If you have the Hearthfire DLC for Skyrim, you can give stewards to your friends to protect your homestead.
Most stewards can also be regular in-game allies, so you can also take them into battle with you.
Once a steward is assigned to a homestead, however, the only way to get them out is to move them to a different homestead or let them die. So, yeah, the contract is pretty strict.
You’ll want to choose the right steward for your home because they’ll be in charge of taking care of it for as long as they live.
I put together this list of the best stewards for you to choose from. Each one has different pros and cons. Some of them are strong warriors, while others are weaker but loyal servants.
Pick the one of these lovely people whose story fits your character’s best.
18. Erik the Slayer
- Max Level: 40
- Moral: Will commit crime
- Demeanor: Aggressive
And finally, the best Steward available in the game is enthusiastic Erik the Slayer; named after an impressive fan that died of cancer.
His Health is one of the highest among all of the available Stewards in the game, and he is competent in several weapon proficiencies, making him one of the most versatile Stewards.
He will be available to become a follower after you talk his father into letting Erik pursue his dream in the “Erik the Slayer” quest.
17. Eola
- Max Level: 30
- Moral: Will commit crime
- Demeanor: Aggressive
Eola is a Breton Nightblade that can become a follower after you clear out the Reachcliff Cave and become the Champion of Namira… A clan of cannibals.
I know my stomach is turning a little, but Eola is a skilled mage that can cast spells in Alteration, Destruction, Conjuration, and Restoration, and that alone will make her a solid Steward for one of your homes. Just skip the dinner plate.
16. Ogol
- Max Level: 30
- Moral: Will not commit crime
- Demeanor: Aggressive
Once you have completed “The Cursed Tribe” mission, Ogol (an Orc Warrior) will start showing you some respect, dropping the overprotective remarks that you are used to seeing from him.
Despite the fact that he previously believed that his tribe did not need your help, Ogol possesses a very limited inventory – basic human clothes, a removable steel war axe, and a hidden hunting bow with iron arrows.
You can easily get him a weapon upgrades though because his sturdy 100 Stamina will come in great use while he is defending your home.
15. Durak
Durak is a mighty warrior and one of the best followers in the game.
He can become a steward if you wish, and he also has one of the coolest backstories of any NPC follower in the game.
He joined the Dawnguard(where you will need to go if you want to recruit him) to avenge the deaths of his last two wives, who were apparently slain by vampires.
He has an inherent hate for vampires(as you can imagine). So if you wish a lore-friendly playthrough you might not want to recruit Durak if your character is going to follow the steps of the night and become a vampire.
In any case, you can recruit Durak and take advantage of his skills as an archer whenever you wish. He’s also good with light armor.
14. Njada Stonearm
Njada Stonearm may only be recruited to be a follower or steward after completing the entire questline of the Companions.
So it’s worth noting that getting her by your side isn’t as easy as other followers.
She can also become your wife if you wish, so there’s a lotta options here.
Some points about Njada: she isn’t too good at combat, but she does offer good skills with defending and lockpicking.
13. Adelaisa Vindicci
As you might guess considering her name, Adelaisa Vindicci is an imperial and a female follower that may be assigned as a steward once you get far enough to meet her.
You can find her with her Company near the outskirts of Windhelm.
Oddly enough, even though she belongs to the Imperial Army, she’s one of the weakest followers that you can get – which makes her a far better steward!
Adelaisa is proficient at alchemy, enchanting, and smithing, so she’s one of the best stewards if that kinda stuff is more what you’re looking for.
12. Onmund
Onmund is a mage and an archer that roams around the halls of the College of Winterhold.
He’s an important character and a marriage candidate which you can opt to marry if sparks fly.
He mainly attacks with magic(using primarily shock spells) but he may also opt to use his bow and arrows to deal extra damage to your opponents.
So he can work as a great partner in battle as well as a partner at home.
11. Ingjard
Ingjard is one of the fanbase’s favorite followers because of her appearance. But keep in mind that she’s not open for marriage so she’ll just be crashing at your place and taking care of the joint.
She’s a mighty warrior that can take care of your homestead as a steward, or she can follow you around and help you kill anything that stands in your way.
She uses her two-handed weaponry ability to slay any foe fast, and she won’t go down easily thanks to her lovely heavy armor proclivity.
10. Golldir
Golldir is a typical tough guy who never got along with his father.
He roams around the tomb of his ancestors and you can actually help him dispose of a necromancer who got inside it.
