Star Wars Zero Company Operator Recruitment Guide: How to Recruit, Refresh & Customize Operators

Updated September 1, 2026

If you're wondering how to recruit new Operators in Star Wars Zero Company, the system is more flexible than it first appears.

You aren't limited to the characters who join naturally during the campaign. Custom Operators can be recruited from The Den, their recruitment pool can be refreshed, and you can even create your own characters and add them to the pool.

There are also important differences between Authored Operators, Custom Operators, Astromechs and later Clone recruits, so knowing how the system works can save you Credits and prevent you from filling your roster with characters you don't actually need.

This guide explains where to recruit Operators, how the recruitment pool works, when you can recruit Astromechs and Clones, how to create your own recruits, what to look for before spending Credits, and how to rebuild recruited Operators later.

📋 Table of Contents

• How Operator Recruitment Works
• Where to Recruit Operators
• Custom vs Authored Operators
• How the Recruitment Pool Works
• Can You Refresh the Recruitment List?
• How to Create Your Own Operators
• Character Customization Options
• Choosing a Talent
• When Can You Recruit Astromechs?
• When Can You Recruit Clone Operators?
• What to Check Before Recruiting
• Best Talents to Look For
• Choosing a Specialization
• Recruitment Costs and Roster Capacity
• What Happens When Your Roster Is Full?
• Can You Change a Recruited Operator Later?
• Recruitment and Bonds
• Best Recruitment Strategy for Beginners
• Operator Recruitment FAQ

How Operator Recruitment Works

The basic recruitment loop is simple:

• The Den → Recruitment Facility → Browse Operators → Inspect their build → Pay Credits → Recruit

Custom Operators are the characters you hire directly rather than receiving through the story.

Each recruit can arrive with their own:

• Name
• Species
• Personality
• Talent
• Primary Specialization
• Weapon type
• Background

The important part is that these aren't necessarily permanent decisions. After recruitment, eligible Custom Operators can be rebuilt, giving you considerably more freedom than simply choosing a pre-built character and being stuck with that configuration.

The important rule

Don't reject a recruit just because their starting class or Talent isn't perfect. Recruitable Operators can be respecced later, including their Specialization and Talent, so the recruitment screen should be viewed as the starting point rather than the final build.

If you're already thinking about changing classes or rebuilding Focus Points, see our Star Wars Zero Company Respec Guide — How to Change Class & Refund Focus Points.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Where to Recruit Operators

Custom Operators are recruited at the Recruitment Facility inside The Den. Once the facility is available, you'll be able to browse the candidates currently offered to your company.

The recruitment screen can show information such as:

• Species
• Personality
• Talent
• Specialization
• Weapon
• Background
• Recruitment cost

This makes the recruitment screen more than just a shopping menu. It's effectively your Operator-building pool.

What should you check first?

Don't immediately look at the character's name or appearance. Start with:

• Talent → Specialization → Weapon → Cost → Roster space

However, remember that Talent and Specialization can be changed later on eligible recruited Operators. That means you should place more weight on whether you actually want the character in your roster than on finding a theoretically perfect starting combination.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Custom vs Authored Operators

One of the first things that can confuse new players is the difference between Authored Operators and Custom Operators.

Authored Operators

These are the named characters who become part of Zero Company as the campaign progresses. They have their own identities, personalities and story roles. Their story-related characteristics and certain Talents can work differently from those of recruitable Operators.

Custom Operators

These are the recruits you obtain through the Recruitment Facility. You can also create your own Custom Operators through the Character Databank and make them available for recruitment.

Why recruit Custom Operators?

Custom recruits are useful when:

• Your main squad lacks a particular role.
• An Operator is injured.
• You want a backup for difficult missions.
• You want a particular Talent.
• You want to build a specific squad composition.
• You simply want to create your own Star Wars character.

You don't have to replace your story characters with recruits. Instead, think of Custom Operators as the flexible bench behind your core cast.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

How the Recruitment Pool Works

The recruitment pool isn't permanently fixed. A new selection can appear as the campaign advances through its Cycles, and the available candidates can also be refreshed manually.

This means you shouldn't feel forced to hire a mediocre candidate simply because they're currently available.

