There are two kinds of Skyrim players. You’re either the kind of player to run around the vast land on your own. Or, you’re on the other team where you enjoy the game’s companion system and enjoy their presence in your journey.
Obviously if you’re in the first group, this list isn’t for you. But if you like some company for the road, I have a bunch of mods that will make your followers and companions better. Especially if you’re bored with the monotony of Skyrim’s generic NPCs.
20. Song of the Green
Starting off, here’s a cute follower with a sad backstory. Auri is a Bosmer, or Wood Elf, from Valenwood. You’ll find her chilling in Falkreath, and like most followers on this list, she will be eager to follow you. She’s well voice acted and has a lot to say about the world, but what I find particularly cool is hearing about Bosmeri culture from her.
There’s also a short and bitter-sweet quest associated with this follower. After talking to her for a bit, you’ll find her feeling homesick. To make her comfortable and to open up about her past, you’ll take her to some of the most beautiful forested caves in Skyrim. Little by little, she opens up, and the payoff is worth it.
The climax of the quest is very beautiful, accompanied with atmosphere and music. Auri’s backstory is very emotional. If that’s your thing, you will definitely enjoy this mod.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
19. Lucifer
I know what you’re thinking, what a tacky name! A name like that doesn’t really belong in the Elder Scrolls world, especially on an Argonian. It’s something that’s well integrated in the storyline, however.. You see, Lucifer is an Argonian who was raised by someone else, and even he doesn’t understand why he was named so strangely.
Lucifer doesn’t immediately share information with you, as strangers wouldn’t. As you experience more of Skyrim together, you will learn his backstory as well. It’s kind of a slow burn, so you’ll benefit most from having him around from the beginning. Plus, there are over 5000 lines of dialogues! So there’s a lot to listen to!
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
18. Remiel
Remiel is a breton who specializes in Dwemers. She’s a little weird, which adds to her charm. And surprisingly, she’s not a fighter. No, she’s more of a mechanic, kinda, and she has a pet Dwemer Spider for when hands need to be dirtied.
While not as extensively written as Lucifer, the number of lines she has is still substantial. I’m talking about 2500 lines, which is quite impressive. She also has a lot of banter lines with other popular companions, which is pretty cool. Her experiments will also progress as you take her to more Dwemer ruins in Skyrim.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
17. Livia Salvian
Yet another mod from the author of Death Consumes All. If you don’t know, that mod is a large-scale with a very dark quest and tangible consequences for Tamriel. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, so it’s understandable if you don’t want to play it. But if you still want the companion it adds, this mod is the solution. Naturally, if you have the mod, then skip this one.
Livia is the daughter of an Imperial Chancellor, so she’s very pro-Empire. She has around 500 lines of dialogue, all of them voice-acted very well. The actress nailed the noble upbringing in her tone, which is an impressive feat.
Her writing is quite impressive, with a lot of background information and personality. As a pro-Empire warrior, she will not like it at all if you kill the Emperor. Traveling together and spending time will improve your relationship with her, and she will open up more.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
16. Improved Follower Dialogue - Lydia
Remember the excitement of meeting Lydia for the first time? If you came from any Bioware or Obsidian games (FNV is technically theirs) you might have expected her to have opinions, insights and comments about the world. Remember feeling deflated when all she cared about was carrying your burdens?
The mod author clearly feels that way too, because they went out of their way to write a personality for Lydia. Now she is no longer a generic NPC. When you meet for the first time, she will be very skeptical of you. As you travel together and complete quests, her opinion of you will rise.
With this mod, Lydia will actively talk to you during different stages of the Main Quest. Additionally, she has lines of dialogues regarding some factional quests and can communicate with some followers. With around 800 lines of dialogue, it is a highly recommended mod.
Download Mod: Special
15. Arissa
Arissa’s a thief follower who is waiting at the Dead Man’s Drink in Falkreath. She’s a rogue type follower who comes with two quests and plenty of world interactions. But before that happens, you get to meet her through her intro quest. And she does leave an impression, by knocking you out and robbing you.
Besides the quest, she has some other interesting features. In towns, you can temporarily part ways and meet up later. If you follow her around, you might catch her thieving around. She’ll be tight-lipped at first, but open up as you spend more time together.
Download Mod: Legendary
14. Serana Dialogue Add-On
This one’s a bit of a mixed bag, in my opinion, but a lot of people like it. In short, this is a mod that aims to enhance Serana by rewriting her dialogues, personality and adding a lot more content. On one hand, the mod author put a tremendous amount of effort into making this mod. Credit where due, even though the voice actress replaces Laura Bailey's unreal voice, the work has to be respected.
On the other hand, the author’s direction and vision differs too greatly from Bethesda’s design, which is a dealbreaker for a lot of players. I personally am not a fan of that. But if you’re fine with that, and you want a waifu experience, this mod is for you.
