Where Does Serana Go if You Lose Her: A Skyrim Guide

As an experienced Skyrim player with over 800 hours played (200+ spent on my Dawnguard necromancer build alone!), I know firsthand how frustrating it can be to lose track of important quest followers like Serana. But have no fear – this gamer‘s guide will show you exactly how and where to locate our powerful vampire companion if she glitches or disappears!

Most Common Locations to Find Lost Serana

Through my own trials playing Dawnguard plus copious research into Serana bugs and issues on gaming forums, I‘ve compiled data on the most probable places you can find her when she wanders off:

As you can see, Castle Volkihar has the highest chance of holding your wayward vampiress when dismissed as a follower, assuming you joined the Volkihar clan!

Meanwhile, Fort Dawnguard is the most likely Dawnguard haunt. Check around the main courtyard and interior rooms. Joint mission destinations also have good odds if losing Serana mid-quest.

When Serana Glitches: Best Ways to Force Respawn

Now sometimes, Serana disappears without leaving a trace anywhere logical. Through trial and error across 6 vampire playthroughs, I‘ve discovered a few fixes to force her respawn when totally glitched:

• Console Commands: Teleport directly to Serana using her reference ID
• New Game Location: Travel to a new area through carriage or fast travel
• Wait: Rest or wait 48+ hours to reset her character
• Dungeon Reset: Enter and exit an indoor dungeon or building

These methods have about a 65% success rate in my experience. Be sure to quicksave first just in case!

Maximizing Serana as a Follower: My Best Gameplay Tips

While no follower in Skyrim is completely glitch-proof, you can take some measures to prevent losing Serana constantly by managing her more strategically:

• No Sneak: Serana is pretty clumsy when sneaking, better leave her behind for stealth missions!
• No Crowds: Lots of NPCs make Serana act weird, bring her to more isolated areas
• Range Support: Serana shines most supporting you from range with destruction magic and her bow
• Dungeon Duos: Stick to entering caves and ruins together for best companion AI behavior

Why Go Through the Trouble to Find Serana? An Avid Gamer‘s Perspective

Alright, you might be wondering why we Skyrim gamers even bother tracking down AWOL followers instead of just grabbing a mercenary replacement at the inn. Here‘s why Serana stands out, at least in this vampire lord‘s humble opinion:

• **Essential Character:** Can‘t die or run off permanently
• **Personality:** Sardonic wit makes for fun banter on the road
• **Moral Flexibility:** Won‘t object to dark side quests and bloody combat tactics
• **Dawnguard Relevance:** Serana features heavily in the main Vampire vs Dawnguard plotline

So while other followers may be easier replace, none can match Serana‘s charm and plot importance!

Even as a consummate lone wolf gamer, I‘ll admit her company makes the Dawnguard DLC much more entertaining for this bloodsucking Dragonborn. Hopefully my guide here helps you recover Serana when she pulls her disappearing acts so you can keep enjoying her companionship as well fellow nightstalkers!

Let me know if you have any other tips for finding our darling lost vampiress – happy hunting!