Updated 8/16/2015

Everything you see here is subject to change and will infact probably go through several iterations before live. There are massive changes/updates with every PTS build to this info, so do not assume everything here will make it to the live version.
From what we can tell, the new Companion system is an unfinished work in progress, so take what you read below with a grain of salt.

Note: Earlier today there was some confusion about access to this and other datamining articles being "donator-only." We want to reiterate that content at TORCommunity will never be behind a paywall. The "teaser" that was posted on the Donators forum was a small outline of this post for the people that contributed to our Kickstarter several months ago. If you donated in the past two days with the intention of gaining early access to datamined information, please email admin@torcommunity.com and we will refund you. Sorry for any confusion.

Followers & Contacts

• "Traditional" Companions are now known as Followers
• There appear to be several types of Followers and/or Contacts
  1. Crafting and combat-capable. - Follower
  2. Non-crafting and combat-capable. Contact?
  3. Non-crafting and non-combat-capable. Contact

Crafting Bonuses

All new Followers have profession bonuses of 5-10 Mission Efficiency, and Crafting Critical of 1 (see spoiler section below for specifics). Existing followers have retained their profession bonuses.

New Kinds of Followers

Creatures

Droids

Influence

• Influence replaces affection.
• Different Contacts have different Influence caps.
• Influence with some Contacts can be gained via War Supplies. There are a limited number of these.

Gifts

• New companion gift types: Delicacies and Maintenance. (Creature and Droids)
• New Grade 6 and up companion gifts.
• I don't think there are any of these implemented, but the Follower preferences are there.

Gearing

Companions do not gain any stat bonuses from equipment! They instead gain stats based on your Influence with them.

Combat Role

All companions appear to have their combat role selected from a dropdown. This means that every companion appears to be capable of healing, tanking, or pew-pewing.

Return of the Jedi?

Some companions will be available for unlocking via the Companion Return Terminal. The Companion Return terminal will allow you to retrieve some companions you had before that are not involved (there are some exceptions to this) directly in the new story. Their return will be considered as "non-canon", but this does not mean, in anyway, that these characters will not appear again in the story. This list may change as the system is iterated upon as we approach release.

Companions who are not unlocked via the terminal appear to be reacquired as they show up in the story.

Cartel Market/Legacy Companions appear to remain, and do not appear to need unlocking.

Some class-specific companions can now be acquired by other classes, even on the other faction. Most of these acquisitions happen after Chapter 9 in the story, and won't be available at launch. These encounters with the companion give you the option of recruiting, killing, or making them permanently unavailable depending on the choices you make. See the "Story-Involved" section below the spoiler line for full list.

List of Companions on the Terminal

• Jedi Knight
  1. Kira Carson
  2. Doc
  3. Lord Scourge
• Jedi Consular
  1. Tharan Cedrax
  2. Felix Iresso
  3. Nadia Grell
• Trooper
  1. Aric Jorgan
  2. Tanno Vik
  3. Elara Dorne
• Smuggler
  1. Corso Riggs
  2. Risha
  3. Akaavi Spar
  4. Bowdaar
• Sith Warrior
  1. Vette
  2. Jaesa Willsaam
  3. Malavai Quinn
• Sith Inquisitor
  1. Andronikos Revel
  2. Ashara Zavros
• Bounty Hunter
  1. Mako
  2. Gault Rennow
  3. Torian Cadera
• Imperial Agent
  1. Kaliyo D'jannis
  2. Vector Hyllus
  3. Ensign Raina Temple

---

---

---

Alliance Specialists

"I've assembled a team of specialists to help tackle the big questions and find potential recruits."

It's not exactly clear everything that these Contacts can do for you: These Contacts are non-crafting, and can't be summoned as a Follower

Who can be killed?

As of right now, only two Followers can be killed [Skadge and Rusk], and one more can be made permanently unavailable [Qyzen].

Followers

New

* Conflicting data (these may be miscategorized and/or actually unavailable)
* Darth Marr is probably a temporary follower at best (if at all). We'll know more as we approach launch.

Story-Involved

Many(all?) of these companions can be recruited as a follower after meeting them in the story. Some may require an influence grind or the right conversation choices to recruit.

* Conflicting data (these may be miscategorized and/or not actually available to everyone)

Special Followers

These local Contacts are involved with an unannounced part of the game.

New Stats

Nico Okarr

• Underworld Trading Efficiency +10
• Investigation Critical +2
• Gifts:
• Courting: Like
• Cultural Artifact: Like
• Imperial Memorabilia: Like
• Luxury: Favorite
• Republic Memorabilia: Like
• Technology: Favorite
• Trophy: Like
• Underworld Goods: Love

Darth Marr

• Mission Efficiency +6
• Crafting Critical +1
• Gifts:
• Military Gear: Like
• Technology: Love
• Trophy: Favorite
• Weapon: Like

HK-55

• Mission Efficiency +7
• Crafting Critical +1
• Gifts:
• Military Gear: Like
• Technology: Love
• Trophy: Favorite
• Weapon: Like

Koth Vortena

• Mission Efficiency +8
• Crafting Critical +1
• Gifts:
• Military Gear: Like
• Technology: Love
• Trophy: Favorite
• Weapon: Like

Lana Beniko

• Mission Efficiency +9
• Crafting Critical +1
• Gifts:
• Military Gear: Like
• Technology: Love
• Trophy: Favorite
• Weapon: Like

Senya Tirall

• Mission Efficiency +10
• Crafting Critical +1
• Gifts:
• Military Gear: Like
• Technology: Love
• Trophy: Favorite
• Underworld Goods: Favorite
• Weapon: Like

Theron Shan

• Cybertech Efficiency +5
• Slicing Efficiency +15
• Gifts:
• Courting: Love
• Cultural Artifact: Like
• Luxury: Like
• Technology: Love
• Trophy: Like
• Underworld Goods: Favorite
• Weapon: Like

Akk Dog (MTX Companion)

Note: Creatures probably can't craft

• Gifts:
• Delicacies: Love

Nexu (MTX Companion)

Note: Creatures probably can't craft

• Gifts:
• Delicacies: Love

Probe Droid (MTX Companion)

Note: Droids probably can't craft

• Gifts:
• Maintenance: Love

War Droid (MTX Companion)

Note: Droids probably can't craft

• Gifts:
• Maintenance: Love

Who's Coming Back After 4.0?

This is just to quell some of the non-sensical speculation by people that romanceable companions are completely non-canon, or somehow removed from the game. These are companions that will appear in the story chapters we'll get after launch, Chapters 10-16:

• Aric Jorgan
• Gault Rennow
• Kaliyo Djannis
• Torian Cadera
• Vette

This is just a preliminary list, and please treat it as such.