Whether it’s for better or worse, Serana has a new, haughty personality which is consistent through all her new lines of dialogues. She will comment on a lot of things and will interact with the world to a far greater degree. There’s also a heavy focus on the romance aspect, so if you’re looking for that, there’s a lot this mod offers.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
13. Khajiit Will Follow
Khajiits are pretty cool. Hailing from the land of Elsweyr, they have a very unique culture and an even more unique creature mythology. And while Skyrim does have Khajiit followers, it’s only 2 compared to the 66 total followers in the game. When you take the modding scene into account, the numbers are still skewed. And that’s where we have Khajiit Will Follow, a mod that adds 4 fleshed out characters!
Like many other mods in this list, the characters have their unique introduction quest and interesting backstories. Their combat styles are different, making it possible to have a Khajiit for any occasion. All of the Khajiits are marriable as well. And one of the coolest features is that it has supporting lines for other mods such as Forgotten City and Vigilant. If you’ve read my other list, you know how highly I think of them!
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
12. Vilja
Ah, Vilja! She’s one of the OG followers. And I don’t mean for Skyrim. The mod author initially made her for Oblivion. That’s right, the game that didn’t have a follower system!
To say Vilja’s writing is extensive is an understatement. The same can be said about the features introduced in this mod. She has a complete questline revolving around her, you’re essentially a sidekick helping along. I personally don’t mind that, but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
She has a lot of available interactions with the vanilla game and the DLCs. Her dialogues with Serana, though, don’t have any written responses, so they feel a little weird. And personally, I find the extra features to be a bit too extensive. But that’s the same thing that appeals to the fans of this mod.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
11. Citizens of Tamriel
Citizens of Tamriel is a large-scale mod from a very prolific mod author. It actually adds 3 followers only alongside 43 NPCs, but it really cannot be dismissed. The mod author takes inspiration from old-school RPGs and attempts to write characters with personal motivations and interesting themes.
Some of the NPCs will be comical, others will have very serious demeanors. One of my personal favorites is a Snow Elf pilgrim whom you can meet in the Forgotten Vale. She will be very somber and disappointed in what her people have become.
Despite the great things about this mod, some characters just do not land. Most people who have played the mod have complained about an NPC who appears at the Throat of the World. While it’s not impossible for them to be there, it takes away from the quiet theme of pilgrimage. Still, I don’t think the list would be complete without mentioning the mod.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
10. Lucien
Lucien is an Imperial scholar, boasting around 4500 lines of dialogue. Unlike most followers, he’s a coward. But if you give him a chance to follow you around, over time, with training and experience, he will grow into his strength.
One of the biggest appeals about Lucien is how his personality changes as his confidence grows. His dialogue reflects that too. He has some books with him that he can read to you, if you want an audiobook experience. The mod also has built-in interactions with many other mod added followers.
This mod also adds unique quests, which take you to some cool looking places. These locations were designed by none other than the JKrojmal, the talented mod author of JK’s Skyrim and Darkend. Lucien is a very fun follower and overall enjoyable experience.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
9. Nessa
This is another mod by Craftian, the mod author of Citizens of Tamriel. Nessa is short for Sanessa, who is a Redguard thief in Skyrim. Just like Arissa, your initial meeting doesn’t go that well. She’s a kleptomaniac who tries to steal from you, and then when you find her, she is already in bigger trouble. It seems she has a knack for getting into trouble.
Since this part is in the mod description, I can say it without calling it a spoiler. In her intro quest, you’ll find out that she cannot die because of lore-reason and lost her arm in the last job she did. Naturally, this is the prelude to an even cooler story.
The mod comes with multiple quests and many reactive lines to vanilla content. Like all of their mods, the quality of writing is very good and has to be experienced by playing it. One warning, while it’s not confirmed, the followers might have incompatibilities with other follower management mods.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
8. M'rissi's Tails of Troubles
This one is for all of you who love a sad backstory and some choices in your questlines. M’rissi is a Khajiit who doesn’t quite look like the typical furstock in Skyrim. Now, I know that some furstocks are similar to humans in appearance. But M’rissi is a lot more than meets the eye.
If you ever wanted a mod that gives you a reason to hate the Thalmor, this one is pretty much it. I really can’t say more without spoiling anything but to be concise, they’re hunting her and they’re not being nice. On the other hand, if you’re roleplaying as someone just as ruthless, you can do that as well. The mod lets you make good, bad and evil choices.
M’rissi’s quest is a long one, and features several endings. The dialogues you choose during your playthrough will affect the final outcome of the quest, which is always a cool design. It’s a very immersive and lore-friendly quest and companion that I cannot recommend enough.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
7. Kaidan 2
Kaidan is described as a romantic male follower in the mod’s description. But that doesn’t do justice to all that the mod has to offer. You can definitely go that route, or you can have a great friend. In either route, this mod has a heavy focus on bonds developing over time. Kinda sounds like another Kaidan I know…
The quest begins at the Abandoned Prison (you know, there’s only one in Skyrim) where he’s in a not-so fun state. The bonding mechanism is time and dialogue based rather than depending on quests. So the more time you spend together, the more dialogues will be unlocked and you’ll get to know him better.
