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Skyrim’s Immortal Companions: A Guide to Invincible Followers

In the vast and perilous world of Skyrim, venturing alone can be a daunting task. Luckily, the game offers a plethora of followers to aid the Dragonborn on their quest. But which of these brave souls are truly unkillable? Knowing this can significantly impact your gameplay strategy and ensure your trusty companion survives even the most brutal encounters. This article will delve into the realm of invincible followers in Skyrim, providing a comprehensive guide to those who cannot permanently die.

The Stalwarts: Essential Followers in Skyrim

The key to understanding which followers are invincible lies in the concept of “essential” characters. These characters are flagged by the game as vital to the main storyline or specific questlines. As such, they cannot be killed by the player or by enemies. Instead of dying, they will fall to their knees, recovering after the battle is over. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most notable essential followers:

Aela the Huntress: A member of the Companions and a potential wife, Aela is a skilled archer and warrior. Her essential status makes her a reliable and enduring ally.
Barbas: This talking dog, the companion of the Daedric Prince Clavicus Vile, is not only invincible but also offers witty banter and surprisingly effective combat support.
Cicero: The eccentric and sometimes unsettling jester of the Dark Brotherhood, Cicero is an agile assassin with a morbid sense of humor. His essential nature ensures he’ll stick around through thick and thin.
Dark Brotherhood Initiates: Recruitable after joining the Dark Brotherhood, these masked assassins are skilled in stealth and combat, and their essential status provides added security on your adventures.
Derkeethus: This rare Argonian follower can be found trapped in Darkwater Pass. While not exceptionally powerful, his essential status makes him a persistent addition to your party.
Erandur: A priest of Mara found in Dawnstar, Erandur can become a follower after completing his quest. His abilities as a mage and his essential status make him a useful asset, particularly against undead foes.
Farkas: Another member of the Companions, Farkas is a sturdy warrior with a strong sense of loyalty. Like Aela, his essential status ensures he’ll always be there to back you up.

Other Methods to Achieve Immortality for Followers

While essential followers are intrinsically invincible, there are other methods to achieve a similar effect for other followers in the game, making them practically immortal:

Console Commands (PC Only): For PC players, the console command is the ultimate tool for manipulating the game world. By opening the console, clicking on a follower, and typing “modav health 100000” and “modav healrate 1000”, you can effectively make them invincible. This drastically increases their health and regeneration rate, ensuring they rarely, if ever, fall in battle.
The Ritual Stone (Early Game Invincibility): This Standing Stone allows you to reanimate multiple corpses to fight for you. While not followers in the traditional sense, you can create an army of reanimated corpses early on in the game to fight for you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Invincible Followers in Skyrim

1. Are there any downsides to using essential followers?

While essential followers offer the benefit of immortality, they can sometimes be less strategically versatile. Because they are not meant to die, their combat AI might be less aggressive or tactical compared to non-essential followers. Additionally, some players find that the inability for a follower to permanently die diminishes the sense of risk and consequence in battles.

2. Can essential followers still be incapacitated?

Yes, even though essential followers cannot die, they can still be incapacitated during combat. When their health reaches zero, they will fall to their knees and become temporarily unable to fight. They will recover after a short period or when the battle concludes.

3. How do I know if a follower is essential?

Unfortunately, the game does not explicitly state whether a follower is essential. However, a good indication is whether the follower is tied to a specific questline. If a follower is crucial to completing a quest, they are likely essential. Additionally, if a follower consistently recovers after being brought to zero health, they are probably essential.

4. Can I make any follower essential using console commands?

While you cannot directly change a follower’s essential status using console commands, you can use commands to significantly increase their health and regeneration, effectively making them near-invincible. The “modav health 100000” and “modav healrate 1000” commands are particularly effective for this purpose.

5. Who is the strongest overall follower in Skyrim?

This is subjective and depends on your playstyle. However, Serana, a follower from the Dawnguard DLC, is often considered one of the strongest due to her high skill levels in Destruction, Conjuration, One-Handed, and Light Armor. Her versatility in combat makes her a powerful asset to any player.

6. Are there any followers with no level cap?

Yes, J’zargo, a mage from the College of Winterhold, has no level cap, meaning he will continue to level up alongside the Dragonborn indefinitely. This makes him a potentially powerful follower as the game progresses.

7. Can I accidentally kill an essential follower?

No, essential followers are protected by the game and cannot be killed, even by friendly fire. If you accidentally attack an essential follower, they will simply fall to their knees and recover.

8. Do essential followers have any impact on the game’s difficulty?

Yes, essential followers can significantly impact the game’s difficulty, particularly on higher difficulty settings. Their immortality provides a safety net, allowing players to be more aggressive in combat without the fear of losing a valuable companion.

9. Are there any mods that change follower essential status?

Yes, there are numerous mods available that allow you to change the essential status of followers. Some mods make all followers mortal, while others allow you to customize the essential status of individual followers. These mods can add a new layer of challenge and consequence to the game.

10. Can essential followers be sacrificed to Boethiah?

No, essential followers cannot be sacrificed to Boethiah. The sacrifice requires a non-essential follower. Trying to sacrifice an essential follower will result in the quest failing or being impossible to complete.

11. How do I dismiss a follower if I no longer want them?

To dismiss a follower, simply talk to them and select the dialogue option that asks them to leave your service. They will then return to their default location, where you can re-recruit them later if desired.

12. Can followers die from fall damage?

No, essential followers do not take fall damage. While they can take damage from other sources, falls will not kill them. Other followers can die from fall damage.

13. Do essential followers trigger traps?

Yes, essential followers can trigger traps. However, because they are essential, they will simply recover from the trap’s effects without dying. This can be useful for scouting ahead and disarming traps.

14. How can I improve my follower’s combat effectiveness?

You can improve your follower’s combat effectiveness by equipping them with better weapons and armor. Additionally, you can teach them new spells (if they are mages) and provide them with potions and scrolls to use in battle.

15. Where can I learn more about game mechanics, followers, and the role of games in learning?

For a deep dive into game mechanics and the educational aspects of gaming, visit the Games Learning Society website at GamesLearningSociety.org. The Games Learning Society is a valuable resource for understanding the broader implications of gaming and its potential for learning and development.

Understanding which followers are invincible in Skyrim can significantly enhance your gaming experience. Whether you prefer the safety net of essential followers or the challenge of managing mortal companions, the world of Skyrim offers a diverse array of options for every type of player. Equip your companion with the best gear, master their skills, and conquer the harsh landscapes of Skyrim with your trusty, and perhaps immortal, ally by your side.

What followers are invincible in Skyrim?