How to Bring Back Lydia in Skyrim

1. 1
   Look back to where you last saw her. Sometimes NPCs may get stuck in particularly rough terrain while following you. Or, she might have been killed (Lydia’s body does not disappear from the place where she died). She might have also been preoccupied with hostile NPCs or enemies, which she may have attacked.

   • Try to go back on the same route that you took. She might just be slow while running after you, so you might even bump into her when going back to find her!
   • She will keep fighting even if you run away from enemies.
2. 2
   Think about whether you told her to stay somewhere or not. If you tell her to stay in a certain spot, she will stay in that same spot for a few in-game days and won’t move for that time period. It’s easy to forget if you told a follower to stay, so check if you did this.
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3. 3
   Look in Whiterun’s Dragonsreach or Breezehome. If you wait for more than a few in-game days after telling Lydia to stay in the same spot, she will walk back to Whiterun. She will usually hang around where you found her or she may be near Breezehome, so check those places.

   • Make sure she follows you once you meet up with her. If there is a dialogue option of “Follow me. I need your help," then click on that. Otherwise, she won’t follow you.
4. 4
   Use the Detect Life spell. This Adept spell comes from the Alteration school of magic and can help distinguish and pinpoint enemies and friends if they are nearby. It even works through walls and rooms. Although the spell does not identify specifically what creature/NPC is nearby, blue dots indicate friends and red dots indicate foes. Use this spell to check if Lydia is around you (she will be indicated by a blue dot).

   • You can get the spell tome as random loot in the first chamber of the Labyrinthian, from Stalleo after completing the quest “Infiltration”.
   • You can also purchase it from Tolfdir in the College of Winterhold or Wylandriah at the Mistveil Keep.
5. 5
   Try moving her to you with a console command. On your keyboard, press the Tilde key ~ located next to the ! mark ` key. This will open the console.

   • Type in this exact code
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a2c94.moveto player

1. 1
   • Press the enter key.
   • Type in this exact code

resurrect

1. 1
   • Close the console by pressing the the ~ key that you used to open it, and see if she appears right next to you.
   • If she doesn’t appear, she is dead. You will have to revive her before moving her to you.
   • This command does not change her inventory.
2. 2
   Try alternate console commands. Unfortunately, these commands will reset her inventory and armor, so if you gave her items in the past, make sure you won’t mind the losses. Here is a list of alternate commands (make sure to type them in exactly as they are, spaces and everything):

   • a2c94.disable
   • a2c94.enable
   • a2c94.moveto player
   • You have to close the console each time after you put in a command, so don’t put them in all at once.
   • If she still doesn’t appear after the commands, she is dead and you'll have to revive her first.
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