Sons of the Forest Companions Guide: Fighting Fiends Together

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Having learned the tricks of the trade regarding games journalism at Veryali Gaming, Alex is now a key member of the Ready Game Survive team, and loves nothing more than grabbing a controller and bracing himself for a devastatingly brutal battle for survival. Outside of traditional survivals, Alex loves immersive RPGs, has spent more time in Skyrim than he dare admit, and he also loves playing guitar.

The Mutant, the Deaf, and the Demon Hunter

Not a trio that I’d expect to see team up, but they are damn effective working together. With Virginia’s crack shot firearm skills and Kelvin’s building skills, they both make excellent companions for surviving on Site B. I’ve played The Forest since its release in 2014, and when Sons of the Forest released, I got on it immediately. Now over fifty hours into the game, I’ve seen pretty much everything that the game has to offer.

While Sons of the Forest is rough around the edges and still has a hell of a way to go before its fully released, the effort that was put into the cannibal’s and Virginia’s behavior and animations blow me away every time a cannibal weeps for the dead or stumbles to the floor in panic after taking an arrow to the chest.

Watching Virginia appear from the tree line for the first time, I first felt terror, followed by quick relief to find another friendly soul on the island. I’ve played multiple playthroughs now, and each time successfully befriended her. There are many methods to speed up the process, and equally, actions that will scare her off, like pointing an axe at her that usually isn’t the best way to greet your date…

So without further ado, let’s jump into the Sons of the Forest Companions guide and help you pull a three-legged mutant.

Key Details Up-Front

Kelvin Sons Of The Forest Companions Crash — Image from Fandom

If the night is fast approaching and you don’t have time to read the entire article, then don’t worry; I’ve got your back. Here are all the key details that you need to know about the companions of the Sons of the Forest:

When you start a new game of the Sons of the Forest, you will have to revive Kelvin, granting him access immediately. However, Virginia will take much longer to befriend; you will likely encounter her on the second day; it’s essential that you stow your weapons away when she cautiously approaches so as not to scare her off.

There are a few signs that Virginia is starting to warm up to the player, such as dancing and attempting to talk to you.

Virginia will offer you Aloe when you’ve befriended her. When this happens, press (G) to give her a backpack. This will allow you to equip her with weapons and change her outfit.

If you want Kelvin and Virginia to escape the island, you must revive Kelvin and befriend Virginia. However, if you fail to revive either Virginia or Kelvin when they’re knocked down in combat, they will die, and you will lose them for the rest of the game.

I’d go to say that Virginia is one of my favorite companions of any game due to how unique her gameplay is to the typical companion gameplay features of RPGs.

In Sons of the Forest, Virginia will subtly grow into her role and warm to the player, all displayed through subtle body language. For example, once Virginia is befriended and given weapons, it will take considerable time before she becomes proficient in firearms. She is a ballet dancer, after all.

However, as time progresses, she will become a better shot and more confident in combat. Therefore I recommend that you befriend her as soon as possible, as mutants and cannibals will frequently spawn on high days!

Companion Description

Kelvin

Kelvin is one of the team members with whom the player will share the helicopter. He is the only other survivor of the crash. However, he didn’t come out of the crash unscathed. Left deaf and a newt, Kelvin paid a big price coming to Site B. However, that doesn’t make him entirely useless the player can give a myriad of orders to Kelvin by writing in a notebook.

Kelvin can be used to finish building structures, build shelters, gather food by fishing, and other building resources like logs and stones. Kelvin can do all this while you’re out delving in caves and bunkers. I highly recommend you build shelters before exploring a cave, caves are very dangerous, and there is a chance that the game may glitch out and you’ll lose your progress. Trust me; this has happened to me quite a bit. I’d save so much time if I frequently built shelters, so get Kelvin working!

I’ll admit Kelvin isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, maybe it’s the trauma from the crash or just dodgy AI, but you have to really think where you want Kelvin to drop off resources or where he is going to cut trees down as one falling tree can end your playthrough if it hits you on the noggin.

Kelvin cannot attack mutants or cannibals, so I don’t really understand why he is part of the team coming to Site B in the first place. However, he will alert you if enemies are nearby by pointing at them.

At the end of the game, the player is given a choice of either leaving the island or staying to fight the evil that has befallen it. Whatever decision you make, Kelvin will be by your side so you can save Kelvin.

