Highlights

• Some followers in Skyrim act as burdens, while others are powerful shields, deadly damage dealers, or supportive healers.
• Armored Trolls from the Dawnguard DLC may lack conversation skills but excel in combat with their resilience and strong melee attacks.
• Different followers come with different skills. Onmund provides destruction magic, Jenassa is adept in archery and light armor, and Mjoll excels in heavy armor.

The ability to have AI-controlled companions has been a nice feature in many of the Elder Scrolls games. They not only help to stave off loneliness in the sometimes bleak and cold world of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim but also carry the burdens of traveling alongside the player, both figuratively and literally. Skyrim is a diverse land with many adventurers seeking knowledge, power, and riches. In their search, some may align themselves with the Dragonborn, although not all followers are made equal.

Some followers lack the necessary qualities to be genuinely useful, acting as baggage. Others, however, can be stalwart shields, deadly damage dealers, or supportive healers. Which NPCs are the best followers in Skyrim that players should seek out? This question can be hard to answer, especially with players having their own subjective preferences. However, for the most part, players should be in good hands if they choose certain companions who boast diverse skill sets and can tackle most battles without breaking into too much of a sweat.

Updated on April 14, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Skyrim is a game that continues to be a source of great joy for players who love exploring the world of a title that has become the gaming equivalent of comfort food. There's something to be said about Skyrim's engaging open-world design and how much of a contrast it is compared to Starfield's endless procedurally-generated planets that don't provide nearly enough variety for players to continue playing a game that clearly needed more time in the oven. While the solitude that comes with exploring the world of Skyrim alone can be quite enjoyable, traveling with a companion can make one's adventure much more engaging, especially if said companion is able to stand out from the crowd.

20 Armored Troll

Can Be Hired From Gunmar

For a price, players who have the Dawnguard DLC can hire an armored troll or armored frost troll as a follower from Fort Dawnguard after a certain part of the DLC questline has been completed. These brutes may not be capable of conversation, sneaking, or interacting with humanoid NPCs, but they sure do pack a punch in combat.

Usually, facing off against a troll is tedious due to their great health regeneration. With a troll for a companion, however, players can have that very same trait on their side through a bestial companion reinforced with armor on top of an already resilient hide.

Armored Troll's Best Skills

The Armored Troll does not have skills like a humanoid character; however, they pack a mean set of basic melee attacks - as one would expect from a troll. Their armor also makes them pretty tanky and able to continue their fierce rampage.

19 Onmund

A Student At The College Of Winterhold

The College of Winterhold makes for a fun area to get lost in, even if players don't need to be all that adept at casting magic to be accepted by this school. Regardless, players can bond with their fellow students here and embark on some fun adventures as they slowly uncover the corruption a work.

There are many students that players can team up with, exploring the world to their heart's content with these companions in tow. One such character is Onmund, who is indebted to the player after they recover their amulet for this student.

Onmund's Best Skills

Onmund specializes in Destruction magic of the lightning variety, making him a useful asset against enemies that are weak against this element. He prefers to keep his range, making him the perfect partner for the Dragonborn while they get up close and personal with their enemies.

18 Jenassa

Found In The Drunken Huntsman In Whiterun

A follower who can be recruited in Whiterun, Jenassa is a mysterious and bloodthirsty character. The Dragonborn is almost compelled to have one eye on her at all times if they choose to take her on as a follower.

While not an outright warrior, Jenassa is still pretty effective in battle. She specializes in more dextrous and lightweight equipment while fighting, making her quite rogue-ish in her approach to combat.

Jenassa's Best Skills

Jenassa's skills are well-developed when it comes to Archery, Light Armor, One-Handed, Block, and Sneak. She can use light armor to great effect and dance around enemies with her attacks.

17 Ingjard

Available After Completing The Prophet Quest

Dawnguard is a great piece of DLC that adds a ton of fun content to Skyrim. The eponymous faction fights against the vampires that are swarming the land and will happily help the player if they choose to fight against the vampires, too.

One of the members of the Dawnguard who can become the Dragonborn's follower is Ingjard. Surprisingly enough, she'll still accompany the player even if they happen to be a vampire themselves.

