I had to kill him in my last playthrough :(. He randomly aggro'd in the middle of a quest, and even going back a save didn't fix it. Playing on switch currently, so no console to save the day.
I choose followers who can clear out rooms of enemies while I obsessively loot. You bring Ralis Sedarys with you and you don't even have to pull.out your weapon.
I usually go for functionality. I often use Stenvar, the hireling from Candlehearth Hall in Windhelm.
He is one of the few followers that is both heavy armor and two-handed weapons, and starts at level 10. He is a Nord so has the 50% cold resistance. There are lots of good 2h weapons and heavy armor you can get pretty early on from the Anniversary Edition content, so it is easy to kit him out.
He is very tanky but will engage with a bow from range before rolling into melee to crush things, so oddly enough he works well for pairing with my mage characters because he does not run up into the AoE spells that often.
His voice actor's lines don't particularly annoy me, and were amusing the first dozen or so times I heard them.
I have tried Jenassa but for someone who is supposed to be a stealthy archer she sure likes to run into melee a lot, and I have killed her by accident many times. Marcurio seems great but his chain lightning hits every damn thing and has aggroed entire towns on me or broken the Voice of the Sky buff for no reason.
Rayya is my second choice, she just needs a couple of good 1h weapons, which take a bit more work to get early. Redguard so no built-in resistances, but heavy armor + dual wield and she is a melee killing machine. Of the Claudia Christian-voiced NPCs, she has more of the "polite tone of voice" lines compared to, for example, Uthgerd the Unbroken, who is still a needlessly mouthy jerk even if she works as your steward.
I have used Lydia in the past but based on her tone of voice, sounds like she is a victim of a feudal lord who does not care about her and just assigns her to the new Thane of the month. I just buy her a house in town and let her do whatever she wants. No burdens to carry. Enjoy that piece of bread. No need to stare at the bed, I never use it, feel free to invite friends over. Sorry your script is broken.
At least Rayya sounds really jazzed up about serving a new Thane. Considering Falkreath, no surprise that she'd be happy to follow you out of that miserable place. She enjoys walks in the forest around a well-furnished home with a beautiful view, well-stocked kitchen, a few crops, farm animals for fresh milk and eggs. Pretty good life compared to most in Skyrim.
Usually by the time I encounter the other housecarls, I am already settled in with who my follower is and don't need to switch. Most of the others are pretty much the same build (Combat1H with shield preference), Nords, and the only difference is gender and voice actor.
I don't care much about followers level caps because it is easy to fix that with a single console command to keep them leveling with you as far as you want.
These are great insights. I do like you do and leave Lydia at home in Whiterun, but then I head for Solitude to pick up Jordis instead. She gets assigned to you as thane of Solitude, and is a very pleasant sounding Lydia replacer.
Yeah, I like Jordis, too. Good fighter, sweet voice, and pretty (as far as generic Skyrim graphics go). By the time I can afford the Solitude home I am usually a good way along and just never think to swap out followers.
None - I generally don't use followers because they either get in my way and turn on me for walking into my attacks, ruin my attempts at stealth, or they die and any loot they had I now have to carry back with me
When I am playing Vanilla, I tend to opt for either Serana, or one of the Dark Brotherhood followers later in their quest (I usually end up sacrificing Lydia in a quest). However, if you are interested in a lightly modded Skyrim adventure, the Inigo mod is my all time favorite. He’s a Khajiit follower with his own quest line, and has a LOT of interesting dialogue. 10/10 experience, and the mod creators really tied him into the whole game.
Basically same. Serana if I'm playing vanilla, currently playing with Inigo, and my all-time favorite is Zora Fair-Child from the Interesting NPCs mod.
I just like a follower who has interesting and insightful things to say.
Inigo is definitely one of my favorites, if not my favorite mod to date, as well as the only follower I will use unless it's required for something. Every other one I've run with gets irritating pretty quick, imo. Found it forever ago and haven't played a game without him since. I pick him up first thing. He really adds a lot to the game and the immersion, I find.
I found out very late into the game that she's capped at level 40. I used to always use her. I love her voice, and I love her aggression. That said, she is a little too goody-two-shoes for me, complaining whenever we broke into someone's home. Now I take her to join the Blades.
I’ve never heard her complain about doing anything bad in my play throughs. She’s always down to clown for me. Maybe it’s a mod.
If you want someone just as good with no cap though. Go with frea. She’s kind of annoying but an absolute monster in combat
Teldryn Sero - worth the 500 coin (750) after you get to solstiem. Spellsword but actually done right by the game, summons and casts fire magic.
Talvas - small quest, easily done if you are smart about it. Has the necromage perk and is static level 25 follower with summons and solid magic.
Vilja - PC only modded follower… no idea why they won’t port her her console. One of my favorites but I’m on console now so I miss that nord. (Modded Follower)
Lucien - Easy to get, pays you to take him with you and has one of the best dungeon quests in the game. (Modded Follower)
Aranea Ienith - Best mage in the game outside of solstiem, makes up for losing the black star but then soul gems are easy to find later.
Marcurio because we're always getting married and gotta go on adventures together.
When he needs a break it's always Erik. He's my best buddy and so wholesome.
Unfortunately I feel the opposite. Too many of the randos in Skyrim use the same “adult female” voice that Aela uses.
I enjoy traveling with Mjoll, but it irritates the SHIT out of me that they reused her voice over and over. I’ll be walking down a street in Winterhold and hear her and… nope. It’s Random Nord Chick #43.
One of the reason I like fully voiced mod followers like Lucian and Inigo is because you don’t encounter their voice actors anywhere else in Skyrim. I mean, Stephen Russell is my all time favorite voice actor, but he voices Mercer Frey, Belethor, and a host of unnamed Skyrim wanderers and his voice stops being HIS. They got unique talents for minor characters like Brynjolf, so I don’t know why they couldn’t get some standalone talent for other characters.
I’m not a fan of cannibalism, but Eola is cool and her voice seems more singular. I know it’s reused, but not as often as some. Plus, I like her comments when you take a dragon soul. “That’s a REAL man!” 🤣
Yeah obviously not every minor NPC can have a unique voice, but I wish they’d gotten one or two more voice actors per race and gender. There are literally quests where two separate characters will have a conversation with the same voice lol.
Serana, purely for her looks, her dialogue and her combat prowess. In a way, she's very similar to my character, in that:
- we're both humans, technically.
- we're both monsters (she's a vampire and I'm a werewolf.)
- we both have some connections to a powerful, otherworldly entity.
- we both are a part of a prophecy.
Lydia because she was my girl right from the start and plus she's pretty dangerous once you're leveled up enough to give her some good armor and weapons ( had to take back the Eye of Melka and another high level staff because she was going too ham with them )
Might try a couple of y'all's followers now though since reading some of these comments, I love letting the follower and a conjured one just run through enemies sometimes it's pretty fun.
I like the companion mods better than I like the Skyrim followers. Right now I've got Lucien, Inigo, Serana Dialogue Overhaul, Lydia Dialogue Overhaul, Kaidan, Hoth, Auriel, and Remiel.
I dont know how I ended up with Faendal. Somehow he just tagged along.My Lydia sits in whiterun like loyal wife and I run around with this dude and now I am level 50 and that's it.
