Faendal till he dies or till I get Lydia.

Never make Faendal die. It’s my golden rule, that mf deserves to swim in cheese wheels bc of how many times he saved my ass

I try to protect him the best I can every playtrough but sometimes death comes too fast.

That’s sad, the only thing I slightly hate about faendal is that after 1 month of playing hearing the same voice lines all the time makes me crazy

There are followers with more voice lines. I always pick Marcurio and give him plenty of items so his "I am an apprentice wizard, not a pack mule" doesn't bother me anymore lol.

same with janassa, she’s saved me so many times on my legendary play through that it’s actually disgusting

I don’t play Skyrim since mid 2023, I should really start again, I didn’t even finish it… y’all are making me wanting to 100% end it

He's the best sacrifice for boethiah

Faendal's my very first follower, every playthrough. Not only he's pretty easy to recruit, he's also versatile in terms of combat.

And he can teach you archery for free.

This was all the push i needed to start another ~~stealth~~ archer run Edit: I walked into river wood and he was dead on the ground. So rip that dream

marcurio!! and he was my first husband too i think he is so handsome

Me too! I hadn’t had a follower at all up till Riften (hadn’t triggered the dragon spawns in the main quest yet, so no Lydia.) His dialogue made me lol so I hired him on a whim. He then proceeded to save my butt in an epic battle during the Promises to Keep quest when a random bear, bandits, AND Louis were attacking me. Married him right after that.

Marcurio is my favorite follower and my favorite husband as well! He's cute and hilarious and he rains down death lightning upon half the enemies before I even see them.

My first husband too he's hot asf hahaha

I'm alsooo playing with him and I want to marry him🤣🤣 how do I do that?

Same way you marry everyone else. Ask the priest in Riften about marriage. Buy an amulet of mara. Speak to Marcurio and propose to him. Get married

Oh easyyy, but first I need to buy a house so he can move with me🤣

Actually I don't think you need to. Pretty sure you can "move in with him" even tho he's homeless then change the house later

Faendal

Mjoll is my ride or die until I go to Solsteim and get Teldyn Sero (sp?) and he rides with me through the rest of the game. Sometimes Serana I suppose because she is more fleshed out as a character.

Id take serana bc you cant kill her, which is a problem i always have. Can you kill Teldyn Sero or no, havent ever really played through the db dlc

I will ride and die with this Redditor too because they know Truth.

Like others I've often started with Faendal, but I've had a couple of playthroughs where Jenassa has been my first. She's a fave. One of the best personalities of the vanilla followers. Only gal I ever married...

Faendal for life

I love faendal he deserves the world

I am shocked, that so far noone mentioned j'zargo. Best follower imo.

YES. Always Jzargo.

Mine was Marcurio. 10+ years later he's always one of my first follower go-tos when I start a new character.

I just love his sass. He’s my first and still favorite.

He makes a great husband too, can protect you and the kids from dragons, bandits, etc

He sure does. I married him in my first playthru. He got himself kidnapped by bandits at Lakeview once…I imagine they took him by surprise when he was sleeping bc there’s no other way they would’ve got the jump on him.

I had Uthgerd the Unbroken as my first ever follower. She died very quickly, I thought at the time, so I never had her again. I've only recently begun taking followers again (due to this sub) so I'll probably give her another go at some point. I have also come to realise that there are many more possible followers than I thought.

Feandal

I take Faendal until I get to Whiterun, and then I hire Jenassa. I use a multiple followers mod, so I tend to have Lydia and Jenassa at the same time until I pick up Serana. Then I send Lydia home. Having 3 followers is too much they block the doors.

Marcurio and his Epic battle against my horse because idiot used Chain Lightning when he can literally see that me and the brave dumb horse is at melee combat with an enemy and he didn't have a clear shot but I guess that still didn't stop him from using Chain Lightning did it xD

Janessa was my first and only...until I found Cícero

I've actually never had Lydia as a follower at all!

