- "I'm not really in the market for new friends. I'm not sure that I'm happy with the current crop."
- —Simmons in Let's Come to Order
Simmons has developed multiple relationships with different characters throughout the series. Although he has doubts about his relationships with those in the Reds and Blues, a majority of them seem to be quite positive.
Red Team[]
It seems that Simmons shows the greatest concern and compassion to his team than everyone else. In a way, Simmons sees the Red Team as his family; such as seeing Sarge as a father, and Donut as a "sister".
Sarge[]
Simmons has a great deal of respect for Sarge and seems to regard him as a father figure. As a result, Simmons frequently attempts to earn Sarge's approval by complimenting him in various ways. In the Blood Gulch Chronicles, despite sometimes being critical of his overly complex tactical decisions, Simmons always obeys Sarge's orders without question as he yearns to impress him. During Season 4, Sarge believed that Simmons had gone crazy and consequently demoted him, infuriating and upsetting him. Simmons joined the Blue Team to exact his revenge on the Red Team, showing how important being Sarge's right-hand-man meant to him.
When Omega jumped into his armor in Season 5, Simmons disobeyed Sarge and threatened to kill him in order to become leader of the Red team, before saying that "From now on, everyone will kiss my ass!". This showed that Simmons was fed up with having to act like a kiss ass to Sarge, and after this he treats Sarge with far less reverence than before. During the Recollections, Simmons is much less inclined to act professionally in front of Sarge. At the end of Reconstruction, when Sarge instructs Simmons to delete all information on the Blue team from Command's database, Simmons replies irritably when Sarge asks him to do something else, stating "Hey, I got a great idea, how 'bout if someone else does somethin' for once. I'm workin' here!"
In Recreation, he becomes even less concerned about earning Sarge's respect, as he openly questions Sarge's decisions and is unenthusiastic about obeying his orders. Simmons then refuses to accompany Sarge, Grif, and Caboose in their mission to find Tucker and even appears to be eager for them to leave. However, Sarge does in fact respect Simmons, having stated that Command would've given him dozens of squads to lead in Revelation, while Simmons wants Sarge to call him "son". Also, when Sarge is severely injured by Locus in battle, Simmons is the most reluctant to leave without him.
After weeks of being separated due to the Chorus Civil War, the Blood Gulch Crew is reunited in Thin Ice, where Simmons is joyful for Sarge's survival. However, Simmons sucks up to Sarge less than usual due to gaining self-confidence from leading his own team as pointed out by Grif in Crash Site Crashers. In The End, Simmons states "It's been a honor, sir," to Sarge before the heroes face Hargrove's forces, showing he appreciates Sarge for being his leader despite his mistakes.
Grif[]
Grif and Simmons have a more complex relationship. The two spend a great amount of time together and are able to have decent conversations. However, the two are quick to bicker, insult one another in heated disputes, and hate most of each other's qualities. After giving his organs to Grif, Simmons attempted to make Grif quit smoking and go on a healthy diet, but Simmons stated it was because he didn't want Grif's to ruin his organs like Grif did with his own. Simmons also revealed that he dreams about Grif's violent death, singing a jingle he never heard, and somehow waking up with an empty rifle in his hands.
Despite this, Simmons does, in fact, value him, as he jumped to save Grif and was brokenhearted when he believed he was dead. Simmons and Grif even have the same curiosity and ideas, as both usually agree about the military's actions and how to use the armor enhancements. Also, when he joined the Blue Team briefly, Grif was the only Red who tried to talk him back into the team - stating it wasn't the same without him and if Simmons did return, he would treat him the same way as before. Simmons also tried to be sensitive to Grif when it was briefly believed his sister was dead, planning to hide the news only for Sarge to state it to Grif flatly. During Season 8 with their fight with Tex, Simmons showed great concerns for Grif when he believed he was going to get shot. In Season 11, when Grif and Simmons are forced to share the same half of the base, Simmons is almost driven to the breaking point from Grif's various lazy and or disgusting habits going so far as to point his gun at Grif for using his toothbrush.
