J. Todd Coleman talks about P101 Companions

"Q: how many companions can you get in Pirate101?

A: it differs by class, actually. There is a small set of common units, that ever player gets (less than six, I think.) 

Each class (Buccaneer, Swashbuckler, Privateer, Witchdoctor, and Musketeer) then has a completely own set of companions to collect. They tend to me themed similar to the player's class (so a Musketeer will tend to get more ra

nged units.)

There are also companions that can be found through questing, and some unique ones available in the crowns shop. As you level your companions, they will occasionally be offered "promotion quests" that you can undertake to promote them.

This image is an example of promotion levels for one such unit: the Samoorai Archer. The number of promotion tiers (and the power boost associated with each promotion) will change from one unit to the next. It takes some experimentation to figure out which unit(s) you'll like best."

Picture & Text Source: J. Todd Coleman's Facebook Page - 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=491953784165809&set=a.125432197484638.16566.121012684593256&type=1&theater

Pirate101 Companions

Want to know a bit more information about Companions? There you go!

"... One of the last pieces that really will make this game a hit is the idea of collecting your pirate crew. The KingsIsle team has come up with very colorful characters join your ranks. From Goat Monks, to Bonnie Anne the Highlander Fox who is the best Sharpshooter in the skies, there are lots of wild characters who you can choose from. The crew is yet another extension of your character and will fight beside you to the end. There are going to be hundreds of different and unique crew members for you to find and recruit throughout the game, and the ones available to a Buccaneer will be different than the ones available to a Witchdoctor and so forth. It's highly unlikely that any two players will have the same crew, and you can even assign them ranks of your ship! This way your top ranked character will always join you in combat. Also the crew levels up and train in skills. By only playing the game a short time at the studio we got to unlock two crew members right away. Their skills are a huge part of the combat strategy and give players plenty of options when they fight.

If you don't believe us, take it from the Vice President and Creative Director Todd Coleman:

"There are hundreds of different units available in the game, and with the exception of a few key characters (like Bonnie Anne) each class has an entirely different unit collection tree. So a Buccaneer will have a very different set of characters (and therefore abilities) than a Swashbuckler. Additionally, at certain points in the game when you level up a unit they become eligible for promotion (Bonnie Anne goes from a "Fox Gunner" to a "Fox Sniper"), but to do that you have to go on a specific quest that relates to the backstory of that unit. After you complete the quest, they change classes, get a massive stat boost, gain talents and/or powers (from a pool -- the player gets to pick which ones they want and customize the unit), and they get a wardrobe change into a cooler look (better armor, new weapon, etc).