Followers are more than just pack mules in Skyrim, they’re essential allies that can turn a brutal dungeon crawl into a manageable quest or amplify your character’s strengths in ways you never expected. Whether you’re a sneaky archer, a spell-slinging mage, or a sword-and-board warrior, the right follower can make the difference between victory and a reload at your last save. This guide ranks the best skyrim followers available in the base game and explains where to find them, how to recruit them, and why each one deserves a spot in your adventuring party.
Key Takeaways
- The right Skyrim followers scale with your character’s playstyle, offering tactical advantages like tanking damage, additional DPS, spell support, or utility skills that transform dungeon encounters from frustrating to epic.
- Top-tier followers like Serana (immortal destruction mage), Lydia (level-capped warrior), and Farkas (high-damage melee fighter) serve different roles—choose based on whether you need magical support, tanking, or burst damage output.
- Equipping followers with appropriate gear (heavy armor for tanks, mana-boosting robes for mages) dramatically improves their combat effectiveness and turns them from liabilities into dynamic assets that scale with your progression.
- Followers unlock hidden quest content and provide roleplay depth through personal story arcs, making recruitment decisions impact both mechanics and narrative immersion in your playthrough.
- Management strategies like setting followers to wait before dangerous encounters, using attack commands to focus enemy attention, and rotating followers based on dungeon type maximize their effectiveness throughout your adventure.
Why Followers Matter in Skyrim
In a game as vast and dangerous as Skyrim, a well-chosen follower becomes your tactical advantage. Followers can tank damage, deal additional DPS, cast support spells, or pick locks when you’ve exhausted your own skill checks. The right companion scales with your playstyle, if you’re a destruction mage, a heavy armor tank keeps enemies off you: if you’re a rogue, a skilled archer creates crossfire.
Followers also provide roleplay depth. Characters like Serana develop through questlines that feel organic to the world, while others like Stenvar offer straightforward combat partnership. Beyond mechanics, followers unlock hidden quest content, recruiting certain characters opens doors to their personal stories and rewards. The difference between a solo Dragonborn and one with a quality follower often determines whether a high-level encounter feels epic or frustrating.
Top-Tier Followers and Where to Find Them
Combat-Focused Followers
Serana stands at the top of combat followers. She’s a pure damage dealer with high Destruction and Conjuration magic, survives encounters at level 80+, and is immortal (she won’t die permanently). Her arc spans the Dawnguard questline, recruiting her automatically puts her on your side. She scales with your level and comes equipped with solid spellcasting abilities. Her one downside: she levels slowly in melee combat, but her magic output makes up for it.
Lydia is your starting follower, obtained immediately in Dragonsreach. Many dismiss her, but she’s surprisingly effective. She uses steel plate armor, one-handed weapons, and scales with your level. Unlike some followers, Lydia has no level cap restrictions in newer patches, making her viable even at level 80+ combat. Her straightforward warrior role fits any character type.
Ysgramor’s Companions represent the hardest-hitting melee followers. Farkas brings raw physical damage with heavy armor mastery and an immortality-like perk (he won’t go down in story moments). Vilkas adds magic to his sword work. Both join through the Companions questline in Whiterun. Farkas especially excels against draugr and humanoid enemies where his high damage output shines.
Erandur, found in Dawnstar’s Nightcaller Temple, offers a balanced mix of Restoration and Alteration magic. He’s particularly useful for support healing during tough encounters and won’t attack followers who turn hostile.
Magic and Support Followers
Delphine emerges during the main questline as a Blades member with strong Destruction spellcasting. She uses robes and light armor, favoring ranged magic over melee. Her combat AI is sharp, she positions well and manages mana efficiently. She’s required for certain Blades quests, making her a natural pick for players pursuing that faction.
J’zargo is a Khajiit mage from the College of Winterhold with Destruction specialization. He levels slowly but hits hard with spells. His feline race offers unique flavor, and his questline adds personality to college-affiliated playthroughs. He’s solid for players who want magical DPS without tanking responsibility.
Mjoll the Lioness, found in Riften’s Bee and Barb tavern, combines warrior durability with moral conviction. She uses a unique sword and heavy armor, making her a hybrid fighter. She won’t equip daedric gear (alignment matters to her), which appeals to players roleplaying good-aligned characters. Her recruitment requires completing her personal quest chain, adding depth to her joining.
For Skyrim Special Edition users, mods enhance followers considerably. Platforms like Nexus Skyrim Special Edition host overhauls that improve AI, add perks, and expand follower variety. Skyrim mods that reshape follower mechanics are among the most downloaded, suggesting community demand for deeper companion systems.
How to Recruit and Manage Followers Effectively
Recruiting followers is straightforward but requires knowing the mechanics. Most followers join through story quests or direct conversation (they’ll have a “Follow me” dialogue option). Once recruited, they’ll wait where you told them or follow your lead. Only one humanoid follower travels with you at a time (though you can summon creatures separately).
Management matters more than most players realize. Giving followers appropriate gear dramatically improves their combat effectiveness. A heavy armor warrior benefits from Daedric or Ebony sets: a mage needs robes that boost specific schools of magic. Use the trade menu to equip them, they’ll use items intelligently based on their skills. Never leave your follower in iron armor if you’ve looted Dwarven or better.
Follow commands include waiting at locations, attacking targets, and gathering items. Set followers to wait before entering Dwemer ruins with radiation or traps they can’t navigate. Use “attack” commands in group battles to focus enemy attention. Followers can be dismissed and later rehired (they return to their home location). This flexibility lets you swap followers based on dungeon type or quest demands.
Some followers have limited availability, Serana becomes unavailable after Dawnguard’s final quest unless you install mods that restore her. The Daedric quests in Skyrim sometimes require specific followers, so plan recruitment accordingly. Check gaming guides on sites like IGN for location details if you’re unsure where to find niche followers.
Followers improve dramatically with investment. The difference between a level 5 Lydia in iron armor and a level 50 Lydia in Daedric plate is night and day. Feed them health potions during tough fights, use potions to buff their stats, and rotate followers based on their strengths. A follower isn’t a permanent liability, they’re a dynamic asset that evolves with your playthrough.
Conclusion
The best follower isn’t universally “best”, it’s the one matching your build and playstyle. Serana wins for sheer scaling and immortality. Lydia wins for early accessibility. Farkas wins for burst damage. Your ideal choice depends on whether you need tanking, DPS, healing, or utility. The recruitment system lets you experiment freely: recruit different followers, test them in combat, and rotate based on dungeon type. Skyrim followers transform from side characters into essential partners when you understand their strengths and equip them properly.
