Vanilla/DLC Followers - Favourites and Least Favourites

[RunicGray]

Reading on from the Most Fucked Vanilla Female NPCs thread, I noticed a lot of followers in there that people liked - some of which that I just wasn't feeling the love for in any sense. So I was curious - on ANY level really, who is your favourite female and male followers from the game? What about your LEAST favourite ones?

 

This is for followers already in the game, not those added by mods. If an overhaul mod has made a vanilla follower one of your favourites, feel free to include them - but no custom followers please. You can share your reasons or not - I have below in spoilers, because I ramble.

 

 

Favourite Females (in no particular order):

• Jenassa
  
  Special place in my heart, because she was my first hireling. Even if she is ugly as sin in vanilla.

• Ravya
  
  Because for some reason, she seems to take being my housecarl more seriously than any of my Nord ones.

• Karliah
  
  Because, HOT DAMN. <3

 

Favourite Males:

• Marcurio
  
  Originally, he just balanced my main character's combat style, as she was mostly melee and archery. But he stuck with her through most of the main quest and became a Blade. He now resists in their house, the Elysium Estate, with their two kids, their housecarl (Ravya) and my various followers.

• Argis the Bulwark
  
  Because he's rugged and manly. Nuff said.

• Brynjolf
  
  Sparrow and he became quite close by the end of the Thieves' Guild questline.

• Ralof, Hadvaf
  
  These two will always be special, because they are the start of it all.

 

Least Favourite Females:

• Lydia
  
  IF I HEARD THAT "BURDENS" LINE ONE MORE EFFING TIME... Luckily, I won't, because there's a lovely mod called "Less Bitchy Lydia Sounds" that removes it. I don't bother with her ever still - she can go guard the world against Dragons forever, for all I care.

• Serana
  
  I know a lot of people like Serana. So far, I'm not in love. Her sarcasm is more grating than anything to me and feels like a cliche. I'm hoping she warms on me.

• Delphine
  
  For someone whose meant to be important to the main quest, she's kinda...bland and samey. Was unimpressed with her.

 

Least Favourite Males:

• Sven
  
  Because, fuck you, you smarmy git!

• Faendal
  
  Only so many male Bosmer followers you get, and you get this sneaky, shady, would-play-dirty-to-get-the-girl asshole. I disapprove of your methods, Faendal. NEITHER YOU OR SVEN DESERVES LOVE.

• Mercer Grey
  
  If you've played the Thieves guild questline, you know why. YOU KNOW.

[Beagle2]

Tbh I have no idea by which criteria I could actually decide to like or dislike any of the vanilla followers, as they are soulless shells with no personality and almost no dialogue. I travelled a lot with Khajro, for some reason, so at least I remember him. I guess my favourite would be Serana, because Bethesda actually gave her some lines to speak and a bit of personality, so it was a huge step ahead.

[Guest]

Well, there is ... uh no, not even one. I dislike them all equally for one big reason:  Boring, Dull, Lifeless drones... every last one.

There is a reason there are companion mods like Vilja, Cerwiden, and Alicia!

[xenic]

 

Reading on from the Most Fucked Vanilla Female NPCs thread, I noticed a lot of followers in there that people liked - some of which that I just wasn't feeling the love for in any sense. So I was curious - on ANY level really, who is your favourite female and male followers from the game? What about your LEAST favourite ones?

 

 

There is a mod somewhere on the Nexus that replaces Lydia's voice with a seductive one and the "burdens" line with "How may I please you Thane? I'll do anything." It got a little weird because it replaced that particular voice for every npc that used it.

[Silver Wolf]

I thought nobody hates Lydia.... oh c'mon, how can anyone hate Lydia ?

[foxia]

Honestly, if I were to go by Vanilla...

 

I'd say Aela the Huntress, Mjol the Lioness, and Karliah were my favorite females in Vanilla Skyrim.

Farkas, Vilkas, Brynjolf, and Cicero were my favorite males in Vanilla Skyrim.

