Summary

  • The Adoring Fan is a fun Easter egg NPC in Starfield.
  • Many of the characters in Starfield can be romanced, and the Adoring Fan could be romanced in previous Bethesda games.
  • The Adoring Fan is a humorous NPC. He's an enjoyable and amusing addition to Starfield.

Starfield features the glorious return of the Bethesda fan-favorite character, the Adoring Fan, and some players may be curious if he falls into the category of romanceable characters. The Adoring Fan was first introduced in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, which didn’t feature romance questlines or dialogue options. However, since then, Bethesda has developed many more role-playing mechanics for their games, and romance options have become widespread, particularly in Skyrim and Fallout 4. This mechanic continues in Starfield, so it makes sense to wonder if the Adoring Fan is a romance option.

It’s worth knowing whether or not the Adoring Fan is romanceable because players can miss him altogether, depending on the choices made in the character creation menu at the beginning of pros and cons to Starfield’s Adoring Fan, such as his ability to carry a significant amount of whatever the player puts in his inventory. However, the basic companion functionality is the extent of the Adoring Fan’s usefulness in Starfield.

The Adoring Fan Cannot Be Romanced In Starfield

starfield adoring fan

Starfield’s Adoring Fan is not a romanceable character. Players can ask if he’s interested in them romantically, but he confirms that his infatuation with the player is strictly platonic. He humorously adds that he wouldn’t want to taint his obsession with the player with something as impure as romance. The Adoring Fan’s non-romanceable status is somewhat expected since he’s an optional character. It wouldn't make sense to devote development time to fleshing out a romance questline for a character many players may not even encounter in their playthrough. Moreover, being able to romance the Adoring Fan would go against his function.

The Adoring Fan Doesn’t Need To Be Romanceable

A space-suited Starfield character stands in front of the computer screen of a Research Station in a clean, white lab.

Starfield’s Adoring Fan doesn’t need to be romanceable, and it’s much better that way. First and foremost, the Adoring Fan is a fun reference to Oblivion, where he was practically useless. He dies quickly in combat and respawns after a few days. The value he offers is the amusing dialogue, fawning over the player’s accomplishments. If any character was purely a joke, it's him. This is the same role he plays in Starfield. He only works as a joke because he can’t be taken seriously or romanced. If his role were expanded to be a love interest, he would cease to be a joke.

The Adoring Fan is funnier because he refuses to engage in a romantic relationship with the player. The fact that he takes his adoration of the player so seriously that he’s sure romance would sour it is brilliant, and it’s a fantastic display of Bethesda’s sense of humor that they sprinkle in each of their games. The Adoring Fan is merely an amusing addition to Starfield and that’s for the best.