Skyrim is a tribute to how much time and commitment players and developers will commit to a game if they are genuinely excited about it. It’s difficult to doubt Bethesda’s huge fantasy RPG’s consistency and engrossing charm eight years after its publication, with most gamers still adventuring around the Nords’ homeland (minus a few bugs and horses being able to traverse at 90-degree inclines).
Every rock, herb, and troll in the game has been meticulously detailed, and the game’s followers are no exception. Followers provide extra muscle and companionship in the lovely in-game setting, following players through frozen waste, pine forest, or dank and deadly dungeon.
Although some followers shine brilliantly, others fall flat, especially when fighting against spell-casting cat-men and drunk, enraged barbarians. Aside from battle effectiveness, followers are judged on how good of a friend they are when traveling with them, which includes their conversation and encounters with their surroundings and the Dragonborn.
With so many choices, it’s difficult to narrow down a list, so if any Dovahkiin out there doesn’t see their favorite follower, let us know in the comments why your favorite adventure partner is the best. Here are the best followers the game can offer:
Njada Stonearm
Njada is a character who appears early in the game. She belongs to the Companions and is normally located in or around Jorrvaskr. The Dragonborn can be seen brawling with another member upon entering this building for the first time.
Njada is mediocre in battle, but not bad as a meat-shield. Her personality, on the other hand, is her worst attribute. And after the Dragonborn becomes the Harbinger, she is always disrespectful to the player for no apparent reason.
Jenassa
Jenassa can be found at the Drunken Huntsmen in Whiterun as a Dunmer assassin for hire who loves shooting things. Jenassa is an ideal choice for any player who plans on murdering a lot of people, whether they are innocent or not, and she doesn’t care who you shoot as long as you kill. She may have to be paid to recruit her services, but it’s well worth it because she’s excellent at stealth and uses a range of weapons to dispatch the Nords’ many enemies.
Surprisingly, she may even be choosen for marriage, which sounds like a very bad proposition. Why would you consider marrying her if you have to pay her 500 septims just to fight alongside you? Regardless, her road banter is sufficiently dark and brutal, making her a funny travel companion.
Ingjard
Ingjard is a valuable follower since he is a Nord fighter who specializes in heavy armor and two-handed weapons. She also has a 50% frost tolerance as a Nord, indicating that she is somewhat immune to the dangers that exist in Skyrim’s frozen climes.
After completing the quest “Prophet,” which is part of the main quest in the Dawnguard DLC, Ingjard will be available for recruit. Even though she is a powerful Nord, her choice for a two-handed weapon means that she is vulnerable to enemies who strike quickly due to some of her long-winded attack animations.
She is one of the few followers in all of Skyrim who can continue to pursue the Dragonborn even though they are a vampire, demonstrating her allegiance in a game where most NPCs and followers leave at the sight of a bloodsucker. She also doesn’t have a level limit, so she’ll be able to become as strong as the Dragonborn can allow along their journey.
Aela The Huntress
Aela can be found in the Companions guild as well. She will become a follower after players provide her during the events of the Companions questline. If ranged damage is needed, Aela’s expert archery skills can be a valuable help.
Aela will also show the Dragonborn how to use a bow level 75 in Archery. She also has a high Light Armor ability, so if the player gives her some, she can put it to good use.
Cosnach
Cosnach is a Breton warrior who loves to imbibe a little too much and is found as a belligerent barbarian at the Silver-Blood Inn in Markarth as an exceptionally intoxicated warrior.
Speaking with his boss across the street, Cosnach admits that he is getting plastered as a result of the rising number of Foresworn assaults on trading caravans, implying that trade is sluggish. If the Dragonborn so chooses, they can challenge him to a battle, and he will become a follower as a result.
If gamers conclude that booze-soaked deadbeats are their thing, Cosnach may be considered for marriage. Players can also offer Cosnach drinks, make him dance for joy, and hear him argue with his boss over his sixteen-hour drinking binges.
Erandur
Erandur, who used to be a member of a cult devoted to a Daedric prince, abandoned his old life of shady dealings with Skyrim’s demonic hand and dedicated his life to Mara to become a healer. After assisting him in the quest “Waking Nightmare,” where his strength is revealed, he becomes available. He specializes in fire spells and uses a mace when melee combat is the only alternative.
He’ll even dual wield like a madman if players hand him another sword, and he’ll sometimes pull out a bow if he can’t hit enemies with his spells. Erandur is a real downer when it comes to being a travel partner, considering his poor fighting abilities. He constantly discusses his dark past and his failure to cope with the deaths of his mates.
Barbas
Barbas is a magical being that acts as a friend to one of the Daedric princes, taking on many forms in the Elder Scrolls games. He first appears on the road to Falkreath, confronting the player and engaging in lighthearted banter.
