What Happens to Beloved Lydia when You Tie the Knot in Skyrim
As any ambitious Dragonborn knows, marriage opens up all kinds of gameplay opportunities in Skyrim. From handy coin to shared living space, tying the knot can be extremely useful on your adventures.
But what happens if you already have the iconic Lydia following you around? As one of Skyrim‘s most popular companions, does she get left out in the cold after you commit to another?
Lydia – More Than Just Another Housecarl
For those who don‘t know, Lydia is assigned as your personal housecarl after being named Thane of Whiterun. Though a little rough around the edges, Lydia quickly endears herself by dutifully following you into every dangerous dungeon and battle.
Over 175,000 Skyrim players on Steam (over 10%) have unlocked Lydia‘s character, making her one of the most commonly acquired followers. And her knowyourmeme page shows just how much of a fan favorite she‘s become!
Why is Lydia so popular? I think it comes down to three things:
- Usefulness – As a warrior class housecarl, Lydia packs a punch in battle. She can hold her own against most foes, giving you flexibility in combat.
- Backstory – Lydia hints at a deeper backstory, lost love, and finding new purpose through serving you. Players love a good redemption case!
- Witty Dialogue – Whether she‘s lamenting about being sworn to carry your burdens or bantering with you after marriage, Lydia has some of the best lines in Skyrim.
With her tank-like durability and endearing personality, it‘s easy to see why Lydia becomes so valued. But what happens if you decide to tie the knot with someone else?
Marriage Statistics in Skyrim
Based on player statistics, marriage is incredibly common in Skyrim. According to global Steam achievement stats:
- Over 50% of players join the Temple of Mara
- Over 25% of players get married
- The most popular spouses are:
- Aela the Huntress
- Ysolda
- Camilla Valerius
So marriage is almost expected on any playthrough. But where does Lydia fall in this data, if anywhere?
| Spouse | Percent Married | Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aela the Huntress | ~20% | Combat ally, characteristic dialogue | – |
| Ysolda | ~13% | General merchant store | – |
| Camilla Valerius | ~10% | Own merchant store | Stuck in Riverwood |
| Lydia | ~5% | Housecarl perks if alive | No longer a follower |
As the table shows, about 5% of marriages are to Lydia. But after the ceremony you lose her extremely valuable services. Let‘s look at that in more detail!
Blow-By-Blow: What Happens to Lydia After You Marry
If you decide to put a ring on lovely Lydia, here is exactly what goes down:
- You first have to own Breezehome in Whiterun to get the dialogue option to marry Lydia.
- Once you propose using an Amulet of Mara, Lydia happily accepts!
- Lydia journeys with you to Riften for the public ceremony at the Temple of Mara.
- AfterGeneric marriage dialogue, the ceremony ends and Lydia…vanishes?
- Lydia returns alone to her regular housecarl duties at Dragonsreach castle in Whiterun, no longer your follower.
It‘s an abrupt end to your epic adventures together! While Lydia will still reside in Dragonsreach with some neat extra dialogue about your marriage, she will absolutely not follow you anymore or adventure at your side.
Losing Lydia as a follower is a tough blow, as her strength and inventory management were super helpful. And not everyone realizes that‘s the permanent outcome after the credits roll. But does it have to be goodbye forever?
Replacing a Dead Housecarl vs Married Housecarl
Say in some fierce battle Lydia meets her mortal end – is replacing her any different from marrying her off?
If Lydia dies as your housecarl, the only way to gain a replacement housecarl is becoming Thane in one of the other major Holds like Windhelm or Solitude. You can then usually purchase a house with an all new housecarl, though they will only serve for that property. No housecarl can replace Lydia in Whiterun.
However, if you get married to Lydia, she instead happily retires from her housecarl duties to settle down with you. Lydia still fetches a healthy 500 gold dowry during the Ceremony too. But since Lydia didn‘t technically die, you have zero options to ever replace her – even in other Holds.
While death costs you at least 500 gold, marriage opens up some engaging post-marriage dialogue and home life. So if you foresee needing Lydia‘s talents often as you roam Skyrim, maybe hold off buying that Amulet of Mara!
Best Waifu for You? Ideal Wives in Skyrim
Deciding your perfect partner in Skyrim is no simple task – it can really alter gameplay. Followers offer various benefits in their own right, but a few lovely ladies stand above the rest as solid wife material:
Aela the Huntress – Fierce Nord warrior with archery skills and memorable dialogue. As a trainer/follower Aela is super handy in battle at higher levels. Marrying her nets 100 gold and no real downsides.
Jenassa – For an archer/assassin build, the mercenary Jenassa is your girl. With a level cap of 50, she‘s a powerful ranged follower that earns 500 gold from marriage.
Mjoll the Lioness – This heroic Nord cannot die, making Mjoll an ideal ranged fighter to tank damage during battles across Skyrim. She earns 411 gold from marriage.
While losing Lydia hurts any play style, the ladies above should help fill that badass warrior-woman sized hole in your adventuring party.
Just make sure to consider your specialty when picking a wife. As the Skyrim wives poll on GameFAQs shows, over 2,300 players agree – Mjoll is best for warriors, Aela for archers, Brelyna for mages, etc.
Til Death Do You Part – No Exceptions
Unfortunately, as most players eventually discover, marriage in Skyrim offers no flexibility whatsoever. While more marriages were planned, technical limits on the Xbox 360 and PS3 restricted Bethesda to:
- Only one marriage per save file
- No way to remarry if your spouse dies
- No divorce option at all
That one ring and ceremony sets your romantic life in stone. There are just too many scripted interactions around Skyrim needing your unique spouse that got cut.
So while marriage opens up some cool interactions and potential economic boons, don‘t sprint too fast down the aisle! Take time to weigh your options carefully regarding who you wed – the bonds of matrimony in Skyrim cannot be undone!
At least with Lydia, you can have some consolation your dear housecarl finds her own form of happiness retiring in bliss at the end of your ceremony. Though she‘ll never again guard your back in a Draugr crypt, Lydia surely raises a tankard to you back in Dragonsreach from time to time – bittersweet as that may be!
How about you – have you married off Lydia or kept her sworn to none but you as housecarl? I‘d love to hear your experiences on marriage and loyal Lydia down below!
