him to further raise his affinity. After a few of these conversations, Barrett will ask you to come with him and meet Ervin's old lawyer, starting the "Breach of Contract" companion quest.
Barrett romance walkthrough: "Breach of Contract"
As "Breach of Contract" kicks off, you'll need to travel to Gagarin, which is located in the Alpha Centauri system. Head to the local law office in Gagarin and meet with Ellie Yankton, who will ask you to get more evidence for Ervin's innocence. You will then need to head to Ervin's old apartment in search of such evidence.
Follow the objective to reach Ervin's apartment, and loot any highlighted evidence within. Objective markers will point anything important out, so simply grab anything marked and then head over to the Town Hall for further evidence. Use the terminal inside, and then head back to Ellie Yankton to deliver the evidence so far. After a brief chat, you'll need to head to the local Foundry District to investigate Ervin's case further.
To get into the Foundry District, use the terminal at the entrance. It won't let you in straight away, but it will reveal enough to give you your next objective, which is to investigate the Hephaestus Mine H-363 elsewhere on the surface of Gagarin. This marks a new landing location on the planet, so fast travel there to continue the mission.
When you arrive, head into the marked building and clear it of Adult Pest creatures. Then, continue inside and interact with the Hephaestus Mining Computer to retrieve more evidence regarding Ervin. This will point you to Ervin's workstation, where you can access his computer. There, you'll find evidence stating that the Hephaestus company ruined the ecosystem on Gagarin, and framed Ervin to remove their own blame. Head back to Ellie's law office to deliver this evidence.
Next, Ellie will ask you to get a witness named Helgi to attend the hearing. To find Helgi, speak with the local doctor, Dr Keala. She will inform you that Helgi works at the local store, where you can further enquire about Helgi to the owner, Clint. Clint will then point you to the nearby bar, where Helgi frequents. Ask the bartender there about Helgi to learn that Helgi is hiding in a nearby shack.
Find and speak with Helgi, and ask him to be a witness at Ervin's case. You'll need to pass a Persuasion check to convince him, after which you can return to Ellie and tell her that everything is ready for the hearing.
Thankfully, you don't need to stick around for the court case itself, as you can just speak to Barrett about your investigation work to complete the quest. During this conversation, you can select the [ROMANCE] dialogue option to enter a romantic relationship with Barrett.
How to marry Barrett in Starfield
After completing "Breach of Contract", wait until the "Talk to Barrett" objective pops up again. Ervin will share his feelings about how he used to wish to have Ervin back, but now he only wants to spend his time with you. You can follow up with the [COMMITMENT] dialogue option to propose to Barrett.
This will start the "Commitment: Barrett" quest, which tasks you with asking VASCO to officiate the wedding. VASCO will automatically accept, and ask whether you want the wedding immediately or to have it at the Lodge. Whatever your choice, attend the ceremony to marry Barrett.
Getting married isn't just some roleplay fun - it also grants the Emotional Security buff, which gives 15% extra XP for a short time after you sleep. That'll prove incredibly useful when you're grinding XP to level up fast in Starfield, so that you can get more skills and create one of our best builds.
That's all you need to know to romance Barrett in Starfield. If you're looking for a more mysterious partner, check out our guide on how to romance Andreja in Starfield. If you want a new ship to celebrate your new relationship, check out our guide on the best ships in Starfield and our list of free ships in Starfield. To find an impressive custom design, take a look at our list of the best ship designs in Starfield.