Skyrim is easily one of the biggest and most popular games ever made. The title is full to the brim with content across the board, with the vanilla game in itself taking players hundreds of hours to complete. Of course, it would be impossible to talk about the draws of Skyrim without mentioning the amazing modding community that has consistently been delivering excellent fan-made content that makes Skyrim even more of a joy to play through.

Helgen in Skyrim
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Every mechanic of Skyrim has been experimented upon with mods to the point where most people find it downright impossible to play the base version of this game. The romance mechanics are another aspect of Skyrim that has been tweaked heavily to great effect. Players who want to see just how modders have played around with the romance aspect of this game can find some of the best romance mods for Skyrim after doing a bit of research.

Updated on December 22, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: The release of Starfield was considered by many to be a disappointing outing for Bethesda, with the dated presentation, lackluster combat, and the lack of awe-inspiring exploration causing many to write this game off as nothing more than a mediocre chapter for a studio that had something to prove. That being said, people still have faith that things can turn around for Bethesda. After all, a game like Skyrim needed something magical to be made, and the developer still boasts a wide array of talent that can help them reach the heights they enjoyed back when the fifth Elder Scrolls game came out. With mods augmenting the romance of this game, players have another reason to delve into an adventure in these Nordic lands and forge a bond with its many residents.

21 Remiel-Custom Voiced Dwemer Specialist And Companion

Downloads: 613,399

Remiel mod for Skyrim

There are many companion mods for Skyrim that players can download to experience some well-made custom content. However, this can be hard to find, and there's nothing more immersion-breaking than reading through walls of text in a game that requires voiced talent to immerse players.

Remiel is a companion mod that feels right at home in Skyrim. This Breton engineer brings a customized Dwemer follower with her into battle, and her dialogue is well-written. Suffice it to say, most players wouldn't mind romancing her when their bond is high enough.

20 Aurlyn Dawnstone - The Reclusive Philosopher

Downloads: 142,563

Aurlyn Dawnstone mod for Skyrim

There's something about a character shrouded in mystery that makes them so engaging to converse with, but executing such a personality takes some skill. Thankfully, most people would agree that Aurlyn is a pretty great voiced follower who fits right into the world of Skyrim.

This mage is pretty powerful and has a lot of reactive dialogue to the events that take place in the game. With numerous memorable interactions and a romance path, it's easy to see why this follower is perfect for fans seeking out good romance options.

19 To Have And To Hold

Downloads: 340,270

skyrim-marriage-thumbnail

Marriage isn't all that fleshed out in Skyrim, with a single favor being enough to woo most women into falling for the Dragonborn. It can be rather silly, but the act of having a family in the game is still pretty great in its own right. However, some players would love to have multiple families in various settlements all over Skyrim, which may not align with the concept of monogamy itself but is still something that fans may be interested in if they don't want to choose from one of the many eligible marriage candidates in the game.

A split image of the best total conversion mods for Skyrim
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With the To Have and To Hold mod, players can have a total of 11 marriage partners in the game, which can certainly make for an interesting development. Of course, polygamy is an abhorrent tradition that should never be practiced in real life, but some players who want to mess about in Skyrim without taking this practice seriously may find this mod to be worth experimenting with.

18 Rigmor Of Bruma

Downloads: 378,594

Rigmor Of Bruma mod for Skyrim

While various mods enhance the act of romance itself in some form or the other, the fact is that the base systems themselves can't be reworked entirely without breaking some other facet of Skyrim. Thankfully, players who may be disappointed by this fact that rest assured that most fans have filled up the vacuum when it comes to the writing of these romances, mainly in the form of the many companion mods that players can download for Skyrim.

Almost all of these fan-made companions have fleshed-out sidequests that can potentially culminate in a beautiful romance. Rigmor of Bruma is one such character that fans will have a great time interacting with, especially due to a riveting story that leads to the Dragonborn becoming her guardian protector after a series of events transpire when players meet her for the first time. This leads to a fun questline as players uncover the depths of Rigmor's character before potentially engaging in a romantic relationship with her too.

