Follower (Skyrim)



Followers are companions who will fight for the player after the player earns their trust. They will travel with, battle for, and carry items for The Dragonborn. They will equip the best possible weapons or apparel given to them. More specifically, the weapon with the highest damage value and the pieces of apparel with the highest armor value. Followers will not use equipment that is the same as their starting equipment but with the only improvement being smithing or enchantments.

An exception to these rules and subclass of followers are non-humanoid followers (Dogs). These followers can neither carry nor equip items. The interaction with these followers is also limited to the wait/follow commands and dismissal.

Followers will retain their inventories after you dismiss them. In this way, it is possible to use them for limited storage, as long as you do not lose access to them somehow by turning them against you. If they are killed the player can loot the stored items off the body. Some followers can also train skills for a certain amount of gold.Here is how.

You can only have one humanoid follower with you at a time, but in most cases there is no penalty for dismissing a follower and then re-recruiting them later. In addition, you can also have one non-humanoid follower with you at the same time.

Follower Death
It is important to know that followers will not die from NPC's. When they reach almost no health they will kneel and enemies will cease to attack the them. Followers will only die if further attacked by the player in this kneeling low health state, either by normal attacks or area of effect damage.

Aranea Ienith

 * Aranea Ienith is a priestess at the Shrine of Azura, which is south of Winterhold. It's on a mountain top where you see a huge statue. If you choose to return the broken star to Azura in The Black Star quest, you get Aranea as a follower. She is a good offensive battlemage - she often summons a Flame Atronach, rarely a Frost Atronach, can heal herself occasionally, and casts Lightning Bolt and sometimes Ice Spike against single enemies and Ice Storm against groups of enemies. She usually opens every fight by casting Oakflesh to help her survivability.

Belrand

 * Belrand is an elderly male Nord found in the Winking Skeever tavern in Solitude. He refers to himself as a "spellsword," and generally fights with both magic and one-handed weapons. He can conjure a familiar. He is a mercenary, and can be recruited for 500.

Brelyna Maryon

 * Brelyna Maryon is a Dunmer mage apprentice at The College of Winterhold. She is very enthusiastic about studying magic at the college, and is guarded when asked her race and magical talents. If the player helps Brelyna experiment with her spells, she agrees to become a Follower. Brelyna uses magic in combat and sometimes summons an Atronach to aid in battles.


 * Currently, there is a confirmed bug in which Brelyna Maryon is no longer recruitable after being sent home. When spoken to, she will respond with generic dialogue (much like a guard) and gives no speech options.


 * There may also be a secondary trigger related to the Winterhold quest chain, as in one case she did not become available immediately after her experiment. Being an Arch-Mage seems to suffice, but the exact moment may require testing. If she is killed when she is with you, you will be kicked out of the college and be given the quest to return.

Eola

 * Eola is a female Breton initially found in the Hall of the Dead (after you accept the quest from Verulus who asks you to investigate the Hall of the Dead, he's located in Understone Keep) in Markarth. She can be recruited as a follower after you help her clear Reachcliff Cave and completing The Taste of Death, agreeing to join her Daedric cult. She is a skilled mage, capable of summoning creatures to her aid and reanimating the bodies of slain enemies.

Erandur

 * Erandur is a male Dunmer. He is a priest of Mara, and can be found in the inn in Dawnstar. He's available as a follower after you solve the nightmare problems that bother the citizens of Dawnstar. During the quest at one point you have a choice whether to let him live or to kill him. Obviously you can't kill him if you want him to follow you. He uses destruction magic with one hand while welding a mace in the other while occasionally using a bow.

Illia

 * Illia is a female Imperial found in Darklight Tower. She can be recruited after you assist her in killing her mother. You must speak to her after the deed is done. She is a destruction mage that focuses heavily on frost related spells.


 * Currently, there is a confirmed bug in which Illia is no longer recruitable after being sent home. When spoken to, she will respond with generic dialogue (much like a guard) and gives no speech options.

J'zargo

 * J'zargo is a male Khajiit found in The College of Winterhold, available after you complete his quest to test his scroll's effect on three undead. He is exceptionally weak as a melee fighter but is a skilled ranged spellcaster. If forced into combat at melee range without a weapon, he will maintain a ward and cast sparks.


