Lydia and other followers kneel when they are close to death, regardless of difficulty. When they're kneeling, they lose all aggro and focus switches to the player. They also only have 1 HP when kneeling so they can be killed by the player AS WELL as any stray shots or spells (doesn't usually happen, but fireballs from hagravens come to mind). If you're on PC you can make lydia fully immortal as well as make her level with you. The latter has already been explained in this thread so I will focus on the former:

1) on the console, type "help Lydia 4" to find her NPC code (it's 000A2C8E)
2) now type, setessential NPC-Code 1

setessential 000A2C8E 1 makes her essential
setessential NPC-Code 0 will make Black Briars or other essential persons nonessential

When going into dungeons and such and if I want to be sneaky, I will take care of the initial bandits and then tell Lydia to wait there. if I progress and things get too hairy, I will retreat to where Lydia is and she then becomes a valuable asset. I've also left her behind so she doesn't accidentally trip any traps or such, and I can avoid them and when pulling back get the enemies to trip them instead. Sure, it takes a bit of extra work but at least Lydia isn't getting in my way or getting herself killed and she's actually proving useful this way.

Lydia and other followers kneel when they are close to death, regardless of difficulty. When they're kneeling, they lose all aggro and focus switches to the player. They also only have 1 HP when kneeling so they can be killed by the player AS WELL as any stray shots or spells (doesn't usually happen, but fireballs from hagravens come to mind). If you're on PC you can make lydia fully immortal as well as make her level with you. The latter has already been explained in this thread so I will focus on the former:

1) on the console, type "help Lydia 4" to find her NPC code (it's 000A2C8E)
2) now type, setessential NPC-Code 1

setessential 000A2C8E 1 makes her essential
setessential NPC-Code 0 will make Black Briars or other essential persons nonessential

the tilde key, ~ right to the left of the "1/!" key http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6HFaimNmkc video may help

Shrug I've seen her take damage that should kill her many times. I see making her essential as basically a cheat as I would not have to worry about aoe or aim.

Also, if you want to keep using her as a mule, merely enchant the 3 things you can to increase her carry weight. If she is merely going to be a mule, she doesnt need to have ebony either...just give her some leathers or even just the default gear she has. That will give you some extra capacity.

While I feel an emotional connection to Lydia based on all we've been through together, now that she's getting one-shotted to her knee in many fights (and I'm just level 18), I'm looking for enough resources to retire her (for her own good/survival.) Telling her to stay at Breezehome doesn't fit the bill for me. Isn't there an option to tell her her services are no longer needed, and have her return to Dragonsreach?

I suppose that might make her sulky too, but at least she'd be alive. And I wouldn't feel guilty for adventuring her to death...

This kinda sparked a question i've had for awile.. My Lydia on my sneak character (not like i intended to use her that much) pretty much disappeared right after i acquired her. I was given her as a reward and as soon as i left the Dragonsreach hall she was gone, forever.

Anybody know what's wrong?

I like Lydia. She's totally loyal "unto death". But how do you keep the girl alive? It seems I'm spending huge amounts of gold, and many extra hours of time, just trying to keep my loyal Lydia alive and with me as I wander. It's frustrating to look back and see her running in place, stuck behind a tiny rock I just bounced over. No cross-country exploration for Lydia, it seems, I can't take her most places where roads aren't involved. Heaven forbid the grade is too steep or the terrain too rocky, no matter I can handle both.

The Lydia problem gelled when I actually chose Ebony over Glass crafting as my Smithing perk. I needed Glass for my Light Armor character, but Ebony might better help keep Lydia alive. While it's true you have the choice of leaving Lydia behind at the house, you pay for it. Whenever I go into my bedroom, there she is, sitting at the little table despondently munching on a hunk of bread, casting morose glances in my direction, obviously crushed at being spurned by her thane. Whatever happened to "they also serve who only stand and wait" and the steadfast attitude that goes with that philosophy?

As the final straw, when I take Lydia with me to work more-or-less as a pack horse, the girl can't carry much of anything, especially now that she's all in Ebony. If I take her into a dungeon, she runs ahead into the fray, intent on killing or being killed. Discretion is definitely not her longsuit. So, she stirs the hornets' nest and sets them all on me, or she dies and sets them all on me. Great choice. I park Lydia outside if I plan on a bit of finesse in my play-style. Further, how to fill soul gems with my over-protector around? Before I can get my bow aimed, she's killed the critter. Frustrating.

I have some suggestions that might actually make Lydia and her ilk an asset: 1) Lydia (or any follower) should be able to maneuver any terrain you can maneuver; 2) add the command "Stay behind me!", which will make her stay... well, you know... BEHIND you; 3) increase her carry-capacity, wearing Ebony shouldn't max-out her weight-limit; and 4) if you no longer want her following you around, no sad-faced, overly-dejected moping when you release her to stay and guard your house.

Like I said in the beginning, I like Lydia, she just needs to be something other than a huge drag on my game... either as someone, incapable of carrying much, who I must constantly spend time, gold and personal safety on to keep alive, or as an emotional guilt-trip, should I give up and leave her at the house. How do either of those things enhance game-play, Bethesda people?

Hard work keeping her alive? She can't die unless you kill her yourself.

I already offered Lydia to Boethia. The wench deserved her fate.

I was under the impression that followers could only be killed by friendly fire or bosses. in regular combat they just go down on one knee and get ignored by enemies.

If you are on a console you are hosed unless they patch it so Lydia levels with you.

On a PC Lydia is a studdette if you do the following.

Tell her to leave and then hit ~
Click on her and type disable (she goes poof)
Close the console
Open it again and type enable.
Shes back.
Tell her to follow.
Shes now your level.

As for her dying, no she does NOT simply die because shes hit in normal combat. Every Lydia death I've had can be traced back to me, either a spell or a hit or a shout. I found out the hard way that using unrelenting force on a boss while Lydia was on her knees will kill her. I've seen her in a fire trap SLOWLY crawling out of it on her knees while surrounded by flame. I've seen her take arrows on her knees (dont' say it) from guys who could one shot my mage. EVERY one of my Lydia "oh crap she died" was my fault, though sometimes I didn't realize it at the time. You have to be careful with fireball, runes, etc. Even power attacks because she does like to jump in front of you and the rather odd 'range' of weapons means it easy to hit something that it doesn't look like you could hit on screen.