The Bonds System
Bonds are the relationship system between paired Operators. They grow as pairs deploy and train together — and become permanent combat synergies at high tiers. Ten pairings are confirmed by achievements.
Bond Levels
Tiers 1 to 4Low
First tier referenced by community guides.
Medium
Second tier.
High
Third tier.
Very High
Top referenced tier — required by all 10 bond achievements.
How Bonds Grow
- ▸Deploy paired Operators together on missions.
- ▸Spend Focus Points at The Den's Personnel station to raise bond levels.
- ▸Campaign dialogue in The Pit between missions (companions react to bond progress).
- ▸Higher bond tiers unlock Cross Training — permanent stat picks for the pair (see table below).
Effects — Verified
Pairing-specific combat synergy exists, and Cross Training unlocks confirmed permanent bonuses per tier.
Effects — Pending
Tier thresholds and the full per-pair synergy bonuses are still awaiting official documentation.
Confirmed Bond Pairings (10)
Achievement VerifiedHawks × Trick
Old FriendsHawks' longest relationship — clone trooper and former officer.
Hawks × Luco
Sharp ShootersHawks × Kabb
Mate and MarrowHawks × Jae
Class and DistinctionHawks × Cly
Word Of HonorHawks × Tel
Lost CausesTrick × Luco
Heroes on Both SidesClone trooper and Umbaran — the official friction pairing.
Kabb × Jae
The Baroness and the BoxerCustom Operator × Custom Operator
Thick As ThievesAstromech × Astromech
Beep BoopCross Training Bonuses
As a bonded pair grows, higher tiers unlock Cross Training — a pool of permanent stat picks both Operators keep. Confirmed via the Epic Games Store builds guide and community wiki (2026-08-28).
Tactical Synergy Tips
- ✦Prioritize the 8 squad-member bond achievements in one playthrough by keeping the same deployment pairings.
- ✦Bond achievements require 'Very High' — budget Focus Points accordingly across the campaign.
- ✦Permadeath interrupts bonds permanently — an injured companion is not the same as a dead one.
- ✦Pick Cross Training bonuses that match the pair's role: Overwatch Damage for wall builds, Critical Chance for Gunslinger pairs.
Romance & Relationships
Does Zero Company have romance options?
No. Zero Company is a tactics game, not a BioWare RPG — there are no romance options or dating mechanics. The Bonds system is the closest thing: mechanical synergy pairings between Operators (like Hawks & Kabb, or Jae & Tel-Rea) that grow through deployment and Focus Points, unlocking Cross Training bonuses.
What does a high bond actually do?
Reaching higher bond tiers unlocks permanent Cross Training stat picks for the pair — Overwatch Damage for wall builds, Critical Chance for Gunslinger pairs, and so on. See the table above for the full confirmed list.
How does the Backup assist trigger with Bonds?
Bonded pairs trigger the 0-AP Backup assist attack more reliably when sharing Line of Sight. High-tier bonds also award bonus Advantage and crit multipliers whenever bonded pairs execute joint kills.
What happens to a bond when an Operator dies?
On permadeath difficulties, losing a bonded Operator ends the pair — the survivor keeps any permanent Cross Training picks they already earned. To rebuild, pair the survivor with a new Operator and spend Focus Points to grow the bond again.