 * Note: For whatever reason, J'zargo is level 81 when the playable character is level 81 unlike other followers who have their level locked whenever they first spawn (Did not test whether he leveled as the playable character leveled, only noticed this when I was max level). This allows him to have quite high HP compared to other mages you can find, though he still only casts Sparks offensively.

Marcurio

 * Marcurio is a male Imperial magician available for hire at the Bee and Barb in Riften for 500 . Marcurio is incredibly powerful on offense. He uses Destruction Magic and generally is very intelligent when it comes to picking and choosing his spots. As a Mage he's very weak defensively, but offensively can kill almost anything in 3-4 spells. He will however, equip any armor you give him.


 * If equipped with a shield he will use it and any weapons when he runs out of magika. As with all other followers, Marcurio uses any sword, bow, or axe given to him, so long as they are stronger than his default weaponry.
 * He will also utilize multiple staffs (eg. conjure familiar, fireball, firewall, etc.) that you put in his inventory depending on the circumstances eg. number of enemy, type, etc.
 * Exercise caution when having him together with a dog follower; since Chain Lightning is one of his favorite attack spells and the dog always rushes an opponent on sight, it will likely receive friendly-fire and once it's tolerance for this is exhausted, the dog will become hostile and attack him (almost always resulting in the dog's death). Always save before a fight and kill Marcurio's target as soon as possible.

Onmund

 * Onmund is a Nord mage apprentice at the College of Winterhold. He is available as a follower after completing the quest Onmund's Request, which can be started after completing a few quests at the college. He will mention that he wants the amulet he traded for a staff from Enthir back and needs your help in retrieving it. He uses magic and occasionally archery in combat. He seems to prefer using lightning attacks and then when he runs out of magicka will assume finishing off the enemy with unarmed attacks instead of going back to his sword.

Aela the Huntress

 * Aela is a female Nord and a lycanthrope, or werewolf, found at Jorrvaskr in Whiterun. She is a member of The Circle. She can teach you Archery skill.


 * To get Aela as a follower, you need to complete Glory of the Dead from The Companions.
 * You can marry her.
 * Aela is the only known companion who can be commanded to execute almost all human enemies when she is equipped with the the rare dagger "Nettlebane".

Athis

 * Athis is a male Dark Elf available after you complete Glory of the Dead from The Companions. He can teach you one-handed weapon skill.

Cicero

 * Cicero is a male Imperial found in the Dark Brotherhood questline. If you don't kill Cicero during the quest The Cure For Madness. When you finish the final questline The Dark Brotherhood Forever and take control of Dawnstar Sanctuary, leave the sanctuary and there you will find Cicero, happily jumping that you're the listener and becomes your follower. Cicero has excellent thief skills but is lacking defensively. Cicero will never use a bow unless it is the only weapon given to him, or the opponent is flying or in an unreachable area. Cicero loves his own voice and will comment on most locations you visit.

Dark Brotherhood Initiate

 * After finishing main Dark Brotherhood quest you will have possibility to invite one of the assassins to become your follower. You will find them in Dawnstar Sanctuary. There are both male and female versions of the initiate.

Derkeethus

 * Derkeethus is a male Argonian found trapped inside Darkwater Pass. After you free him and lead him out of the caves, you can choose to have him as a follower. If you do not, he will return to his home of Darkwater Crossing, sometimes found working in the nearby Goldenrock Mine.


 * You can also marry Derkeethus.

Faendal

 * Faendal is initially found in Riverwood, and will return there to wait for you if dismissed. To get Faendal as your follower you must complete the "Deliver Sven's Letter to Camilla" quest involving the fake letter from Sven, choosing to reveal the real nature of the letter to Camilla Valerius (i.e. telling her that Sven wanted her to think it came from Faendal). This gains you the gratitude of Camilla as well as Faendal. After completing this quest, you can ask Faendal to follow you and he will readily oblige. If he is encountered before Sven, it is Faendal who will suggest using a fake letter to discredit Sven, mirroring most players' experience. Faendal seems to have a lawful disposition; if you lockpick your way into residences, he will occasionally say, "You should not be in here". Also, if you enter combat with Whiterun guards, he will stop following you and begin attacking you. Note: if you spend the money to have Faendal train you and then make him your follower, you can access his inventory and take your gold back with no penalty.