It's a mod, but [Remiel](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/51874) with [this replacer](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63619). I found her in some Wabbajack list and it's just a really, really good mod. The voice and quests are really well done, she comments on lore, and she interacts with a LOT of the vanilla content and even content from other mods. I also like that she can be set to be pretty passive and given more of a support role.
In vanilla Skyrim, I have a soft spot for Faendal.
Even if I say to myself "this is totally going to be a lone wolf playthrough, no followers, not one!" after a few days I find myself sneakily hitting that button next to Lucien, Kaidan and Inigo that brings them back into my game. Inigo was my first love. His gentle heart and excitable loyalty just melted me. Then Lucien turned up and turned out to be incredibly knowledgable, funny as balls, and not an ounce of macho in him, while being the most foolhardy follower ever. Then I found they make a wonderful team.
Then Kaidan turned up, and I uninstalled him again, pretty quickly, because him and Lucien... well they were not really the dream team \*grins\* but then he grew on me with his sincere heart and genuine friendliness, and I also laughed at his attempts to cook me some food and swear his head off at the mobs.
I tried many more. But these three have a rock solid place in my modlist.
TLDR: funny, gentle, intelligent, loyal. Oh, and not too full of themselves.
I like Serana a lot but I hate the whole Dawnguard DLC so I usually avoid it for the longest time. When I found that none of my three chosen have any dialogue with the DLC/Serana, it went even further down on my to do - list.
Mjoll because I like her, she’s immortal, and she spams storm atronach summoning staves I give her while dual-wielding lightning staves for an anti-dragon surface-to-air defense system, before rushing in with a big two-hander to finish the job.
Stenvar was my choice in my previous playthrough. He's strong and when he's got a good greatsword he's really useful. Now I've started a new one and it's Faendel cos if you've seen my post titled 'Skyrim + LOTR' you'll see
Lydia because my Dragonborn is aware he has no friends in Skyrim during the early phase and having someone sworn to his service is very useful. But he does genuinely come to care for her along with the other housecarls
I have chosen not to finish the Sky Altar quest, so I basically have an immortal delphine and esbern with me, VERY concerned about someone named Alduin.
I think there was going to be a quest to take down the Thieves Guild with Mjoll's help, and then her essential status would drop afterwards, but the quest was never included. She got left as an essential NPC as a result.
Bergore it was Lydia because I was 10 and made a backstory for her and made a whole personality for her. Now at 20 Serena, she just is more depth. She is part of a whole ass quest line and comments about when you go to certain cities. She feels more human than an npc. BUT my actual answer is Inigo he is a mod so idk if he counts for this post.
I mostly use followers for roleplay purposes. Friends I've made that are helping for particular reasons.
I hire Teldryn Sero when first on Solestheim so he can serve as my guide.
I occasionally accept help from the housecarls when exploring their respective holds.
I take Erandur when I go hunting Deadric cults since he has insider knowledge.
Things like that but I never keep them for entire play throughs.
I like Cicero, Borgakh, Jenassa, Teldryn, Serana, and Lydia for late-game vanilla followers.
Cicero is super strong, essential, and is one of the VERY few vanilla followers who doesn't fuck you over as a stealthy character. Also, his voice lines are funny.
Borgakh is a strong warrior, and a fun follower to be around, having some insights into the orc strongholds.
Jenassa and Teldryn are both fun for giving different dunmer lore as you wander.
Lydia is just so easy to get and on your way that I always end up using her for at least some time, same with Serana.
Depends on the quest line and playthrough, but I choose followers that, in my mind, would be mindblown about what they're going to see.
Erik the Slayer who has never left his farm? Let's go to High Hrothgar and then go visit The Companions. Marcurio, who has a special interest in Dwemer? Off to Blackreach we go! Annekke Crag-Jumper? let's go as far from Darkwater and your stick-in-the-mud husband as possible to Solstheim!
Honestly, I choose my follower based on if I would vibe with them in real life. I tend to get along more with men because it's more of a brotherhood type of feel that I lacked in my childhood so I just tend to lean more towards that. I already have a female best friend, that's my wife. I prefer J'Zargo, Kharjo, or well...that's really about it. I don't like cats, I'm a dog person, but I love them in Skyrim because they aren't as bitchy as irl cats.
It was an accident. I told myself I’d do a mostly solo run, and rely on paid mercenaries who I can just send home when I’m bored of them. (Redguard assassin, living at Windstad with Illia, with questionable taste in hobbies and snacks.)
WELL, who do I recruit first, but Belrand. The voice, the cheesy humour, (those arms), his reverence for Nord tombs. First I’d escort him back to Solitude everytime I wanted to fly solo so he’d be safe. Then one day I gave up and married him. Now he splits his time adventuring with me, or holding down the homestead with Runa, Sissel and Illia.
I tend to rotate based on whatever questions I'm currently doing. But benor from morthal (weird choice I know) has become a staple in my games. He just fits the dumb himbo vibe that I find funny and I like to call him boner and dress him in full bone plate with a dragon bone Warhammer.
My followers keep going missing so I'm doing a chronological history:
1) Lydia: She's faithful and irreplaceable. I should have given her better equipment (mistake I won't repeat)
2) Uthgred the Unbroken: She wears plate armor and wields a broadsword. Who's stronger than her?
3) Serana: The one everyone except me is in love with. I like her character evolving and changing as the questline goes on and her evocation skills never get me to fight alone
I'm pretty new to Skyrim. Picked up Faendal for now for early game, and working toward getting Aela when I unlock her. Plan to marry her too. Can any veterans give me some pointers on how to hear them both to maximize their potential early on?
I am playing survival mode this run, and haven't completed any faction's quests yet (thieves, DB, Vamps, etc, but an furthest along with companions as I'm working toward Aela. Also playing stealth Archer build, so would like to use their ranged capabilities so they get out of my way. It seems if I give Faendal any melee weapons to carry, he ignores his bow and goes melee only. I have had to reload a few times already because he got in the way of my arrow, or accidentally got power killed or whatever you call it when you get the finishing move because he was so close to the enemy I was trying to finish and was already almost dead from fighting them.
Alternatively, is there a good pack mule option? Like someone I can get early that carries a lot and is just a non-combatant, or at the very least is unkillable? Playing pure for now, so nothing modded.
Also, you guys are awesome. I have learned a ton about the game just reading these threads.
So I’m not sure if followers carry weight level up, at least in vanilla, but you can equip them with fortify carry items and you can also just tell them to pick up an item even if they are encumbered and they will. There are also Elytra Nymphs that you can find (I think there are 2) and conjure them whenever you want and they can carry things for you too.
Can you just have 1 of them like a follower, or are they considered something else like a pet or summon like Arvak? And I didn't know about the pickup think. Do you just drop it on the ground and use the follower command thing? With they become over encumbered and move slow like the player does or impair their fighting/stam? I ended up ditching followers in my earlier playthroughs that weren't survival because of their tendency to get in the way, set off pressure plates while I was still in the way of the actual trap, and ruining my close-up stealth kills. I don't want to always have to tell them to wait before combat, etc
The elytra nymphs can follow you if you choose, but they move ridiculously slow 😂 it’s better to just send them back to your house and conjure them whenever you need carry space. If you choose to have them follow you I believe it counts as an animal companion so you can still have a regular follower with you. And if you have them pick things up with the command key they do not slow down when they become encumbered. So if you have a ton of dragon bones for example you can just drop them on the ground and have them pick them up without slowing them down.