In Season 12 it's shown Grif tries to "man up" Simmons to overcome his nervousness around girls and Simmons notes that Grif is beginning to act like Sarge, showing the two are concerned for the other's mental being. When Tucker decides they'll do the rescue mission alone in Self Assessment, Grif is the first to agree, explaining to Simmons he doesn't want to put the recruits in danger for their own selfish reasons. Happy about how Grif has grown, Simmons cries tears of joy. When they later search Crash Site Bravo for the ship's manifest, Grif happily states to Simmons he has quit kissing up to Sarge.
In Season 14, it's revealed that Simmons and Grif met each other in basic training at Danger Canyon when the two disrupted training. When they are being scolded for their actions, Simmons is annoyed with Grif's disrespect while Grif is confused with Simmons' desire to please others. However, the two soon get along, agreeing not to follow Hammer's plan during their mission at Timberland and develop a bond after witnessing Hammer die. Grif even tries to convince Simmons they should go to the Vegas quadrant after these events to relax, showing he is already fond enough to take a vacation with him.
In Previously On, it is implied that Grif and Simmons slept together when the Tower of Procreation was activated. After Grif refuses to accompany the Reds and Blues on their search for Church during Season 15, Simmons is shown to be visibly hurt by Grif's actions but attempts to suppress his feelings and denies that he misses him towards others. However, after some self-reflection, Simmons realizes that he does see Grif as a friend and is overjoyed when Grif returns to save the crew from imprisonment in Grif Does a Rescue. Simmons then expresses his feelings towards Grif's actions, with the latter apologizing for leaving.
In conclusion, while the two dislike many traits of the other, they have one of the closest friendships out of all the Blood Gulch Crew. Tucker has even come to the conclusion that the two are "really in love" after only five minutes of listening to them bicker in K.I.T. B.F.F.
Donut[]
Simmons and Donut have a good relationship overall as the two are easily able to engage in decent conversations, although when Donut kept implying that Simmons was using drugs in Season 5, he clearly has Simmons annoyed. However, when Donut was crushed by the ship, he stated he would "miss him like a sister." Simmons did show extreme concern when Donut was shot by Washington, and panicked. After discovering that Donut was still alive in Three's a Crowd, Simmons seemed quite happy, but is shown to still hate his odd comments. Later, Simmons became angry to the point of attacking Donut with the rest of the Reds and Blues in Long Live the King due to his failed rescue.
In Fire, Simmons shows concern for Donut after he's injured and is relieved he only went unconscious, as he doesn't want to relive the events of Think You Know Someone. After the events in Season 12, Simmons and Donut are put in charge of running the armory at Armonia in Season 13. During this time, Simmons expresses trust in Donut to run the armory by himself (with Lopez) while he's out and they continually get into pleasant discussions. In short, while Simmons is often annoyed by his comments and ignorance, Simmons truly cares for Donut and sees him as a younger sibling to protect.
Lopez[]
Simmons talks to Lopez constantly, despite the fact that Lopez hates him, much to Lopez's annoyance although Lopez is willing to tolerate Simmons if he has to. He also seems to have a mild understanding of Lopez's language and was able to relate to Lopez by explaining he was part cyborg. Although his relationship with Lopez is odd and strained, Lopez's relationship with him is the best one Lopez has out of the Red Team.
Their relationship has slowly improved overtime during the Chorus Trilogy. However, in Capital Assets, when Lopez tells the Reds at the armory to ensure Jensen never drives a car again due to her terrible skills, Simmons (and Grif) remind him that they still don't understand him and just "assimilate". This prompts Lopez to threaten cutting the brakes on the next warthog Simmons drive. Simmons later improves their relationship in Armonia, Part 2, as he successfully removes Lopez from a Pelican's engine when Grif got Lopez stuck there, much to Lopez's appreciation.
During the Reds and Blues' retirement, Simmons attempts to learn Spanish, likely to understand Lopez, but accidentally learns Esperanto instead.
Hammer[]
In From Stumbled Beginnings, it is shown that Hammer was Simmons and Grif's drill sergeant during their basic training at Danger Canyon. During this time, it's shown Hammer was quite supportive to Simmons when he got scared and the two got along very well, as they both wanted to make Lieutenant Lieu proud. However, Simmons disagrees with his actions on their mission at Timberland, agreeing with Grif on to only spy on the Blues and return to base instead of attacking the base to find survivors, believing Hammer is reckless.