Barbas’ bite is very deadly in battle, helping him take out most small enemies with only one or two lunges. Barbas, on the other hand, is a bad choice for players trying to use stealth because he is incapable of sneaking. He also barks a lot, which makes him tolerable for just so long before players start looking for a less noticeable partner.
Brelyna Maryon
Brelyna is an apprentice at the College of Winterhold, where she is mainly introverted, a bit of a jerk, and a mediocre spellcaster. She becomes very friendly and, if players equip the Amulet of Mara, a marriage prospect after some talking and quest progression.
Brelyna can also be deadly in battle, bolstering her defense with oakflesh and slinging some serious fire spells. She can even summon flame and frost Atronachs to aid her in battle. Aside from her strong magic, she has a very poor health pool, which means that seeing her get knocked down regularly while facing stronger opponents is almost a certainty.
Plus, she lacks much in the way of melee abilities, preferring to cast spells that make her vulnerable to attack when casting.
Farkas
Farkas, as a member of the Circle, will kick some real ass in Skyrim. He’s a half-werewolf, half Nord, which makes him a threat when it comes to grappling with the game’s many risks. Farkas is a master trainer for heavy armor in addition to his fighting prowess, so if players want to stomp around in a suit of ebony, Farkas is the man. Farkas is also the guy to marry if players want to marry a man who loves spiced mead and has an unhealthy amount of body hair.
Aside from fighting skills and preparation skills, Farkas has lycanthropy, which means he is a werewolf, as shown by the smeared makeup across his eyes and the fact that players can watch him change into a werewolf mid-quest before tearing a bunch of dudes to shreds. Given that Farkas has the ability to transform into a werewolf, it’s a bit of a letdown that he only does so sometimes, if at all, while serving as a friend.
Eola
Eola is a total package and has some of the game’s most disturbing dialogue and affiliations. Eola, the leader of a cannibalistic cult, is undeniably frightening and will only accept players as a follower after they clean out a particular cave and join her cult.
Aside from eating humans, Eola is a skilled warrior, summoning a flame atronach at the outset of certain fights and using a number of other spells, such as resurrecting defeated opponents to fight on the Dragonborn’s side.
When the fighting gets up and personal, she can even stealth and use one-handed weapons effectively. She also mentions that she has tried draugr and found it repulsive, a fact that the writers thoughtfully added for those who follow her on her trip.
Cicero
Cicero is the keeper of the Night Mother, a rotting corpse in a coffin that leads the Dark Brotherhood’s assassins in their contract selection. He also implies that he has spent the night in the coffin with the night mother, implying the that jester outfit stinks to high heaven.
If players will put up with his bizarre behavior and wild ramblings, which he does on a regular basis, they’ll find a powerful and frightening assassin in action who can break out in dance at the most inconvenient moments. If Cicero is taken along, he has a lot of special and entertaining dialogue, which means he can make the game’s long, twisting trails interesting.
Lydia
Lydia is perhaps the most well-known housecarl in Skyrim, and she’s one of the game’s best companions. Lydia is effective in combat situations while battling alongside the Dragonborn, whether she is using melee weapons or a bow. Lydia really shines as she becomes the Dovahkiin’s wife, offering special advantages that make her one of the game’s most attractive companions.
If the Dragonborn marries Lydia, she will open a shop in town and give the player 100 Septims per day from the store’s earnings. Lydia, like most spouses left at home, would cook a home-cooked meal for the Dovahkiin, adding that she “added some extra mead for taste.”
Every Dragonborn’s stomach is the path to his or her ears, and a little extra mead in a home-cooked meal never harmed anybody. Aside from that, most gamers agree she has a third hidden ingredient: passion.
J’zargo
J’zargo is a Khajiit apprentice mage who can be found at the College Of Winterhold, with perhaps the most baller name in all of Skyrim. He’s a strong wizard who uses a combination of abilities and elemental attacks in combat to transform even the toughest foes into butter in the microwave.
Though J’zargo has a reputation for being a dick, he is always a good travel companion. He’ll brag about how smart he is all the time, but he’ll still admit that he has a lot more to practice before he can become a great mage.
It’s awesome that Bethesda made a Khajiit one of the game’s most powerful magic followers because they’re normally found in the game’s more shady guilds and careers, and it’s even better that he’s a tool about it.
Serana
Serana is a key character in the Dawnguard DLC’s main quest as one of the few pure-blood vampires in the Elder Scrolls universe. Since she is a pure-blood, she is incredibly strong, capable of kicking the poop out of everything the hectic world of Skyrim can throw at her.
Serana is also one of the game’s most advanced followers, engaging with the world in a number of ways and often reflecting on the Dragonborn’s surroundings or circumstance.
In war, she’s a versatile necromancer who can lift a number of dead enemies to battle alongside her, switching to melee weapons until her mana pool runs out. She is easily the best follower in the game, with her nuanced conversation choices, peculiar vampire quirks, and sick necromancer skills.