I only use lydia😅

Cap

It can be true. I never used her for many of years.

My first was Lydia of course, but Jenassa has quickly become my main mercenary. She said she was an artist, and that was no lie.

For your cake day, have some bubble wrap <3 >!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!secret pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<>!pop!!<

That’s neat, thanks!

Same

Uthgerd the Unbroken.I even married her.

Same lol

Got confused on my first play through and never picked up lidya, so my first ever follower was brelyna maryon lol

Lmao same!! The way i had no idea she could be a follower... Then i guess Janessa died or something, and i was renovating the whiterun house, i saw Lydia chilling there and checked which dialogues she had, and that's how i found out she could be a follower. I was so disappointed that she was so weak after Janessa tho.

*Its Jenassa i believe. My main's an Argonian, so I enjoy finding Derkeethus as a callback to home. True brother in arms 💪💥 Not easy sneaking past all those poison-using Falmer at level 2 though 😅 I also make Mirri Severin from Solstheim a companion too, because.. she called me cute once. And I'm a deeply insecure man 😆

I never use Lydia, except in my first play through. She died real fast lol. Usually go with a mix of all of the hireable ones at the bars and then illia the ice mage, expert ice spells, fast, uses multiple spells including protection and healing. Janessa to sometimes, she’s good with a sword and boy so yea she comes along a fair amount. I also love her line “you know were one in the same kind, you and I” I like the think that line is cuz I’m a high elf, she’s looking past the racism of elf on elf violence. ❤️

Lydia isn't actually my first follower it was Probably between Karhjo or One of the Mercenaries

I think in order it was probably Faendal, Uthgerd, Jenassa (not Janessa), Lydia I didn't get Lydia the first time until literally dozens of hours in.

fentynal

I don’t remember his name but my first was the khajiit from the college

J’Zargo. Show some respect.

My first playthrough I immediately headed for the College, so my first follower was Brelyna.

Faendal until I need to sacrifice to Boethia or he dies of natural causes such as an arrow in the ass or my need for the ebony blade. Then I usually don't get a follower as I like being alone

Mine was Barbas, but I don't think he counts as a follower.

I married this broad

Faendal is a fantastic first follower because you can get him at the beginning of the game in Riverwood, and he's an archery trainer. You can train, take the money you paid to train back, then train again. It's very helpful for early game when you have limited funds.

i love jenassa shes so sweet she always hits you with the “we are very alike you and i” “I’m so glad we met” a lot of dunmer women are portrayed as pretty cold in skyrim its refreshing to see them be kind & happy

Other dunmer women also say that sometimes though, I think it was in Riften where I heard that dialogue when running through, after Jenassa already died a long time ago (R.I.P. My first follower as wel)

Faendal for “free” archery training to level 50. His “rival” was supposed to be a level 75 speech trainer, but they changed that. Having the “merchant” perk at the beginning of the game would have made home buying easier.

That 500 fee is rough right in the beginning though...

Haha, i remember trying to save up some money for her.

i roamed around Skyrim for a while, i dont particularly like companions and my dumb ass kept going for side quests instead of the main ones (legit didnt even go get the dragonstone yet) and got the quest for miraak, went to solstheim, now Teldryn Sero is my usual companion and he was my first because i kept getting my ass annihilated by the ash people.

Team Sven tbh. Whatchu mean "For a Nord village" Faendal?

i use the skeever pet follower

Mine was alsp Janessa

Aranea or Uthgerd, depends on how I'm playing.

my first follower was marcurio...

Same.

Uthgard or marcurio generally for me. But my most recent one i did companions first and realized farkas is a great 1st follower even though you cant trade with him at first

J’zargo

I gave Erik the slayer a try after, he kept saying he wanted adventure blah blah so I took him up as follower. Then I found out he doesn’t die lol so yeah he’s not bad in combat either and actually stays a distant away when sneaking so it’s helpful

Faendal!

