In Star Wars Zero Company, bonds between operatives grow as they fight side by side, complete missions, respond correctly in dialogue, and even share a lair. The maximum level is 8, and the main reward is Focus points and passive Cross Training bonuses. The fastest way to build bonds depends on your composition: for a permanent squad of four, complete missions; for the entire squad, complete missions and level up your Command Node. Below is everything you need to know to ensure you don’t miss a beat and don’t screw up.
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Bonds in Star Wars Zero Company and How to Level Them
Bonds are a numerical scale from 1 to 8 that reflects how well your operative works with each of their comrades. Bonds aren’t static: they grow with successful actions and decline with poor choices or injuries.
Why bother? Firstly, each new level grants Focus Points—they’re spent on enhancing class talents; without them, builds simply become weaker. Secondly, reaching the next level unlocks Cross Training—a special ritual where two soldiers receive a shared passive bonus of their choice from three options. This could be extra grenade damage, increased critical chance, or extra health. At maximum levels, the bonuses become truly substantial. And yes, the developers (Bit Reactor) have confirmed: there are no romance options in the game, so all connections are strictly business-related.
All options for leveling up connections with operators
There are seven of them, and each works differently. Here’s a quick map:
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Co-op missions—combat missions with a specific group of four.
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Operations—non-combat missions with a choice of solutions.
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Correct dialogue choices—affect relationships selectively.
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Cross Training—a bonus for reaching a connection level. Upgrading the Teamwork node in the Lair provides passive growth for everyone not in combat.
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Dilemmas are story-driven choices that can boost or undermine bonds across the entire squad.
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Storyline progressions are automatic growth throughout the campaign.
Now let’s examine each method in detail—there are more nuances here than meets the eye.
Operations for quickly leveling up your entire squad
Operations aren’t battles. You open a card describing a situation (for example, clearing a derelict ship or deciding who to pass on intel to) and choose one of three responses. Each operation requires a certain number of operators (often 2-4) and sometimes resources—say, 25 intel.
After completing an operation, all participants gain bond experience. This is a great way to level up several soldiers at once, especially if you have a large roster. But be careful: some operations are marked as high-risk—your key fighter could get injured or even be sidelined for several missions. So always evaluate the risk before sending them out. If you’re unsure, send a second team to build connections, while the core team waits for safer missions.
Missions to boost the core four’s bonds
If Operations are like a crowd, Missions are like a club for the elite. You take four Operators, play a level with them, and each one strengthens their bonds with the other three. This effect can be further enhanced by using Back-Up during combat—when one operator assists another in a firefight, it provides an additional boost.
Missions are ideal for your strike team, which you play through the game with. The more often they go on missions together, the faster powerful cross-bonuses will unlock. If you’re constantly rotating your squad, it’s best to rely on Operations and passive growth—that way, you won’t be dependent on just one quartet.
Unlocking the Teamwork node in the Den for passive growth
The Lair has a “Teamwork” node. Leveling it up unlocks the Lounge—a relaxation room where inactive Operators gain bond experience while you fight with others. At the beginning levels, the bonus is paltry—just 5 points per soldier—but at higher levels, it becomes a significant boost. Especially if you have a lot of recruits who you rarely deploy to the field.
By the way, the Teamwork upgrade not only increases your connections but also your support damage in battle, so it’s definitely worth investing in mid-game. Tip: upgrade it to level 3 as soon as you have the resources—it’ll pay off faster than you think.
The Impact of Dialogues and Story Dilemmas on Connections
It’s pretty simple: answer incorrectly, and your connection drops. Answer correctly, and your connection increases. Dilemmas are special plot points where you choose one of three options, and it affects the relationships of all operatives with Hawkes (the protagonist). This is the fastest way to both raise and lower everything at once.
For example, one of the dilemmas suggests sacrificing resources to save civilians. If you choose Altruism, you’ll get a boost to your bonds with good fighters, but a drawback with cynics. Plan ahead: if you have a core four, prioritize their bonds over your backups.
How to quickly level up your bonds with one operator
Let’s say you’ve fallen in love with Tarik (or anyone else) and want to get the most out of him as quickly as possible. How can you do this purposefully?
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Always take him on missions—let him participate in every fight with your core four. This way, he’ll gain bond experience with the other three simultaneously.
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Send him on missions that require 2-3 fighters—this will give him a more consistent boost with those paired with him.
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Use dilemmas to boost his bond with Hawkes—if the choice in a dilemma affects everyone, try to choose options that provide an overall benefit, not a specific drawback.
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Don’t forget about Cross Training—as soon as your level with the desired partner reaches a new threshold, immediately complete the training to secure the bonus and earn Focus points.
This tactic requires meticulous planning, but the results are worth it: in just a couple of hours, you’ll have an Operator with maximum connections and two or three active Cross Bonuses.
Best Operator Pairings for Cross Training
Based on data from the official website and guides, here are a few synergies that are worth prioritizing.
In practice, the best approach is to level up everyone with everyone, but if time is short, focus on pairs that are most often in the same squad. Keep in mind that bonuses are chosen from three random options, so you may have to restart the tutorial if you get the wrong option.
How to Respond in Dialogues to Increase Bonds
This section is just the beginning. We’ll leave a full list of all dialogues and their consequences in a separate article (it’s too long). But you can remember a few key points right now:
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When talking to Hawks, try to choose options that demonstrate trust and respect for his decisions.
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Avoid aggressive or sarcastic responses if you don’t want to lose points.
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Some dialogues have different results depending on your current bond level—so don’t be surprised if the same phrase works differently at the beginning and end of the game.
We’re preparing a comprehensive table with all known options, but for now, use this general rule: when in doubt, choose a neutral or supportive tone.
A Secret Tactic for Leveling Up Through Recruit Deaths
This is a technique many people overlook, but in vain. Zero Company has a rule: when an operative dies in battle, all surviving members of their squad gain a bond boost with each other—as if forging bonds in the face of death.
How do you use this? Recruit cheap recruits (they can be had for a minimal fee), add them to a squad with two or three key fighters, and go on a medium-difficulty mission. When the recruit falls, your core players will gain bond experience, and you’ll only lose a cheap newbie. Repeat this several times, and the bonds between your stars will skyrocket. Of course, it’s cynical, but in the world of mercenaries, sentimentality is a luxury. The main thing is, don’t send someone you feel sorry for to their death.
The Main Mistakes When Leveling Up Operator Connections
Even experienced players stumble on these pitfalls.
Mistake #1: Sending key players on risky missions. If an operation is marked “high risk,” don’t assign your best marksman. Let the secondary players go, and the primary ones wait for a safer mission.
Mistake #2: Ignoring Teamwork in the Lair. Yes, at first, 5 points seems like a drop in the bucket. But over 10 hours of play, this adds up to several connection levels for your entire squad. Level up this node as soon as possible.
Mistake #3: Responding to dilemmas without considering the consequences. One wrong choice can ruin connections with three operators at once. Before you click, imagine how this will affect your core four.
Mistake #4: Chasing everyone to max level. This stretches your resources and time. It’s better to focus on the 4-5 fighters you play through the game with, and passively level up the rest through the Lounge.
Keep these tips in mind, and leveling up your connections will no longer be a headache. And if you want to see all the numbers and tables, check out our next article, where we’ll break down each connection level. In the meantime, go and build your squad, but without unnecessary sacrifices (well, almost without unnecessary sacrifices).