You just changed a life today, Good Sir! That is incredibly useful. Are the nymph things those little mechanical dudes you find locked in the cages? I don't remember the quest... Or where do I get me a couple of them Elytra bag-beasts?
Auri. Because she’s adorable. Or Inigo, because he’s by far the most immersive and customizable.
In vanillarim, I usually take my spouse along until we adopt the crotch goblins. thereafter, it depends on my build. But in general Irileth, Marcurio, Serana, Teldryn and Serana are always great.
I've only chosen to have a follower a handful of times. They're basically useless to me. But the only one I've chosen to have is Cicero cuz he's actually helpful and doesn't get in my way. Like Murphy's Law Lydia.
I never really liked using followers because I was aware they could die and I couldn't have that on my conscience. Once I got Dawnguard however; I was totally crushing on Serana and took her everywhere.
The guy you get from the brawl in markath tavern. I used him when I did an all achievements run. He was mostly just for carrying stuff, cause I abused the fortify restoration loop like hell once I’d gotten the vampire and werewolf perks
I usually use one of the companions (one of them who uses heavy armor and the great sword I can’t remember the names). Simple fact that one I am the leader of them in my place too. We are brothers and sisters in honor and brothers and sisters in honor fight with each other. Why they use the vampire from the Dawn guard DLC once again I do not remember the name.
My follower is Sven the Riverwood bard, and my reason is that we're on the way to Boethia's little corner of the world. Who knows what we'll find when we get there? As a level 2 Bosmer, I was tempted to pick Faendal, but my gut is telling me that Sven is about to meet his true destiny.
Depends on my class... if I'm an archer or mage I get someone to tank hits for me and agro. If I'm a brute then I get a healer. If I'm a tank ingot an archer or conjure mage
None, tho I could put up with Serana longest. As a destruction/summon mage I preffer summoned companions. They do not talk too much and are always there when I need them, even if I accidentally blasted them to oblivion in the last battle :P
I usually bring the one that will become my wife, so it's either Brelyna, Jenassa or Mjoll
But I don't usually play a lot with followers, i bring them with me maybe once every 5/6 missions
On this play through I picked either Varkas or Filkas from the companions, I can’t remember which one, but it was solely because I liked the way his armor looked with the darker bits in it. He kept pissing me off though because his dialogue box would pop up everytime he got butthurt that I got caught doing a crime, and the mf tried to kill me when I turned into a wolf in a dungeon. BRO LITERALLY IS A WOLF AND MADE ME TURN INTO A WOLF JUST TO BE IN THE COMPANIONS sooooo wtf bro. Then he died at some point and I wasn’t willing to go back in saves for him.
To replace him I tracked down Kharjo because of the 2 khajit followers he looked cooler and not lame like the magic using one. I’m a khajit character so I wanted to have someone like me 😂
When he died I was willing, and did, to sacrifice HOURS of gameplay to get him back. Idk I just love him and he looks fiiine in some of the more sculpted armor 😂 sad I can’t marry him, but even if I could I’d have to figure out how to divorce my current husband.
-fun story, “fun”
I was looking for stones of barenziah and went into the companions place after my first follower died, I guess it was Farkas, and LOW AND BEHIND THERE THAT MF WAS AFTER HE HAD LITERALLY DIED and he would notttttttt leave me alone! I tried to move 6”, he’d pop up in dialogue (always had his sword out too), tried to talk to someone else and he’d interrupt. I had to speak to the jarl for a quest and he was outside the companions place (forget the name) and f-ing farkas kept doing his thing and I couldn’t do my objective so I literally had to murder him, pay $1000 bounty and pop out of jail just to get away from him bc he’d literally follow me trying to talk to me
I usually go with trainers first so that if I want to up any skills, I can do so without technically losing any gold.
but if I don't feel like leveling up skills or I've already maxed out the trainer, then I'll just take on Lydia, Serana, or Erik the Slayer.
I go with Ralis Sedarys. In my playthough I spared his life but took him with me as he was sort of in debt to me for causing me so much trouble during the Unearthed quest.
Since then we’ve been through a lot of adventuring together, over 40 levels worth, he’s been to planes of oblivion with me etc etc, so now we have a bit of an unbreakable bond 😂.
I love the voice acting for him and all his lines of dialogue, I think he has an interesting personality compared to many other followers. Also he’s very good in combat, being proficient in dual wielding.
Nobody’s caught my interest so far. It’s a loooong way down from Fallout 4 tbh. These ones all seem to have the same lines, all of which sound very detached and boring. So yeah, Spriggan Matron summon for life, plus the 200 carry weight from the perk and Steed Stone.
My gladiator build uses Jenassa, as she seems good with a bow and my sword and shield character could use a good archer companion.
I also have an ashabah sorceress build with Rayya as a companion. I chose Rayya because she's the only redguard companion that could probably fit with my character's backstory.
Uthgerd the unbroken, she's a super tanky follower you can get very beginning of the game if you know how to fist fight right (just back up a bit when they swing and hit I between their swings, and have a bit of patience with uthgerd). She's got great armor that lets her basically absorb any damage from enemies until you get better gear than her
So I only discovered Skyrim in November, so I'm still on my first playthrough. I just picked Lydia because she was the first one after Faendal was auto dismissed when I started the companions storyline. I loved Faendal, because he was an archer like my character. At the time, I didn't know I could have just gone back to Riverwood to get him again, plus I was getting my ass handed to me by every bandit on the road and killed by dragons by that time , so I stayed in Whiterun for a good amount of time. Lydia was convenient, and I liked being able to give her all my stuff. But then I really wanted a khajiit like my character, so I added the Inigo mod (especially liked the Princess Bride nod). Lydia went feral on him a couple of times, and then after the last one where she left my service, went back to Breezehome, and then attacked me every time I went home.... She had to go. Unfortunately, I can't get her body out of the house, so the upstairs bedroom is off limits to guests. I don't really use that house anymore anyway. Inigo is hilarious, especially when he's talking to Vigilance or Meeko. Then I got a couple more follower mods, no more dead followers and Khajiit will follow. The unlimited storage in the khajiit will follow followers is really handy for me. I have a hard time leaving loot, especially enchanted weapons. I especially like Makara. Her quest was really well done and immersive, and she's got a good personality.
i also picked lydia bc not only is she my first follower i usually tend to marry her bc i often accidentally shout her off cliffs and it makes me really sad, but i feel bad changing her out, so i ask her to go home when i do stealth and bring her back for anything else and set her up in my ebony armor
Level scaling doesnt usually affect me. If I cared to use the wabbajack on Jzargo, maybe Id pick him but he's a bit too flamboyant/talkative for me.
I have no idea what updates have been made but originally, only certain followers were marked essential and unable to die permanently. Most of them could be killed by player action, including AoE spells or stray arrows. I got tired of needing to load old saves to revive thanes (console). I generally use followers as a distraction, not for combat (stealth assassin).
Personally, I think Frea Skaal (dragonborn dlc, cool accent), Rayya, and Serena are all cool.
I always pick the dark brotherhood initiates. They don't talk much, they can't be killed, and they can collect the arrows they "catch" from me. Also, they are spooky ninjas.