Virginia

Virginia is the daughter of Edward and Barbara Puffton and plays a pivotal role in defending your base and you from the ever-growing threat of mutants and cannibals on the island.

Virginia might be one of the most interesting interactive companions of any game. Bold statement, I know, but it’s for a different reason. In other games, you have to complete a quest as a favor for a companion; however, befriending Virginia in Sons of the Forest is all in the body language and movement that you make but don’t worry, I’ll explore this further later.

As a ballerina and daughter of an eccentric billionaire, Virginia has had it tough her own father conducted experiments on her giving her the deformity and mutation of growing a third leg and arm. This may sound a bit gross, but it’s actually really useful. Could you imagine how fast you could run or swim in real life if you had an extra leg? Jokes aside, her mutation allows her to fire a shotgun and a 9mm Pistol at the same time!

If you are able to keep Virginia alive and complete the Sons of the Forest story, she will join both you and Kelvin on the helicopter with Eric and Timmy Leblanc and escape the island.

Interestingly in the conclusion of the Sons of the Forest story, the Cube that the player and the survivors escape to protect them from the artifact firing up and mutating anything outside the cube. Confirmed by the Sahara agent mutating into a lump of flesh after the cube opens.

Virginia is already mutated, so maybe thats what saves her from being affected by the artifact. Lore aside

Companions Outfits

The Leather Suit found in the Resident Bunker / Image by Alex Maksymiw

Virginia’s Outfits

Sons of the Forest is chock-a-block, filled with horrifying caves and mysterious Lost-like bunkers. However, unlike Lost, you won’t just sit and press a button for twenty years; instead, you’ll be delving deep to acquire valuable loot. Outfits are such an item that you will find.

There are two outfit types, one for the player and Kelvin, such as the Wet Suit and Winter Jacket. The other type is designed for Virginia, so if you pick up an outfit and can’t wear it, the outfit belongs to Virginia. It’s unknown whether the effects of the outfits affect Virginia or Kelvin; it’s my belief that the outfits are cosmetic only as your compa0nions do not need to stay warm or require comfort.

Here is a breakdown of all the outfits you can obtain for Virginia and where to find them:

Track Suit: The Track Suit is found in the gym of the Guest Bunker located close to the Rope Gun Cave. You will need the Maintenance Key to access the deeper parts of the bunker. Check out my Sons of the Forest Caves guide on where to find all the Keycards and the correct order to explore the caves.
Camouflage Suit: The camouflage suit is found in a Kayak on the northwest beach of the island and east of the Shotgun GPS Tracker.
Dress: The dress outfit is found in the final room of the Food and Dining Bunker, where you must fight Edward and Barbara Puffton. You will need the Maintenance Keycard to access the final room.
Leather Suit: There are three leather suits that you can obtain for Virginia. They can be found in Maintenance Bunker B, one in the Resident Bunker, and one in a Crashed Helicopter east of the Food and Dining Bunker.

Here is a breakdown of all the outfits Kelvin can wear in Sons of the Forest:

Pajamas: The pink Pajamas are found in the Puffton Bunker (the Final Bunker you will explore before the end of the game). You’ll find the Pajamas on the shelf of the entrance to the living room of the Puffton’s quarters.
Winter Jacket: The Winter Jacket is found in a red tent south of the Rope Gun Cave and west of the small lake on the island’s southwest side. The area has a large waterfall marking the area.
Tuxedo: The Tuxedo is found in the bathroom of Maintenance Bunker A.
Wet Suit: The Wet Suit is found in the Shovel Cave just at the exit of the giant chamber leading to the Shovel.
Leather Jacket: You can acquire the Leather Jacket either in the crashed plane found south of the Winter Jacket in the southwest part of the island. Or it can be found alongside the Stun Gun by walking down the right path of the Rebreather Cave.
Blazer: The Blazer is found inside a coffin in the Mass Grave located east of the Shotgun GPS Tracker and west of the Rebreather Cave.
Hoodie: The hoodie is found southeast of the shotgun GPS Tracker inside the Cannibal Camp.

How to Befriend Virginia

Virginia, Virginia, Virginia, where art thou, my Virginia… Oh, she’s over in that tree line devouring a rabbit.

Virginia can pop up at any time after the helicopter crash. As a result, you may not see her for a long time if you are dipping into caves and bunkers. However, I’ve played multiple playthroughs now; on average, Virginia will approach me on the second day.