Ingjard's Best Skills

Ingjard is a warrior who has all the major bases covered. She excels in Heavy Armor, Two-Handed, Block, and Archery, making her a strong asset in any combat situation.

16 Erandur

Possible Follower Based On The Events Of The Waking Nightmare Quest

Depending on the events of the Daedric Quest Waking Nightmare, the Dragonborn can end up with a new follower, so long as they do not choose to kill him at the end of the quest. Erandur is a Dunmer mage who is adept at using magic.

Players looking out for a medium-range mage will be served well by Erandur. That being said, it's important to deck him out with powerful gear so that he isn't taken out with a few attacks.

Erandur's Best Skills

Despite being a healer, Erandur is adept at using both magic and melee attacks if the situation calls for it. He's a great companion for players who want a mix of restoration and offense.

15 Farkas

Found In Jorrvaskr, The Companions' Headquarters In Whiterun

The twin brother of Vilkas is one of the strongest members of the Companions that players can ask to accompany them on their travels. Despite his specialty being blacksmithing, Farkas doesn't shy away from picking up the weapons he's forged to lay waste to his enemies when the time calls for it.

He's a powerful warrior who can slice and dice enemies to ribbons along with the Dragonborn. He's more reluctant to transform into his Beast state, giving his character some much-needed depth in a faction that can feel a bit too pompous about their evolutionary powers.

Farkas's Best Skills

Farkas is a warrior who prefers to get up close and personal with his enemies, making him a great meat shield for players who specialize in ranged damage.

14 Vilkas

Recruitable After Completing The Companions' Main Plotline

The Companions are fascinating characters that players can interact with from the moment they reach Whiterun. They're pretty tough in combat and reveal themselves to be werewolves once the Dragonborn gains their trust.

Completing their questline allows players to ask one of the many members of the group to become their follower, including Vilkas. This character is a great melee combat specialist who is fairly adept in Archery as well.

Vilkas' Best Skills

Vilkas is a warrior through and through, making him a force to be reckoned with during melee combat. He specializes in Two-Handed, Heavy Armor, Block, Archery, and One-Handed.

13 Teldryn Sero

Present At The Retching Netch Inn In Raven Rock

The land of Solstheim is truly beautiful to explore, featuring many tough challenges that high-level players can tackle. Suffice it to say, having a companion will make combat scenarios somewhat easier to deal with, and this is where Teldryn Sero comes into the picture.

He's a follower that players can hire in Raven Rock — more specifically, inside the Retching Netch Inn. He costs 500 gold and is well worth this investment once players see just how effective this Spellsword is in combat.

Teldryn Sero's Best Skills

Teldryn's combat skills are perfect for both short and long-range combat. He's adept in one-handed combat and Destruction magic but can also use Conjuration spells to summon a Flame Atronach and add another fighter to aid the Dragonborn during their adventures.

12 Eola

Becomes A Follower After Players Join Her Twisted Cult

It's a shame that using Eola's abilities as a follower requires the player to go down a pretty dark route. She's the leader of a cannibalistic cult, and players can only get into her good books if they decide to join the cult themselves.

She combines regular physical skills and magic to great effect against her enemies. If the player wishes to roleplay as an evil character, Eola will be a great companion.

Eola's Best Skills

Eola is a great spellsword, using light armor and one-handed weapons if the enemy closes the distance. Otherwise, she can use Destruction magic and summon a Flame Atronach to bolster her offense.

11 Brelyna Maryon

An Apprentice At The College Of Winterhold

This mage can be found in the College of Winterhold, and players will gain the option to recruit her as an ally after they help her with a magickal experiment. Unlike a few other spell-slingers that the Dragonborn can ally with, Brelyna can do more than just fire off Destruction spells.

She will often initiate combat by casting the Oakflesh Alteration spell to buff her defense before zapping and burning attackers. She can also summon Atronachs, which can be great for taking the heat off of the player as well as increasing the damage directed at enemies.

Brelyna Maryon's Best Skills

This mage has high Alteration, Destruction, and Conjuration skills. However, none of her weapon-based attacks will be useful. Thankfully, she can manage her magicka pool well enough so that this isn't much of an issue unless an enemy gets right up in her face and prevents her from casting spells.

