Even then, there are some ways to ensure she stays close by. She only scales with the player up to level 50, though, meaning it gets riskier to bring her along as players progress to higher levels. She's assigned as the Dragonborn's housecarl in Whiterun following the progression of Skyrim's main storyline. Lydia is one such example, likely because, for many players, she'll be the first follower encountered in-game. Related: How Elder Scrolls 6 Can Fix Skyrim's Companion Problem Some of the most useful followers are those that are marked as essential NPCs - characters who cannot be killed as they're needed for the game's plot to progress - but even many of the game's non-essential followers still have quite a few fans.
There are over 40 followers to be found in Skyrim, more with the addition of the Dragonborn and Dawnguard DLCs, and each brings something unique to the table in terms of combat styles and dialogue.
It's worth noting, however, that these tips almost all make use of the in-game command console, which is only available for PC users. Luckily, there are a few tricks to getting her back. Lydia is arguably one of the most memorable followers in all of Skyrim, but unfortunately, it's all too easy to either lose track of her or watch her fall in a fight during the Dragonborn's journey across the region.