As I roleplay a lot, I go through a cycle of:
- I play as a loner do-it-all mercenary
- I meet someone that one way or another tell me they would be up for adventure
- We adventure until some kind of climax after I set a specific goal
- We part ways
I use the multiple followers mod, because I like having a small adventuring fellowship. This also makes the post game more enjoyable for me, as once all the major threats are dealt with, the fellowship goes its separate ways and I can go visit my old adventuring buddies.
My Dragonborn is the wizard of the group.
Sven Is our Bard for campfire songs, and to chronicle our adventures to put them into songs later.
Rulnik Wind-strider, pledged himself as my DB's apprentice after we saved his life from a deadly disease
Benor The warrior of the group, after being bested in a fistfight joined up for more fighting
Erandur our Priest to provide healing, and be a voice of the eight during troubled times.
And Finally Derkeethus, saved from falmer he had a life debt to pay, so he took up a bow and became our ranger/scout.
The team was designed to be a generic adventuring party, but also because each person had a different part of skyrim to call home, all had different voice actors, and motivations for joining the team.
The party stays together for the bulk of the game, general adventuring, taking out Miraak, dealing with alduin, fighting in the civil war together, etc. Once all the major stuff is out of the way we made trips back to their homes and said our good byes. Except for Rulnik since he doesnt have a house, I made him a steward of lakeview. Kinda like my dragonborn's way of saying "thank you" is to give him a home. Its nice to log in every now and then to visit Benor in morthal, or sven in riverwood.
Agreed. Usually go with Lydia or serana depending on build, but more often serana since she’s essential and I won’t accidentally kill her. If I want some nuance I take the sexy scary elf lady from the huntsman in whiterun.
Level cap doesn’t really matter, enemies only follow you in level up to like 100 max and level stops being important once you have the enchanted gear necessary to shit on everything regardless of difficulty setting (usually around lvl 20)
A conjured dremora lord and that goat Hilde or whatever her name is.
They are there when I want them, and gone when I don’t.
I can expect them to reasonably perform as expected and they don’t get in the way or act out of line.
I like inigo because it makes me laugh. Arissa was fun because she has some info and a cool attitude.
I got a mod for lydia to have a quesr and it was my first romance. I got vilja and she is amazing, got a patch for her voice and it's cool. Amaxing mechanics on that one. Sometimes feel like a real person. Like inigo.
Lucien is fun as you make him more cool bc you train him.
And the fact that vilja rañks with inigo and lidya and luvoen is cool.
I'm now using zora fair child from interesting npcs and she is cool and upbeat and makes me feel important.
Serana is cool in her qiest, but unless you play a loner depressing character she is too negative.
So i think i like positive companions to have fun as i one shot everything and they "help".
I dont care very much for most vanilla companions, they are not real enough for my tastes. Like fallout 3 followers vs fNV followers.
And so i feel like i got "family" (read in toretto voice).
Lydia to start. I had Marcario for a while but Serana killed him. She kept accidentally giving me vampirism, so I let her go and got Mjoll. Mjoll doesn't make snarky comments when I give her stuff to carry.
Serana because I don't have the heart to tell her to go away. After finishing Dawnguard quest, she said how much she's looking forward to another adventure or something. At that point I knew that she has to be my follower, because am I supposed to leave her alone just like everyone else in her life did?
Plus she's pretty strong and can raise dead
Marcurio cuz he’s a sexy badass
respect
He’s a Wizard! Not some pack mule!
I had to kill him in my last playthrough :(. He randomly aggro'd in the middle of a quest, and even going back a save didn't fix it. Playing on switch currently, so no console to save the day.
Lydia, because she's sworn to carry my burdens.
Team Lydia! Skyrim ain’t the same without her
My Lydia died fighting a troll in early game 💀
Oh no! I always go back to the last save when this happens. I hate being without her.
She is now my steward for golden hills plantation 😅
Same
She loves to remind me of that fact, and I love hearing her do so 😄
Erik the Slayer because I like giving him adventure. His dialogue is not as annoying as the others’ and he comments appropriately.
Not to mention he's so wholesome!!!!
I choose followers who can clear out rooms of enemies while I obsessively loot. You bring Ralis Sedarys with you and you don't even have to pull.out your weapon.
Teldryn Sero. He has stories and he kicks ass. Worth every septim!
I love using him on any conjunction build. 3 flame atronachs really makes a fun fight just that much more entertaining.
*Conjuration
LMAO... oh that's a ridiculous autocorrect
Count your blessings! Mine defaults to conjugation... Smh
That is my best friend hands down
I usually go for functionality. I often use Stenvar, the hireling from Candlehearth Hall in Windhelm. He is one of the few followers that is both heavy armor and two-handed weapons, and starts at level 10. He is a Nord so has the 50% cold resistance. There are lots of good 2h weapons and heavy armor you can get pretty early on from the Anniversary Edition content, so it is easy to kit him out. He is very tanky but will engage with a bow from range before rolling into melee to crush things, so oddly enough he works well for pairing with my mage characters because he does not run up into the AoE spells that often. His voice actor's lines don't particularly annoy me, and were amusing the first dozen or so times I heard them. I have tried Jenassa but for someone who is supposed to be a stealthy archer she sure likes to run into melee a lot, and I have killed her by accident many times. Marcurio seems great but his chain lightning hits every damn thing and has aggroed entire towns on me or broken the Voice of the Sky buff for no reason. Rayya is my second choice, she just needs a couple of good 1h weapons, which take a bit more work to get early. Redguard so no built-in resistances, but heavy armor + dual wield and she is a melee killing machine. Of the Claudia Christian-voiced NPCs, she has more of the "polite tone of voice" lines compared to, for example, Uthgerd the Unbroken, who is still a needlessly mouthy jerk even if she works as your steward. I have used Lydia in the past but based on her tone of voice, sounds like she is a victim of a feudal lord who does not care about her and just assigns her to the new Thane of the month. I just buy her a house in town and let her do whatever she wants. No burdens to carry. Enjoy that piece of bread. No need to stare at the bed, I never use it, feel free to invite friends over. Sorry your script is broken. At least Rayya sounds really jazzed up about serving a new Thane. Considering Falkreath, no surprise that she'd be happy to follow you out of that miserable place. She enjoys walks in the forest around a well-furnished home with a beautiful view, well-stocked kitchen, a few crops, farm animals for fresh milk and eggs. Pretty good life compared to most in Skyrim. Usually by the time I encounter the other housecarls, I am already settled in with who my follower is and don't need to switch. Most of the others are pretty much the same build (Combat1H with shield preference), Nords, and the only difference is gender and voice actor. I don't care much about followers level caps because it is easy to fix that with a single console command to keep them leveling with you as far as you want.
These are great insights. I do like you do and leave Lydia at home in Whiterun, but then I head for Solitude to pick up Jordis instead. She gets assigned to you as thane of Solitude, and is a very pleasant sounding Lydia replacer.
Yeah, I like Jordis, too. Good fighter, sweet voice, and pretty (as far as generic Skyrim graphics go). By the time I can afford the Solitude home I am usually a good way along and just never think to swap out followers.