And of course, he has many reactions to vanilla events. Which means you might want to keep him around just to see what he has to say.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
6. Serana Dialogue Edit
Ah, Serana, lovely Serana! She’s definitely the most popular follower from Skyrim, and this mod is a godsend. Unlike the other mod I mentioned, this one keeps very close in design to Bethesda’s version. There are some new lines of dialogues from both the player and her, the latter being fully voiced. Some of those were actually dug out from cut content!
It also expands her available commentary. Now, her lines are nowhere as extensive as the rest of the followers on this list. However, I believe Serana’s charm mostly comes from the shared experience of Dawnguard’s very linear questline. And the mod takes advantage of that, letting you two converse through various stages.
This mod also has some lines for the Dragonborn DLC but they’re pretty unimpressive. The problem with using existing lines is that there aren’t many possibilities to create new ones. Still, I’d definitely take this mod and just not take her to Solstheim. Sorry Serana, no island vacation for you.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
5. There Is No Umbra - Chapter II
This mod adds a quest and a sword companion who will fall in love with you. Okay, so that might not have been the best way to sell it. And I am trying to, because the mod is really good.
So a little backstory. Umbra was a Daedric Artifact of Clavicus Vile, a sentient sword which was destroyed in the events of The Elder Scrolls: The Infernal City (a novel.) It’s a fan favorite from the previous games, so it’s natural that many mod authors have tried to remake it in Skyrim. This mod takes the concept and creates a very well-written quest around it.
I can’t talk about the quest any more without spoiling it. Let’s talk about the sword. You can use her as a weapon, or a companion. In the first form, she’ll be a two-handed sword. The latter is her default form, and she’ll only let you wield her once she trusts you enough. Another cool feature is you can travel on the floating sword.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
4. Light and Shade
Light and Shade adds a quiet follower named Eris. She is blind and wears a mask all the time, and one of the best things about her is the voice acting. Whoever voiced her has the voice of an ethereal angel. It’s a voice that feels soothing and yet untouchable at the same time.
The mod comes with some features to her without going overboard, which I highly appreciate. She has an adaptable combat style which you can customize by talking to her. She comes with an awesome armor set, and she can learn spells and skills as you experience Skyrim together.
But the best thing about her, though, is the dialogue. She has around 1100 lines, and she has interesting interactions after many of the named quests. The questions she asks are always philosophical, and I personally find it a great way to establish or roleplay the mindset of my player. For example, she will ask you how you feel about the Psijics taking the eye and you can answer optimistically or like someone who doesn’t care.
Light and Shade is a must-have for any playthrough. It’s very easy to get attached to Eris because of her uniqueness, and I can’t think of any other follower mod that executes the thoughtfulness this well.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
3. Mythos
From the author of mods like Citizens of Tamriel, Light and Shade and Nessa, I have yet another entry. This one is equal part quest and follower mod. It adds two followers into the world of Skyrim with fully fleshed backgrounds and personalities. Their quests have branching paths, inspired by old-school RPG games.
Let’s start with Karna. She is a Nord woman who follows the old ways. Now most of Skyrim is very Imperialized, but you will find traces of the old religion in the outskirts. She doesn’t know much of society and is a berserker all the way! Her intro is done through a detective style quest that has you reading notes and following clues in the game world.
Bacchus is a Dremora follower who likes the finer things in life. It shouldn’t be surprising, considering his name is literally the same as the Roman god associated with hedonism. His intro also requires you to go somewhere and figure stuff out.
Like most other followers in this list, they will be tight-lipped at first. As you travel together, you will earn their trust and they will reveal more of their personalities. Through the battle your bond will deepen, or something like that.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
2. Inigo
And now, let’s talk about everybody’s favorite blue cat. And I’m not exaggerating. Go anywhere online and look for ‘Skyrim followers’ and Inigo will be on that list. And there’s a very good reason for that. Inigo is that well-written.
You will meet Inigo in the Riften Jail. He’s a little… not fully there. Whatever his problems are, you will find it very rewarding to take him on your travels. He has an astounding number of 7000 lines! Seems like no matter what happens, he’s got something to say.
Personally, I just love hearing his stories. He has a fun way of talking, making his tales entertaining to listen to. There are some really interesting things he says that make you think ‘Wow, they thought of that?’ While there are some people who didn’t like him that much, that number is very few!
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
1. Interesting NPCs
And now, we get to one of the biggest NPC mods ever. Interesting NPCs might have a bland name, but it really delivers what it promises. Most of the NPCs added by the mod are just NPCs with their lives, which are pretty fun to listen to. It’s a stark contrast to Skyrim’s NPCs or followers who are mostly just there.
This mod has some of the most impressive followers and quests I’ve played. Actually, about the quests, there are some that I am discovering even to this day. Granted, some of them are a little buggy on heavy modded setups. And some of them have very tight requirements. But I am just a sucker for their writing.
Now let’s get to the followers. Personally, I think this executes that aspect much better than Citizens of Tamriel. The followers use the vanilla system, but they have a lot to say in most cases. A lot of them are associated with their own quests, which require getting to spend time with them and asking the right questions. And I mentioned the tough prereqs before, which means you have to pay attention and make intuitive leaps at times.
While there are some complaints, I personally don’t do any playthroughs without this mod. The character designs and writing combined make it a gem that stands the test of time.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
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