Few things revitalize a playthrough of Skyrim more than a memorable companion. Loyal friends, witty foils, snarky chums – follower mods have grown so sophisticated that they outshine the vanilla cast. With fully voiced dialogue, expansive questlines, and custom AI, today’s mods turn followers into some of the most compelling characters in Tamriel.
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You can find a mod for just about anything in Skyrim. These romance mods add a new element to the game.
Nevertheless, the volume of options can still overwhelm the most seasoned Dragonborn. Below are some of the best follower mods every player should try at least once, focusing specifically on originality, polish, voice work, and how seamlessly each companion fits into Skyrim’s world.
BJORN
A True Nordic Companion
If players ever felt the vanilla Housecarls were just placeholders for actual Nord muscle with personalities, Bjorn is your man. This bearded tank is designed from the ground up to complement two-handed melee builds. Bjorn uses his own voice pack that’s lore-appropriate, his idle banter being smartly limited, and he avoids the repetitive chatter that plagues lesser mods.
He comes with a significant quest chain, and if players follow it through, they’ll be rewarded with a friend (or lover) for life. Overall, Bjorn has enough personality, courtesy of his over 4,200 voice lines, to keep him relevant well past the opening hours.
Malryn
The Breton Spellsword
Malryn will greet players with a smile and a fireball between her fingers when players spot her in the Winking Skeever in Solitude. This Breton from Rivenspire brings over 3,000 lines of dialogue to the table, along with her blend of magical and martial abilities. She’s an eager adventurer who’s genuinely excited to explore Skyrim alongside the Dragonborn and possesses a “regard system” that evolves the relationship between herself and the player.
Malryn’s combat style focuses on conjuration magic, making her particularly effective for players who want some magical support in their corner. For added immersion, she’s compatible with camping mods, which is ideal for players who choose not to rely on fast travel. With thoughtful commentary on various quests, Malryn makes the vanilla experience better without overwhelming players with inane chatter.
Aniya
Sorceress Supreme
- Mod Link
- Created by: Kenerad and Peachyninja
Magic companions can be glass cannons, but Aniya flings her spells with precision. She features several thousand lines of voiced dialogue, recorded in a way that makes her feel as if she’s been in Skyrim since day one. Players can find Aniya at The Bannered Mare in Whiterun, where her intro quest gets the ball rolling on her backstory.
The mod features a romance system complete with relationship ranks, custom dates, and marriage options for those seeking a long-term commitment. Her dialogue is faction-aware and includes outfit management options, allowing players to customize her appearance. She also has a “relax mode” for downtime moments. While her magical abilities make her ideal for mage builds, her well-developed personality and voice work ensure she remains engaging for any playstyle.
Vayne Remastered
The Dhampir Assassin
- Mod Link
- Created by: coldsun1187 and Jobi-Wan
Vayne is a character who straddles the line between mortal and undead, being a hybrid of Dunmer and Nord vampire bloodlines. Voiced by Alexia Renaldis with over 580 lines of dialogue, Vayne’s story revolves around betrayal and transformation from an illusion mage into an assassin. Created by coldsun1187 and Jobi-Wan, this remastered version refines the original concept into a more polished experience.
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Players can recruit Vayne at Mistveil Keep in Riften, where her ties to the city’s underworld become apparent. Her combat specialization lies in stealth enhanced by illusion magic. Vayne comes equipped with unique perks like “Blood Money” and “Nightmare” that reflect her vampiric heritage. The mod also features a romance system for those interested in going down that route. Her background connects naturally to the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild questlines, making her an ideal companion for the morally flexible Dragonborn.
Xelzaz
The Telvanni Argonian
Players can always use a few more Argonian followers in Skyrim. They’re one of the most interesting races in The Elder Scrolls lore, so installing a few mods that add several more of these reptilian rogues is worth it. Fortunately, fans don’t have to look far when it comes to excellent Argonian follower mods.
Xelzaz is yet another fully-voiced follower, complete with over 8,500 lines of dialogue. In addition to his own unique questline, Xelzaz will also comment on various goings-on in the game. He can cook meals, brew potions, and read books aloud to the player while traversing the map. This intrepid Argonian even has a personalized theme and combat music. Best of all, he will also interact with other follower mods on this list, including Nebarra, Remiel, and Lucifer.
Shirley
Skyrim’s Grandma
- Mod Link
- Created/Uploaded by: The Circantolius Team / Thesparalius
It’s fair to assume that many Skyrim players have probably heard of Shirley Curry. She’s an 89-year-old YouTuber whose content revolves around Skyrim playthroughs. The Elder Scrolls community has bestowed upon her the affectionate nickname “the Skyrim Grandma.”
Now, through the efforts of the modding community, Shirley herself can be recruited as a follower in Skyrim. She even recorded lines of dialogue specifically for the mod, which is a nice touch. When looking to explore with a more lighthearted companion, Shirley is a safe bet.
Lucifer
The Cagey Argonian
Although Xelzaz will keep players busy for a while, fans who want another Argonian to tag along on their adventures should consider adding the intimidatingly-named Lucifer as well. This intriguing companion has over 6,000 lines of dialogue and will gradually open up about his past as players gain his trust.
Lucifer is a competent warrior and archer who will stick by the player’s side through thick and thin. Even though he may disagree with the Dragonborn’s actions from time to time, Lucifer is a companion worth learning more about.
Sofia
The Free Spirit
- Mod Link
- Created by: John Jarvis and Christine Slagman
Sofia is one of the most highly endorsed follower mods on Nexus. Her popularity stems mainly from her humorous (and often lewd) lines of custom dialogue. Traveling with her tends to brighten Skyrim‘s dreary atmosphere considerably.
The voice acting for Sofia is also top-notch. Listening to her jokes and comments doesn’t get old easily, and breaks up the humdrum routines of exploration. Players looking for another lighthearted companion should certainly consider Sofia on their next playthrough.
Gore
A Versatile Companion
Gore is a standalone follower with hundreds of lines of fully voiced custom dialogue, a detailed storyline with multiple lengthy quests, and custom commands unique to the character. Players can even direct Gore to set up camp, hunt, and cook, with the details changing depending on the region. This is a self-contained feature that doesn’t conflict with dedicated survival mods like Campfire and Simple Hunting Overhaul.
The campsites Gore sets up change and evolve as his quests progress and the story unfolds. It’s an immersive way to introduce a sense of bonding between the player and Gore. Best of all is a rechargeable flask players can get from Gore that heals 50% of the player’s HP and comes with 5 charges, sort of like Skyrim’s version of the Estus Flask. It can be recharged at Gore’s camps once the charges run out.
Redcap
The Riekling
Rieklings are kobold-like creatures that use spears as their primary method of combat. He may look comical, but he has an extensive storyline, 2600 lines of fully-voiced custom dialogue, and a robust list of features that put him leagues above most followers, vanilla and otherwise. Redcap is a ranged damage dealer, using spears instead of archery or magic to take down his foes. He has eleven different armor sets unique to him, each one changing his appearance and his abilities on the go, and he rides a bristleback mount that’s unlocked by progressing his questline.
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While there are plenty of reasons to recruit Redcap the Riekling solo, the mod author has added another interesting incentive for players in the market for a new follower mod for Skyrim: interactiveness with other follower mods. Redcap has hundreds of lines of dialogue that only come into play when talking to certain modded followers. These include Inigo, Xelsaz, Remiel, Nessa, Shellby the Shellbug, Gogh the Goblin, and a few others. In fact, Redcap, Xelsaz, and Remiel have three-way dialogue when recruited in the same party, resulting in full-fledged party banter that feels like something straight out of a Dragon Age game.