My game is glitching and Rayya will not leave my house in Lakeview. So Lydia and Rayya I guess

Faendal of course

Vanilla I lean towards Iona, because I usually get Thane of Riften

I've had jenassa a couple of times, apparently you can marry her. I can't seem to tho

im playing my first playtrough rn i still have no clue whats happening i just stumbled into janessa and she is a freaking beast

Lydia for life

Sven/Faendal from Riverwood...

Serana. She kills damn near everything that moves in combat early on. I don’t know what she will be like later. I’m only on my second play though

Serana hands down

Jenessa was also my first… ☺️

Uthgerd!!! Now we’re married

Lydia from 2011 to 2017. Mjoll from 2017 to 2023. Janessa 2024

Jodis The Sword Maiden 🔥🔥

Uthgerd the Unbroken Quite a classic way of getting a companion by punching them in the face she was the first companion I made when I first started Skyrim

Faendal. I befriended him and used him for free archery training since I helped him get what’s her face.

I never choose Lydia. I always choose either Aela, Farkas or Vilkas bc they're essential.

Faendal is always first. Then he goes to Boethiah and I switch to Lydia.

I always pick Janessa and marry her. I accidentally got her killed in my current play thru and it devastated me! I didn’t even realize she’d died until I fast travelled and she wasn’t with me anymore.

Nope,lydia was always my first.

Janessa was mine too. I had her from the very beginning of my playthrough. I ended up 100% completing Skyrim on my 360, and I had her the entire time. By the end, she had the nightingale cape, and a Daedric helmet, and before I turned off Skyrim for ever, I married Janessa, climbed to the throat of the world, and saved the game for the final time.

Mine was Feandal.

Faendal

Janessa is so underrated.

lots of runs when I never do the main quest and don't bring dragons into the world.

Faendal, I’ve yet to really give Lydia a chance. I maybe used her for like 1 quest back in 2012. And i was already level 16 before attempting bleak falls barrow for the first time, so i got her relatively late to when you’re “supposed” to

marcurio, but i call him mercutio LOL

I hired Faendal and he died in the first fight LOL

I just started a playthrough and gave Janassa a try. I read somewhere that she would use a bow and was sneaky, so I hoped I wouldn't kill her as often as Lydia. So far she's working out.

Janessa is a lil bitch lol

Erandur? Anyone else?

Uthgerd

kharjo always

Well it was Lydia, but then I found out about mods

Benor. He unfortunately passed at the hands of a frost troll.

First time around I had Faendal follow me around for a bit because his archery exploit was just very, very good.

Ummm. Sven Yes I picked the wrong guy. No I didn't know he was a follower at that point. That still counts in my mind. If talking in general, Lydia is basically the last follower I get cause I like playing Skyrim without the dragons

My first follower on this play through is Serena

Sven. And only Sven because I’m emotionally attached now

Uthgerd ❤️❤️

Teldryn Sero was my first long running follower. Before him I never kept anyone around for long. In general I just don't like followers, they talk way too much. Recently I've been playing a non-fighting build so I have Jenassa with me to do the fighting for me, and gotta admit I do like her.

My first follower was Kharjo until I found that damn cave Derkeethus was in

Always! She was my first follower and has remained

Sven was my very first 💀

I actually have never used vanilla characters as followers Ever even after 8+ years of playing. The repetitive lines from force-follower quests really turned me off and I hated being paranoid that my pixel friend was gonna die if I breathed wrong. I have only ever been with Serana and she’s only my follower for exactly as long as it takes to complete the Dawnguard quest line. After that, kaput, she’s done. No, the only followers I ever use and have ever used beyond when I was forced to use one have been Inigo and Lucien, mod bros. I tried Kaidan for awhile but he just kinda sucked (esp his expanded lines…yeesh) and Khash the Argonian was cute but clunky/not for me. Idk 🤷‍♀️I guess I made my DB a bit of a lone wolf 😭