Who was Joan of Arc’s principal French military companion and commander at Orléans?

Joan of Arc’s principal French military companion and commander at Orléans was Jean de Dunois.

Dunois, formally Jean, Count of Dunois, was an important French commander during the later stages of the Hundred Years’ War. He was an illegitimate son of Louis I, Duke of Orléans, and was sometimes called the Bastard of Orléans.

When Joan arrived at the besieged city in 1429, Dunois was one of the senior commanders defending the French position. He worked with her during the operations that broke the English siege, although their relationship was a military partnership rather than a formal command structure in which Joan outranked every officer.

Dunois continued serving Charles VII after Joan’s capture. He later became one of France’s leading commanders and helped recover much of the kingdom from English control. He is sometimes confused with Gilles de Rais or Étienne de Vignolles, known as La Hire, who were also associated with Joan’s campaigns.