Like Bethesda’s previous titles, Starfield forces you to make critical decisions throughout your playthrough. Most of these choices seem unimpactful, like the one you make in Alternating Currents. However, certain decisions will have several direct impacts and distant repercussions. One such critical moment occurs at the end of Unearthed when you must choose to side with either Hunter or Emissary.
The person you choose as your partner will aid you at the end of the Revelations Quest, thus changing the Starfield ending. Furthermore, your last mission seriously depends on this choice. The only problem is that both options have major consequences, and there is no way to tell which is the best one. Therefore, this article explains whether to side with Emissary, Hunter, or neither, and the costs of each option.
Table of Contents
Hunter or Emissary Choice Background:
The Starfield universe starts making sense much later in the game. As you progress through the hundred-hour-long gameplay, you will start uncovering the answers to why you started out as a miner? Why did you react to the artifact? And why did the Constellation recruit you? However, it all comes down to one decision that changes the whole universe both ethically and spiritually. Here is a short summary of how you reach the Hunter or Emissary choice:
- You will meet the Emissary during All that Money Can Buy Quest. However, his role and ideology remain unclear until the Unearthed Quest.
- Similarly, the Hunter will attack you and your crew during the A High Price to Pay Quest; again, his objectives remain unclear.
- Once you solve the Unity Puzzle to acquire a Starborn Power, you will get the Moon Base Key and discuss matters with both parties.
- At the end of the Unearthed Quest, you will again confront both stakeholders and hear them out.
- During this conversation, you must choose to side with either Hunter or Emissary and support their ideologies, thus leading to the Revelations Quest.
Siding with the Emissary:
The Emissary is actually one of your dead companions from a parallel universe. The companion was reborn as a Starborn and is hunting for artifacts to unlock the Unity. You can choose to side with Emissary during the Revelations Quest and support his ideology. He or She instates that the Unity and all its Powers should only be available to those who are worthy of wielding them.
In other words, the Emissary wants to act as the Unity’s guardian and controller, and he will only make it available to those whom he deems worthy. So, the “unworthy” ones will have no claim whatsoever on such divine powers regardless of how hard they try to acquire them.
What Happens if You Choose the Emissary?
If you side with the Emissary during the Unearthed Quest, he or she will become your ally for the rest of the campaign. However, you must face the Hunter at the end of the Revelations Quest. Moreover, the Hunter will spawn its duplicates from other universes to help him in this final battle. Alternatively, you can also persuade him to stand down and avoid this conflict.
On the bright side, the Emissary will help you defeat these minions until you kill the Hunter. In the aftermath, the Emissary will remain in this universe as the Unity’s guardian. Moreover, he will look for the “worthy” humans and turn them into Starborns as he pleases. So, ethically, the Emissary becomes the supreme leader of the Unity with no one to challenge his authority.
To side with the Emissary, you must choose the following dialogues:
- The Emissary is right. The Artifacts need to be in the right hands.
- I’m siding with the Emissary.
As a reward for taking down the Hunter, you will receive the following items:
- Unmitigated Violence: A powerful laser rifle that irradiates opponents and deals double damage to those with full HP.
- Starborn Spacesuit: This secondary reward is not confirmed, though some players claim to have dropped it.
Siding with the Hunter:
The Hunter is actually the Keeper Aquilus from a parallel universe. He believes that power should be available to everyone who dares to seek it. So, according to the Darwinian philosophy, the Mighty ones will succeed while the weak ones will perish. As a result of this anarchic violence, power will remain available to everyone, but the Starborns will continue their struggle for supreme power.
What Happens if You Choose the Hunter?
You can choose to side with the Hunter at the end of the Unearthed Quest. Like the Emissary, the Hunter will also aid you during the final showdown, and the latter will become your enemy. Just like the previous fight, the Emissary will summon his duplicates from alternate universes, and your allied Starborn will help you win the fight. Also, feel free to bring out your persuasion skills and try to hold off the battle, losing all rewards.
However, before you win the Hunter as your ally, you must either kill Keeper Aquilus or persuade him to go into hiding. According to Reddit, if you have Andreja as your romancing companion, she won’t approve of any of these options. In the aftermath of this battle against the Emissary, the Hunter is reborn in another universe, leaving behind his legacy of the struggle for power.
To side with the Hunter, you must choose the following dialogues:
- The Hunter is right. The only real rule is who gets the Artifacts first.
- I’m siding with the Hunter.
As a reward for taking down the Emissary, you will receive the following items:
- Eternity’s Gate: A particle beam rifle that deals double damage to humans and fires two projectiles after every four rounds.
- Starborn Spacesuit Gravitas: A Legendary spacesuit that you can wear during your New Game+ playthrough.
- The Last Priest: The best melee weapon in Starfield. You will receive it for completing the Aquilus assignment.
Siding with Neither Hunter nor Emissary:
There is a third secret option in the Hunter vs Emissary dialogue. Moreover, it is also the most rewarding one if you dare to stand up for humanity. As a result of this option, you will proclaim to find the Unity yourself, and the current universe will remain unchanged. Furthermore, no one will have any authority over who’s worthy of becoming a Starborn and who’s not. Lastly, both the Hunter and the Emissary will become your enemies for the rest of the gameplay.
What Happens if You Choose Neither?
As a result of this third option, you will proclaim that it is time someone non-Starborn makes a decision. While this option sounds heroic, it also means that you are challenging two of the most powerful beings in the universe. So, you must fight against both the Hunter and the Emissary simultaneously at the end of the Revelations Quest.
The good news is that you will receive both their weapons, and the power of the Unity will remain free for all. However, you should only choose this option if you are confident in your combat skills, as no one will be around to help you out during the grand finale. Alternatively, you can also use Starfield Mods and console commands to cheese around this battle. You will receive all the rewards for killing both the Hunter and the Emissary.
What is the Best Choice, Hunter or Emissary?
The best choice in the whole space alien hunters can be based on various perspectives. For instance, if we weigh out the rewards that you receive for your battle, choosing neither of them gives you everything. However, if you aren’t experienced enough to face both of them simultaneously, then siding with the Hunter is your best bet.
On the other hand, if we consider ethical aspects as well as the moral values, there’s a good and bad side to both options. For example, the Hunter doesn’t want to change the Free Will. However, he killed one of your best companions and wants you to murder the innocent Aquilus. Similarly, the Emissary is a dead companion, but he wants to take over Free Will and hold complete authority over the Unity.
So, in my opinion, the best option is to choose neither the Hunter nor the Emissary. This option will not only yield maximum rewards but also remain ethically sound as it gives the authority to those who dare to seek the powers of the Unity. However, you must get enough combat experience in Starfield and unlock skills by farming XP before going this way.
Conclusion:
Starfield forces you to choose sides and make critical decisions at every turn. While most of these decisions are harmless, some of them can change the known universe. For example, near the end of the game, you must choose between two Starborns to take control of the Unity. The only problem is that both choices come with serious consequences, and the outcome of choosing neither is even more chaotic. Therefore, this article will help you choose between Hunter and Emissary by weighing out the consequences.
