Okay,
So, after some thought.. I'm trying to train Lockpicking and Pickpocketing, but I want to use the Thieves' Guild Armor for its bonuses. I gave those to Lydia, who happens to be missing. If you could re-purchase a pair of Thieve's Armor, it wouldn't be a problem, but you can't. I'm on console - Xbox 360 - so I can't just move Lydia to me, or give myself the armor. It's kind of crappy, but I'm guessing that's the only way.

I have no idea when she went missing, but it was around the time I finished the game. It has been many game-days since then, and still no sight of her. She's not in any part of Dragonsreach, as I have checked the main hall and the two other rooms. Today I purchased Breezehome in Whiterun for my own enjoyment and a hope of finding Lydia, but she's not residing there either. It has been about a week in-game due to me waiting since I have purchased the home. She's still not there or in Dragonsreach. I don't think she has died, because she's not in the Hall of the Dead in Whiterun, and I didn't get a courier giving me money from the Jarl, as you are supposed to if she dies.

What's the problem?

I've mistakenly told Stenvar to wait in the depths of some dungeon before and mosied right out of there leaving him at some altar... perhaps you did this?
It's safe to presume fast-travelling does not bring her to your side?

yeah you probably left her somewhere and for some reason she never came back to where she was supposed to....and i assume the fact that you just bought breeze home could have to do with it....since when i left her waiting somewhere she always goes to breeze home check on the second story to your left as soon as you get up the stair the little room with the bed ...if its owned she is still alive and then your hopes to find her are not in vain if it is not owned then i guess she is dead my friend...

I also had a follower bug whereby they were knocked to their knees in combat... but never got back up. Health bar recovered, fight was over, but they were stuck in the crawl animation. Dismissing them on the spot sent them crawling at a snail's pace back to wherever. I took them back and gave them the first word of Unrelenting Force, and they picked themselevs off the ground.


So perhaps your follower is "waiting", or potentially even "crawling" back to you/home. Aren't they supposed to automatically dismiss themselves from your service after 3 days if you leave them somethwere though?

Yes if theay are left somewhere waiting they eventually will return to the hold where they belong to their specific points and a message will pop up stating that your folloer is tired of waiting and will leave..

I also had a follower bug whereby they were knocked to their knees in combat... but never got back up. Health bar recovered, fight was over, but they were stuck in the crawl animation. Dismissing them on the spot sent them crawling at a snail's pace back to wherever. I took them back and gave them the first word of Unrelenting Force, and they picked themselevs off the ground.


So perhaps your follower is "waiting", or potentially even "crawling" back to you/home. Aren't they supposed to automatically dismiss themselves from your service after 3 days if you leave them somethwere though?

^{I don't think so. Lydia has been "waiting" at my house in Markarth for like ever. I told her to wait a long time ago and she is still standing in the same place a month later. I don't use followers and she is glitched as far as marriage goes. So I figured I'd just have her wait at my house so she isn't all alone in Breezehome. I hate that bthe best two houses in the game IMO (Hjerim and Vindrel Hall) are the only two with male housecarls. So Lydia actually keeps my Markarth housecarl company while I'm away! lol}

Yeah, Calder creeped me out, so I actually reloaded my game and am going to purposefully not become Thane of Windhelm ever so as to avoid having a male roomate.

Maybe after a month ingame time she will reset (like dungeons do)?

I didn't even know you could get her as a follower without purchasing Breezehome.

you get her as a follower as soon as you kill (or see how the guards kill) the first dragon in the game on the north tower in whiterun ....then when ur back to report to the jarl he will automatically proclaim u thane and give you lydia.....since then u can have her as follower without buying the house...

Lydia stays where you tell her. I'm on the 360 and told her to stay once. I had to go back through two dungeons before I found her waiting for me.

Wow. Where is her default location if you don't own Breezehome?

Dragonsreach. Sitting at the long table. Eating bread.

Damn, she's a carbo loader - that's what she's usu doing in Breezehome.

It's both incredibly easy to accidentally kill her and yet also hard.... I've killed her outright with a sword to get back my items when a glitch kept her from being a follower anymore and she refused to follow/trade. But twice I was wandering around, got in a fight and hit a shout where she got caught in the crossfire. ( Twice I blew her off a mountaintop when she stepped in front of me when I was forceblasting a troll and a Ice Wraith... I sent her sprawling to the ground. Once she simply got back up and ran up the mountain back to me, the other time she blew so far away I somehow killed her and it took a while to find the corpse.... Hope nothing like that happened because there's no "Detect Dead" lol

My Lydia is a beer drinker. Lydia's eating and drinking habits must be random.

She will get tired of waiting for you and go back home, I just watch this message on my daughters game and her follower was Lydia, she had left her parked outside breeze home.

If she doesnt get tired and go home one of two things happened either she glitched or died.