 * Faendal is competent with bows but often prefers to use daggers and swords if given to him. He will sometimes not use any bow given to him and will instead use his default longbow (or his fists).

Jenassa

 * Jenassa is a female rogue-type Dunmer, initially found in The Drunken Huntsman in Whiterun. She has a lust for killing and advertises her shadowy sensibilities to the player. She is a mercenary and charges 500 to recruit each time, unless you are an elf, she likes you, or you are married to her. When dismissed, she lingers in the shadow of the archway between the Wind District and the Cloud District, or if married to the home you have chosen for her.


 * Note: As with all mercenaries, after quests which replace your current follower with a required person for the quest, she will have to be re-hired for another 500 . This fee will be waived if you meet certain conditions, in which case she will re-join you for free.


 * You can marry her.

Adelaisa Vendicci

 * Adelaisa is a female imperial available upon completing quests for East Empire Company in Windhelm.

Ahtar

 * Ahtar is a male Redguard usually found in the Castle Dour in Solitude. He can be recruited after the player completes his quest to hunt down and kill a bandit leader. He is a powerful melee warrior who specializes in two-handed weapons. As Solitude's executioner, he comes equipped with the unique weapon Headsman's Axe.

Annekke Crag-Jumper

 * Annekke is a female Nord, found at Darkwater Crossing.


 * To get Annekke as a follower, you need to complete a quest she gives you to clear a nearby cave of bandits.

Argis the Bulwark

 * Argis the Bulwark is your housecarl in Markarth. He'll become available after you become Thane of Markarth.


 * You can also marry Argis.

Benor

 * Benor is a gruff-sounding male brawler found in Morthal. He does well with two-handed weapons and does comparably well with a bow. To recruit Benor, the Player must bet 100 on his or herself against him in a bareknuckle-brawl.


 * Benor can also be married.

Borghak the Steel Heart

 * Borghak is a female Orc found in Mor Khazgur. She can be recruited if the player persuades her or pays her dowry. Borghak primarily uses a sword and shield making her a good tank if well equipped. She will not use the bow unless the enemy is out of range. Surprisingly she is also pretty good at sneak making her slightly more versatile.


 * You can also marry Borgakh.

Calder

 * After Becoming Thane of Windhelm, Ulfric Stormcloak gives the Dragonborn a housecarl named Calder.

Cosnach

 * Cosnach is a male Breton living in Markarth, usually found in the Silver Blood Inn or his home in the Warrens. He can become a follower after the player accepts his bet and defeats him in a brawl.

Erik the Slayer

 * Erik is a male Nord found in the Frostfruit Inn in Rorikstead. After convincing his father to let him become an adventurer, Erik can be hired for 500.


 * You can also marry Erik.

Farkas

 * Farkas is a member of The Circle. During the quest "Proving Honor", the Dragonborn is trapped in a cage. Farkas becomes surrounded by members of the Silver Hand, at which point he transforms into a werewolf and kills them.
 * You can also marry Farkas after completing The Companions Questline.
 * Farkas can train you Heavy Armor skill up to 90.

Ghorbash the Iron Hand

 * Ghorbash is an Orc living in Dushnikh Yal, an Orcish fort south of Markarth. He used to serve in the Imperial Legion, and can be persuaded, brawled, or bribed into joining you.


 * Ghorbash, like most Orcs, "follows to the death," and will resist arrest alongside the player. Ghorbash will use a bow and melee weapons.

Golldir

 * Golldir is initially found in Hillgrund's Tomb and can be recruited outside the tomb after you have helped him kill the warlock Vals Veran and complete Ancestral Worship.


 * He is a Warrior who specializes in heavy armor and one-handed weapons (seemingly so since he starts off with a one handed axe when you first recruit him).


 * He is also exceptional with two handed hammers and axes.