Virginia is inquisitive of the player but very shy. As a result, a sudden movement or sign of aggression and she will sprint off into the wilderness. The game doesn’t give you any tips on how to interact with her, so everything has been learned by trial and error.

If you spot Virginia approaching, you should immediately holster your weapon or tool by pressing the (G) key and light any fires around your base. Virginia loves hanging out by a fire and, in later stages, will motion at you to lead her to a campfire.

Don’t walk towards Virginia, as this will only spook her; you can further improve your chances of befriending Virginia by planting blueberry bushes, as she will be drawn to their sugary goodness.

Virginia was a ballet dancer before she was mutated by her father and will occasionally dance in front of you. Make sure to look at her while she dances, as this will increase the likelihood of befriending her. You can improve your chances further by acquiring a radio and switching to a classical song.

If Virginia approaches the player with an enemy nearby, she will likely be scared off. However, if you kill the cannibal Virigina points at, you will further increase your chances of befriending her.

After a few interactions, you’ll notice changes in her behavior, like approaching you for longer periods of time before running off. She may even sit on the ground nearby you or give you gifts of food, and lead you to points of interest like the Modern Axe or Slingshot. The cutest, by far, is the thumbs-up.

Virginia will run up to you and offer you an Aloe leaf when you befriend her once you’ve taken her gift press (G) to give her a backpack. Virginia won’t follow you like Kelvin, but she won’t stray too far to help defend you against mutants and cannibals.

Step-by-Step Guide

Managing Kelvin to Build an Empire

If this were Age of Empires, my Kelvin villagers would build me an empire while I raged war against other civilizations. But alas, we only have one Kelvin in Sons of the Forest.

Kelvin’s services will be available to you immediately, so the best thing you can do is order him to collect food and logs to build a base. I’ll admit it can be tricky to control and direct Kelvin with his tasks.

However, with some knowledge, Kelvin can be used effectively to build your base. Here is my Kelvin Step-by-Step guide.

Because Kelvin is deaf and mute, the player can only communicate with him by using a notepad. It can be a bit fiddly at first to get hold of but trust me, persevere, and you’ll get it.

If you solely rely on Kelvin to finish structures or gather logs, you risk your strength level, as Kelvin will be doing all the heavy lifting. This is very bad, especially if you’re playing on Hard difficulty, as your character’s strength determines your character’s health, melee damage, and max energy levels.

There are a bunch of different orders that you can give to Kelvin:

Take Item
Follow Me
Get
Build
Stay
Take a Break
Clear

To command, give Kelvin an order, walk up to him, and open the notebook prompt. There will be a list of all the commands I listed above. Once you’ve selected a command, you can tailor it to your liking by scrolling right. Once you’ve got the order you want, press the (D) key to create the order.

Kelvin will nod, confirming that he will carry out your order. Now on occasion, I’ve had Kelvin glitch out and cancel the order if I’ve walked too close to him. You’ll know he’s bugged if he stops his current task to look at you.

As you can see, there are a decent amount of orders you can give Kelvin; it’s a good idea to understand how each order works and how to get around the buggy AI. Luckily for you, I’ve marched this guy all around the island and know how he works.

The “Build, Finish Structure” order is by far the most used Kelvin command. Kelvin is pretty good at the building. He may only pick up one log at a time. But it’s way better than ordering him to gather logs, especially if you are chopping logs yourself.

I’ve seen it time after again. Kelvin picks up a log and throws it down to the floor, only for it to roll down a hill or pick up logs that have rolled off a pile endlessly.

You don’t need to waste your time asking Kelvin to follow you, as he will begin to walk toward you if you leave the area unless he’s busy building a structure.

The “Get” command is useful to gather food; it turns out Kelvin is a great fisherman, allowing you to focus on other important tasks. You can order Kelvin to hide from cannibals. This is useful if his pathing is stubborn and won’t walk into your base.

Kelvin might seem like a robot, but he can’t work forever; he will eventually get tired from all the slave labor, I mean building. If Kelvin gets too tired, he will rest by a campfire and eat food. A good indicator that Kelvin is tired is if you see him eating food or drinking water.

Combat Evolved Arming Virginia

Virginia may not be able to speak or build like Kelvin, but she sure as hell knows her way around a shotgun. I’ve already made one Halo pun in this guide; however, we will use a similar strategy to turn Virginia into a killing machine. In Halo, you can trade your weapon for a marines weapon veterans will know that marines have infinite ammo and laser precision while aiming to make them lethal with a Spartan Laser or Sniper Rifle.

