Most games don't have a high number of active players after ten years on the market. That doesn't mean they're bad games, and they'll always have their fans; they're simply no Skyrim, is all. After modern remasters and new console launches, the modding community has had a blast crafting rich additions to the perennial breadwinner.

Related: Skryim: Best Weapons And Armor Mods So Far

With followers being such a significant aspect of the game, many players have offered their various talents in order to extend the game and give it more RPG elements, such as letting people develop relationships with the folks lugging around all their stuff. There are a lot of follower mods that accomplish this wonderfully, so where do we even begin? Right here, of course, with the best follower mods in Skyrim.

Updated March 12, 2023 by Cameron Miller: Despite having been released over a decade ago at this point, fans of Skyrim are still dedicated to the game. Players are certainly dedicated, but so is the thriving modding community for the game. Skyrim modders have been thrilled to craft some incredible changes, and in some instances improvements, to many people’s favorite game.

Everyone knows that Skyrim is filled with plenty of fantastic followers, but it’s hard to please absolutely everyone. Luckily, modders have taken it upon themselves to create some unique followers to spice up your adventures. It seems likely that the many follower mods will only continue to get better by the day.

15 Kaidan

Kai should be on the "try-out" list for anyone wanting follower mods, if only for his immaculate voice. If you stay in the prison for a bit in the Live Another Life mod, you'll meet him right out of the door. Granted, his dialogue gets repetitive after a while, but the delivery is so good, and his storyline is a lot of fun.

Kaidan does have some glitches on the console version (constantly crouching, getting stuck in a dungeon), but even with that, this mod is still fun to use for a while. Kai's a heavy-lifter follower, which is perfect for a rogue or mage who needs someone to go in and take the brunt of the damage.

14 Caesia

With over 730 lines of original dialogue, this boisterous chatterbox is full of witty comments, yet she remains shrouded in mystery until you manage to develop a deeper relationship with her. Caesia has a particular disposition which results in her regarding you more or less highly for specific dialogue options you make when conversing with her.

This can make your relationship with her a bit rocky until you get a better sense of her personality, which provides an additional fun challenge for some. Despite her particularities, Caesia is wholly accepting when it comes to romance, and entertaining relationships with players no matter their race or gender. The closer a relationship you are able to form, the more you will unravel about this mysterious follower's background.

13 Dovahbear

Have you ever wanted to wander around in Skyrim with a bear as your best friend? Well, this mod is able to let you live out that dream. Considering there’s plenty of fantastically strong wildlife in Skyrim, who wouldn’t want to team up with some of it for their adventures?

The work on Dovahbear seems to be ongoing, which is fantastic because that means more and more support is possible over time. If your bear companion can one day unleash a few shouts of its own as you battle your enemies, Skyrim will become a much more fascinating game to explore.

12 Recorder

The fan theories surrounding Recorder alone are proof enough that this mod needs to be downloaded. She doesn't reveal much about her past or why she's there other than the fact that she's recording the Dragonborn's adventures for "The Academy." She states that she's been to other fantasy worlds, such as Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda games. She changes her voice in different scenarios.

Recorder's just a fascinating person to have along on the adventure. She looks really cool, sounds really cool, and maintains an exciting presence. Also, her Blue Palace story in Solitude is terrifying. We'll leave it at that.

11 Arissa

With the original storyline, Arissa was written to accompany the always-awesome Dragonborn for the long haul, from the start of the game to the journey's end. This Imperial-born rebel thief comes with over 600 bits of dialogue, all beautifully voiced by Nikitta. She is a masterful burglar and a capable combatant.

Related: Skyrim: The Best Horse Mods

Arissa's skills include dual-wielding and one-handed weapons, archery, lock-picking, and the adaptability to move comfortably in any armor type. Not to mention she introduces a whole new area to explore. Her character questline is short but full of heart, during which you'll come to know this lovely (if a bit mischievous) character.

10 Eryniel

Eryniel is of the custom Epic Elf race and has mastered nothing short of 35 spells under the teachings of the Spriggans. She is as distinctly beautiful, with flowers lightly tattooed across her nose and cheekbones, as she is effective.

Her custom perk set makes Eryniel a formidable supportive companion, capable of flanking enemies and unleashing devastating power with her unique Spriggan magic and traditional archery skills.

9 Shirley

You will not find a more heartwarming companion than Shirley. Shirley Curry, known lovingly throughout the Bethesda games' modding community as "Skyrim Grandma," is an older lady with a passionate and pure-hearted hobby of playing through the game and live-streaming her experiences.