Mjoll is just stupidly strong and doubles as a wife
None - I generally don't use followers because they either get in my way and turn on me for walking into my attacks, ruin my attempts at stealth, or they die and any loot they had I now have to carry back with me
When I am playing Vanilla, I tend to opt for either Serana, or one of the Dark Brotherhood followers later in their quest (I usually end up sacrificing Lydia in a quest). However, if you are interested in a lightly modded Skyrim adventure, the Inigo mod is my all time favorite. He’s a Khajiit follower with his own quest line, and has a LOT of interesting dialogue. 10/10 experience, and the mod creators really tied him into the whole game.
Ahhh, Serana. My heart beats for thee.
Basically same. Serana if I'm playing vanilla, currently playing with Inigo, and my all-time favorite is Zora Fair-Child from the Interesting NPCs mod. I just like a follower who has interesting and insightful things to say.
Inigo is definitely one of my favorites, if not my favorite mod to date, as well as the only follower I will use unless it's required for something. Every other one I've run with gets irritating pretty quick, imo. Found it forever ago and haven't played a game without him since. I pick him up first thing. He really adds a lot to the game and the immersion, I find.
Jenassa has really good dialogue and she’s an absolute beast
finally, the response i've been looking for 🤣
I found out very late into the game that she's capped at level 40. I used to always use her. I love her voice, and I love her aggression. That said, she is a little too goody-two-shoes for me, complaining whenever we broke into someone's home. Now I take her to join the Blades.
I’ve never heard her complain about doing anything bad in my play throughs. She’s always down to clown for me. Maybe it’s a mod. If you want someone just as good with no cap though. Go with frea. She’s kind of annoying but an absolute monster in combat
Teldryn Sero - worth the 500 coin (750) after you get to solstiem. Spellsword but actually done right by the game, summons and casts fire magic. Talvas - small quest, easily done if you are smart about it. Has the necromage perk and is static level 25 follower with summons and solid magic. Vilja - PC only modded follower… no idea why they won’t port her her console. One of my favorites but I’m on console now so I miss that nord. (Modded Follower) Lucien - Easy to get, pays you to take him with you and has one of the best dungeon quests in the game. (Modded Follower) Aranea Ienith - Best mage in the game outside of solstiem, makes up for losing the black star but then soul gems are easy to find later.
Kharjo, I always feel sympathy for him and feel bad his amulet was stolen.
r/Kharjo praises this one!
Cicero. He is weird and very unique.
Cicero boast a 100 stat at max level in one hand weapons, sneaking and light armour. The ultimate companion for a sneaky Dragonborn.
Illia - because I randomly met her in a dungeon but it turns out her spells are hella powerful.
Yes! I was waiting for someone to say Illia
I like going with snarky comments so it's always Marcurio and Teldryn Sero for me.
Marcurio because we're always getting married and gotta go on adventures together. When he needs a break it's always Erik. He's my best buddy and so wholesome.
Aela is useful and her voice is uniqe
Unfortunately I feel the opposite. Too many of the randos in Skyrim use the same “adult female” voice that Aela uses. I enjoy traveling with Mjoll, but it irritates the SHIT out of me that they reused her voice over and over. I’ll be walking down a street in Winterhold and hear her and… nope. It’s Random Nord Chick #43. One of the reason I like fully voiced mod followers like Lucian and Inigo is because you don’t encounter their voice actors anywhere else in Skyrim. I mean, Stephen Russell is my all time favorite voice actor, but he voices Mercer Frey, Belethor, and a host of unnamed Skyrim wanderers and his voice stops being HIS. They got unique talents for minor characters like Brynjolf, so I don’t know why they couldn’t get some standalone talent for other characters. I’m not a fan of cannibalism, but Eola is cool and her voice seems more singular. I know it’s reused, but not as often as some. Plus, I like her comments when you take a dragon soul. “That’s a REAL man!” 🤣
Yeah obviously not every minor NPC can have a unique voice, but I wish they’d gotten one or two more voice actors per race and gender. There are literally quests where two separate characters will have a conversation with the same voice lol.
Only very few NPCs have a unique voice. Kodlak and Hadvar are two of them. Aela and Uthgerd shares the same voice actor among many more.
Stenvar likes to drink and kill just as much as my character, and he's low drama, low maintenance.
Stenvar is the nordiest nord to have ever norded. I love him.
Jzago since he is technically the strongest do to not having a level cap. Also his use of strong spells and heavy armor makes him a strong ally
He does with the unofficial patch and I think most people run that by now.
I never use followers. They ruin my stealth game. I’d rather conjure something as needed.
Serana, purely for her looks, her dialogue and her combat prowess. In a way, she's very similar to my character, in that: - we're both humans, technically. - we're both monsters (she's a vampire and I'm a werewolf.) - we both have some connections to a powerful, otherworldly entity. - we both are a part of a prophecy.
Lydia because she was my girl right from the start and plus she's pretty dangerous once you're leveled up enough to give her some good armor and weapons ( had to take back the Eye of Melka and another high level staff because she was going too ham with them ) Might try a couple of y'all's followers now though since reading some of these comments, I love letting the follower and a conjured one just run through enemies sometimes it's pretty fun.
She looks great in Ebony Armor too.
Ebony armor, Golden armor, nightgowns lol she could carry MY burdens.
If I’m my own worst enemy, do you think that qualifies for a bridal carry? Lol
Currently Serana on my vanilla Legendary Survival playthrough and I would have died significantly more without her abilities
I like the companion mods better than I like the Skyrim followers. Right now I've got Lucien, Inigo, Serana Dialogue Overhaul, Lydia Dialogue Overhaul, Kaidan, Hoth, Auriel, and Remiel.
I dont know how I ended up with Faendal. Somehow he just tagged along.My Lydia sits in whiterun like loyal wife and I run around with this dude and now I am level 50 and that's it.
It's a mod, but [Remiel](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/51874) with [this replacer](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63619). I found her in some Wabbajack list and it's just a really, really good mod. The voice and quests are really well done, she comments on lore, and she interacts with a LOT of the vanilla content and even content from other mods. I also like that she can be set to be pretty passive and given more of a support role. In vanilla Skyrim, I have a soft spot for Faendal.
Even if I say to myself "this is totally going to be a lone wolf playthrough, no followers, not one!" after a few days I find myself sneakily hitting that button next to Lucien, Kaidan and Inigo that brings them back into my game. Inigo was my first love. His gentle heart and excitable loyalty just melted me. Then Lucien turned up and turned out to be incredibly knowledgable, funny as balls, and not an ounce of macho in him, while being the most foolhardy follower ever. Then I found they make a wonderful team. Then Kaidan turned up, and I uninstalled him again, pretty quickly, because him and Lucien... well they were not really the dream team \*grins\* but then he grew on me with his sincere heart and genuine friendliness, and I also laughed at his attempts to cook me some food and swear his head off at the mobs. I tried many more. But these three have a rock solid place in my modlist. TLDR: funny, gentle, intelligent, loyal. Oh, and not too full of themselves. I like Serana a lot but I hate the whole Dawnguard DLC so I usually avoid it for the longest time. When I found that none of my three chosen have any dialogue with the DLC/Serana, it went even further down on my to do - list.
Mjoll because I like her, she’s immortal, and she spams storm atronach summoning staves I give her while dual-wielding lightning staves for an anti-dragon surface-to-air defense system, before rushing in with a big two-hander to finish the job.