Iona

 * Iona will be your Housecarl when you became the Thane of Riften


 * She can be found in your home, Honeyside, in Riften.


 * You can marry her.

Jordis the Sword-Maiden

 * Jordis the Sword-Maiden is a female Nord warrior. She can be found in Solitude and is the housecarl of Proudspire Manor. You have to become the Thane of Solitude in order for her to be available.
 * You can marry her.

Kharjo

 * To access Kharjo, you need to finish a quest where you have to find his moon amulet. The actual location of Kharjo is at a caravan camp which stays in different areas, oftentimes just south of Windhelm. Talk to him to get the quest. Kharjo is an extremely versatile warrior who will use sneak, fight with a shield and one-handed weapon, and even occasionally use a bow.

Lydia

 * Lydia is a female Nord warrior from Dragonsreach. She becomes available after the revelation of the Dragonborn when Jarl Balgruuf appoints you as Thane and offers her as your Housecarl. Lydia makes competent use of all equipment given to her, being effective at both ranged and melee combat, and able to switch between the two as required. When dismissed, she will return to the Jarl's hall and linger near the dining table. If you have purchased Breezehome in Whiterun, she will instead return there. She makes a great tank when properly equipped in heavy armor.


 * Note: Her sneak skill is lacking and will often attract the attention of enemies. This give players with sufficient sneaking ability the chance to sneak attack the mob while Lydia has their attention. Unfortunately for low-level, lightly armored players, Lydia, like most melee Followers, has the tendency to draw the attention of many enemies at once, getting K.O.ed and leaving the player to fend off the entire group alone.

Mjoll the Lioness

 * Mjoll the Lioness is a female Nord found in Riften. She will be available as a follower after you find and give her back her sword Grimsever. Mjoll is a decent one-hander and shield tank. Mjoll approximates the Knight class, specializing in Heavy Armor and Two Handed Weapons, and her sword Grimsever does excellent damage as well. If well-equipped, Mjoll is fully capable of soloing blood dragons. She will use both staves and bows strategically if equipped.


 * You must be level 14 for her to give you her Quest.
 * You can also marry Mjoll.
 * She is tagged as 'essential', so unlike other companions, cannot die or be killed by the player, making her one of the more useful warrior Followers.
 * Seems she prefer Two handed weapons and will use that over a much better One handed and Shield. A work around might be to not let her carry any Two handed weapons (confirm plz?)

Njada Stonearm

 * Njada Stonearm is a female Nord, found at the home of The Companions in Whiterun. She is a warrior and specializes in the sword and shield. She can train you in Block skill.


 * To get Njada as a follower, you need to complete Glory of the Dead from The Companions.


 * As of version 1.1.21.0 she has very passive AI and will not attack any enemy unless she is attacked.

Ria

 * Ria is a female Imperial, found at the Companion's Faction House in Whiterun. She is a warrior and specializes in the sword and shield.


 * To get Ria as a follower, you need to complete Glory of the Dead from The Companions.

Roggi Knot-Beard


 * Roggi is a male Nord found in Kynesgrove and will join you after you find his family's ancestral shield. He will also train you 1 rank in Block when you complete the quest.

Stenvar

 * Stenvar is a Nord found in Windhelm. He can be hired for 500 as a mercenary from Candlehearth Hall. He is quite skilled with two-handed weapons, which he mentions when you first meet him. He wears steel armor and has a steel greatsword sheathed on his back. He's an excellent warrior, who is ideal to use due to his resiliency. He is also somewhat talkative, making a variety of remarks on locations you visit in your travels together.


 * He is also a potential spouse of the Dragonborn.

Sven

 * Sven is a male Nord initially found in Riverwood. He is the alternative companion available to you if you choose to lie to Camilla (as he instructs you) and give her the fake letter claiming it is from Faendal. Alternatively, you may encounter Faendal before you encounter Sven. If that happens, you must tell Camilla that the letter was actually written by Faendal himself to frame Sven. They will both have your gratitude, and Sven will offer to join you on your adventures.


 * You can find Sven playing music inside the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood.

