Guides › System
Companion Modes: Offensive, Defensive and Catch
Offensive attacks anything nearby, defensive waits until you're hit, and catch stops attacking once a wild target's health is low. Here's when to use each.
The short version
- Offensive mode makes your companion Aniimo attack nearby enemies automatically, without waiting for you.
- Defensive mode makes your companion attack only when it is struck, so it protects you once hostile enemies engage.
- Catch mode makes your active companion stop attacking once the wild target's health drops below a certain threshold.
- Command modes don't replace direct control. You can still fight by issuing ability commands to your Aniimo from the battlefield.
Your companion Aniimo doesn't just follow you around. It has a command mode, and the mode decides when it fights. There are three settings: offensive, defensive and catch.
Each one answers a different question. Offensive covers whether your companion starts fights. Defensive covers whether it only finishes them. Catch covers whether it knows when to stop. Pick the wrong mode and your companion will either sit still while you take hits or keep swinging at something you wanted to keep.
Offensive and defensive: who starts the fight
Offensive mode is the hands-off setting. Your companion Aniimo attacks nearby enemies automatically. You don't have to point it at anything. If an enemy is close, your companion goes for it.
Defensive mode holds back. Your companion attacks only when it is struck, which means it protects you when hostile enemies engage but leaves everything else alone. That makes it the calmer choice for moving through an area where you don't want your companion picking fights for you.
The practical difference comes down to who throws the first hit. In offensive mode your companion does. In defensive mode the enemy does, and your companion answers.
Offensive
- Attacks nearby enemies
- Does so automatically
Defensive
- Attacks only when struck
- Protects the player when hostile enemies engage
Catch mode and fighting with ability commands
Catch mode is built for wild Aniimo you want to keep rather than beat. Your active companion attacks as normal, then stops once the wild target's health drops below a certain threshold. It eases off on its own, so you don't have to pull it back yourself while the target is weakened.
None of the three modes locks you out of the fight. You can also issue ability commands to your Aniimo from the battlefield, so you choose what it uses and when. Think of the mode as your companion's default behaviour and ability commands as the way you step in when the default isn't what the moment needs.
Where to start
Use offensive when you want your companion clearing enemies by itself, and defensive when you only want it to fight back. Switch to catch before you go after a wild Aniimo you want to keep. In any mode, ability commands let you take over directly.
Most of this page was re-checked against the released game on 17 September 2026. The rest has not been re-confirmed since release.