Despite this, Simmons considered Hammer a friend as he was horrified when he witnesses Hammer die and stated he felt sorry for Hammer. Simmons even agrees with Grif to tell the other recruits that Hammer died bravely saving them instead of foolishly, as the two wanted everyone to remember Hammer as the hero he wanted to be.
Blue Team[]
Simmons originally saw the Blues as enemies, shouting insults to them several times throughout the series. However, he has developed better relationships with each of them and has even joined the Blue Team on occasions.
Church[]
Simmons and Church have little interaction during the course of the series. The time the two are able to interact properly is when Simmons temporarily sides with the Blues in which the two are able to engage in a decent conversation, although Church does boss him around and messes with his head at times. Later on, the two would work together to defeat the Meta in Reconstruction.
Epsilon[]
Simmons and Epsilon have a similar relationship that Simmons had with the original Church, but Epsilon seems to respect Simmons more. Simmons is hurt when Epsilon goes on an angry rant, blaming Simmons and the rest of the Reds and Blues for all of his problems in the past. Simmons does, however, decide to join the rest of the team to assist Epsilon and Carolina, deeming that they deserve a second chance. In Out of the Frying Pan, Simmons defends Epsilon's action for leaving them by stating "stopping the sale of illegal military equipment might have been more important than hanging out in a canyon."
After the people of Chorus declare war with Charon Industries, Simmons seems to relate with and trust Epsilon.
Tucker[]
After being sent into the future, Simmons develops a relationship with Tucker that is similar to the one he has with Grif. Both seem to be able to work with each other to some extent when they're not fighting each other as well. In Season 10, Tucker disliked Simmons' driving, stating that he unwisely stopped the Warthog while they were under fire at a set of train tracks. It should be noted that despite having different personalities, Simmons and Tucker have several similarities as both were initially ranked Private First Class, were later promoted to Captain, and harness exceptional combat skills.
When he "joins" the Blues in Season 11, Tucker doesn't seem to mind Simmons but considers him an annoyance from time to time. After the remaining Blood Gulch Crew members join the New Republic, Simmons uses his skills to help Tucker train their squad and often is the voice of reason to the latter. This is shown when he tries to talk sense into Tucker when he decides they should do the rescue mission alone in Self Assessment. By the time of The End is Near, Simmons and Tucker are shown to work great together, as Simmons informs Tucker when to approach the Communication Temple and the two deliver the killing blow to Felix.
Caboose[]
Originally, Simmons despised Caboose in Season 3, where Caboose was obtaining most of Sarge's attention. Simmons mainly now sees Caboose as an idiot and admits that he missed it when the Red Team only had to fight him in Recreation. Despite this, Simmons has helped Caboose several times and they see each other as good neighbors, or even friends. This is shown in n+1, where he apologizes to Caboose on his "loss", and in Season 11, where Caboose openly welcomes him to Blue Team when Simmons "joins" it.
With their friendship in later seasons, Simmons begins to appreciate Caboose's optimism and they even work quite well together if it involves the two using their engineering skills (as shown when they put Epsilon in Carolina's Mongoose). In Nightmare on Planet Evil, Simmons seems happy to partner up with Caboose when exploring the town. During this he explains death to Caboose and doesn't seem annoyed by Caboose not understanding the subject. Despite this, Simmons highly doubts Caboose several times and sometimes can't even comprehend when others say he's smart or wise.
Tex[]
Simmons has been shown to be fearful of Tex in most encounters they've had. However, he's been shown to have decent conversations with her, was willing to work with her to stop O'Malley, and help Epsilon-Tex access archived information in Revelation. Yet, he was willing to kill Epsilon-Tex in This One Goes to Eleven (though this was largely out of fear of being killed by Tex, and his attempts to kill her were more focused on stopping her rampage).
Sheila[]
Simmons and Sheila seem to have a decent relationship with each other during their time together in Season 4. After Simmons was demoted for attempting to prove that the tank existed, under Sarge's false impression of him going crazy, Simmons joined the Blue Team and teamed up with Sheila to get payback. Sheila cheered him up, preventing him from committing suicide and was able to work with him.
Sister[]
When Sister originally came to Blood Gulch, Simmons was annoyed by her and thought she was unintelligent. However, after she reveals some of the things in her family, Simmons becomes very interested in her stories. While in the caverns beneath Blood Gulch, he was interested in seeing her naked which was shown on the large computer screen. Sister thinks that Simmons is a scary nerd (which she thinks is "kinda hot").