A candidate might look like this:

• Rez — Species: Twi'lek, Personality: The Mentor, Talent: Thievery, Specialization: Scout, Weapon: Longarm Blaster

Another candidate could instead offer:

• Zeeda Lerzeg — Species: Human, Personality: The Rogue, Talent: Espionage, Specialization: Scoundrel, Weapon: Blaster Pistol

Or you might encounter:

• Imani Zash — Species: Human, Personality: The Rogue, Talent: Espionage, Specialization: Heavy, Weapon: Repeater

The important point is that the candidate's entire package matters. A recruit with an excellent Talent but an awkward starting specialization isn't necessarily a bad recruit because you have more build flexibility later.

And if you're primarily interested in the character's appearance, personality or species, that can actually be a perfectly reasonable recruitment priority because eligible Custom Operators can be rebuilt afterward.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Can You Refresh the Recruitment List?

Yes.

This is one of the most useful recruitment mechanics to know. If the current candidates aren't suitable, you don't have to settle for the first group you see. The Recruitment Facility allows you to refresh the available choices.

The recruitment selection can also change naturally as the campaign advances through Cycles. That gives you two reasons to keep checking the facility:

• Refresh the current pool when you need a different option.
• Check again on later Cycles because the available selection can change.

For example

Suppose your company already has: A strong Heavy, Two ranged damage dealers, A reliable Medic. But you're missing a Scout. Instead of recruiting another damage dealer simply because they're available, refresh the pool and look for a candidate who fills the missing role.

Recruitment rule of thumb

Don't recruit because a character is available. Recruit because they improve your roster.

This becomes especially important when Credits are limited.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

How to Create Your Own Operators

You can go beyond the recruitment pool. The Character Databank lets you create your own Custom Operators and save them for recruitment.

This is one of the best features of Zero Company's recruitment system because you can effectively build your own recruitment pool.

The basic process is:

• Main Menu → Character Databank → Custom Characters → Create Operator

After creating a character, make sure the custom character is active in the Databank if you want them to be available to the recruitment system. Then return to your campaign and check the Recruitment Facility. If your custom character doesn't immediately appear, refreshing the recruitment pool can help.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Character Customization Options

Your Custom Operator can be built across several categories.

Origin

You can choose the Operator's species and origin. Available species include options such as:

• Human
• Zabrak
• Twi'lek
• Rodian
• Togruta
• Mirialan
• Weequay
• Ovissian
• Neimoidian
• Devaronian
• Clone, once unlocked

Zabraks, for example, are a proud and independent species native to Iridonia, with many individuals recognizable by their distinctive cranial horns.

Appearance

You can adjust things such as:

• Body
• Face
• Facial details
• Hair
• Antennae or horns
• Skin tone
• Body art

The appearance suite is divided into multiple editing categories, allowing you to fine-tune the Operator rather than relying on a single preset.

Outfits

You can customize equipment cosmetics including:

• Headwear
• Tops
• Armwear
• Lower body
• Boots

You can also choose whether certain outfit elements are hidden during conversations.

Personality

Personality choices include options such as:

• The Bruiser
• The Firebrand
• The Gunny
• The Maverick
• The Mentor
• The Professional
• The Rake
• The Rogue
• The Specialist
• The Wildcard

The Specialist, for example, is presented as an experienced professional who specializes in clean and discreet work. Personality isn't simply a cosmetic label either. It contributes to the Operator's identity, voice and dialogue style.

Dossier

You can also define:

• First name
• Last name
• Background
• Character identity

This makes the Custom Operator system much deeper than simply selecting a cosmetic preset.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Choosing a Talent

The Talent screen is one of the most important parts of creating an Operator.

Zero Company has a pool of recruitable Talents that can affect combat performance, survivability, critical-hit potential or campaign utility.

Examples include:

• The Bigger They Are...
• Cold-Blooded
• Thievery
• Espionage
• Grit
• Anticipation
• Fortitude
• Taunt
• A Life of Labor
• Sabotage

The key point for recruitment is that Custom Operator Talents aren't necessarily permanent. Once you recruit an eligible Custom Operator, you can use the respec system to change their Talent and Specialization.

That means you shouldn't skip an otherwise appealing recruit simply because their initial Talent isn't the one you wanted.

Instead, consider:

• Do I like this Operator enough to keep them? Can I turn them into the role my squad needs?

If the answer is yes, they may still be an excellent recruitment.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

When Can You Recruit Astromechs?