Decking Virginia out with a Shotgun and pistol has the same effect:

She doesn’t need ammo to shoot her weapons.
She has pinpoint accuracy.
And best of all, you double the amount of firepower against the mutant and cannibal horrors of Site B.

So how does it work?

Well, to get Virginia locked and loaded like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Comando, you need to equip her with the backpack and open her inventory by holding (E). Next, you can use the (Q) and (R) keys to cycle through outfits and weapons.

Virginia can only be equipped with the shotgun and 9mm Pistol for now, so unfortunately, you can’t give her the Revolver. (This is something that I hope Endnight Games expands on in future updates).

Remember that when you give Virginia a Shotgun and 9mm Pistol, you will have to return to the Shotgun and 9mm Pistol locations. I suggest that you acquire the Revolver from Maintenance Bunker C, so you’re not left with no firearm to defend yourself.

As I mentioned before, Virginia won’t follow you around like Kelvin nah; she is more of a free bird checking in on you every now and again, bringing you gifts and defending you against the monstrosities of the island. As a result, you’ll want to add a GPS Tracker to Virginia so that you can keep an eye on her whereabouts on the island and keep her safe.

Like Kelvin, Virginia can die if you don’t revive her, so the GPS Tracker will help you ensure that she makes it off the island at the end of the game.

FAQs

Question: How Many Times can Kelvin or Virginia be Knocked Down in Sons of the Forest Before Dying?

Answer: There is no maximum amount of times that either Kelvin or Virginia can be knocked down. However, if either is knocked down and you leave the area before reviving them, they will die. Equipping Virginia with weapons will help keep her safe; otherwise, order Kelvin to hide when cannibals and mutants approach.

Question: Who is Jianyu Zhang, and What Happens to them in Sons of the Forest?

Answers: The player first sees Jianyu Zhang after the helicopter crash, and he will knock out the player. He and three soldiers are seen a second time shooting Eric Leblanc in the Resident Bunker. The player sees him in the final bunker a third time, failing to enter the gold cube. Caught outside, Jianyu Zhang is horribly disfigured with mutations.

The player can discover a record of Jianyu Zhang’s Puffton Corporation employment on a computer in the Guest Bunker. The record states that Jianyu is a “High-Security Risk” the document also states that Jianyu has level two security clearance and works for the security department.
We learn from other evidence that Sahara Therapeutics stock has plummeted since the events of The Forest. As a direct competitor to Sahara Therapeutics, Jianyu Zhang is likely a spy conducting corporate espionage on Puffton Corporation.

Why Jianyu would spare the protagonist after the helicopter crash is still unknown. However, there are subtle clues. In the very first cutscene, the player can be seen with a “Fight Demons” tattoo on their arm. It’s possible that Jianyu knew of the protagonist and saw them as a means to an end.

Question: What are the Demons in Sons of the Forest?

Answer: In the concluding cave of Sons of the Forest, the player must fight off Demons with a Cross. However, evidence suggests they are demons from hell, such as the “Cross Burns Demons” letter, but I don’t believe this.

The Demons are likely interdimensional beings from the city revealed in the Cube. Or heavily mutated humans; through the game, we find unique gold ore veins and discover that the artifacts are created from this ore. It wouldn’t be farfetched to believe that people believed the mutants to be demons and realized the burning effect of the ore created a weapon within the cross’s image.

We know that people have been visiting the island for centuries from the old monk skeleton found within a small cave. You can check out where to find the cave in my Sons of the Forest cave guide.

Best Friends For Life

In conclusion, the companions of Sons of the Forest enhance both the multiplayer experience and the single-player experience. I’d wager more on the latter due to unfavorable odds stacked against the player while surviving on their own. The Forest was a struggle if you were playing on your own, as building structures on top of food gathering and equip

Kelvin may be an absolute idiot but don’t underestimate him. He will allow you to divert your attention to other matters, such as roaming Site B for key items while he builds the base.

And Virginia? Well, she is a powerhouse with a shotgun and a 9mm pistol at hand. She can devastate whole cannibal camps and wipe the floor with mutants. So befriend Virginia as fast as you can, especially while playing on the Hard Difficulty.

So if you’re going for the record of the longest days survived or want some backup while you unravel the mystery of the Site B island, you’re going to want Kelvin and Virginia by your side.