Washington[]
Simmons first seemed to see Washington as a respectable and a more capable leader than Sarge. This changes after Wash shoots Donut and Lopez in Recreation, as he yells at him furiously for his actions before Wash takes him as his prisoner in Revelation. However, Simmons seems to have mellowed out to Wash by Season 10. By then, he has given Wash a second chance and Wash, in turn, has shown to be friends with both the Reds and Blues, protecting them from Carolina when she threatened them.
When Wash is severely injured by Locus during the battle at Crash Site Bravo, Simmons is horrified. After uniting the forces of Chorus to face the Space Pirates, Wash speaks to the Reds and expresses his admiration for their choice to aid Chorus, much to Simmons appreciation in Test Your Might. Along with this, Wash aided in Simmons' escape plan during the battle of Crash Site Alpha by distracting Locus in Dish Best Served, showing Wash has complete trust in Simmons.
Freckles[]
When Caboose revealed Freckles in S.O.S., Simmons and Grif were terrified by the robot after it targeted them. He was nearly shot by the Freckles in The Grass is Greener. The Blues are Bluer. before joining Blue Team and Freckles takes him hostage when he attempts to leave the team after Caboose is "elected" leader. However, after Washington reclaims his leadership of the Blues in Neighborhood Watch, Simmons calms down about Freckles and later helps restore Freckles' power by using the ship's power supply.
Flowers[]
While they never met officially, Flowers is responsible for Simmons transfer to Blood Gulch as shown in From Stumbled Beginnings. With their C.O.'s aid, Flowers sent Simmons, Grif, and Hammer on a dangerous mission, resulting in Hammer's death. Because they lacked the commitment to follow orders or to get into a fight, Flowers decided to transfer Simmons and Grif to Blood Gulch in order to "protect" the Alpha A.I.
Unlike the other Reds, Simmons remembers Flowers, as when they find the corpses of Church and Tex in the Underground Caves in Loading..., Simmons remembers Flowers' death, stating "I thought the Blues had three dead guys," when his body wasn't present.
Freelancers[]
Simmons sees most of the Freelancers as enemies responsible for several issues the teams had in the past. He even comes to the conclusion that "they are here" because of the Director (and Project Freelancer to an extent).
Wyoming[]
In Uncommunicado, Simmons refers to Wyoming as a dick, after realizing that he has pinned down the Blues. When the Blues were fighting off the Wyoming clones, the Reds came to help them; Simmons killed several Wyomings using the machine gun turret while taunting them.
Meta[]
Simmons shows great fear of the Meta whenever he encounters him. When the Meta appeared in Valhalla, Simmons made it his primary goal to escape with his teammates. In the final battle against the Meta at Sidewinder, Simmons was partially responsible for his demise, prevented him from killing Grif, and later described him as "the scariest fucking mute in the galaxy," in Reckless. Simmons is also the only character that faces him throughout the entirety of the Recollections.
Carolina[]
Simmons was originally concerned about Carolina, fearing that she may eliminate them once their mission is over or abandon them if they face mortal danger. When they return to Valhalla, Simmons immediately warns her about the possibility of an ambush from the UNSC, much to Carolina's confusion. At first, he wasn't willing to aid her or Epsilon to kill the Director, however he, and the other Reds and Blues, eventually came to their rescue, believing that they should get a second chance much like Wash. When she rescues the Blood Gulch Crew in Cloak and Dagger, Simmons seems happy about her return.
After the people of Chorus declare war with Charon Industries, Simmons is shown to interact with her properly despite his nervousness around girls. When the heroes and Chorus' factions return to Armonia after their missions in Off - Key, Simmons shows concern for Carolina's status, asking if she and Epsilon will be alright after they were defeated by Sharkface.
A.I.[]
Simmons states he hates A.I. in Heavy Mettle, as he believes they only prolong the "war". However, he has decent relationships with some A.I. despite this claim.
Omega[]
Simmons sees O'Malley as nothing more than a common enemy for the Reds and Blues. In Season 3, Simmons lead the teams against Omega and was able to defeat him before the bomb went off at Sidewinder. When O'Malley jumps into his armor in Why Were We Here?, Simmons became disobedient and attempted to kill Sarge.