Astromechs use a separate recruitment route. You need to get the Droid Repair Bay operational at The Den. Once the facility is available, Astromechs can appear as recruitable Operators through the Recruitment Facility.

This makes the Droid Repair Bay an important Den upgrade if you want access to additional Operator types.

Why Astromechs are worth considering

Astromechs aren't simply cosmetic alternatives. They can provide useful combat utility that changes how your squad operates.

For example, the BR-1 Astromech can have:

• 28 Health
• 18.0m movement range
• Focus Points available for upgrades
• Built-In Comlink

Built-In Comlink can grant an ally +1 AP as a Fast Action, making an Astromech particularly interesting when your strategy revolves around action-point efficiency. So if you're deciding between another conventional recruit and an Astromech, don't judge the droid purely by raw weapon damage. Its utility can be the reason to bring it.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

When Can You Recruit Clone Operators?

Clone Operators are a special recruitment option that isn't available from the beginning of every campaign. The standard Custom Operator origin pool expands after the relevant story progression, unlocking Clone as an additional origin.

You can also prepare a custom Clone in the Character Databank before the recruitment option becomes available, then recruit that character once Clone recruitment has been unlocked.

There is also an important New Game Plus-style benefit: After completing a campaign, Clone recruitment can be available from the beginning of a subsequent campaign.

So if you're specifically asking: "When can I recruit Clones?" — The answer is: You need to progress far enough in the story to unlock the Clone origin during a first campaign. After completing a campaign, Clones can be available immediately in a subsequent campaign.

Once unlocked, Clones become another option when creating Custom Operators.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

What to Check Before Recruiting

A recruitment screen can contain several tempting candidates. Don't spend Credits simply because someone looks powerful. Use this checklist instead.

1. Check the Talent

Ask whether the Talent helps your current campaign. For example: Thievery can strengthen your Credit economy. 

Espionage can help your Intel economy.

That's particularly useful if Intel is currently preventing you from launching Operations. Our Star Wars Zero Company Intel Guide — How to Get More Intel, Increase the Cap & Spend It Wisely goes deeper into that resource loop. But remember that Custom Operator Talents can be changed later. So treat the starting Talent as useful information rather than a permanent commitment.

2. Check the Specialization

Does your company actually need another Operator in this role? Don't recruit your fourth ranged damage dealer when your roster desperately needs a Medic. Again, though, the initial Specialization isn't necessarily permanent for an eligible Custom Operator.

3. Check the Weapon

The starting weapon helps tell you how the recruit is initially intended to play. But remember: The starting weapon doesn't necessarily define the Operator forever. Your later build decisions can change how that character functions within the squad.

4. Check the Cost

Recruitment costs can vary between candidates. Gameplay recruitment screens can show candidates around 500–700 Credits, so don't assume every recruit costs the same amount. If you're saving for an important Den upgrade or equipment purchase, ask whether this recruit is worth delaying it.

5. Check Your Roster Capacity

A fantastic Operator is useless if you have no room for them. Always check the roster counter before recruiting.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Best Talents to Look For

You don't need to memorize every Talent before recruiting your first Operator. Instead, use this quick guide.

• Thievery — Economy. A strong choice if you're constantly short on Credits. Particularly useful for players who are spending heavily on weapons, upgrades and other purchases.
• Espionage — Intel. Useful if Intel is becoming the bottleneck for Operations. One of the easiest Talents to justify on a utility-focused recruit.
• Grit — Survivability. A straightforward defensive choice. Good for Operators who regularly find themselves exposed or taking return fire.
• Anticipation — Defense. Another strong defensive option that can become increasingly useful as you develop the Operator.
• Taunt — Frontline Control. Especially interesting on Heavy-oriented builds where you want the Operator to draw enemy attention.
• The Bigger They Are... — A useful offensive option when you're frequently dealing with elite or boss targets.
• Cold-Blooded — A strong choice for critical-hit-focused builds and particularly interesting when paired with an appropriate ranged specialization.
• A Life of Labor — A strong general-purpose option when you want additional durability and don't need a more specialized Talent.
• Sabotage — A utility-oriented option that can be particularly attractive when you want your recruit to contribute beyond straightforward damage.

