Should you side with the Hunter or the Emissary in Starfield? During the Starfield Unearthed mission, you’ll have to pick a side between the Hunter and the Emissary which will have consequences for the story. It’s one of the biggest choices you’ll make, so it’s important you pick the right one for you. So, here are all the outcomes for the Starfield side with the Hunter or the Emissary dialogue options during the Unearthed quest.
Unearthed is one of the most important Starfield missions in the main story, and the Hunter or Emissary decision can have a big impact. In fact, its repercussions are felt later on in the story, so you might not immediately realize quite what each choice does. Sure, the lives of your Starfield companions aren’t at stake like the Starfield defend the Lodge or go to the Eye decision earlier on, but it’s still an important outcome. Of course, we’ll be going over spoilers in this article, so read on at your own risk. Check out our Starfield review to learn more about Bethesda’s most ambitious RPG yet.
Starfield Hunter or Emissary
In Starfield’s Unearthed mission, siding with either the Hunter or the Emissary will change which Starborn faction will fight alongside you, and which will fight against you in the Revelation mission at the end of the story. It will also affect the rewards you receive.
This is one of the biggest choices you will make during the main story as it has a direct impact on the ending you receive after the Revelation mission, siding with either the Hunter, the Emissary, or neither. With these two key Starborn factions going head to head in the final mission, you can either pick a side or fight them both, having intriguing impacts on the narrative.
During Revelation, the final mission in the main story, the Starborn factions will be battling it out for control of the Unity. Picking either the Hunter or the Emissary will dictate which faction will be an enemy, and which will be an ally. However, picking neither will result in both factions being enemies. This is the hardest but most rewarding outcome.
If you’re in it for the rewards, then this may also sway your decision, as each choice has a different set of Starfield unique items up for grabs. With some of the best Starfield weapons on the line, it’s worth considering which one you’d rather have if loot is your main concern. However, read on below for a way to get both of the outcome rewards.
To see a full walkthrough of the quest, including the outcomes, check out this video by ‘WoW Quests’ below, which we’ve used a few images from.
Starfield Unearthed choices
The Starfield Unearthed choices are:
- Side with the Hunter
- Side with the Emissary
- Side with neither
There are three options for the Unearthed quest, either siding with the Hunter or the Emissary, or striking out on your own. With three potential options, it’s worth thinking about which faction you prefer or whether you’d like to continue without assistance from either side, as well as the potential rewards. As always, we recommend saving the game before making a decision so that you can return to this moment and change your decision if you would like to. Although, Starfield New Game Plus will give you the perfect opportunity to revisit these outcomes later anyhow.
What happens if you side with the Hunter?
If you side with the Hunter in Starfield’s Unearthed quest, then you will have to fight the Emissary during the Revelation mission later on in the game, though the Hunter will fight by your side.
Picking the Hunter will also give you the opportunity to get the Eternity’s Gate unique rifle after killing the Emissary, as this weapon will be on its body. With this weapon, every fourth shot will fire two projectiles at once, and you will gain Volatile rounds that deal more damage but can occasionally do nothing. While it can be unpredictable, this weapon packs a punch.
Having the Hunter in control of the Unity will result in humanity becoming more war-hungry, with people having to prove their worthiness to become Starborn.
What happens if you side with the Emissary?
Siding with the Emissary in Starfield’s Unearthed mission, then you must fight the Hunter during the Revelation mission later in the story, and the Emissary will fight by your side.
If you side with the Emissary, you can also get the Unmitigated Violence unique weapon from the body of the Hunter. This weapon can cause a target to Frenzy, have a chance to deal Radiation damage, and will deal double damage to targets with full health. Given these perks, Unmitigated Violence can deal a lot of damage, especially on the first shot against a foe or when paired with sneak attack damage.
Having the Emissary in control of the Unity will give them the power to dictate which humans are worthy of becoming Starborn, which is not in humanity’s best interest.
What happens if you side with neither?
Siding with neither the Hunter or the Emissary will result in both Starborn factions being enemies during the Relevation mission. This makes the final mission harder, but more rewarding as you can earn both the Eternity’s Gate and the Unmitigated Violence unique weapons from fighting both the Hunter and the Emissary.
Moreover, it’s arguably the most satisfying ending of the game, with humanity moving beyond the Hunter and the Emissary by using the power of the Unity and the artifacts for themselves, as neither faction has control.
What is the best choice in the Starfield Unearthed mission?
The best choice and outcome in the Starfield Unearthed mission is to ally with neither the Hunter or the Emissary. Although this will make the final mission harder, you will get more rewards in return, including the opportunity to get both unique weapons. So long as you’ve got one of the best Starfield builds, you should have no problem making it through.
Furthermore, the ending offered by this choice is arguably the most satisfying, though that’s up to you to decide. With both the Hunter and the Emissary wiped out, humanity is free to dictate how best to use the Unity, since neither Starborn faction controls its use.
That covers whether you should side with the Hunter or the Emissary in Starfield, as well as all the Starfield Unearthed choices and outcomes. Given the impact of this mission, it’s important to choose wisely, though you can always replay the mission in New Game Plus and side with different Starfield factions.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.