F.I.L.S.S.[]
It seems that Simmons' relationship with F.I.L.S.S. was similar to his relationship with Sheila. Both seem to get along to an extent, but when Simmons was restoring the data of the Blues, F.I.L.S.S. revealed that she could quickly restore them by using an archive database, humiliating Simmons. Noticing this, F.I.L.S.S. tried to comfort Simmons by telling him she could act like he hacked her to look good in front of his friends.
When the Blood Gulch Crew board the Staff of Charon to stop the Chairman's attack on Chorus, Simmons discovers F.I.L.S.S. when he attempts to hack into the spaceship's systems. After the group speak to her, Simmons and the others are relieved that she will help them stop the Chairman's attack.
Lopez 2.0[]
Simmons was present upon Lopez 2.0's activation and was the first to deem the robot an idiot. He also describes Lopez 2.0 to Tucker as not being as smart as the first Lopez. In Ready…Aim…, Simmons is shocked when Lopez 2.0 takes control of C.C. and attacks the group. Donut later kills Cyclops/Lopez 2.0 by using Simmons' landmines.
New Republic[]
In Season 12, Simmons was assigned a squad when Kimball promoted him to Captain. According to her, he's a good tactician but cannot talk to his squad out of nervousness due to the fact that his squad consists only of women.
Kimball[]
Kimball does show respect to Simmons and motivates the remaining Blood Gulch Crew to join the New Republic. In his journal entry, Simmons was genuinely grateful to Kimball for giving him a promotion and his own squad. When Simmons becomes depressed, calling himself a "coward" after she states the group wasn't what she expected in Something Else Entirely, Kimball states he's not, but he and the others are underdogs that still accomplished the impossible, improving his morale.
When Tucker decides they should leave without their recruits in Self Assessment, Simmons argues that Kimball might pass their team, showing his faith in her judgement. Kimball also has a great deal of respect to his intellect, as when the forces of Chorus were surrounded during the Battle of Crash Site Alpha in Season 13, Kimball agreed to Simmons' escape plan by using the ship's engine to create a large smokescreen.
Jensen[]
Jensen shows a great deal of respect for Simmons, stating how much of an honor it is working with him during Oh Captains, My Captains. It's also implied that she has a romantic interest in him. However, Simmons has a hard time speaking to Jensen, due to his difficulty talking to women. According to him, Jensen makes Simmons less nervous, compared to another one of his lieutenants. Simmons and Jensen also share many similar interests and traits, such as both being very intelligent and acting like nerds.
After the captains leave the New Republic Headquarters, Grif notices Simmons has quit kissing up to Sarge because the recruits made him feel important, implying that Jensen helped Simmons' self-confidence develop. During the same time, Jensen believed Simmons and the others would return, but Felix lies that the Blood Gulch Crew died, causing her to break into tears. However, in You Know Who We Are, the captains and recruits are happily reunited. When Jensen asks why they went on a suicide mission for the recruits, Simmons states that "we figured we owed you one." Touched, Jensen notes his selflessness and that his voice didn't crack.
While the forces of Chorus were preparing for their attack on Crash Site Alpha in Along Came a Spider, Jensen becomes embarrassed when Simmons expresses bafflement on how she managed to crash a warthog despite driving at a slow speed (at five miles an hour) and cause all the vehicles to pile up on each other. Later on, Jensen helps Simmons with the crashed ship's engine to create a smokescreen large enough for everyone to escape the battle in Dish Best Served, much to her joy.
Smith[]
While their interactions have been minimal, Simmons is greatly confused towards Smith. In Teaming with Problems, after Smith expresses his belief that Caboose is one of the wisest people he's ever met, Simmons continually asks him if they are speaking of the same Caboose and is shocked how he interpreted Caboose's speech. Later on in Temple of the Key, Smith reveals where the crashed ship's engine is in order to use Simmons' plan to escape Crash Site Alpha after they are surrounded.
Charon Industries[]
Simmons' interactions with the company were minimal before the Chorus Trilogy. After learning of the Space Pirates' involvement in the Chorus Civil War, Simmons greatly dislikes Charon Industries and its members.
