While playing through the Crimson Fleet mission in Starfield, there are several unique characters you’ll encounter as you work alongside these devilish space pirates. One character in particular can become a friend or foe, and that’s Mathis Castillo. He’s a pirate recruit that you meet during the Echoes of the Past mission.
Depending on how you treat Mathis, he’s willing to work with you in the future, and if you play your cards right he can join your crew. He’ll never forget his Crimson Fleet roots, though. Here’s what you need to know about how to recruit Mathis Castillo in Starfield.
Related: Starfield: How to Steal Ships – Best Weapons & Perks
Siding With Mathis for Delgado in Starfield
The first and biggest decision you must make to ensure you can recruit Mathis in Starfield occurs at the end of the Echos of the Past mission. Delgado will ring up to your character through the speaker and directly ask for a rundown of how things have been going. Your character has the chance to share if Mathis has been helpful or not, and you need to say, “Thanks to Mathis’ help, we found some information about Kryx’s Legacy.“
It’s pretty easy to consider this brief moment with Delgado as a small comment to make, but there’s a lot of impact with it. Delgado takes your advice seriously regarding Mathis, and if you have a negative perspective about him, he’ll cut him from the Crimson Fleet. You can expect to see him later in your Starfield playthrough, and he will be an enemy, if you don’t support him.
This decision immediately shares that Mathis has been a help to your character throughout the mission, despite him consistently talking about how the two of you can ambush and take out Delgado. Thankfully, Mathis shies away from this decision, regardless of how much your Starfield character encouraged any of the choices. At the end of Echoes of the Past, Delgado decides for Mathis to join the Crimson Fleet, and when you meet Mathis in the Nova, he thanks you and promises to have your back someday.
Siding with the Crimson Fleet in Starfield
The second choice you have me to make occurs towards the end of the Crimson Fleet story campaign, where you make the critical decision to side with the Crimson Fleet or the UC SysDef. Should your Starfield character side with the pirates, they’re going to have to fight off the UC SysDef forces, battle their way to the UC Vigilance, and overrun the ship.
During the raid, Mathis will appear, and provide critical assistance to ensure key defenses are removed in the battle. He thanks you again for getting him to join the Crimson Fleet and promises to see you aboard the Key when you’re there to split the Legacy’s spoils.
Getting Mathis to Join You in Starfield
The final thing you need to do after saving The Key and siding with the Crimson Fleet is to speak with Mathis. You can find him in the Crimson Fleet command deck, where you met Delgado several times when you began Crimson Fleet missions. Your Starfield character has the chance to invite Mathis to join your crew, and he’ll be at the ready to assist on your ship or at any of the outposts you’ve created in your galaxy. Mathis has a level one in Weight Lifting, a level one in Ballistics, and level two in Incapacitation.
