Can Codsworth Wear Hats in Fallout 4?

To get straight to the point – no, Codsworth can‘t wear or equip hats besides his default bowler in Fallout 4. While he can be customized to wear other hats through modding, this takes away his ability to don any hats at all in the future.

Codsworth, the dutiful Mr. Handy robotic butler, is the first companion encountered by the player emerging from Vault 111. With his charming accent and unique combat abilities, Codsworth became a quick favorite among Fallout 4 fans. But should you tamper with his classic look by trying to change Codsworth‘s iconic headwear?

Who is Codsworth?

To understand Codsworth‘s role in Fallout 4, we should first look at his backstory. Codsworth was created by General Atomics International as a consumer robot butler designed to serve homeowners before the Great War in 2077.

As a Mr. Handy model, Codsworth is equipped with tools to fulfill domestic duties – multiple grasping arms, flamethrower, and circular saws. His bowler hat and British personality fits the quintessential robot butler image. Codsworth‘s prime directive is serving and protecting his owners.

When the bombs fell, Codsworth remained faithfully at the ruins of his owners‘ home in Sanctuary Hills for over 200 years. He maintains a dogged dedication to his duties, though his mental faculties have clearly begun deteriorating from the isolation.

Codsworth‘s Signature Look

The jet-black bowler hat perched atop Codsworth‘s "head" has become an iconic part of his appearance. It complements his oval eyes and metallic sphere body to give him the look of a stereotypical robot butler.

For many players, the bowler hat is crucial to Codsworth‘s unique charm and comedic appeal. It also evokes the bygone era of gentleman‘s gentlemen from before the Great War that shaped his programming.

A fan creation highlighting Codsworth‘s standard look with his signature bowler hat

Codsworth just wouldn‘t look right without that hat! When encountered in Fallout 4, Codsworth will always be wearing the bowler unless the player customizes him.

Modifying Codsworth‘s Appearance

The Automatron DLC adds the ability to modify Codsworth‘s armor parts, weapons, and accessories at a Robot Workbench. So options like equipping Codsworth with a trilby hat or combat armor are possible…with a major caveat.

Once Codsworth is customized at a workbench, he permanently loses the ability to wear any hat in the future. This means sacrificing his signature bowler hat forever. Many players consider this too high a price for the combat boost offered by other headwear.

Some alternative hats players can equip on Codsworth include:

• Trilby hat
• Assaultron helmet
• Sea captain‘s hat
• Green rag hat
• Baseball cap

But for most, nothing looks right on him except the classic bowler. The stat improvements rarely outweigh altering his trademark aesthetic. So unless you‘re willing to part with Codsworth‘s hat for good, it‘s best leaving his appearance unchanged.

Affinity Tips for Codsworth

Maxing out affinity with all companions unlocks their unique perk. Codsworth awards the Robot Sympathizer perk which boosts resistances for robotic companions by 100%.

Actions Codsworth approves of:

• Crafting weapons, armor, and mods
• Helping others selflessly
• Behaving heroically and with honor
• Being polite to robotic NPCs

Actions Codsworth dislikes:

• Chems usage and addiction
• Pickpocketing, stealing, killing innocents
• Selfish and evil behaviors
• Leaving him alone for too long

Having Codsworth with you while crafting at workbenches is one of the fastest ways to befriend him. Overall, act as a chivalrous hero and Codsworth will come to idolize you.

*Table showing sample affinity gains/losses from Codsworth‘s likes and dislikes

900 Names Codsworth Can Say

Remarkably, Codsworth can actually call the player character by name…if it happens to be on his list of over 900 pre-approved names programmed by developers. This was discovered through data mining the game files.

Along with common names like Jack and Emily, Codsworth‘s vocabulary includes tons of pop culture references. He can politely call you names like HanSolo, Katniss, Spock, Neo, ButtStuff, and even F**kFace!

Hearing Codsworth‘s refined voice utter completely uncouth names never stops being hilarious. Just check if a name is on this list before creating your character.

Codsworth as a Companion

While limited as a companion compared to the likes of Piper, Curie or Nick Valentine, Codsworth can be extremely helpful early in Fallout 4 when your character lacks resources. Equipping him with armor and upgraded weapons makes him a formidable ally.

With his circular saw for melee combat and built-in flamethrower, Codsworth can hold his own against many enemy types. I always keep Codsworth with me on early quests to watch my back until I recruit companions better suited for specialized roles.

However, Codsworth lacks the customization options of human companions. You can‘t dictate his outfit, assign him to supply lines, or have him run shops. Codsworth functions best as a bodyguard sticking close to your side rather than settling down in one spot.

Despite his limitations, Codsworth holds a special place in many players‘ hearts as the first friendly face they encounter emerging from Vault 111. His unflappable cheerfulness and loyalty evoke the bygone pleasures of life before the apocalypse.

Modifying and Customizing Codsworth

Installing mods opens up even more options for customizing Codsworth‘s weapons, armor, accessories, and abilities beyond the Robot Workbench limits. With the right mods, you can outfit Codsworth with killer new weapons like a Gatling laser or plasma cannon.

Some mods that expand Codsworth customization:

• More Armor Slots for Companions – Adds armor slots for eyewear, hats, and more
• Custom Combat Codsworth – Gives him stronger weapons like missile launchers
• Militarized Minutemen Codsworth – Outfits him as a Minutemen robot

However, even with mods installed you still can‘t equip hats on Codsworth and keep his default bowler hat. For many, tampering with his classic butler look just isn‘t worth min/maxing his stats. Codsworth‘s charm lies in his personality, not firepower.

The Custom Combat Codsworth mod adds laser and missile weapons (credit: XavierCava)

So in summary – no, you can‘t customize Codsworth‘s hat without permanently losing his signature bowler. As one of the most beloved Fallout companions, Codsworth just wouldn‘t be the same robot without it!