Felix[]
In FAQ, after Felix explains many see the Reds and Blues as the greatest military soldiers in the galaxy, Simmons acts humble to him and defends him when Grif talks back at Felix, as he did come to rescue them. In Fire, Simmons is saved by Felix from an explosion and is one of the few to escape the canyon with him. However, after joining the New Republic, Felix begins to criticize him and the others while refusing to help save the captured Blood Gulch Crew members if not paid, straining their relationship.
In Cloak and Dagger, after Felix reveals his betrayal by working with Locus and the Space Pirates, Simmons is shocked and questions why the two work together if they hate each other. Felix ultimately reveals they've been manipulating the Federal Army, New Republic, and the Blood Gulch Crew from the start in order to eradicate the inhabitants of Chorus through the Civil War. He then mocks Simmons and the others' trust in him, causing Simmons to lose all respect and trust for Felix.
Simmons truly hates Felix due to his betrayal and manipulation. Unlike the others who berate and taunt Felix, Simmons doesn't even speak to the mercenary when they face each other and tries to ignore the offer he gives them in Multiple Choice, implying Simmons doesn't even want to acknowledge his existence. In The End is Near, Simmons aided the Blood Gulch Crew in overpowering Felix by shooting Felix in the shoulder. When Locus betrayed Felix, Simmons and Tucker delivered the killing blow to Felix using grenades, with Simmons using Felix's own Sticky Detonator.
Locus[]
When he first meets Locus in Neighborhood Watch, Simmons becomes confused when Locus congratulates the Blood Gulch Crew for killing his men and calling them the "real deal." After Locus nearly kills him using a sticky detonator and incapacitates Donut, Sarge, and Wash during the battle at Crash Site Bravo, Simmons develops a hatred for the mercenary. Once the Reds and Blues reunite at F.A.C. Outpost 37 weeks later, Locus expresses his disgust at the group for causing a "blemish on [his] record," after his team kill the Fed soldiers at the outpost.
When the Chorus armies are surrounded by the Space Pirates in Temple of the Key, the group acknowledge that the only thing preventing Simmons' plan to succeed is Locus. During the final battle against the Space Pirates at the Communication Temple, Simmons is shocked when Locus and Felix come to the temple despite Epsilon telling them they died. Despite Locus helping the crew kill Felix in The End is Near, Simmons, nor the other Reds and Blues, do not thank him for his help.
Others[]
Doc[]
Simmons seems to be very friendly with Doc, willing to have normal conversations with him. Both even have similar traits as they both are quite intelligent. When Doc was first sent to Valhalla, Simmons said he was sorry to Doc for getting him involved and wished he wasn't the medic who was sent, suggesting he does care for Doc. However, when Doc gets trapped in the wall, Simmons abandons Doc when the Meta attacks, although he does attempt to free Doc first.
When he and Sarge discover Doc and Donut in Three's a Crowd, Simmons is shocked. In Reckless, Doc states that Simmons got what he wanted, which was his old team, which touches Simmons. Despite this, Simmons is shocked and soon enraged when Donut only brings Doc and Lopez to rescue them in Season 11. After Doc vanished due to Grif throwing a Teleportation Grenade at him in Ready…Aim…, Simmons barely noticed his absence, explaining to Tucker that "[Doc] just got one of those faces, you know? Like really forgettable," after finding Doc in Temple of the Key.
Vic[]
Simmons learned vital information from Vic before he returned to Red Team and believed he betrayed the Reds. When Sarge contacted Vic in the caves, Simmons ultimately found his terminal before he hid, which may have hampered his plans and made Simmons realize that both teams were being used by him.
Upon VICs return in Season 15, Simmons openly displays his annoyance at seeing the over-the-top AI once again.
Andy[]
Although they haven't interacted much, Simmons shows a dislike for Andy, as the latter aided Omega when his group drugged Simmons and Grif for interrogation. However, Simmons was the one who suggested they use Andy to destroy the Pelican, much to Andy's joy.
Dr. Grey[]
Despite his nervousness around girls, Simmons doesn't seem to have issues speaking with Grey and even develops a good relationship with her after they meet. Simmons is also impressed by her intelligence, as he was surprised by her knowledge of alien weaponry in Catch Up, No Mustard. However, Simmons is terrified of her methods, as he confesses this to Sarge when Grey was torturing a space pirate in Accentuate the Interrogative. In What's Yours is Ours, Grey shows respect for Simmons as she states he always seemed intelligent (before adding compared to his friends), which Simmons appreciates.