Is this intentional? Whenever I reanimate a corpse, unless they are a mage they are worthless because they never retain their weapons.

Well, if they let go of the weapon when they died, they have no weapon. I've reanimated corpses and if the weapon flew away when I killed them, they are weaponless. You could try dragging their weapon to be on top of them and see if they grab it as they rise. *shrugs*

I've been confused about this too! I remember very spefically reading a review before the game came out about someone who reanimated a person and he went and got a sword. Mine never do this..

It's inconsistent in my experience. Check to make sure the weapon is still listed in their inventory. Then sometimes, even if it's across the room, it'll vanish from there and appear in their sheathe when they rise. Other times they don't bother to use it but it's still in the inventory of their ash.

I think they just fail to equip it, but they still have it.

Pick up their weapon and place it in their inventory.

Proceed to reanimate.

Problem somewhat solved.

Mine always run over and collect their weapons from wherever it fell.. :S

I've noticed this a lot myself. Most enemies drop their weapons when they die, so when you raise them as a zombie they won't have anything. Oddly enough, I saw a raised Draugr pick up a sword that was sitting on a table and use that, lol.

Perhaps try picking up a weapon and putting it in the corpses inventory before trying to raise it?

Thanks guys, I will try this. Or perhaps I will try taking the sword OUT of their inventory, because I'm always careful not to loot them before I reanimate (but I do look into the corpse to make sure the sword is listed). Perhaps if the sword is not attached to them they will then pick it up? Seems backwards but I'll give it a try!