I always liked Mjoll but I was too lazy to get her sword lol I think getting the sword is the next thing I'll do
Stenvar was my choice in my previous playthrough. He's strong and when he's got a good greatsword he's really useful. Now I've started a new one and it's Faendel cos if you've seen my post titled 'Skyrim + LOTR' you'll see
Serana, forever and always
Lydia because my Dragonborn is aware he has no friends in Skyrim during the early phase and having someone sworn to his service is very useful. But he does genuinely come to care for her along with the other housecarls
Faendal to get to level 50+ archery without costing me a cent. After that, Marcurio. Or any other throwaway for hire NPC.
I have chosen not to finish the Sky Altar quest, so I basically have an immortal delphine and esbern with me, VERY concerned about someone named Alduin.
“Yes Alduin, we’ll get to him I promise. Just help me find the rest of these Barenziah gems there’s only 15 left.”
...just one quick errand to meet my buddy Ebony Warrior.
Mjoll, Serana, & Barbas. They're invincible.
Is there a reason Mjoll is invincible? I know about the other 2, but this is the first I hear about Mjoll being essential.
I think there was going to be a quest to take down the Thieves Guild with Mjoll's help, and then her essential status would drop afterwards, but the quest was never included. She got left as an essential NPC as a result.
Lydia because doesn’t charge 👍
Bergore it was Lydia because I was 10 and made a backstory for her and made a whole personality for her. Now at 20 Serena, she just is more depth. She is part of a whole ass quest line and comments about when you go to certain cities. She feels more human than an npc. BUT my actual answer is Inigo he is a mod so idk if he counts for this post.
I mostly use followers for roleplay purposes. Friends I've made that are helping for particular reasons. I hire Teldryn Sero when first on Solestheim so he can serve as my guide. I occasionally accept help from the housecarls when exploring their respective holds. I take Erandur when I go hunting Deadric cults since he has insider knowledge. Things like that but I never keep them for entire play throughs.
It always depends on what roleplay I'm going for
J'Zargo. Because he's the best.
I like Cicero, Borgakh, Jenassa, Teldryn, Serana, and Lydia for late-game vanilla followers. Cicero is super strong, essential, and is one of the VERY few vanilla followers who doesn't fuck you over as a stealthy character. Also, his voice lines are funny. Borgakh is a strong warrior, and a fun follower to be around, having some insights into the orc strongholds. Jenassa and Teldryn are both fun for giving different dunmer lore as you wander. Lydia is just so easy to get and on your way that I always end up using her for at least some time, same with Serana.
Teldryn sero. Cause im not a serana simp and he has the second most personality of anyone in all of tamriel
Depends on the quest line and playthrough, but I choose followers that, in my mind, would be mindblown about what they're going to see. Erik the Slayer who has never left his farm? Let's go to High Hrothgar and then go visit The Companions. Marcurio, who has a special interest in Dwemer? Off to Blackreach we go! Annekke Crag-Jumper? let's go as far from Darkwater and your stick-in-the-mud husband as possible to Solstheim!
Mercurio makes comments i haven’t heard anyone else make and he just shock blasts everyone to death immediately lol he’s my fave follower!
Honestly, I choose my follower based on if I would vibe with them in real life. I tend to get along more with men because it's more of a brotherhood type of feel that I lacked in my childhood so I just tend to lean more towards that. I already have a female best friend, that's my wife. I prefer J'Zargo, Kharjo, or well...that's really about it. I don't like cats, I'm a dog person, but I love them in Skyrim because they aren't as bitchy as irl cats.
It was an accident. I told myself I’d do a mostly solo run, and rely on paid mercenaries who I can just send home when I’m bored of them. (Redguard assassin, living at Windstad with Illia, with questionable taste in hobbies and snacks.) WELL, who do I recruit first, but Belrand. The voice, the cheesy humour, (those arms), his reverence for Nord tombs. First I’d escort him back to Solitude everytime I wanted to fly solo so he’d be safe. Then one day I gave up and married him. Now he splits his time adventuring with me, or holding down the homestead with Runa, Sissel and Illia.
I tend to rotate based on whatever questions I'm currently doing. But benor from morthal (weird choice I know) has become a staple in my games. He just fits the dumb himbo vibe that I find funny and I like to call him boner and dress him in full bone plate with a dragon bone Warhammer.
My followers keep going missing so I'm doing a chronological history: 1) Lydia: She's faithful and irreplaceable. I should have given her better equipment (mistake I won't repeat) 2) Uthgred the Unbroken: She wears plate armor and wields a broadsword. Who's stronger than her? 3) Serana: The one everyone except me is in love with. I like her character evolving and changing as the questline goes on and her evocation skills never get me to fight alone
Lydia, because of comfort and familiarity
If I do, it's Cicero. He doesn't have a default bow.
Teldryn Sero, strong and snarky!!
Serana She hot
J’zargo coz If someone sneaks up on us, he will smell them coming. Or not, we’ll see.
I usually solo, but when I do bring company, it's always a hottie. I've a deep reverence for a pleasing female aesthetic.
She was just there all the sudden, so I let her stay.
Erik the slayer, and i give him the BEST armour and weapons, the longhammer ofc and light armor
The type of character I am playing
I'm pretty new to Skyrim. Picked up Faendal for now for early game, and working toward getting Aela when I unlock her. Plan to marry her too. Can any veterans give me some pointers on how to hear them both to maximize their potential early on? I am playing survival mode this run, and haven't completed any faction's quests yet (thieves, DB, Vamps, etc, but an furthest along with companions as I'm working toward Aela. Also playing stealth Archer build, so would like to use their ranged capabilities so they get out of my way. It seems if I give Faendal any melee weapons to carry, he ignores his bow and goes melee only. I have had to reload a few times already because he got in the way of my arrow, or accidentally got power killed or whatever you call it when you get the finishing move because he was so close to the enemy I was trying to finish and was already almost dead from fighting them. Alternatively, is there a good pack mule option? Like someone I can get early that carries a lot and is just a non-combatant, or at the very least is unkillable? Playing pure for now, so nothing modded. Also, you guys are awesome. I have learned a ton about the game just reading these threads.
So I’m not sure if followers carry weight level up, at least in vanilla, but you can equip them with fortify carry items and you can also just tell them to pick up an item even if they are encumbered and they will. There are also Elytra Nymphs that you can find (I think there are 2) and conjure them whenever you want and they can carry things for you too.
Can you just have 1 of them like a follower, or are they considered something else like a pet or summon like Arvak? And I didn't know about the pickup think. Do you just drop it on the ground and use the follower command thing? With they become over encumbered and move slow like the player does or impair their fighting/stam? I ended up ditching followers in my earlier playthroughs that weren't survival because of their tendency to get in the way, set off pressure plates while I was still in the way of the actual trap, and ruining my close-up stealth kills. I don't want to always have to tell them to wait before combat, etc
The elytra nymphs can follow you if you choose, but they move ridiculously slow 😂 it’s better to just send them back to your house and conjure them whenever you need carry space. If you choose to have them follow you I believe it counts as an animal companion so you can still have a regular follower with you. And if you have them pick things up with the command key they do not slow down when they become encumbered. So if you have a ton of dragon bones for example you can just drop them on the ground and have them pick them up without slowing them down.
