Skyrim: How to Deal With a “Dead” Follower

First and foremost, the most critical step is: Confirm if your follower is actually dead.

Skyrim

I. Diagnosis: Are They Really Dead?

1. Observe Their Status:

  • Truly Dead: The NPC’s body will remain in a permanent, natural lying posture, and you can loot all of their items.

  • Just Knocked Out (Essential/Protected NPC): Most vanilla followers are “Protected,” meaning they can only be killed by the player. When their health reaches zero, they will kneel briefly and then collapse. After a short time, they will stand back up. Look for this kneeling animation.

2. The Quick Save/Load Method:

  • If you’re unsure, immediately press F5 (Quick Save) and then F9 (Quick Load).

  • After loading, if the follower is alive and standing next to you, they were only incapacitated. If they are gone, they are likely truly dead.

II. Solutions: Action Based on the Situation

Situation 1: The Follower is an “Essential” NPC (Immortal by Default)

  • Characteristics: Followers like Lydia, Serana (post-Dawnguard questline), and most main faction members fall into this category.

  • Solution: Simply wait. They will recover and stand up on their own. If they seem stuck, try fast traveling to a new location, which will usually bring them with you.

Situation 2: The Follower is a “Protected” or Generic NPC (Can Die)

  • Characteristics: Most hirelings (e.g., Jenassa from Whiterun), some guild members, and mod-added followers can be killed by enemies.

  • Consequences: If they die, they are permanently dead under normal game mechanics.

  • Solutions:

    • Reload a Save: If you have a save file from before your follower died, this is the most recommended and “pure” solution. Let this be a reminder to save often!

    • Find a New Follower: Skyrim has over 60 potential followers. Consider this an opportunity to experience a new companion’s story and abilities.

      • Recommended Locations: Check taverns in major cities (e.g., The Bannered Mare in Whiterun, The Bee and Barb in Riften) for hirelings.

Situation 3: The Nuclear Option (Using Console Commands – PC Only)
If your follower is dead, you have no recent saves, and you can’t accept the loss, this is your final resort.

Steps:

  1. Approach the follower’s corpse.

  2. Press the ~ key (usually below Esc) to open the console.

  3. Click on the follower’s body with your mouse. Ensure their reference ID appears in the center of the screen.

  4. Type the following command and press Enter:
    resurrect

  5. Press the ~ key again to close the console.

Your follower will immediately stand up, restored to life.

Note:

  • This is a direct intervention outside the game’s intended mechanics.

  • After resurrection, the follower’s AI might occasionally be buggy (e.g., not following). Fast traveling usually resets them.

III. How to Prevent Your Follower from Dying Again

  • Save Frequently: Make a hard save before entering any dungeon or major fight. This is the most important habit.

  • Know Your Follower: When you recruit someone, make a save. You can test their “essential” status to know their limits.

  • Control Your Area-of-Effect Attacks: Be cautious with spells like Fireball and Chain Lightning, and shouts like Unrelenting Force, as they can easily harm or even kill your follower.

  • Improve Their Survivability:

    • Give Them Better Gear: Equip them with heavily upgraded armor (e.g., Dragonplate/scale) and a powerful weapon.

    • Supply Them with Potions: They will automatically use any health, magicka, or stamina potions you place in their inventory.

    • Use Conjuration: Spells like Conjure Dremora Lord summon a powerful tank to draw enemy fire away from you and your follower.

IV. Special Notes

  • Animal Followers: Dogs like Meeko or Vigilance can die. The dog Barbas (from the Daedric quest “A Daedra’s Best Friend”) is essential and cannot die.

  • Quest-Specific Followers: Temporary followers assigned for specific quests are often marked as essential for the duration of the quest.

While the console command is a powerful tool, relying on reloading saves often provides a more challenging and immersive experience. After all, in Skyrim, every choice and consequence should be part of the adventure.

May your travels across Skyrim be ever in good company!

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