The big open world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is excellent for exploring solo, but it's always better and more exciting to have a follower tag along on the journey. Given how many options the player has when it comes to followers, there's a perfect friend for any type of character in the game.
Many players don't even know the scope of what these followers can do, as well as their limitations. Unlike followers in many other games, those in Skyrim can be surprisingly vulnerable, but also have skills that can almost break the game experience when used to the player's advantage.
10 They Only Use The Best Items
Something to keep in mind when recruiting a follower is that they'll always have a standard set of weapons and armor. However, as soon as something better than their default options pop up in their inventory, they'll always prioritize better stats in gear and weapons.
This means that it's almost impossible to force followers to use a specific weapon or piece of armor, unless it happens to be the one with the highest rating. Followers will even go for weapons they have a low skill to use, so archers will prioritize two-handed swords even if they have almost no perks in that skill tree.
9 Most Can Join The Blades
Followers are usually considered an outside feature to most of the factions in Skyrim, or they might naturally already belong to a specific faction. However, many of them can be recruited to a special faction that's part of the main quest itself, known as the Blades.
The grand majority of followers can join the Blades regardless of their outward moral alignment. The only two major exceptions to this rule are Cicero from the Dark Brotherhood, as well as Serana from the Dawnguard DLC, who are both unable to join.
8 Not All Are Marked Essential
Games in general tend to make followers immune in the sense that enemies will never deal a killing blow to them and instead ignore a downed follower in favor of targeting the player character. This does happen in Skyrim, but it's important not to rely on this, since followers can actually die.
Most importantly, followers who aren't marked essential will be susceptible to dying. To avoid this from happening, make sure not to bait followers too much when they're downed, and instead pull the aggression and attention from enemies onto the player character instead. Dead followers can't be revived without cheats, so always provide followers with some health potions or food.
7 They Can Unlock Anything
One of the little-known features that followers have is their ability to pick any level of lock. This is insanely useful, especially very early on in the game if the player can get their hands on a decent follower, as they can access most Master-level locks too.
The only exception to this feature is of course any door or chest which requires a specific key or puzzle to open. Still, it provides so many opportunities right off the bat that it's almost a shame not to use a follower as soon as the player walks out of Helgen.
6 Some Report The Dragonborn's Crimes
Sadly, followers aren't just mindless NPCs who have no concept of what's going on around them. Even if that's what some of them seem like due to repetitive dialogue and vague background stories, they actually do care about the player's actions and behavior overall.
Some followers will tolerate just about anything, and for that reason make great followers for characters who enjoy wreaking havoc and doing evil. However, other followers won't just stand still and watch the Dragonborn go on a murder and thieving spree. Followers like Farkas can even report the player to the local guard and abandon them if their morality doesn't match their own.
5 Some Will Flee When Injured
Not only is follower behavior affected by their morality, it's also affected by their bravery in combat. Not all followers are ready to dash into a fight and protect the Dragonborn until their last breath. Some followers are, in fact, outright cowards.
While many followers will fight until being downed and eventually killed by the enemy, others will run away from the battle when they get hit badly. These are the types of followers that the player might want to avoid, since they're more difficult to bait. The best kind tend to be essential followers who, no matter what, will never die and make for the perfect bait in tough fights.
4 Non-Humanoid Followers
It's not just humanoid characters that the Dragonborn can grab along for their journey; a whole host of other, non-humanoid creatures can be at least temporarily brought along. In the base game, a dog can be gained as a follower, but won't be the most efficient friend when adventuring.
Through the Dawnguard DLC the player also gains access to armored trolls and Rieklings, who can act as simpler followers. They can't be spoken to and only receive very basic orders from the Dragonborn. It's still a nice little feature for players who want something a bit different.
3 They Can Perform Other Activities Too
Followers aren't just great for baiting enemies and opening locked doors and chests (or to entertain you with repetitive dialogue). They can also perform a variety of other tasks, including chopping wood if the Dragonborn can't be bothered with physical labor.
Followers can also be ordered to interact with objects and shrines. They can be told to sleep in beds or bedrolls. Funnily enough, they can also pickpocket for the player, as long as the Dragonborn remains unseen throughout the entire process. So play around and see what cool things followers can do, because they're quite extensive when it comes to in-game activities.
2 They Can Become Stewards
Players who own the Hearthfire DLC and have a homestead in Skyrim will be familiar with the concept of a steward, which is basically like a personal house-sitter. Luckily, many followers can adopt this role when asked, or if they're needed on an adventure, they can abandon their duties just as easily.
Only a select few followers can take on this post, and there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to who can or can't. Some notable followers who fit this position are Aela the Huntress, Vilkas, Brelyna Marion, Lydia, Roggi Knot-Beard, Uthgerd the Unbroken, Belrand, Faendal and Sven.
1 Each Of Them Has A Level Cap
The most important aspect of followers is knowing what their unique level cap is. Every follower is coded to only reach a specific level, which encourages the player to change followers as time goes on, since not all can keep up with the Dragonborn's growth. Moreover, although some have a taller level cap, those with a lower one might still have a better skill set, so taking advantage of them at lower levels is a great idea.
Before followers reach their cap, they will always mirror the Dragonborn's level. Some followers cap at 20 (Roggi and Sven) and most will cap at 30. Some exceptional followers cap at 40 (Mjoll, Torvar, Njada), while others, usually mercenaries and housecarls, cap at level 50 still (Jenassa, Lydia, Cicero, Farkas). Finally, some very special followers can level infinitely with the Dragonborn (J'zargo, Ingjard, Frea and Dark Brotherhood Initiates).