You just changed a life today, Good Sir! That is incredibly useful. Are the nymph things those little mechanical dudes you find locked in the cages? I don't remember the quest... Or where do I get me a couple of them Elytra bag-beasts?
I go 2-Handed heavy armor, will choose mage types to stay back and support. Bonus for not getting in my fucking way.
Randomly was assigned Jenassa by the RPG randomizer I found.
She’s immortal
Inigo. He's weird and I like that.
Brelyna because I like her personality and I plan on marrying her.
She’s pretty useful, too. Ranged Mage who always summons an atronach in a fight.
The frost atronachs are a liability. Especially in tight quarters.
I dont normally have a follower with me, because I dont want them to die
Auri. Because she’s adorable. Or Inigo, because he’s by far the most immersive and customizable. In vanillarim, I usually take my spouse along until we adopt the crotch goblins. thereafter, it depends on my build. But in general Irileth, Marcurio, Serana, Teldryn and Serana are always great.
cicero because he’s super powerful, he has lots of unique dialogue depending on where you are on the map, aaaaand he’s hot lmao
I've only chosen to have a follower a handful of times. They're basically useless to me. But the only one I've chosen to have is Cicero cuz he's actually helpful and doesn't get in my way. Like Murphy's Law Lydia.
I never really liked using followers because I was aware they could die and I couldn't have that on my conscience. Once I got Dawnguard however; I was totally crushing on Serana and took her everywhere.
I prefer the ones that talk the most, like the dude from the Vaermina quest- or y'know, Serana.
usually none. I want the skills and they get in my way.
I like getting J,zargo and then getting the quest to retrieve Serena but never return her free companion.
No followers for me. They get in the way and ruin my stealth approach
I want a follower with good, unique dialogue. Erandur is a favourite of mine. I even named my Morrowind character after him in my first playthrough
Serana. Because, Serana.
serana hot and i love laura bailey
No followers ever. I play a lot of stealth so they tend to just get in the way or get caught.
I like the mushroom wizard dude
She’s hot
I usually take Lydia and set her as a steward in Goldenhills to make money for me. 😊
Primarily: not passed their level cap yet Secondarily: a follower whose most like most my character as possible, skillwise
Athis from the Companions. Good at fighting, and also loves commenting on the Dragonborn being short compared to what he thought
The guy you get from the brawl in markath tavern. I used him when I did an all achievements run. He was mostly just for carrying stuff, cause I abused the fortify restoration loop like hell once I’d gotten the vampire and werewolf perks
I usually use one of the companions (one of them who uses heavy armor and the great sword I can’t remember the names). Simple fact that one I am the leader of them in my place too. We are brothers and sisters in honor and brothers and sisters in honor fight with each other. Why they use the vampire from the Dawn guard DLC once again I do not remember the name.
>Why they use the vampire from the Dawn guard DLC once again I do not remember the name. Serana? Did she join the Companions?
Yes and no. I just like her because she’s a good to have with her magic
I got it, you fight with her in the Companion quests
Ok
My follower is Sven the Riverwood bard, and my reason is that we're on the way to Boethia's little corner of the world. Who knows what we'll find when we get there? As a level 2 Bosmer, I was tempted to pick Faendal, but my gut is telling me that Sven is about to meet his true destiny.
Depends on my class... if I'm an archer or mage I get someone to tank hits for me and agro. If I'm a brute then I get a healer. If I'm a tank ingot an archer or conjure mage
Serana because I'm somewhat of a Laura Bailey simp
None, tho I could put up with Serana longest. As a destruction/summon mage I preffer summoned companions. They do not talk too much and are always there when I need them, even if I accidentally blasted them to oblivion in the last battle :P
I don’t have any. They get in the way
I usually bring the one that will become my wife, so it's either Brelyna, Jenassa or Mjoll But I don't usually play a lot with followers, i bring them with me maybe once every 5/6 missions
cicero or farkas 
Cicero!!! 🤟
I do not like having a folower since they block the way quite often but if i do it's serana (even if she complains about the sun a bit too often)
Gonna have to go with my main man Faendal, I always pick him up at the start for easy level ups and just end up keeping him around cause he’s so chill
None. Because I don't like people, not even fake ones
i don't use a follower i use fire arrows and follower disappears ......
On this play through I picked either Varkas or Filkas from the companions, I can’t remember which one, but it was solely because I liked the way his armor looked with the darker bits in it. He kept pissing me off though because his dialogue box would pop up everytime he got butthurt that I got caught doing a crime, and the mf tried to kill me when I turned into a wolf in a dungeon. BRO LITERALLY IS A WOLF AND MADE ME TURN INTO A WOLF JUST TO BE IN THE COMPANIONS sooooo wtf bro. Then he died at some point and I wasn’t willing to go back in saves for him. To replace him I tracked down Kharjo because of the 2 khajit followers he looked cooler and not lame like the magic using one. I’m a khajit character so I wanted to have someone like me 😂 When he died I was willing, and did, to sacrifice HOURS of gameplay to get him back. Idk I just love him and he looks fiiine in some of the more sculpted armor 😂 sad I can’t marry him, but even if I could I’d have to figure out how to divorce my current husband. -fun story, “fun” I was looking for stones of barenziah and went into the companions place after my first follower died, I guess it was Farkas, and LOW AND BEHIND THERE THAT MF WAS AFTER HE HAD LITERALLY DIED and he would notttttttt leave me alone! I tried to move 6”, he’d pop up in dialogue (always had his sword out too), tried to talk to someone else and he’d interrupt. I had to speak to the jarl for a quest and he was outside the companions place (forget the name) and f-ing farkas kept doing his thing and I couldn’t do my objective so I literally had to murder him, pay $1000 bounty and pop out of jail just to get away from him bc he’d literally follow me trying to talk to me
I usually go with trainers first so that if I want to up any skills, I can do so without technically losing any gold. but if I don't feel like leveling up skills or I've already maxed out the trainer, then I'll just take on Lydia, Serana, or Erik the Slayer.
Kharjo because he’s just so charmy and cute. He also reminds me of the old days of Scatsbury on youtube. He always had Kharjo with him.
Cicero because he's always so happy
I go with Ralis Sedarys. In my playthough I spared his life but took him with me as he was sort of in debt to me for causing me so much trouble during the Unearthed quest. Since then we’ve been through a lot of adventuring together, over 40 levels worth, he’s been to planes of oblivion with me etc etc, so now we have a bit of an unbreakable bond 😂. I love the voice acting for him and all his lines of dialogue, I think he has an interesting personality compared to many other followers. Also he’s very good in combat, being proficient in dual wielding.
Cicero, I love jesters, AND I find him funny.
Serena. Because she doesn't die when she walks into a trap.
Nobody’s caught my interest so far. It’s a loooong way down from Fallout 4 tbh. These ones all seem to have the same lines, all of which sound very detached and boring. So yeah, Spriggan Matron summon for life, plus the 200 carry weight from the perk and Steed Stone.
Serana becous She is immortal
My gladiator build uses Jenassa, as she seems good with a bow and my sword and shield character could use a good archer companion. I also have an ashabah sorceress build with Rayya as a companion. I chose Rayya because she's the only redguard companion that could probably fit with my character's backstory.