17 Khajiit Will Follow

Downloads: 515,993

Khajiit Will Follow Companions Mod From Skyrim

Players love interacting with the Khajiit in Skyrim, making this mod perfect for them. It adds four fully-voiced Khajiit followers across the world of Skyrim that players can recruit and form some great bonds with. To make things even better, all four characters have their romantic arcs that players can get invested in.

It's hard enough to make one follower whose story players can get invested in, so it's great that this mod adds four incredible followers who are pretty fun to engage with. Chances are that players will be so engrossed in one character that they'll completely forget that three more immaculately-written followers exist.

16 Improved Follower Dialogue - Lydia

Downloads: 571,000

Skyrim Lydia Mod

Lydia is one of the first companions that the Dragonborn travels with around Skyrim. However, after a point, players will realize that her dialogue pool isn't all that deep, and pursuing a romance with her isn't all that satisfying either.

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Thankfully, all of this changes with the Improved Follower Dialogue mod for Lydia, which does exactly what is stated in the title. The voice acting is surprisingly professional and makes interacting with this follower all the more organic and impressive.

15 Serana Dialogue Add-On

Downloads: 4,453,437

elder scrolls 5 skyrim serana vampire

Speaking of mods that add more dialogue for certain followers, another great fan-made mod that comes to mind enhances the player's interactions with Serana considerably. Considering how many people interact with this character, it's easy to see why this mod is such a hit.

Serana is one of the most intriguing characters in the game, introduced in the Dawnguard expansion. She has a unique look and useful abilities, and having the ability to talk at length with her and potentially start a romance is pretty impressive indeed.

14 Relationship Dialogue Overhaul

Downloads: 8,090,998

Skyrim Mjoll Romance

Dialogue in Skyrim is certainly one of its weaker aspects, with the overall writing of Skyrim not being all that great. Thankfully, there are so many mods available for the game that this ends up being somewhat of a non-issue.

The Relationship Dialogue Overhaul mod ensures that every character has something unique to say, based on the relationship they share with the Dragonborn. This affects spouses too, leading to romantic conversations having way more flavor than ever before.

13 Song Of The Green (Auri Follower)

Downloads: 2,003,536

Song of the Green (Auri Follower) mod for Skyrim

Custom follower mods are some of the best ones to pick up, especially if players want to enjoy a personalized and enjoyable romance. Such is the case with the Song Of The Green (Auri Follower) mod, which adds a whole new follower and quest line into the game.

Players who are interested in the Bosmer race will find a lot to enjoy with this mod. Auri is a Wood Elf archer who is pretty snarky, yet has a soft side that players can explore in a pretty unique romance.

12 I'm Glad You're Here

Downloads: 484,403

I'm Glad You're Here mod for Skyrim

For the number of character interactions that are present in Skyrim, it's a shame that players can't interact with followers and loved ones in a more personal manner. This changes with the advent of the I'm Glad You're Here mod.

Skyrim Best Wives Feature
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Not only does this mod allow the Dragonborn to hug the people closest to them, but it also adds unique dialogue as well. This applies to a character's lover or spouse, with players enjoying personalized interactions with the people their Dragonborn has chosen as a partner.

11 Caesia Follower - Borne of Magic - Revamped

Downloads: 145,615

Caesia by Miroslav Yegorov mid-conversation in Skyrim's Morthal

There is a slew of companion mods that players can download to enhance their enjoyment of Skyrim. This can make it slightly hard to choose from one of the many mods that allow players to hang out with these custom companions.

Caesia is one such follower who can make Skyrim more memorable. This cocky and witty companion might not give off the greatest first impression, but players who decide to give her a chance will find themselves enjoying one of the deeper romances.

10 Kaidan 2

Downloads: 36,429

Kaidan flirting with players in Skyrim

Players looking for a fleshed-out male romance option should check out the Kaidan follower mod. While the base mod is decent enough as is, players looking for the definitive experience should check out the Kaidan 2 mod instead.

