The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim offers players plenty of things to do and see. This myriad collection of activities, however, doesn't have to be experienced alone. Plenty of recruitable followers are willing to tag along with the Dragonborn in their adventures. Nevertheless, most players by now have likely traveled with just about every vanilla follower in the game.
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Fortunately, that's where mods come into play. Follower mods in Skyrim range drastically in their quality. The best ones are typically those with custom dialogue and associated questlines. Among these, a handful are really quite impressive and tend to stand out from the rest. Players can't go wrong sharing their exploits with these faithful companions.
10 Inigo, The Khajiit Sneak
Inigo is perhaps one of the most popular and recognizable follower mods out there. Vanilla Skyrim contains disappointingly few Khajiit followers. Inigo, however, more than makes up for that deficiency with his well-crafted and likable persona.
He possesses over 7,000 lines of unique dialogue, commenting on a wide range of topics. Inigo is a stealth-centric companion who avoids clumsily blundering into traps. He'll even whisper when the player speaks to him while sneaking, which is a nice touch. It's definitely the quintessential Khajiit follower mod for Skyrim.
9 Hoth, The Grizzled Bounty Hunter
As far as companions go, Hoth is certainly one of the more intimidating. A gruff, experienced bounty hunter, Hoth never walks away from a fight. He's fully voiced, containing thousands of lines of unique dialogue. As a two-handed weapons expert, Hoth is perfect for plunging into the fray with a fury.
Visually, Hoth's appearance is also unique. His clothing and body textures are custom-made, which makes him stand out from most other followers. Interestingly, he's also able to give the player radiant bounty quests an infinite number of times. Never charge into battle without this grizzled veteran by the Dragonborn's side.
8 Arissa, The Wandering Rogue
Arissa is a rebel at heart, possessing no qualms about flaunting the law. She's the type of companion who's in it for the long haul. Getting to know her extensive backstory is a huge part of her appeal as well. With over 600 lines of custom dialogue, players can spend quite a bit of time getting to know Arissa. Her voice acting is one of the mod's high points, feeling like a natural extension of the vanilla game.
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Arissa also possesses a unique loyalty system known as "Regard." Improving Arissa's Regard unlocks new abilities for her as a companion. It's worth noting, though, that players using the Special Edition of the game will have to port the mod using Bethesda Archive Extractor.
7 Familiar Faces, Traveling With Oneself
This mod represents an interesting take on the follower mechanic. Why travel with a stranger when players can explore Skyrim with themselves? The Familiar Faces mod allows the player to port characters from other save files into their current game.
These ported characters will maintain their old playstyles and equipment. Fighting alongside a fellow Dragonborn can really come in handy after all. The Special Edition version of this mod can be downloaded for free on Patreon. Players using the older, Legendary Edition version of Skyrim can find it here.
6 Kaidan, The Romantic
For players who enjoy a little romance along with their questing, the Kaidan follower mod is a good choice. Like other companions on this list, players will need to spend some time with Kaidan to learn his backstory. His and the Dragonborn's relationship will play out organically through conversations and dialogue decisions.
As far as combat is concerned, Kaidan is a satisfactory tank. He can withstand as well as deal respectable amounts of damage in a fight. Getting to know Kaidan, either platonically or romantically, is something worth consideration when choosing interesting follower mods.
5 Lucien, The Imperial Scholar
Follower mods with well-crafted character arcs are hard to come by. Lucien is one of the few who possesses one, and is one of the most popular mods on Nexus for this reason. Lore-friendly and containing over 5,000 lines of custom dialogue, getting to know Lucien's story is a rewarding experience in itself.
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Although inept at combat at first, Lucien will learn from the player, becoming more competent as time goes on. The player can also train Lucien to expedite the process. He even has special interactions with other followers on this list, such as Inigo, Hoth, and Kaiden, and also reacts either positively or negatively to the player's decisions. It's definitely a mod that deserves serious attention.
4 Sofia, The Free Spirit
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 a lighthearted companion should search no further than Sofia.
3 The Followers Of Interesting NPC
When discussing essential Skyrim mods, it's hard not to mention Interesting NPCs. Longtime veterans of the game probably know most of the vanilla NPCs by heart at this point. The Interesting NPCs mod injects some much-needed freshness to the proceedings by adding over 250 fully voiced characters.
Along with these additions come 25+ followers that players can recruit. Their backstories, personalities, and motivations are all unique, and thus there simply isn't enough time to thoroughly examine each one. Players should install the mod and discover their interesting stories for themselves.
2 Nebarra, The Altmer Mercenary
As with the Khajiit, there's a startling lack of High Eleven followers in vanilla Skyrim. Nebarra, an Altmer mercenary, is something of an underrated mod. He's fully voiced, and often incorporates unique interactions with other NPCs.
Nebarra's personality is described as rude and gruff. As a veteran of the Great War, he doesn't suffer fools lightly. Nebarra even possesses his own personal quest players can undertake off the coast of Solstheim. It's certainly not a bad mod for fans who want to experiment with different follower add-ons.
1 Khajiit Will Follow
If Inigo fails to satisfy one's need for more Khajiit companions, then the Khajiit Will Follow mod may be of some interest. This particular mod adds four additional Khajiit companions, along with over 5,000 lines of unique dialogue.
Each follower has their own personality and playstyle. The mod also adds a few new weapons, armor, and a hidden quest that goes along with their backstories. If ever Skyrim needed more cats, Khajiit Will Follow gets the job done admirably.