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As you progress throughStarfield’smain story, it becomes clear that the Artifacts are far more dangerous than Constellation originally realized. Dealing with the Starborn becomes a critical part of the main story, with two specific Starborn playing a key role in later quests.
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It’s when you reach the end of the “Unearthed” quest where a critical decision must be made. The Hunter and Emissary demand that you pick a side. Choosing a side will determine how the rest of the main story plays out and impacts the ending you’ll receive. In this guide, we’ll showcase every side you can choose, explain the consequences of each decision, and give our thoughts on which decision is the best.
Choosing A Side
After you complete the “Unearthed” quest on Earth, the Hunter and Emissary will request a meeting with you right outside the NASA ruins. Both of them will argue their views on the Artifacts and the Unity in general, requesting that you pick a side.
You have three options:
The Emissary is right.
You become allies with the Emissary. You must fight the Hunter and claim their Artifact.
The Hunter is right.
You become allies with the Hunter. You must fight the Emissary and claim their Artifact.
You’re both wrong.
Both the Emissary and Hunter become hostile. You must fight both and claim their Artifacts.
This decision affects the difficulty of the “Revelations” quest and affects the ending.Whoever you side with will fight alongside you in the final mission, while the Starborn you argued against will become a boss. You may defeat the Emissary, Hunter, or both with persuasion checks if your social skills are high enough level, preventing any bloodshed. Alternatively, you may kill them to acquire their unique armor and weapons. More specific details are listed below.
Spoiler Warning
The expandable sections below spoil the consequences of each choice, including all ending permutations.
Siding With The Emissary
If you side with the Emissary, you will fight against the Hunter in the “Revelations” quest. The Emissary will help you reach the final Artifact, fighting alongside you in combat. Once you defeat the Hunter, the Emissary will explain how to build the Armillary and reach the Unity. They will remain on your ship until you finish your playthrough, although they are not a recruitable companion or crew member.
Entering the Unity will reveal thatthe Emissary has chosen to stay in your universe, guiding others to the Unity that the Emissary deems worthy. Since the current Emissary stays behind, your NG+ Emissary might be a different character depending on your actions. If you save all members of Constellation on your NG+ playthrough, the Emissary will be whoever it was on your previous playthrough. If you don’t warn Constellation of the attack, whoever dies in “High Price to Pay” will become the Emissary instead.
Siding With The Hunter
If you side with the Hunter, you fight against the Emissary in the “Revelations” quest.You’ll also gain access to the “Infinity’s End” questwhere the Hunter asks you to assassinate Keeper Aquilus. Complete that quest and defeat the Emissary—either through combat or persuasion checks—to claim the final Artifact. Once you have every Artifact, the Hunter will explain how to create the Armillary and how to reach the Unity. They will remain on your ship for the rest of your playthrough, although they may not be recruited as a companion or crew member.
Entering the Unity will reveal thatthe Hunter enters the Unity with you, growing stronger once more.His ruthless attitude spreads through all of humanity in this universe. Courage becomes commonplace, leading humans to fight against one another for power, for good or ill. Even if you opted to kill Keeper Aquilus in your universe, the Hunter will still be Aquilus in future NG+ playthroughs.
Siding With No One
If you choose to find the Artifacts yourself, you will fight against the Hunter and Emissary in the “Revelations” quest. You will receive no additional help. You can choose to either kill the duo or convince them to stand down.This is the only outcome that allows you to grab the Hunter and Emissary’s unique weapons,so there is an upside to this option.
Entering the Unity will reveal thatthis universe may now explore the galaxy without the risk of encountering Starborn.Humanity will discover the secrets of the Artifacts and the Unity on their own terms. You may choose to side with either the Emissary or Hunter on your next playthrough. The Emissary will remain the same person unless another member of Constellation dies on your NG+ cycle.
Who Should You Side With?
Narratively speaking, the choice doesn’t matter.Who you side with has virtually no consequences due tohow Starfield’s NG+ system is structured. If you’re worried about locking yourself out of quests or companions from this decision, don’t be; nothing of that magnitude is influenced by this decision. It mostly affects the ending, and each ending choice isn’t inherently good or evil. There are flaws with the Emissary’s vision, just as there are merits with the Hunter’s strategy. Pick what feels right to you.
If you want the best items, kill both of them.The Hunter and Emissary each have a unique weapon that’s incredibly powerful, and the only way to obtain both in a single playthrough is to side with no one. Fighting both of them is fairly tricky and requires a high-level character on harder difficulties, but the rewards you receive are worth the trouble.
