Barrett is a scientist in Starfield who is affiliated with the Constellation faction. During the One Small Step main quest, you will meet Barrett for the first time. After saving him in Back to Vectra quest later in the game, Barrett will join you as a crew member and become a potential romantic interest. To romance Barrett in Starfield and then marry him, you will need to complete his companion quest, Breach of contract.
To progress your romance quest with Barrett in Starfield, the first thing you need to take care of are his likes and dislikes. These earn you approval from him and serve as a benchmark to progress the romance. Approval is a hidden meter in Starfield that you can fill by earning likes from your active companion. Upon earning enough approval from Barrett, you can then move to the next stage of the relationship. Below is a summary of things you need to do in order to romance Barrett in Starfield.
- Rescue Barrett from space pirates during Back to Vectra main quest
- Recruit Barrett and take him as an active companion on various quests to earn his approval
- Make sure to follow his likes and avoid dislikes
- Flirt with Barrett whenever possible
- Once you reach a certain point, help Barrett complete Breach of Contract companion quest
- Select the Romance option when prompted
Barrett Romance: Likes and Dislikes
The only way you can romance any character in Starfield including Barrett is by raising their affinity. To earn Barrett’s affinity, you need to earn his approval up to a certain threshold. It is only possible if you select Barrett as your active companion and take him with you on different quests and perform certain actions. Below is a list of actions that can increase or decrease Barrett’s approval of you.
- Barrett loves dad’s jokes and a give you his approval on following his lead using improv sentences.
- Barrett likes it if you complete your work timely and in an above average manner.
- Breaking laws like murder and robbery is a big no for Barrett, however he doesn’t mind if you sometimes use underhand tactics to get the job done.
- Barrett lost his partner in the past and doesn’t like talking about him at all. However, if you gain enough approval from Barrett, he will become a lot more open about his past.
- Give him some money whenever he asks as he needs it for a noble cause.
- Flirting with Barrett raises his approval by a huge margin as he is looking for comfort in a new relationship.
Barrett’s romance quest, Breach of Contract
Once you earn enough approval from Barrett, a new option will unlock to talk to him. He will tell you more about his dead husband Ervin and asks you to raise some funds to investigate his death.
This starts “Breach of Contract” companion quest and completing it will let you romance Barrett in Starfield. Keep in mind once this quest starts, you can’t replace Barrett with another active companion. Travel to Gagarin planet to speak to Ellie Yankton who is a lawyer. Apparently, you need more evidence to clear Ervin’s name and prove his innocence.
Go ahead and collect the evidence from three locations marked on your map. These three locations are Ervin’s apartment, Town Hall and Hephaestus mine. Return with the evidence and then hire Dr Kaela as your attorney. This will earn you a bonus approval points from Barrett.
Doing all these things will help you clear Ervin’s name and prove his innocence posthumously. This will make Barrett extremely happy as he can finally leave his past behind him. Keep talking to Barrett and the following options will appear at this point.
- [Friendship] I will value our friendship forever, Barrett.
- [Romance] I love you, Barret. That’s what I think.
- Do I have to define our relationship with words?
This will make Barrett happy but he will ask you once more if you are sure about this. At this point you will get the following dialogue options.
- [Romance] Barrett, I have wanted this for some time. I am ready.
- [Friendship] On second thought. Maybe we should remain good friends.
- Are you sure you are ready for this?
Be extra careful and select [Romance] dialogue option both times at this point. Barrett will accept your feelings for him and this will start your romance with Barrett in Starfield.
Conclude Barrett romance
After starting your romance with Barrett, keep earning his approval until he asks you to meet him. Make sure to be kind with your replies. This will start another conversation during which you will get the following options.
- [Commitment] I feel the same way. I am ready to take the next step.
- I appreciate the words but I don’t think I am ready.
- Do you still feel committed to Ervin?
Select the [Commitment] option to take your romance with Barrett in Starfield to the next level. During the following conversation, select the following options only.
- Who I am is someone who loves you.
- Marry me, Barrett.
- We require an officiant for human marriage rituals and we formally request your service.
- No coordinates. Let’s get married right now.
- Refer to me as spouse, please.
- We don’t need anything extra.
- I do.
This will conclude Commitment: Barrett quest and now you are officially married to him. This also concludes your long journey to romance Barrett in Starfield.
Just like the rest of the characters, you can break up with Barrett by visiting him in his quarters. Once you are done with formalities, simply select “I am not happy with this relationship” and follow it up with suitable replies.
