Animal companions are great in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. They substantially increase your party's carry weight, can hold their own in battle, and can even be mounted to create a whole new dimension in the game's combat system.
The one potential problem with animal companions is that there are just too many of them to choose from. Some classes have an easier choice, for example between just a wolf and a horse for Paladins, but others like Druids get access to the whole bunch. There's a lot of factors, such as stats, size, and aesthetics, to consider.
13 Boar
While any animal companion can make for a great tank, the Boar does rather excel at this job. It can reach a very high armor class with the right barding equipped and it will be a standout in fights against really tough enemies.
The problem is that a high AC is pretty much all the boar has going for it. It doesn't get any neat tricks without feat investment, and it's limited to just one natural attack by default.
12 Giant Centipede
This gigantic creepy crawly is a great thematic choice for someone like Wenduag if you decide to build her with an animal companion. It's different, it's striking, and it's a little bit horrible (just like Wenduag, really).
While it definitely has the cool factor, plenty of people will hate this companion simply because it's a centipede. Add to that it's rather ineffectual poison attacks and it simply doesn't hold up that well against the heavy hitters.
11 Monitor Lizard
As the two venomous animal companions, the monitor lizard succeeds where the giant centipede fails - it has more combat applicability. With more Dexterity and the inbuilt ability to trip up enemies with its full attacks, this companion will make a larger difference in battle.
That said, there are companions who are far better at tripping up enemies and they're also quite a bit cuter, so it's easy to just pass by the monitor lizard when selecting a pet.
10 Mastodon
If you are looking for a tanky animal companion, you really should strongly consider the mastodon. It's a gigantic thing with a large footprint that could make maneuverability tricky in narrow corridors and in doorways, but it's still worth a look.
The mastodon does have some pretty powerful physical attacks too, but this is a companion that you'll only pick if you want a great tank and/or if you really like the look of it. And it's hard not to like the look of it.
9 Triceratops
Another exotic, prehistoric pick here and you cannot deny that its portrait is awesome. The triceratops is the less tanky, more offensive cousin to the mastodon and they work in rather the same way.
It's a bulky, inconvenient brute that can dish out a surprising amount of damage with its painful gore attacks. Upon reaching its size upgrade at level seven it gets the Powerful Charge ability, which is devastating when used well.
8 Bear
The bear is a cute and effective animal companion to have. It's a mainstay of Druidic choices and in this game, it can really dish out the damage with its three attacks.
Upon reaching a larger size at level seven, a bear will have some truly impressive stats. Overall, it's slightly better than middle-of-the-road as an animal companion choice and well worth considering if you simply want a powerful new ally and don't care about quirky tricks like poison or tripping.
7 Horse
Horses are the default animal companion choice for Cavaliers and one of only two options when it comes to choosing an animal for Paladins like Seelah, so there's a greater chance that you'll have to have one around at some point.
While it's nice that this companion gets three attacks, the greatest boon that picking a horse provides is a boost to armor class when riding one. It is the quintessential mount in a game that rewards mounted combat.
6 Elk
It is difficult to consider the elk simply a horse, but better at fighting. It doesn't grant the same armor class bonus for being mounted, but it has better natural attacks and will end up gaining the Powerful Charge move, which is always nice.
Ignoring all that though, there is something to be said about the appeal of having an elk in the party - it's a majestic creature that feels really cool to have around.
5 Velociraptor
This colorful creature is a great Dexterity-focused companion thanks to its three natural attacks and its ability to pounce onto foes, not to mention an extremely generous 60 feet movement speed. It's not going to have the greatest damage output, but it'll get a lot of attacks in and be decently hard to hit as a bonus.
Give this companion to a small-sized party member and they'll be able to mount it, zipping around the battlefield like no one's business.
4 Wolf
Players of Pathfinder: Kingmaker will know what beasts wolves can be thanks to Ekundayo's companion. When compared to its cousin, the dog, the wolf falters in only a few areas. They are extremely similar companions statistically but get slightly lower Strength, Dexterity, and natural armor.
They make up for this by being naturally quicker which can be a really big help on the battlefield in Wrath of the Righteous - you'll want your animal companions to catch up quickly or thrust ahead to strike at squishy enemy backliners.
3 Dog
Everyone loves dogs, so it's fitting that dogs make for really damn good animal companions in Wrath of the Righteous. They are powerful fighters who can turn entire battles on their head with their ability to trip opponents. Watch even the hardest bosses crumble after being sent to the ground by your faithful hound.
Add to this their decent Dexterity and generous Constitution and the dog is a great all-rounder companion that should be considered strongly.
2 Smilodon
While the canines do shine in Wrath of the Righteous, the felines edge them out just a little for the top two spots in the game. The smilodon is one of the most potent attackers in the game, having a whopping five natural attacks by default and really decent attacking stats.
That's not to mention the absolute thrill it is to have what is essentially a sabertooth tiger for a pet. It's a ferocious fighter and looks both adorable and scary in spades, and it's one of the community's favorite companions for a reason.
1 Leopard
The leopard has been one of the best animal companions since the release of Pathfinder: Kingmaker and it's not hard to see why. This cool cat has a massive 21 Dexterity to begin with, three natural attacks, and a great 50-foot movement speed.
This only gets better when it gets its size upgrade at level seven, which grants it the ability to use Dexterity for damage rolls instead of Strength, in addition to the pounce ability. With these, the leopard becomes possibly the best tank companion and one of the best attackers in the game.