Summary
- Once Human's pet system offers deviants for base benefits, crafting assistance, and combat companions.
- Some deviants have cute designs, while others are highly detailed, causing game asset consistency criticism.
- Obtaining unique combat deviants like Mini Fester and Voodoo Doll involves completing specific in-game events.
Once Human has an interesting pet system. Players can capture deviants, which have three main functions: There are deviants that provide benefits within a player’s base, deviants that can help with crafting, and deviants that are combat companions.
Once Human: Best Territory Deviants, Ranked
Territory deviants act within a player's territory to grant bonuses, benefits, and abilities. Here are the best ones in Once Human.
Many of the deviants that a player can capture in this survival horror game have cute, almost cartoon-like designs. They also have somewhat comical animations, even the combat deviants. In contrast, some combat deviants, such as the Zeno-Purifier, have a highly detailed model. This has led players to criticize the consistency of game assets, pointing at the fact that summoning a cartoon pet in a realistic game world breaks immersion. Whether you are for or against cartoon pets in a game with otherwise realistic scenery, knowing which combat pets are best is crucial to success in Once Human.
7 Mini Fester
Fun Tentacle Attack
As combat deviants in Once Human go, Mini Fester is one of the most fun to use, simply because it is so comical when running around in combat. This deviant will attack multiple enemies by launching squirmy tentacles at them. This might sound strange, but it is quite effective.
Once Human: Best Food And Drink Recipes, Ranked
There are some pretty useful recipes for food and drink in Once Human, and some of them require basic resources. Here's what's worth cooking.
Getting hold of the Mini Fester is a little more complicated than most deviants. The player will need to find a PvE Mist event. These are marked by a large purple ball on a stem, which can be seen at some distance. Once the player completes the Mist event successfully, they have a chance of receiving a Mini Fester as one of the rewards.
6 Mini Wonder
A Bullet Sponge
One of the most enjoyable aspects of using deviants in combat when playing Once Human is that they all have such unique abilities. 
Mini Wonder is a purely defensive deviant that simply intercepts incoming bullets, keeping them away from the player. Note that it specifically deals with bullets; it won’t block melee attacks.
Mini Wonder is pretty easy to get, as it is located within the Forsaken Monolith, which every player is sent to as part of the story arc. Therefore, most players will unlock this combat deviant at an appropriate stage in the game.
5 Voodoo Doll
Transfers Damage To Enemies
This is another defensive combat deviant in Once Human. It is extremely easy to get once the player has enough levels and decent gear to tackle the Sunbury School POI. There is a junkyard to the west of the school, and a quest available inside that rewards players with the Voodoo Doll.
The Voodoo Doll can be very useful in boss fights, because of its core mechanic. When the player takes incoming damage, there is a chance for the 
Voodoo Doll to reflect a portion of it back onto the enemy that dealt it. It's a simple ability, but can be very effective when the player is likely to take a large amoutn of damage at once.
4 Shattered Maiden
Freeze And Fear Debuffer
The 
Shattered Maiden combat deviant is quite unique in Once Human. Even though this is a game that focuses on FPS combat, it doesn’t really go in-depth with special attacks that buff the player or debuff an enemy in some way. Shattered Maiden does apply debuffs though: It frightens and freezes enemies.
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Every crop that can be harvested in Once Human can also be grown by the player, but only a few are worth the effort. Here's what to plant.
This deviant can only be acquired one way as well, which is another misnomer. The player has to complete a Refinery Pollution Point, and then has a chance of receiving the Shattered Maiden deviant as a reward.
3 Zeno-Purifier
Teleports To Enemies
The 
Zeno-Purifier deviant is one of the best combat pets in Once Human, only overshadowed by the Lonewolf’s Whisper deviant. Every player is assured of getting this deviant as long as they complete the “Of Mist And Mirage” phase of the Challenges system, which most players will do almost by accident.
The Zeno-Purifier is great fun to use in combat. With its awesome samurai warrior model, it teleports to enemies and attacks them with its sword before teleporting to the next, and so on. If the player is lucky enough to loot a level 2 or level 3 Zeno-Purifier, it will become a must-have combat assistant.
2 Butterfly’s Emissary
Deals Direct Damage
Every beginner to Once Human has to go through a short tutorial experience. As part of this tutorial, they will be given the Butterfly’s Emissary deviant, and instructed on how to use an individual containment device to control it.
Once Human: Best Early Game Deviants
Even new players can capture and use some useful deviants in Once Human
However, the Butterfly’s Emissary is actually a very good combat deviant, and can carry the player all the way to the endgame if they are not lucky enough to capture a better combat deviant in the meantime. The Butterfly’s Emissary simply attacks a target over and over, doing considerable damage before it runs out of energy. It's simple, but effective.
1 Lonewolf’s Whisper
A Pack Of Wolves
The Lonewolf’s Whisper combat deviant is arguably the best of all the combat deviants available in Once Human. It is pretty easy to acquire, as it is a possible spawn at the end of the Shadow Hound boss fight in the Monolith of Thirst. When summoned, multiple wolves come forth, attacking every enemy they can get to.
What makes this excellent combat deviant even better is that it is possible to farm the boss inside the Monolith of Thirst to try and get a better one. A level 4 Lonewolf’s Whisper is a truly outstanding combat companion that can carry the player a long way in the game.
Once Human
- Released
- July 9, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Starry Studio
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Shooter, Open-World