 

Aela (along with Vilkas and Farkas to a degree) I think gets further improved when used with "Enhanced Skyrim Factions: The Companions Guild" and "Enhanced Skyrim Followers: Aela The Huntress

 

Since it really adds more detail to the companions and there history. It seems to give everyone in the companions a bit more personality too and makes the entire Companions Questline come to life.

 

ESF: Aela the Huntress also gives further detail on her and a literal continuation of what was done in ESF: Companions Guild. She feels more like the nord she is suppose to be, and really gives you more history of Hircine, herself and really starts making you think and care about her kinda like a bioware Character. Which that was the inital goal for the mod. It's not entirely completed, no marriage options yet. But enough is there to make it worth while at playing and really appreciate the detail put in to further fleshing her out

 

 

Mjoll, was kinda a personal favorite since she's rather blunt and honest about things, not afraid to tell the truth despite knowing danger lurks by from Maven Black-Briar and the Thieves Guild. She Truly loves the city of Riften and doesn't wanna see it ruined. It almost makes you wanna help her cause. Sadly Bethesda didn't provide an option for getting rid of the Thieves guild like The Dark Brotherhood.

 

Thankfully the mod:

Destroy the Thieves Guild made it possible, fun, and glad to help Mjoll in her quest to save Riften from Maven Black-Briar and the Thieves Guild.

 

Karliah was also quite fun. I think for her though, the mysterious part was the more interesting part, and the twist to learn that

she wasn't the one who betrayed the Thieves Guild, it was Mercer Frey that did it

 

 

Brynjolf was rather interesting, he needed help and when he finds out your the best at what you do he grows great respect for you and what you do with helping the guild. He's almost like the proud father figure of the Thieves Guild. So that kinda was an interesting piece for me with him.

 

Cicero... Well who wouldn't wanna a freaking crazy as hell, necrophiliac, killer jester by there side, wandering around (and killing people) in skyrim?

 

Favorite DLC Females would really be Serana.

 

Yeah some of her character is Cliche, however this was Bethesda's attempt at both creating a Bioware style NPC, and also create a more Visual Novel Style Character. It wasn't a great attempt but good enough. Especially once you go through all the options for her (Being Evil Asshole Vampire or Being Sweet and Caring Vampire Slayer). She is pretty well developed and rather fun, even willing to poke fun at herself  because even she is willing to admit it's a cliche at times. Only things that annoy me is that they did the same thing to her like all the other NPC's and after her questline they stopped creating more detail for her especially with things like the main questline, Dark Brotherhood, Companions, Thieves Guild, College of Winterhold, Civil War Questline or even in Dragonborn and it's questline.  That and you can't marry her if you get the option to convince her to become human again...

 

Atleast some mods fixed these slight problems like:

Marriable Serana

Serana Dialogue Edit

 

I really didn't have any favorite DLC males They were all rather bland and uninteresting.

[Dubhorizon]

I will go only for their attitude and dialogue since they all look beautiful with the mods I have

 

Favorite Females:

 

 

Jenassa for the way she talks, Lydia as a housecarl and later steward but not as a follower, Uthgerd the Unbroken for her amazonian attitude.

 

 

 

Favorite Males:

 

 

Cicero because he is mad as a hatter and Sithis' favorite. Kharjo because he is an awesome Khajiit. Farkas because he is honorable even though simple minded.

 

 

 

Least Favorite Females:

 

 

Delphine because I hate her know it all attitude and her lack of emotions. Njada because she is a bitch and Ria because of her voice and the things she says "I killed a bear yesterday, did you kill anything?" .

 

 

 

Least Favorite Males:

 

 

Marcurio. I found him while looking for a follower to kill for Boethia and the few words he said made him ideal. J'zargo because he knowingly gives you botched fire spells. Sven and Faendal for not deserving the balls the were given and last Esbern because he needs a mod to not be bugged and the way he says "Dragonborn" makes me want to fus roh da him from the top of the mountain.