10 Marcurio

Hireable From The Bee And Barb In Riften

Found in Riften's The Winking Skeever bar, Marcurio is a mercenary that players can hire for a bit of coin. However, he's not the sword and shield kind; he's a mage and comes with a surprising repertoire of spells. For offense, he favors lightning-based spells, which make him a great ally for when one wants to take down enemy mages, as lightning magick saps foes' magicka bars.

In addition, Marcurio has multiple Restoration spells, like Close Wounds and Fast Healing for increased longevity. Furthermore, he also knows Turn Undead, which he will prioritize casting against Draugr and other lifeless adversaries for great crowd control.

Marcurio's Best Skills

The magical mercenary comes with solid Alteration, Destruction, and Restoration skills. As such, he can be helpful at mid and long-range but can struggle if foes get too close. His healing spells are particularly versatile.

9 Dark Brotherhood Initiate

Complete The Dark Brotherhood Questline

At a glance, the Dark Brotherhood Initiate may seem like the most boring party member to hang around with in a game with endless companions who are way more interesting. However, if players prioritize utility in combat and exploration above everything else, then this follower is one of the best ones they can traverse the vast lands of Skyrim with.

This nameless character has a level cap of 100, meaning that they'll indefinitely level up with the player and be more than competent enough to take on the toughest enemies in the game, which is no mean feat. This fact in itself makes the Dark Brotherhood Initiate one of the most powerful companions in Skyrim's late game.

Dark Brotherhood Initiate's Best Skills

The Initiate is a jack of all trades as long as players keep them supplied with powerful weapons and armor at regular intervals. They're also marked as Essential, meaning that they'll never suffer a permanent demise and will stay with the Dragonborn no matter what happens.

8 Aela The Huntress

A Member Of The Companions' Inner Circle

Aela can also be met in the Companions guild. After the player proves themselves during the events of the Companions questline, she can become a follower. With her expert archery, Aela can be a great ally if ranged damage is needed.

Aela can even teach the Dragonborn things about using a bow until Archery level 75. She also has relatively high skill in Light Armor, so if the player gives her some, she can make great use of it.

Aela The Huntress' Best Skills

Although she's known best for her superb Archery skill, her other best ones are Light Armor and Sneak. Her One-Handed and Speech skills are not far behind. This makes Aela a versatile companion who can be useful for any player build. Furthermore, having great Sneak is convenient for players who need to use stealth.

7 Barbas

A Shapeshifting Daedra Masquerading As A Dog

At first glance, Barbas just looks like a cute dog, and he is. But he is also a separate part of the Daerdric Prince Clavicus Vile. He can be encountered near Falkreath on the road, where the player can interact with him and start a Daedric questline.

Barbas will then begin to accompany the player and will do so on all adventures until a certain stage in his Daedric questline is passed. However, if the Dragonborn does not continue with this questline right away, they can take Barbas with them on all adventures. This Daedric dog is great because he cannot be killed and does a surprising amount of damage.

Barbas' Best Skills

This immortal dog has no true skills, similar to the Armored Troll. However, Barbas is great at a few things. Firstly, he's an irreplaceable tank and an additional companion that can follow the player around, essentially meaning that one can have a party of 4 separate entities (not counting summonable allies). With Barbas, the player can potentially bring an actual companion as well as a dog, somewhat turning Skyrim into a party-based RPG.

6 Mjoll The Lioness

Retrieve Her Sword, Grimsever, To Recruit Her

The mighty Mjoll can be met in Riften. If the player talks to her, they can learn of her missing sword. To get her as a follower, the Dragonborn must find Mjoll's blade in the Dwemer ruins of Mzinchaleft and return it to her. She will be grateful enough to tag along on adventures if her company is requested.

Since Mjoll is also classified as an essential character, she cannot be killed by normal means, making her a great tank. Her Heavy Armor and Two-Handed Weapon skills are high enough to make her useful in a fight if equipped properly.

Mjoll The Lioness' Best Skills

As one would expect, Mjoll's best skills are Heavy Armor and Two-Handed, though her Block and Archery are not bad either. It's important to note that she may try to equip One-Handed weapons from her inventory instead of Two-Handed ones, even if the damage output of the Two-Handed weapon is higher. As such, players should avoid having Mjoll hang onto One-Handed weapons.

