She can die. And no, I didn't kill her.

She wandered off in my game to fight some Falmer, and when I went to go find her, I found her body.

So what's the console command? I actually want it for Vigilance, the dog, though...

Iona, the housecarl in Riften is quite cute. Also the housecarl in Solitude is female, but not my type. I've also enjoyed hanging out with the male khajiit from one of the caravans.

I was sad to see this subject line.... I just lost Lydia recently and was also very sad.

On a new playthrough I got her a little later, in the late 10s, and she saved my all-cloth ass countless times.
I also lost her in a vampire lair, around Morthal, in the boss room with the long table littered with gold coins. After the battle I used candlelight to scour every inch, every side room, every ash pile, but couldn't find her.
I miss her, especially since I think she was less of a PITA about doorways, etc., since the new patch.
RIP.

So I went to Solitude and got Belrand, who looks adorable in ebony armor and shield and steel horned helmet. And I never get tired of "ahhh, just kidding!"

I'll also chime in about the Falmer. There have been times when my Housecarls have been killed by Falmer when I know for sure I had nothing to do with it.

As far as Lydia's fighting prowess goes, she's usually the first Housecarl you get and therefore the same level as you. Followers don't level up with you. If you encounter them for the first time at level 7 then that's where they'll stay---unless you know the Wabbajack trick. I don't think that's really a spoiler so much as it is useful information. Here's a clip on how to keep your follower at the same level as you, and therefore remain a viable follower for as long as you want them around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmKXUdMmWCc


Please note that the clip contains information that may be a spoiler for a certain quest; but if you want Lydia to be useful, it's the only way. Also, Housecarls max out at level 50. If you want a follower to be able to level all the way to 81 then I'm pretty sure J'Zargo is the only one capable of doing so.

i accidentally killed lydia in the midst of a fight. she wouldn't follow me one time and kept fighting a bear. i'd see her fall, then get back up so i finally had to run back and save her so she could follow me. after that i just assumed she was immortal, so i got careless. got in a heated fight, she comes up behind me and i took her out. then i sat around waiting for her to resurrect. i was upset that she didn't... even though i hated her attitude about "carrying my burdens", and the way she was always in the way, blocking my path.... and it was nice not to have her watching me sleep or just barging into my room whenever she felt like it.
recently, i had to buy another xbox and skyrim game so my bf and i could play side by side and since i got the new one, i had to start a new game. now that i have lydia again, it's nice to know i can give her health potions! it never even occurred to me to do that! so thanks for that tip, azrael.

Thought I lost her last night. We were fighting a dragon south or southwest of Winterhold and I used my awesome ability to high tail it out of the A.O. She didn't follow and I just didn't have anything for that dragon. I assumed she died as she never caught up to me.

I get to Windhelm and attempt to pick up another follower, but I was told I already had someone. Hmmmm..... Anyway, I'm off again and headed to Riften. On the way I get sidetracked and can't honestly say where I was when I enetered a cave. As soon as I did.....there she was right behind me. Freaked me out so bad I almost attacked her and nearly spilled my beer.

Heh. In my first game Lydia is sitting in my bedroom in Breezehome, eating bread and spying on me and my husband when we sleep (so I avoid the place). I don't want to kill her, that would be out of character, but I hope to recruit her to the Blades soon so she'll be out of the way.

When another of my characters got Lydia I made the wise decision to put a helmet on her. That made her sarcastic "I'm sworn to carry your burdens" slightly more bearable. Then I did Missing In Action as one of my first quests, and she got killed in the general mayhem when we stormed the fort with Avulstein Gray-Mane & co. I was quite relieved... No bedroom stalking Lydia on this game!

(Though I felt a little bad leaving her there among all the dead Thalmor, she IS quite a good follower despite the fact that she seems to hate being a housecarl - so I decided my character could keep her armor as a memory.)

I have a feeling that one's view on Lydia is somewhat genderbased

I took Lydia to Level 35 this last game and had no problems until near the end with her going down to one knee. Her Health is just so low (158). If you give her the best armor you can find along with the best weapons and healing potions and food items and use Heal Other on her, which also increases your Restoration skill, she stays pretty strong. I got Jordis the Sword-maiden and then Argis The Bulwark and although Jordis was great (she's a Blade now), I really like Argis. His health is way high (500+) and he's pretty tough. I've never tried the Wabbajack trick with Lydia, maybe in the next game...and I still want to travel with J'zargo too.

omg, this made me laugh so hard.

The silly cow got herself killed on the way to Boethia's shrine! (Where I was gonna sacrifice her !!)

Same thing happened to me. Well almost. There were Falmer on the other side of a gate. She glitched through I couldn't find the button so I was forced to sit there and watch her die. Afterwards I murdered that bastard as a werewolf and ate him I took of Lydia's daedric helmet and set her on a table. I put the helmet next to her and sat with her. But there is a way to see her again. Go to the catacombs in Whiterun and kill the drauger/skeletons and she will be laid to rest in 1 of 2 places. She will be laying in one of those things the Drauger lay in before you wake them up from their slumber. You can say your goodbyes there

You can get another Nord. Don't worry.

Yep, she died when an ass ton of Dragur Deathlords attacked us. I still haven't found her corpse...

She didn't die, YOU killed her, companions are immortal unless the player kills them, and if there's a way to change that, she's your friggen housecarl not an adventuerer and you as the thane ordered her to risk her life.

Almost correct.

They can be killed by additional damage when recovering like dragon breath and AoE spells like fireball.

Traps can also overwhelm their recovery state and kill them.

Kill moves may also finish them off if their health is low enough and they are still being engaged by a high level foe.

Dragons can also eat them. (Poor Faendal )

^^^Hahahahahahahaha

It's just awful though, it just snapped him up like a cookie.

Lydia's locked up in Breezehome with Aela in my game (literally locked - using the lock 100 console command on the door - as I'd frequently find a stray guard in Breezehome when I returned from adventuring).

I had a character once, and when I got married her corpse showed up at the Temple , needless to say that "UNBROKEN" chick didn't carry on with the wedding.

Not if you know how to raise her health. I'm at level 46 and my Lydia's health is at 530.

Ah That's happened once or twice however I hold her to dearly to ever let her die completely. She is always the one I choose in holy pixel matrimony. However I came to the realization to always make two of everything. she would atleast have a boost in defense. However recently with the creation of new characters I leave the beginning of the main questline at the point where the housecarl of the jarl Balgruff confronts you. Then I just work on the enchanting, potion making loop that makes me all powerful and godly. However when I do finally finish prepping and get to her joining my ranks I notice that she is an udder bad ass. She charges into dragon breath, sword drawn and rippiing the dragon a new one. But when I give her new armor and a weapon ... Ho BOY she makes me think she is the true dovakiin.

lol RIP Lydia

Yeah I remember on my first playthrough she was my first follower so I'm kinda partial to her. Buuuuuut... accidents happen... I was weilding a dwarven warhammer, did the sprint power attack, completely missed the enemy... and walloped the [censored] out of a defenseless, kneeling Lydia on the back of the head. I mourned

Regardless of how many people seem to dislike her as a follower, she really hasn't been too much of a thorn in my side. Yeah, she's a bit whiny, and I have come VERY close to decapitating her a time or two when she says, "Hey look, a cave. I wonder what's inside". Aaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!

But she is beautiful, and she does have a very sixy voice (makes me wonder what the voice actor actually looks like) I should have married her. I dunno. You just get used to having her with you. She died a few times (by my hand, accidentally) when I was in the low levels, but although I have whacked her a time or two by mistake, she just says, Hey. watch it" or "What're you doing?" but, she hasn't died for a very long time.