And should you choose to do it, he will become a follower and help you back with any assistance that you might need in combat.
You’ll find him outside Hillgrund’s Tomb which also has many treasures to pick up while you’re there.
Not to mention Golldir will happily become a steward to any homestead after he becomes your follower so it’s worth the trip. You could also recruit him to join the Blades.
9. Talvas Fahtryon
Talvas is a merchant that mainly deals in spells, but he’s also a potential follower and a steward that can be recruited quite easily.
The main drawback of Talvas is that he’s only a level 25 follower.
But he can prove to be quite a useful steward if you give him the chance to take care of any of your homesteads.
8. Uthgerd The Unbroken
Uthgerd the Unbroken is a marriage candidate, a follower, and a steward that truly represents how fearsome a woman can be.
She can be recruited simply by beating her in a duel, as she will challenge you to one with 100 coins at stake when you meet.
She has good health and acts as a proficient warrior, as well as a natural wearer of heavy armor. Great defense, good health, and a strong physical damage dealer. All around Uthgerd is certainly worth looking into.
Be it to defend your homestead or to fight for your life, she’s a powerful follower that you’ll love to have by your side regardless of your level.
7. Mjoll The Lioness
Mjoll is a vigilante that travels Tamriel taking care of every foe that might be posing a threat to the common folk of the realm.
She’s a tough person and has a difficult personality, but her kind heart shows every so often.
You can choose to marry her or simply keep her as a steward in any of your homestead. I feel like she’s a personality that you’ll love to have around.
6. Brelyna Maryon
You can assist this strange wizard in an experiment to unlock her as a potential marriage candidate and follower.
She will mainly use her spells as a mechanism of defense and you’ll only see her resorting to her bow if she runs out of magicka during battle.
This might make her a stronger follower than a steward, but she could always retire from battle and watch your house if you want someone else in your company.
If you’d love to have a female wizard around then speak to Brelyna at once!
5. Iona
Bring Iona to any of your homesteads if you wish her to take care of it permanently. Seems like she’s a pretty easy sell, right?
She somehow seems to have all the features that you’ll love to have in a steward, as she’s rather strong and can take care of herself (and your home) and she’s also very kind and friendly.
Iona is also very good at dealing with foes thanks to her strong one-handed weapons and clever sense of defense to keep her alive for longer.
The best thing about her is that she can also pose a great threat to foes with ranged damage.
As you might be able to see, most followers tend to have a bow lying around that they will use more often than not.
She’s almost as good with the bow as she is with traditional one-handed weapons so you know that she can cover your back in battle regardless of who you’re fighting.
4. Aela The Huntress
Aela is quite an intimidating character and she’s one of the few werewolves that you can have as a follower in Skyrim.
This attractive but deadly character can also turn you into a werewolf if you choose, or you can either marry her or keep her as a steward.
She can also train you in archery if you wish, as she’s quite a proficient bow and arrow user. This means Aela can basically train you up from a novice into a true archer, all while protecting your home!
Also she can help you sneak around thanks to her mastery of the skill. There’s no doubt that Aela is one of the best followers in the game, which also makes her a fantastic steward as well.
3. Lydia
Lydia knows what it’s like to take care of a homestead.
She’s a housecarl that can be chosen to join the blades, or as a marriage candidate, or even as a follower and steward.
She’s a skilled warrior that can take care of herself as well as keep you safe. This also means she can keep your home safe so you won’t be worried while you’re out & about.
2. Jordis The Sword-Maiden
Jordis is not only capable of taking care of your homestead; she’s also the one responsible for selling the Proudspire Manor should you choose to pick it up for the heft 25000 price tag.
She’s a skilled warrior and archer who wears heavy armor in battle. She’s also one of the best followers in the game, fantastic at watching over your house, and even a marriage candidate.
I think her defensive skills make Jordis one of the more protective stewards you can get in the game.
Which makes her perfect to leave at home while you take on quests and face fierce challenges all over Skyrim.
1. Rayya
Rayya is a female Redguard that has the looks to be the toughest follower and steward in the game.
She loves to patrol around your property and will make sure to keep it safe from any intruders or beasts when you’re gone.
You can also choose which weapons she will use if you give anything, but she also has some scimitars that she will dual wield if you opt to leave her to her own weaponry.
This lady doesn’t pull any punches and she will defend your place like crazy.
Only trouble is she may disappear sometimes, but don’t panic! She’s not dead. Check back in Jarl’s Longhouse since that’s where you’ll often find her hanging out.
