Affinity

Affinity is a companion gameplay mechanic in Fallout 4. Companions can develop personal connections to your character and some may ask for your help with quests of their own. Each companion has a distinct personality and values, actions or dialogue that please one companion may displease another.

Raising the affinity value grants additional dialogue into their history or the possibility of romance. Reaching maximum affinity with a companion will unlock a special perk.

Scale
Typically, all companions begin at an affinity value of 0. If the affinity value reaches a certain positive level, they will "admire" you and often reveal new dialogue. Raising their affinity to the maximum value of 1000 will result in them "idolizing" you, at which point you are granted their companion perk.

Lowering the affinity into a negative value far enough will displease the companion, and they will issue a single warning to you, asking you to change your ways. If the affinity value drops further, they will become angry and refuse to travel with you. This decision is permenant.

For most companions, new dialogue will be triggered when the affinity value reaches 250, 500, 750 and 1000.

Reactions
There are four different reactions a companion can have towards your actions/dialogue that will affect their affinity value:

For a full list of what pleases or displeases a companion, see the associated companion page.

Companion perks
Those perks are acquired by reaching the maximum level of affinity with a companion. The perks obtained this way are permanently obtained, whether you keep travelling with the associated companion or not.