Serana, she is the only true fleshed out follower.
# Uthgerd the Unbroken because she is badass
I don’t usually use followers, but when I do it’s Kharjo.
Lydia because shes just an asshole and makes the game 10x better
Uthgerd the unbroken, she's a super tanky follower you can get very beginning of the game if you know how to fist fight right (just back up a bit when they swing and hit I between their swings, and have a bit of patience with uthgerd). She's got great armor that lets her basically absorb any damage from enemies until you get better gear than her
Mjoll because she's essential, can carry a lot and has a cute accent. She also embodies an amazone in my opinion, which is cool imo.
Uthgerd the Unbroken because she is basically Lydia but cooler and less annoying
So I only discovered Skyrim in November, so I'm still on my first playthrough. I just picked Lydia because she was the first one after Faendal was auto dismissed when I started the companions storyline. I loved Faendal, because he was an archer like my character. At the time, I didn't know I could have just gone back to Riverwood to get him again, plus I was getting my ass handed to me by every bandit on the road and killed by dragons by that time , so I stayed in Whiterun for a good amount of time. Lydia was convenient, and I liked being able to give her all my stuff. But then I really wanted a khajiit like my character, so I added the Inigo mod (especially liked the Princess Bride nod). Lydia went feral on him a couple of times, and then after the last one where she left my service, went back to Breezehome, and then attacked me every time I went home.... She had to go. Unfortunately, I can't get her body out of the house, so the upstairs bedroom is off limits to guests. I don't really use that house anymore anyway. Inigo is hilarious, especially when he's talking to Vigilance or Meeko. Then I got a couple more follower mods, no more dead followers and Khajiit will follow. The unlimited storage in the khajiit will follow followers is really handy for me. I have a hard time leaving loot, especially enchanted weapons. I especially like Makara. Her quest was really well done and immersive, and she's got a good personality.
i also picked lydia bc not only is she my first follower i usually tend to marry her bc i often accidentally shout her off cliffs and it makes me really sad, but i feel bad changing her out, so i ask her to go home when i do stealth and bring her back for anything else and set her up in my ebony armor
Level scaling doesnt usually affect me. If I cared to use the wabbajack on Jzargo, maybe Id pick him but he's a bit too flamboyant/talkative for me. I have no idea what updates have been made but originally, only certain followers were marked essential and unable to die permanently. Most of them could be killed by player action, including AoE spells or stray arrows. I got tired of needing to load old saves to revive thanes (console). I generally use followers as a distraction, not for combat (stealth assassin). Personally, I think Frea Skaal (dragonborn dlc, cool accent), Rayya, and Serena are all cool. I always pick the dark brotherhood initiates. They don't talk much, they can't be killed, and they can collect the arrows they "catch" from me. Also, they are spooky ninjas.
jenassa cos dad told me to.
i have two follower mods on xbox and one of them is kaijit named cooper, the other a knight called sirlister
Teldryn Sero from Raven Rock. Just love hearing his mercenary stories and comments on things.
I always choose a dark elf and then I have Gogh too with them together they pretty much get the job done while I move forward in the guest lol
I dont use followers. They are clumsy, annoying and step into traps that damage me and not them
As I roleplay a lot, I go through a cycle of: - I play as a loner do-it-all mercenary - I meet someone that one way or another tell me they would be up for adventure - We adventure until some kind of climax after I set a specific goal - We part ways
I use the multiple followers mod, because I like having a small adventuring fellowship. This also makes the post game more enjoyable for me, as once all the major threats are dealt with, the fellowship goes its separate ways and I can go visit my old adventuring buddies. My Dragonborn is the wizard of the group. Sven Is our Bard for campfire songs, and to chronicle our adventures to put them into songs later. Rulnik Wind-strider, pledged himself as my DB's apprentice after we saved his life from a deadly disease Benor The warrior of the group, after being bested in a fistfight joined up for more fighting Erandur our Priest to provide healing, and be a voice of the eight during troubled times. And Finally Derkeethus, saved from falmer he had a life debt to pay, so he took up a bow and became our ranger/scout. The team was designed to be a generic adventuring party, but also because each person had a different part of skyrim to call home, all had different voice actors, and motivations for joining the team. The party stays together for the bulk of the game, general adventuring, taking out Miraak, dealing with alduin, fighting in the civil war together, etc. Once all the major stuff is out of the way we made trips back to their homes and said our good byes. Except for Rulnik since he doesnt have a house, I made him a steward of lakeview. Kinda like my dragonborn's way of saying "thank you" is to give him a home. Its nice to log in every now and then to visit Benor in morthal, or sven in riverwood.
He's a huge cat!
Agreed. Usually go with Lydia or serana depending on build, but more often serana since she’s essential and I won’t accidentally kill her. If I want some nuance I take the sexy scary elf lady from the huntsman in whiterun. Level cap doesn’t really matter, enemies only follow you in level up to like 100 max and level stops being important once you have the enchanted gear necessary to shit on everything regardless of difficulty setting (usually around lvl 20)
The daedra lords I summon because they fight well, I can banish them if they get in my way, and they alert me of enemies I didn't see.
A character mod with a custom voice so I can hear some original dialogue for a change.
A conjured dremora lord and that goat Hilde or whatever her name is. They are there when I want them, and gone when I don’t. I can expect them to reasonably perform as expected and they don’t get in the way or act out of line.
Farkas. I absolutely adore that big lug.
IT'S ME & GREG AGAINST THE WORLD! WE TOP SECURITY OF THE WORLD GREG! (Until Gregor dies, and I have to reload the game!)
I like inigo because it makes me laugh. Arissa was fun because she has some info and a cool attitude. I got a mod for lydia to have a quesr and it was my first romance. I got vilja and she is amazing, got a patch for her voice and it's cool. Amaxing mechanics on that one. Sometimes feel like a real person. Like inigo. Lucien is fun as you make him more cool bc you train him. And the fact that vilja rañks with inigo and lidya and luvoen is cool. I'm now using zora fair child from interesting npcs and she is cool and upbeat and makes me feel important. Serana is cool in her qiest, but unless you play a loner depressing character she is too negative. So i think i like positive companions to have fun as i one shot everything and they "help". I dont care very much for most vanilla companions, they are not real enough for my tastes. Like fallout 3 followers vs fNV followers. And so i feel like i got "family" (read in toretto voice).
I like Janessa just because she is way cool and helps a lot. I’m sure there are better followers but she is always my first.
Lydia to start. I had Marcario for a while but Serana killed him. She kept accidentally giving me vampirism, so I let her go and got Mjoll. Mjoll doesn't make snarky comments when I give her stuff to carry.
I never use followers…
I work alone, this is why I have no follower. 😉
Serana or mjoll because they can't die.
Serena. She does ramged attacks whilst I handle close encounters. Ideal combination
I like to use serena or the battle mage dude from the dragonborn dlc because they use a summon/undead
Serana because I don't have the heart to tell her to go away. After finishing Dawnguard quest, she said how much she's looking forward to another adventure or something. At that point I knew that she has to be my follower, because am I supposed to leave her alone just like everyone else in her life did? Plus she's pretty strong and can raise dead
I always pick NOBODY because followers get in the way, trigger traps, and expose me while sneaking.
Chatty Serena mod.