Companion

Companions (a.k.a. non-combat pets, vanity pets, battle pets, mini-pets or small pets) are small creatures (or mechanical replicas thereof) that follow your player character around. Several of these companions have their own characteristic behaviors (see individual descriptions). Companions do not affect combat in any way, and are generally of no direct benefit to your character. Companions can be inspected and summoned through the Pet Journal. As of patch 5.3.0 the game features 580 different companions.

With Mists of Pandaria, companion pets gained a new functionality with the introduction of the Pet Battle System. Players can battle their pets against others, with a unique system of turn-based combat. Pets have their own abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, and gain experience from battling, growing in strength as they increase in level. Players can utilize their current companion pets or capture new wild pets to level them and battle them against others, although a select few cannot be used to battle.

Players can collect as many companion pets as they desire, but only three copies of any one pet. Many companions can be caged, allowing them to be traded or sold on the Auction House. Players are also able to rename their companions.

Overview

Players can own as many companions as desired, stored in the Pet Journal interface. Characters can be accompanied by one companion at a time, and summoning another one replaces the one already out. Once summoned, companions will attempt to accompany the player character as they move about the game world. Jumping down from an elevated location will often send a companion off on a circuitous route to reach the new location. If a companion gets left behind, it may catch up and reappear but may have to be re-summoned. There is no penalty for re-summoning. Some pets are stationary and will not follow, like the Tiny Snowman.

Companions cannot attack or be attacked, but some such as  [Sleepy Willy] and Lil' K.T. will kill critters, Clockwork Rocket Bots will battle each other, and Crashin' Thrashin' Robots "will fight other fighting robot companions", a PvP game within the game. Companions have a small hidden amount of health and can be killed by the pet swimming in lava, standing on fires, or other environmental means of damage, while some, such as the  [Clockwork Rocket Bot], may occasionally self-destruct. Certain companions such as  [Winter's Little Helper] are unavailable outside of certain times.

Some companions can only be purchased by certain factions. Companions obtained through quests are bind on pickup and cannot be sold.

Originally, learned companions could not be learned repeatedly. However, in the interests of the Pet Battle System, it is possible to collect many duplicate pets in order to differentiate by quality, and thus battle abilities.

Game considerations

• The main gameplay significance of companion pets is in the Pet Battle System. This provides players with a substantial sub-game, including direct duels with other players, a range of quests to complete, an automatic PvP Pet Battle queuing system, and a range of achievements, with some rewarding bonus companions or even titles.
• Some companions impact the game in some way. In particular, companions do not stealth. If a character uses stealth, the companion will reveal their presence. Mobs do not notice companions, so having one can be useful to indicate location to party members. The  [Wolpertinger] possesses both of these capabilities unless they are inebriated.
• A  [Disgusting Oozeling] projects a "Disgusting Aura" when it accompanies its owner. The aura reduces the owner's defense and all resistances by 20, and colors its owner green as if the owner were poisoned.
• During and shortly after the Love is in the Air seasonal event,  [Silver Shafted Arrow] can be shot at opponents to mark them with a Peddlefeet companion.
• Flying pets of any sort can sometimes interfere with clicking to target. This affects the pet owner, PvP opponents, and even party members desiring to buff or heal the pet owner. This is not normally a significant problem, but in the midst of frantic PvP combat, the interference can be noticeable.
• The  [Ethereal Soul-Trader] will vend several items to its owner. One of these,  [Diluted Ethereum Essence], is designed for use in combat (but see  [Elixir of Detect Lesser Invisibility], the impact is minor). The other items are a set of costume items with no stats that allow dressing up as an ethereal, a ball that can be played with in-game (there are others, such as  [Heavy Leather Ball]),  [Ethereal Mutagen], which will transform a non-combat pet into a fleshbeast, and  [Ethereal Liqueur], a conjured alcoholic beverage.