The important Talent rule

There isn't one Talent that is automatically best for every Operator. Talent effectiveness depends heavily on the Specialization, squad composition and role you want the Operator to perform. And because eligible Custom Operators can respec their Talents, you have much more freedom to experiment than the recruitment screen initially suggests.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Choosing a Specialization

Think about recruitment in terms of squad gaps.

Assault

Choose this when you need a frontline fighter who can close distance and pressure enemies. Assault is designed around maneuvering into medium- to close-range engagements. Its toolkit includes abilities such as: Sweeping Salvo, Bull Rush, Fleet of Foot, Strike the Flank.

Heavy

Useful when your squad needs durability and sustained frontline presence.

Medic

Prioritize this if your roster lacks reliable healing and support.

Scout

Useful for mobility, positioning and reconnaissance-oriented play.

Scoundrel

A good fit when you want a more specialized utility and tactical approach.

Gunslinger

Useful for aggressive ranged attacks and action-efficient damage.

Sharpshooter

Ideal when your squad needs long-range damage.

Other specialized roles

As you unlock more options, don't build the roster around a rigid tier list. Instead ask: What can this Operator do that my current four-person squad cannot?

That's the question that makes recruitment decisions much easier.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Recruitment Costs and Roster Capacity

The Den doesn't give you unlimited space. Your Roster Capacity determines how many Operators you can keep. The company begins with limited room, and Den upgrades, story progression and other progression systems can increase the available roster space.

This creates an important strategic choice. You don't need to recruit everyone. A large roster is useful because it gives you replacements and role flexibility, but every recruit also becomes another character you may want to develop, equip and maintain.

A good early roster

Rather than collecting Operators indiscriminately, aim for coverage:

• 1–2 frontline options
• 1 Medic
• 1 Scout/utility option
• Several ranged damage options
• At least one backup for important roles

Once you have good coverage, you can start recruiting based on stronger Talents, preferred personalities or cosmetic choices.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

What Happens When Your Roster Is Full?

If your roster is full, don't panic. You simply need to manage your available capacity before bringing in additional recruits. This is another reason not to spend Credits impulsively.

Suppose a refresh produces an Operator with an excellent Talent, but your roster is already full. Instead of immediately recruiting them, first consider:

• Do you actually need the role?
• Is one of your current Operators redundant?
• Can you increase roster capacity?
• Is another candidate likely to appear later?
• Are you saving Credits for an important upgrade?

Recruitment is a campaign-management decision, not just a character-collection system.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Can You Change a Recruited Operator Later?

Yes — and this is one of the most important things to understand.

Recruitable Operators are highly flexible. You can rebuild their Specialization and, for eligible recruited Operators, change their Talent as well. The respec system lets you refund Focus Points and rebuild the Operator around another combat role.

That means you shouldn't obsess over getting a "perfect" combination from the recruitment screen.

For example, you might recruit an Operator because they have: Espionage + a useful personality + a species you like — then later change their Specialization to better fit your squad.

Or you might initially build a recruit around ranged damage and later rebuild them into a frontline role.

The important exception is fixed Talents on authored story characters, which follow different rules.

For the complete system, see our Star Wars Zero Company Respec Guide — How to Change Class & Refund Focus Points.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Recruitment and Bonds

Don't forget that recruitment isn't isolated from the rest of Zero Company's progression. If you repeatedly deploy the same Operators together, their Bonds can improve.

Those relationships can provide:

• Focus Points
• Cross Training
• Permanent bonuses
• Powerful passive abilities

That means a recruit who starts as an average-looking character can become significantly more valuable after you've invested in their development.

Our Star Wars Zero Company Bonds Guide — Focus Points, Cross Training & Best Combat Synergies covers that system in detail.

Recruitment tip

Don't constantly rotate your entire roster just because new recruits appear. Develop a reliable core group and use your extra recruits to provide backup and specialized roles.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Best Recruitment Strategy for Beginners

If you're just starting Zero Company, you don't need a complicated recruitment spreadsheet. Follow these steps.

