Everyone who has playedSkyrimknows that you may’t avoid running into a few housecarls throughout your journey. Helping out any of the Jarls and earning yourself the title of Thane means they will automatically assign a housecarl to accompany and protect you. You can even use them as companions and extra inventory space.
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Not everyone chooses to use housecarls as their followers, of course, as they can also be used asstewards for the Hearthfire homesor sacrificed to Boethiah. No matter what it is you’re trying to do with them, there’s no doubt that some of them are more liked than others, and some are just better at their job.
8Argis The Bulwark
In Markarth, you’re able to find Argis the Bulwark as your housecarl. Though a proven warrior and fine companion to help you fight, he does unfortunately have several drawbacks. If you want your follower to be interesting, Argis is the last person to pick as his dialogue is generic and even downright boring compared to some of the others.
On top of that, Argis is the only housecarl who can’t be a steward for your Hearthfire homes, meaning he can only stay in Markarth or travel with you. If you’re married to Stenvar, you definitely want to avoid Argis too, as he will frequently fight with him for unknown reasons, meaning he would be terrible to have around your home.
7Jordis The Sword-Maiden
Jordis the Sword-Maiden lives in Solitude, but unfortunately, it’s better to keep her there. With lackluster dialogue and several bugs surrounding her character, she’s usually not worth her skills, as most of the housecarls have similar stats and fight the same as well. If you want to give her a try, keep in mind that there are certain bows she isn’t able to equip, even if they’re the most powerful weapon—or sometimes only weapon—in her inventory.
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Sometimes, she’ll also disappear from your service, returning to Solitude without a word and wearing her default armor again as if you had never given her any upgrades. Her skills aren’t really worth her bugs.
6Gregor
If you’re looking for someone who’s just average, Gregor is a good follower. You can find him in Dawnstar if you want him, but he doesn’t really add much to your game. As one of the housecarls added into the Hearthfire DLC though, he does have slightly different equipment than the standard housecarl does.
Gregor worlds a two-handed steel greatsword instead of a steel sword and shield. However, he actually has better one-handed fighting stats. If you’re thinking about using Gregor as an actual follower, you should consider bringing along a one-handed sword in order to take advantage of his higher stats.
5Iona
Iona is a fierce and loyal housecarl that you can find in Riften. Just like almost anyone else you might meet in the city, she has a colder demeanor than most followers, even to you. Because of this, a lot of her dialogue towards you tends to be sharp and humorless, even if she’s theNPC you choose to marry.
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If you don’t choose her as your follower however, you’re able to be certain your house will be well protected. In a city of thieves, you can never know who to trust, but Iona will never shy away from doing her job. She’ll even attack you if you kill one of your own chickens in the Honeyside garden.
4Calder
you’re able to find Calder in Windhelm, where he’ll take up residence in your new home that was previously an important crime scene in a series of murders. Maybe it’s because of this that his dialogue is a little more varied than the others. That, or it’s because he’s more than likely a Stormcloak as well.
Either way, besides being a great fighter, Calder occasionally has a couple of new remarks from you, usually involving killing giants or related to haunted Dwarven ruins. Though it might not seem like much, this little change could mean a world of difference when you’re traveling a lot and want to keep the conversation fresh.
3Rayya
Rayya is the most unique housecarl you can find for several reasons. You can find her in Falkreath, meeting she’s the only housecarl that isn’t a Nord. As one of the Hearthfire housecarls, she also has different equipment. Rayya dual wields scimitars, which is just badass.
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She’s also one of the few followers that can dual wield in general, so you can give her better one-handed weapons and she’ll continue fighting with one in each hand. This means she has an edge in battle that most other fighters don’t, as she can fight faster with two weapons than they can with one.
2Lydia
If you follow the main quest for a while, there’s a good chance Lydia is the first housecarl you ever meet. In fact, she’s really the only one you’re really forced to get, as you become Thane of Whiterun right before the main quest sends you off to the Greybeards. Because of this, she tends to be the most popular housecarl and follower.
Why go searching for one when the main quest has one for you? Other than that, she’s also the most expressive. Instead of just basic and sometimes boring dialogue, she has a lot to say about many locations you might drag her to on your travels, including Dwarven ruins and some other DLC locations.
1Valdimar
In Morthal you can find Valdimar, the strongest housecarl. The Hearthfire DLC gives him the most varied equipment and skills, including light scaled armor, a steel mace, and access to magic. Because of this array, Valdimar is more of a battle mage than a warrior, using both weapons and magic interchangeably.
It also means he can adapt his fighting style to different enemies and use different spells where appropriate to target the opponent’s weak points. With his unique set of skills, his fighting prowess is leagues above the rest of the housecarls, putting him at the top of the list.
