Trudging through the frigid and unforgiving wilderness and backstabbing cities of Skyrim can get rather perilous especially when you’re bored of the easiness and have upped the difficulty level to Master. You’ eventually need someone watching your back because no chosen one should be without admirers or servants or meat shields.
In that regard, you might want to be a bit more selective with your companions in Skyrim depending on your needs. The game makes this a bit difficult by not having a class system, so we’ve made the effort of categorizing Skyrim’s followers based on classes of the granddaddy of all RPGs, Dungeons & Dragons. Here’s how each of the best followers fared.
10 VILKAS - FIGHTER
If you hang around in Whiterun too much, you’ll probably come across Vilkas and his group of battle-hardened warriors who are actually Lycanthropes in secret and call themselves the Companions. Vilkas, for that matter, is one of their fiercest and most reliable fighters.
He specializes in fighting two-handed and wearing heavy armor and is no doubt an effective frontline. Of course, that means he’s perfect for mage or archer-type characters who prefer not to jump into the fray. He belongs in one of the most vanilla classes in D&D, which is the Fighter.
9 MJOLL THE LIONESS - PALADIN
Saying that Mjoll the Lioness is out of place in the city of Riften is an understatement. She’s actually a shining beacon of righteousness given her hatred for anything related to the Thieves’ Guild and shady criminal activities in the corrupt city. Mjoll adequately deals with such unpleasantries using her trusty two-handed battle-axe and heavy armor.
We could have easily lumped Mjoll with the likes of Vilkas in the Fighter class but she’s too much of a lawful good character to not make a Paladin. That’s where she belongs too. Mjoll works well as a Paladin of Devotion– one who is committed to all things right… and beautiful.
8 ANEKKE CRAG-JUMPER - RANGER
Fancy yourself a hot foxy ranger? Then look no further than Anekke Crag-Jumper. Weird secondary name aside, she’s the only ranger you’ll ever need. Anekke is a capable huntress too and will easily spot beasts from far away, keeping both of you safe.
In that regard, Anekke is a straightforward Ranger class from D&D. It’s not exactly a popular class at the moment but it does have its RPG perks such as being a beautiful archer like Legolas, something Anekke is also familiar with.
7 AELA THE HUNTRESS - RANGER/BARBARIAN
Aela is likely one of the first few members of the Companions you’ll meet and how you meet her is quite cinematic. You’ll immediately spot her gang fighting a giant and if you just stand still and fail to help them, she’ll judge you for being a wimp.
Well, in retort, you can judge her for being a Barbarian in D&D, someone who has an axe for brains but you’ll want them on your side nevertheless. Aela is also a multiclasser as she combines the Ranger features with the Barbarians,’ making her a formidable warrior.
6 J’ZARGO - WIZARD/CLERIC
Looking for the most powerful mage in Skyrim? He goes by the name of J’Zargo, speaks weird, and has a constant need to spit out hairballs. J’Zargo the Khajiit mage is by far the most efficient damage dealer you can have in Skyrim.
He’s proficient in both Destruction and Restoration, making him perfect as both a support and bruiser. Oddly enough, he’s also proficient in Heavy Armor which leads us to believe that J’Zargo is multiclassing as a Wizard and a Cleric in D&D terms. Regardless, this cat is as powerful as heck.
5 SERANA - WIZARD (NECROMANCER)
There’s no reason not to have all the Skyrim DLCs at this point in which case, there’s no reason not to have Serana. After all, it’s not every day you get a cute vampire follower. Besides, Serana is an accomplished wizard… in the necromancy discipline!
That pretty much makes Serana a necromancer but in D&D they’re mostly just Wizards who have gone insane and drunk on the thought of immortality. Serana’s undead can easily save your life in a pinch and she can even do most of the work.
4 CICERO - ROGUE
This list can’t be complete without the stabby, sneaky archetype and that designation belongs to Cicero. He’s the most annoying yet loyal members of the Dark Brotherhood and if you manage to rise up in their ranks, you get to recruit this little devil.
He’s also not someone you’ll want to lose sight of, Cicero’s tenure in the service of the Night Mother has made him… unhinged. In any case, even Cicero claims he’s an assassin and an effective one at that, making him fall in the Rogue class of D&D.
3 TELDRYN SERO - SORCERER/FIGHTER
Being one of the most versatile followers in Skyrim, Teldryn Sero is a one-man army. He’s a powerful mage who can quickly clear packs of enemies and those that manage to get close gets to be stabbed. Teldryn is also a capable tank himself.
We have another multiclasser here in the form of a Fighter and a Sorcerer– while you could say that he’s a Wizard, his Dunmer ancestry likely makes him a magical creature from the moment he was born.
2 FREA - DRUID
Yet another DLC follower, Frea is a strong-headed member of the Skaals, a tribe of isolated Nords on the island of Solstheim. Frea actually wanted to be a warrior or an archer but instead had to follow her destiny of being a shaman of the Skaal village.
The closest thing to a shaman in the D&D mythos would be the Druid class. It’s a flexible spellcasting class that fits any role. Seeing Frea in battle, it’s easy to see certain similarities and behavior representative of the Druid class.
1 LYDIA - FIGHTER
Last but not least, we have Lydia, the neurotic and clumsy warrior given to you once you gain Jarl Balgruuf’s favor. Of course, why look a gift horse in the mouth, right? Anyway, Lydia is also a capable fighter and a marriable follower.
She certainly is the stereotypical Fighter class when it comes to D&D and is more than fierce with her sword and board setup. Just don’t go sneaking with her in tow unless you want her to attract all the enemies and activate all the traps. But hey, why take a Fighter with you if you’re just gonna sneak around?