Uthgerd the Unbroken

 * Uthgerd is a female Nord who is initially found in the Bannered Mare tavern in Whiterun. Upon meeting her, she will tell you she was rejected by The Companions of Whiterun for accidentally killing her dueling partner during her initiation test. The Companions dismissed her as having too much "heat and fury".


 * To recruit her you must first defeat her in an unarmed brawl. When you dismiss her, she will return to her home in the Cloud district of Whiterun.


 * Note: She makes an excellent tank.


 * You can also marry her.
 * You can acquire a near-full set of Steel Plate armor early on in the game by killing her as a follower.

Vorstag

 * Vorstag is a mercenary that can be found in the Silver Blood Inn in Markarth. He costs 500 septims to hire. He joins you equipped with iron armor, an iron shield and a one-handed weapon. He will return to Silver Blood Inn if dismissed or replaced due to follower joining for quest.


 * Vorstag makes a great tank, especially equipped with heavy armor and upgraded weapons. He can use close combat weapons, bows and staffs. It seems he choose the weapon type according to the situation well.


 * He will not go hostile on player if he is hit on accident during combat.


 * You can also marry him.

Lob

 * Lob is an Orc blacksmith living in Largashbur. He may join the player when they have completed the Daedric mission "the Cursed Tribe". He proves to be an effective fighter and often makes use of any and all two handed weapons.

Ogol

 * Ogol is an Orc trader living in Largashbur. He may join the player when they have completed the Daedric mission "the Cursed Tribe". He is a talented fighter who favors one handed weapons and will use them when prompted.

Animal Followers
NOTE: Animal followers can be used alongside any humanoid follower, so you can have one human and one dog follower simultaneously + Barbas for a total of 2 animals. Barbas does not count as a true follower since he is tied to his quest but unlike other quest forced companions (Farkas) your current animal follower will not be dismissed. Animal followers cannot be given items and thus cannot use equipment. As animal followers die with any killing stroke, they are not recommended late-game nor for use with powerful melee players, as a single attack from a high-level well-equipped player will result in the immediate death of your animal follower.

Meeko

 * Meeko is a canine follower that is found wandering near Meeko's Shack. Follow him and he will take you to his master's dead body. Read the note on the body to learn the master's will. Meeko's exact location is about 20 yards south of the shack. He should be sitting at the crossroads waiting.

Vigilance

 * Vigilance is a canine follower that can be purchased outside the city of Markarth, just inside the stables. He cannot carry items for you but will follow you in a similar manner to any follower. Vigilance is technically a mercenary, as you must pay the 500 fee each time you want him to re-join you.

Barbas

 * Barbas is an immortal dog pet with a very interesting secret. He can be found once you enter Falkreath and receive a quest by talking to the blacksmith. Occasionally, this follower fails to stop walking when the player walks, causing the player to be butted out of conversations or off cliffs.


 * He also does not count as a follower due to his quest so you can have him as a free 2nd dog.


 * Note: Barbas only follows you for the duration of the quest. If you want to keep him as a follower then DO NOT complete the quest. (The axe is a quest item, and cannot be dropped, but can however, be put on a weapon plaque in an owned house.)


 * Barbas also doesn't count as a true follower in that you will always be "Detected" when in Barbas's line of sight and acquire bounty for stealing items or picking locks if Barbas is in earshot of local guards, even if you are not in the guards' line of sight.

Known bugs

 * There is a bug related to companions' stats, which aren't updated on leveling (followers have the same level as player). There is an workaround (PC): Dismiss and wait until "Follower dismissed" message, open console, select follower with mouse an type "disable" (without quotations) and then "enable" commands. This is partially inventory-safe, and followers have no penalty for being dismissed, so you can hire them again for free. Equipped items on the follower will be replaced by the follower's default gear, so either take away any armor and weapons they wear or perform this while they are at their home location where they typically use their default gear over other items.
 * Some Companions are glitched such that they will not use a bow other than their default bow regardless of the quality of any bow the player might provide them.
 * Followers can be commanded to pick up items off the ground that would otherwise exceed their carry capacity and continue to move normally. In this way, followers can carry an "infinite" amount of loot. <-- This is bugged, certain items may not make it into their inventory, others will only have one show up, and some may be marked as stolen.