Players are given a difficult choice during the Unearthed mission in Starfield: choosing whether to side with the Emissary or the Hunter.

After exploring the NASA headquarters on Earth, the player is confronted by the Hunter and the Emissary, both of whom have different ideas on how the Starborn should be chosen.

You are given three options:

• I’m siding with the Emissary.
• An alliance with the Hunter seems like the winning strategy.
• I’m tired of both of you. I’ll get to the Unity on my own.

Below, we outline exactly what happens when you pick each of these options and which is the best one to choose overall.

Should You Pick Emissary or Hunter in Starfield?

You should side with the Hunter in the Unearthed mission in Starfield, as it rewards you with the most exclusive content.

While the Emissary is less of an evil character, siding with them only unlocks 1 unique weapon, whereas siding with the Hunter unlocks 2 unique weapons and an exclusive quest.

The Emissary wants to keep the Unity safe by being able to choose who can use it to become a Starborn. They believe they alone know what is best for the Unity.

On the other hand, the Hunter wants anyone to have access to the Unity, no matter who they are. They take a more violent approach to things and believe it is the answer to getting things done.

You can also choose to side with neither party, however this will entail taking on two level 30 Starborn ships before later fighting both the Emissary and the Hunter in order to access Unity

This is the hardest option but also the most rewarding as you have the chance to get both pieces of loot if you choose to kill them both instead of persuading them to leave.

Ultimately, the main difference is who you fight at the end. If you side with the Emissary, you fight the Hunter, and if you side with the Hunter, you fight the Emissary.

The mission before you fight the final boss will remain exactly the same regardless of who you side with, but it will be noticeably harder if you side with neither.

Of course, you also get a different reward depending on which side you pick. So, if you’re more interested in which one gets you the best loot, you can find out the better option below.

What Happens If You Side With the Hunter?

If you side with the Hunter, you will be able to get the following exclusive rewards:

• Exclusive quest Infinity’s End
• Unique melee weapon, The Last Priest
• Unique Particle Beam Rifle, Eternity’s Gate

If you side with the Hunter during the Unearthed mission in Starfield, you will immediately unlock the exclusive mission Infinity’s End.

This mission requires you to kill Keeper Aquilus or persuade him to escape and then report back to the Hunter.

If you persuaded Aquilus to leave, you will need to convince the Hunter you killed him. If you do so successfully, you will unlock the melee weapon The Last Priest and XP, and if you fail, you just get XP.

After completing Infinity’s End, you’ll start the penultimate mission, Revelation, which sees you fight a series of Starborn. You, alongside the Hunter, will then have to either kill the Emissary or talk them into leaving.

If you kill the Emissary, you’ll unlock the unique particle beam rifle, Eternity’s Gate, which deals +10% damage to humans, fires volatile rounds, and shoots two projectiles at once every fourth shot.

However, if you persuade the Emissary to leave, you only get the XP and not the Eternity’s Gate rifle.

What Happens If You Side With the Emissary?

If you side with the Emissary, you will be able to get the following exclusive rewards:

• Unique Laser Rifle, Unmitigated Violence 

Choosing to side with the Emissary during Unearthed in Starfield will mean you progress to the penultimate mission, Revelations.

It is exactly the same mission as in the Hunter route, with the only difference being that you either fight or persuade the Hunter to leave at the end.

If you kill the Hunter, you will unlock the unique Laser Rifle, Unmitigated Violence, which deals double damage to enemies with full health, has a chance to inflict frenzy on a target, and randomly deals radioactive damage.

However, if you successfully persuade the Hunter to leave, you will only get the XP and not the Unmitigated Violence rifle.

What Happens If You Go On Your Own in Unearthed?

If you choose to go on your own, you will have to fight both the Hunter and the Emissary at the end of the mission Revelations. This means that you can unlock both of their unique weapons.

This is the only way to unlock both the Unmitigated Violence rifle and Eternity’s Gate at once in Starfield.

So, if you’re interested in collecting all of the unique weapons in your first playthrough, this is the only way to do it.

However, it’s worth noting that if you choose to start a New Game+ save immediately after defeating them both, you will lose all of your items including their unique weapons.