How to Knock People Out in Starfield

Starfield is a game all about choice and deciding what type of player you want to be. That is why some players might want to take the more peaceful approach and not kill people when possible. So you might want to knock people out in Starfield, rather than end their lives.

Can You Defeat Someone Without Killing Them in Starfield?

Yes, it is possible to knock people out in Starfield without killing them. There are a couple of ways to do this, but note that it won’t always be the most useful or viable way to play the game. Worse still, there are quests and moments in which the game requires you to kill someone, even if you don’t want to.

But the vast majority of the time, it is possible to knock someone out or at least incapacitate them temporarily in this game. The first way is by using electromagnetic (EM) weapons. You’ll know these from the EM marking in the name of the gun.

These weapons will essentially stun the person and stop them from attacking you. You can use this moment to run away from the person or knock them out entirely via other means. This includes two key skills you need to know about that you can unlock.

The first is Neurostrikes. This unique late-game skill allows you to have a chance to stun someone with your unarmed strikes. This is a great way to knock someone out temporarily without needing a weapon or ammo.

The other skill is Intimidation, which can also be replaced by Manipulation to an extent. The purpose of these skills is to stop an NPC from fighting you entirely. This can even make the most violent of opponents give up without you needing to even knock them out and let you play this game in a peaceful manner.

Starfield is available for the Xbox Series X and PC.