Trading

Certain pets can be traded, usually only the ones that can easily be reattained. To trade the battle pet, click right on the pet in the Pet Journal and choose Put In Cage. This option will place them into a Pet Cage - the name of the cage will change based on what's placed inside.

Other types

There are companions that can be acquired for a time that aren't normally regarded as companions, but pretty much do the same thing as permanent companions. Many of these are in the context of a quest. Some examples are the orphans for Children's Week, Peddlefeet from the  [Silver Shafted Arrow], Nass from  [20-30] Kickin' Nass and Takin' Manes. None of these count toward the pet count achievements. When a temporary companion is spawned your current companion is despawned.

Note: The Snufflenose Gopher might appear to be a temporary companion, but will draw aggro like a combat pet, even though it does not fight.

Achievements

Companion-related achievements are awarded for collecting certain numbers of companions:

1.  [Can I Keep Him?]
2.  [Plenty of Pets]
3.  [Plethora of Pets]
4.  [Shop Smart, Shop Pet...Smart]
5.  [Lil' Game Hunter]
6.  [Petting Zoo]
7.  [Menagerie]
8.  [Littlest Pet Shop]
9.  [Going to Need More Leashes]
10.  [That's a Lot of Pet Food]
11.  [So. Many. Pets.]
12.  [Pet Emporium]
13.  [Master of Minions]
14.  [Many More Mini Minions]
15.  [Proven Pet Parent]
16.  [What Can I Say? They Love Me.]
17.  [Good Things Come in Small Packages]

The Raiding with Leashes series rewards players for collecting rare companions drops from older raid bosses:

•  [Raiding with Leashes]
•  [Raiding with Leashes II: Attunement Edition]
•  [Raiding with Leashes III: Drinkin' From the Sunwell]
•  [Raiding with Leashes IV: Wrath of the Lick King]
•  [Raiding with Leashes V: Cuteaclysm]
•  [Raiding with Leashes VI: Pets of Pandaria]

Numerous achievements also offer new companions as rewards, including  [Looking For Multitudes] and many in the Pet Battles achievements category.

Lists of companions

A pet collector and her collection.

• List of companions
• Companions by source

Notes and trivia

• Breanni, a pet supplies NPC in Dalaran, is the only vendor for the  [Fetch Ball],  [Happy Pet Snack],  [Pet Grooming Kit] and  [Red Ribbon Pet Leash]. These items can sometimes be found in containers such as  [Sack of Pet Supplies] rewarded through the Pet Battle System.
  • All stable masters sell the normal  [Rope Pet Leash].
• Certain items will grant companions through their use, though are not added to the Pet Journal and do not count towards achievements:
  • The Blood Parrot, spawned from the  [Bloodsail Admiral's Hat],
  • The Coyote Spirit, spawned from  [Don Carlos' Famous Hat]
  • Peddlefeet, when spawned by being shot with a  [Silver Shafted Arrow].

API

A number of companion-related functions exist as part of the World of Warcraft API, chief among them GetNumCompanions() and CallCompanion().

Past bugs

Patch 3.0.2, Oct 14, 2008, introduced the companion inventory item, the container, as a charged item with a single charge that spawns the companion in your pets section. After the patch was introduced, all existing pet items (i.e. those in the mail, in your bags, in the bank, etc.) were disallowed from being put up for auction. The auction system would see the pet items as "an item with charges used" and would not post them. These items are still usable, but simply may not be auctioned. New pet items created after the patch, by purchasing from a vendor or receiving as loot, may be auctioned as before.

Patch changes

• Patch 5.4.0 (2013-09-10): Summoning a pet no longer dismounts the player.
  
• Patch 5.1.0 (2012-11-27): Players can now keep up to 650 pets.
  
• Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Most companions will be considered Battle Pets, and several can even be traded.

  Several new companions will be added nearing 500 available companions. All companions are account-wide.
  

• Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14): A number of companion-related functions have been added to the World of Warcraft API.
  

External links

Warcraft Pets Pet database with guides