1. Get the Recruitment Facility working — Once recruitment becomes available, start checking the pool regularly.
2. Don't buy the first recruit you see — Inspect their Talent, Specialization and weapon first.
3. Look for roster gaps — Ask what your company is missing.
4. Refresh bad pools — If none of the candidates solve your problem, refresh the recruitment choices.
5. Prioritize useful Talents — Thievery and Espionage are especially interesting when Credits or Intel are limiting your campaign.
6. Don't fear imperfect starting builds — Recruitable Operators can be rebuilt later.
7. Unlock the Droid Repair Bay — If you want Astromechs, make this facility a priority.
8. Expand your roster — As your company grows, additional capacity becomes increasingly valuable.
9. Keep developing your best recruits — Use Bonds, Focus Points and equipment to turn promising recruits into reliable members of the company.

A Simple Recruitment Priority

For a beginner, this is a good general priority:

1. Missing role ↓
2. Useful Talent ↓
3. Good weapon/specialization combination ↓
4. Reasonable Credit cost ↓
5. Personality/appearance preference

Because Custom Operators can be rebuilt later, you can also move personality, appearance and species preference higher if you care about building a specific character. This prevents one of the most common recruitment mistakes: Choosing a character because they look cool, then realizing your squad already has three Operators who perform the same job.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Operator Recruitment FAQ

How do you recruit Operators in Star Wars Zero Company?
Custom Operators are recruited through the Recruitment Facility at The Den using Credits. Authored Operators generally join through campaign progression.

Can you refresh the recruitment pool?
Yes. You can refresh the available Custom Operator choices if the current candidates aren't useful. The selection can also change with campaign Cycles.

Are Custom Operators random?
The Recruitment Facility presents a rotating selection of Custom Operators. You can also create your own Custom Operators through the Character Databank and make them active for recruitment.

Can I create my own Operator?
Yes. Use the Character Databank from the main menu to create Custom Operators, customize their identity and appearance, choose their combat setup, save them, and make them active for recruitment.

Can I create my own Astromech?
Yes. Astromechs have their own creation/recruitment route rather than being another normal species option. They are built separately through the Astromech creator, while the Droid Repair Bay enables Astromech recruitment.

When can I recruit Astromechs?
You need to unlock and repair the Droid Repair Bay at The Den. After that, Astromechs can appear at the Recruitment Facility.

When can I recruit Clone Operators?
Clone becomes an additional Custom Operator origin after the relevant campaign progression. It isn't part of the initial first-campaign recruitment origin pool. After completing a campaign, Clone recruitment can be available from the start of a subsequent campaign.

Can recruited Operators change their class?
Yes. Eligible recruited Operators can change Specialization and refund their Focus investment through the respec system.

Can recruited Operators change their Talents?
Yes. Recruitable Operators have more Talent flexibility than authored story characters and can change their Talent through the respec system.

Should I recruit every Operator I see?
No. Prioritize recruits who provide a role, Talent or utility that your current roster actually needs. Because Custom Operators can be rebuilt, you can also recruit a character primarily because you like their species, personality or appearance and then adapt their combat build later.

Is Espionage worth taking on a recruit?
It can be, especially if Intel is limiting how many Operations you can run. If Credits are your bigger problem, Thievery may be more useful for your particular campaign.

Should I recruit an Astromech early?
If you have access to the Droid Repair Bay and want more utility options, an Astromech can be a worthwhile addition. Their value isn't limited to conventional weapon damage.

What if my roster is full?
Look at your current roster capacity and determine whether you can increase it before recruiting another candidate. Don't sacrifice an important upgrade just to collect a recruit you don't actually need.

⬆ Back to Table of Contents

Final Recruitment Tips

The biggest thing to understand about Star Wars Zero Company recruitment is that you don't need to find a perfect Operator on your first attempt. The system is designed around flexibility.

You can:

• Refresh the recruitment pool.
• Create your own Operators.
• Recruit different species.
• Add Astromechs.
• Unlock Clone Operators later.
• Change eligible Specializations.
• Change Talents on recruitable Operators.
• Expand your roster.
• Build Bonds between your favorite Operators.

So instead of asking: "Which recruit is the strongest?"

ask: "Which recruit gives my company something it doesn't already have?"

That mindset makes the Recruitment Facility much more useful.

For combat builds, continue with our Star Wars Zero Company Respec Guide. For long-term squad development, see the Star Wars Zero Company Bonds Guide. And if your recruitment choices are being driven by an Intel shortage, our Star Wars Zero Company Intel Guide explains how to improve that side of the campaign.

The best recruitment strategy isn't to collect the most Operators. It's to build a roster where every recruit has a reason to be there.