5 J'zargo

Complete The J'zargo's Experiment Quest

The Khajiit mage from the College of Winterhold is one of the most colorful characters in Skyrim. His comical questline and his dialogue with the Dragonborn make him one of the most memorable followers in Skyrim.

J'zargo is also skilled in the usage of many spells, particularly Destruction ones. He can deal out decent magickal damage as well as heal the player if needed, making him a versatile and effective follower.

J'zargo's Best Skills

No one will be surprised to learn that J'zargo's best skill is Destruction. However, he's actually got decent levels in all the other schools of magic as well. His Restoration, Alteration, Illusion, and Conjuration are high enough for J'zargo to use spells from all of them to decent effect. Some of the more interesting spells that everyone's favorite Khajiit mage knows are Paralyze (Alteration) and Soul Trap (Conjuration).

4 Lydia

Sword To The Dragonborn After Completing The "Dragon Rising" Quest

There's no denying that Lydia is far from the most notable follower in the game. She's acquired after the completion of the Rising Dragon quest, which makes for a satisfying payoff after pursuing the many quests and errands available in the game.

The Housecarl has some interesting things to say about every place and is a companion that players can spend hours with. Perhaps it's Lydia's non-intrusive nature as a companion that makes her so iconic in Skyrim, despite not really being all that unique.

Lydia's Best Skills

Focusing more on heavy armor and one-handed weapons, Lydia is about as simple a companion as one can get. She rushes into battle headfirst, making her a great (if somewhat simple) tank who can draw aggro in a fight.

3 Cicero

Spare Him During The Cure For Madness Quest

The infamous jester from the Dark Brotherhood can be recruited as a follower if he is spared following the Dark Brotherhood questline's conclusion. Cicero has excellent Archery, Sneak, and One-Handed skills, along with proficiencies that make him a decent follower if one needs to do some stealth.

Unfortunately, Cicero dances awkwardly on occasion to the discomfort of many players. His strange jokes also could make one grow weary of his company, so the jester's presence is very much an acquired taste.

Cicero's Best Skills

Of course, the deadly assassin Cicero has very high Sneak and One-Handed skills, although his Archery and Light Armor are nearly as high. Strangely, although his Alteration skill isn't high enough to be noteworthy in combat, it's higher than the rest of his unused skills. Maybe this jester has some hidden tricks up his sleeves in the form of less-used spells.

2 Serana

A Central Character In The Dawnguard Questline

Easily the strongest out of Skyrim's humanoid followers, Serana possesses high levels in Destruction, Conjuration, One-Handed, and Light Armor skills, making her very offensively versatile. Since she is a vampire, she also has access to spells unique to this sub-race, like the Vampiric Drain spell, which she seems to enjoy using frequently.

However, Serana's greatest combat power is the exceptional necromancy skills that allow her to resurrect corpses to fight for her and the Dragonborn. She's proficient enough in this area to even raise higher-level bodies than other followers skilled in Conjuration.

Serana's Best Skills

Sneak is definitely Serana's highest-level skill, although her One-Handed and Light Armor skills are not far behind. A little bit lower is her Conjuration skill, though this is still far higher than her others. Serana's Destruction and Alteration skills are moderately leveled but are negligible compared to her top ones.

1 Flame Thrall

A Master-Level Conjuration Spell

Flame atronachs can be fought at various points around the northern province and are often difficult foes who constantly unleash flame attacks. They can also be summoned temporarily with Conjuration spells, though one in particular stands above the rest.

Flame Thrall is a Master Conjuration spell that permanently summons a stronger version of a typical flame atronach. This means that this fiery ally will only disappear if it is banished by its master or killed in combat. Since Flame Atronachs can be resummoned, they are potentially the best follower in Skyrim if someone needs high amounts of fire damage and a technically unkillable living torch.

Flame Thrall's Best Skills

As a summonable ally, the Flame Thrall does not have skills. However, they heavily use the Flame Cloak, Firebolt, and Flames spells, which are all from the Destruction school of magic.