The upgrades to this mod make Kaidan one of the most entertaining custom followers around. This, coupled with the interesting romance players can undertake, makes him a must-have companion for the game.

9 Interesting NPCs

Downloads: 4,581,126

Interesting NPCs New Charaters

For the most part, NPCs in the world of Skyrim are pretty barebones and fulfill the minimum requirement to be considered as an actual part of this living, breathing world. However, fulfilling this basic metric still isn't enough for many players, and understandably so.

This is precisely what Interesting NPCs aims to change. It integrates a bunch of characters throughout the world that are fully voiced, with some of them either being romanceable or having side quests of their own.

8 Viconia DeVir For Skyrim

Downloads: 80,753

Viconia DeVir mod for Skyrim

Companion mods are all the rage in Skyrim's modding community. However, the quality of most of these mods isn't really up to par with the game's standards, resulting in some companions that feel woefully out of place in the Dragonborn's party.

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Viconia DeVir is an exception in this regard. This custom companion is easily one of the best inclusions in your copy of Skyrim, and the fact that she's voiced by Amber Lee Connors is a treat. Players will certainly have a great time romancing this unique character.

7 Mirai - The Girl With The Dragon Heart

Downloads: 436,277

Mirai - The Girl With The Dragon Heart mod for Skyrim

Another companion mod that deserves a ton of praise is Mirai. The backstory of this character is truly riveting and makes for one of the biggest reasons why players should download this mod and check out this character for themselves.

Players can find this Breton mage near her home in the city of Markarth. Getting to know her is quite a treat, and finally getting into a romantic relationship with this character is immensely satisfying.

6 Vilja In Skyrim

Downloads: 848,565

Vilja by Emma Amgepo Lycanthrops stands outside in Skyrim's Whiterun plains

Out of all the companion mods for Skyrim, Vilja is easily the most popular of the lot. This companion is famous for featuring a massive amount of content, and sporting observations for almost all the areas of Skyrim — an immense achievement in its own right.

Most people have issues with the voice acting of this companion, which is fair enough. However, players who manage to look past this minor annoyance will find themselves enjoying one of the best Skyrim companion mods.

5 Raven Of The Reach

Downloads: N/A

Raven Of The Reach mod for Skyrim

The idea of joining the Forsworn sounds like nothing more than a pipe dream in Skyrim. However, mods tend to make the impossible possible, and Raven of the Reach allows players to join this tribe and engage in a surprisingly entertaining questline.

The focus on the relationship with Cael the Chieftain is the biggest highlight of this mod. Players who want to enjoy a well-written romance should check out this mod sooner rather than later.

4 Casavir Romance: A Paladin’s Tale

Downloads: N/A

Casavir Romance A Paladin’s Tale mod for Skyrim

Another companion mod that's accompanied by a great questline and an engrossing romance is Casavir Romance: A Paladin's Tale. Engaging with this character and uncovering his past is one of the foremost reasons why players should check this mod out.

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Casavir is a surprisingly well-developed character, and the battles that players will engage in with this Paladin by their side are quite fun to play out. He's a great romance option for players who wanted better male romances in Skyrim.

3 Legend Of The Blue Dragon

Downloads: 20,054

Legend Of The Blue Dragon mod for Skyrim

A mod featuring a great questline that kicks off after the death of Alduin, Legend of the Blue Dragon is a great way to add more content to the post-game of Skyrim. Of course, the two romances that come packaged in the mix are also quite engaging in their own right.

This story-driven mod is surprisingly riveting and will keep players engaged to the very end. It helps that all the new characters added in this mod are also quite interesting as well.

2 Anna’s NPCs

Downloads: 109,453

Anna’s NPCs mod for Skyrim

Anna's NPCs is easily one of the biggest and most notable mods on this list. The sheer amount of content it adds to Skyrim adds hours of playability that will keep players very happy indeed.

This mod adds a whopping ten followers that have unique voice lines and character arcs of their own. Exploring all these arcs is bound to be a treat, and the player would certainly appreciate that their avenues of romance are expanded considerably with this mod.