It could be argued that it's a bit ageist to make a huge deal out of a person of advanced years who derives enjoyment from a (relatively) modern experience but watch her videos for five minutes, and you'll almost certainly come to understand what makes Ms. Curry so precious. Myriad are they who have made careers out of streaming Skyrim, but Shirley's one of the few who has in turn been made into a companion. Shirley stands out among them all, with authentic personality traits that outshine every vanilla companion combined.

8 Sofia

Sofia is pretty dang funny. She doesn't have a lot of story content, but to make up for that, she has an outstanding voice actor. Sofia's jokes, while sometimes quite lewd, are fitting for a companion known for their humor. She's one of the highest-rated mods in Skyrim, period. People love her the quirky gal for her banter and character interactions.

No spoilers, of course, but her romance is also a hoot. Most people who enjoy follower mods will take Sofia along with them because she just feels like a friend, which is what people want from an RPG. Why would you take along a follower that angers or annoys you when Sofia's right there waiting to crack a strange joke at someone else's expense?

7 Interesting NPCs

Interesting NPCs is, unsurprisingly, not the name of a single companion. (What a weird one that would have been.) Instead, it adds dozens more characters into the world of Skyrim, all with so much voiced dialogue from a team of more than 80 voice actors. Many of these NPCs banter among themselves and offer the player a bevy of dialogue opportunities that can impress them, depress them, or even infuriate them.

The reason we can get away with including this popular mod here is that Interesting NPCs includes several followers as well. While none of them are as individually poignant as many of the other entries, combined they're an incredible feat.

6 Garm The Husky

If you’re tired of all those human companions, you might be interested in wandering Skyrim with a trusty dog companion. That’s where Garm The Husky comes in. The wonderful follower mod lets you adventure with an incredibly useful, and incredibly good boy.

There are a variety of versions of Garm and you can control the size of the pup in order to have the best companion possible. Most games let you pet dogs, but this mod lets you make one be your best friend while you go around slaying rogues, mudcrabs, and dragons.

5 Lucien

Lucien has some of the best random voice lines of any follower mod out there. He quotes Batman while sneaking, before apologizing for speaking while you're trying to be quiet. Unlike many follower mods, Lucien's creator is also quite active with updates. He reacts to other popular mods, including followers. He comments on quests and new places and has helpful insight into some of the more academic quests like the Mages Guild and the Elder Scrolls portions of the main quest.

Related:Skyrim: The Most Unnecessary Mods That We Can't Live Without

Lucien's personal questline is as entertaining as any of his best lines. We won't spoil a thing, except to say that there's a horse named Clyde in the download and that fact is going to stick with you in the long run.

4 Hoth

Hoth is a bristly bounty hunter who will bring a truly unique and exciting experience to your gameplay. This Nord started as nothing more than his armor when his namesake wanted to create a unique armor set — and special it is, as Hoth wears his greatest kills as his latest fashion.

After attracting immediate attention from many wanting him for their own playthroughs, Hoth soon developed into a full-fledged character, fully voiced with backstory and the tattoos and scars to match. He wields his own custom weapon and fights in the two-handed style. Hoth is an imposing force, but the coolest thing about him is his profession. As a bounty hunter, Hoth is regularly presented with contracts which, of course, you'll be able to take part in while traveling with this brute. And yes, his name's a Star Wars reference. As if that was ever in doubt.

3 Cerwiden

Like many other fantastic Skyrim follower mods, Cerwiden will have a lot to say throughout your adventures. The fantastic healer is quite the intelligent follower as she will be able to aid you in battle much more effectively than many others.

Many of her spells will be cast to buff you as you go into combat, but once that combat has become heated, Cerwiden will then choose the perfect spells to use to help you dominate the fight. All of that’s already great, but she also has a unique quest line to explore as well.

2 Luna

Luna is an exceedingly powerful mage who specializes in necromancy. She is born of an ancient Elven race and has developed an ever-changing personality that can be bubbly and childlike or escalate into a psychotic rage. Her backstory unfolds a mesmerizing account of the terrifying power she wields today, one that may even be equal to the Dragonborn. This power seems to be tied to the magical tattoos that branch all over her body and dramatically affect her sanity.

This mod ports over Luna from the vanilla Skyrim, so you can try to harness her waves of chaos and get her to help you along your adventures through Skyrim Special Edition and Anniversary Edition. Taking Luna along will never prove a dull adventure.

1 Inigo

Inigo is a treasure. His banter is so layered and amusing, and while having plenty of stories. There are also plenty of chances for interaction with him and they never fall short of funny. His story is a little lacking, but he makes up for that with improvised songs and a certain Mr. Firefly.

He reacts to quests, and modders have their mods built to respond to him. You know you've done well when fellow content creators make sure to include extra days of work just to ensure their own characters can have a go with ol' Inigo.

Next: Ranking Skyrim's Most Hilarious Mods