The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Serana Guide to Skyrim’s Best Companion

Ask a hundred Skyrim veterans who the best follower in the game is, and one name comes up more than any other. Not a burly Companion warrior, not a hired sellsword – a raven-haired vampire you free from an ancient sarcophagus deep beneath a forgotten crypt. Serana. She’s witty, deadly, deeply written, and she’s stolen the hearts of players for over a decade. She’s not just a follower. She’s arguably the best character Bethesda ever wrote for Skyrim.

Here’s the thing though – a lot of players recruit Serana, drag her through Dawnguard, and never realize how much depth they’re missing. How do you cure her vampirism? Can you actually marry her? How do you make the most of her combat abilities? And how do you avoid accidentally locking yourself out of her best content? These questions trip up newcomers constantly, and the answers genuinely change your experience.

So let me walk you through this complete The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Serana guide – how to recruit her, her combat strengths, the tricky cure-vampirism process, the truth about marriage, and why she’s so universally beloved. Grab your Amulet of Mara (you’ll see why that’s bittersweet). Let’s dive in.

Who Is Serana and How Do You Recruit Her?

Let’s start with the basics, because Serana isn’t a follower you simply hire at an inn. She’s a story-critical character tied entirely to the Dawnguard DLC, and meeting her is a genuine event.

First, the hard requirement: you need the Dawnguard expansion to recruit Serana. This applies across all platforms, and it’s included in most special and Anniversary editions. Without Dawnguard, she doesn’t exist in your game. Assuming you have it, you’ll encounter her during the Dawnguard questline.

Here’s how you first meet her:

• Start the Dawnguard questline – triggered after an attack on the Hall of the Vigilant.
• Journey to Dimhollow Crypt – a sprawling, atmospheric dungeon you’re sent to investigate.
• Solve the Dimhollow puzzle – navigate to the central chamber and open the sarcophagus.
• Free the “Mysterious Woman” – she’s called this until she shares her real name, Serana.
• Escort her home – she asks you to take her back to her family’s castle.

Serana is revealed to be a Nord vampire, the long-lost daughter of Lord Harkon and Valerica, and she carries an Elder Scroll. Crucially, throughout the Dawnguard questline she accompanies you as an obligatory follower regardless of whether you side with the Dawnguard or the Volkihar vampire clan. So no matter which path you choose, Serana is by your side for the DLC’s story.

What makes her special from the moment you meet her is her personality. She possesses a natural defensiveness that never comes off as cold, and she reacts to the world around her with real opinions, regrets, and dark humor. As the community notes, she doesn’t exist in a bubble of generic companion enthusiasm – she feels like a real person, which is exactly why she resonates so deeply.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Serana Guide to Her Combat

Now let’s talk about why Serana is such a fantastic follower in a fight, because she’s far more than a pretty face and good dialogue. In combat, she genuinely stands above most other companions in the game.

Most Skyrim followers are, frankly, hit sponges – walking banks that soak enemy attention while carrying your loot, often limited to a single weapon or spell. Serana is completely different. She’s a talented mage trained in the dark arts by her mother Valerica, wielding a wide variety of spells from multiple schools of magic. This makes her far more versatile and dangerous than your typical sword-swinging tagalong.

Here’s what makes her a combat standout:

• Necromancy – she reanimates fallen corpses to fight alongside you, a rare and powerful ability.
• Destruction magic – she flings offensive spells to blast enemies from range.
• Conjuration – she summons and raises allies to overwhelm foes.
• Melee capability – she favors an Elven Dagger paired with a spell for close encounters.
• Vampiric powers – as a vampire, she brings additional supernatural abilities to the fight.

That necromancy is a genuine highlight. Watching Serana raise a defeated enemy to turn against their former allies never gets old, and it adds real tactical depth to fights. She adapts to different combat ranges, blasting enemies from afar or knifing them up close, making her useful in virtually any scenario.

There’s one combat quirk worth knowing, flagged by the community: healing spells don’t work on Serana, and she takes a while to recover when wounded. So don’t rely on your Restoration magic to patch her up mid-fight – she heals on her own over time. It’s a minor limitation, but good to be aware of so you’re not caught off guard. Otherwise, she’s one of the most capable and self-sufficient followers you’ll ever field.

Curing Serana’s Vampirism: The Tricky Process

Here’s one of the most asked-about and easily-botched aspects of Serana’s story – curing her vampirism. It’s genuinely tricky, and choosing the wrong dialogue can permanently lock you out. Let me walk you through it carefully.

First, the essential prerequisites. You must side with the Dawnguard (not the Volkihar vampires), and you must complete the main Dawnguard questline by defeating Lord Harkon in the final quest, Kindred Judgment. You cannot cure her before Harkon is dead – any attempt earlier will fail. This is critical.

Here’s the huge warning: do not ask Serana about curing her vampirism before completing the Dawnguard story. Doing so can lock you out of the cure permanently, and she’ll refuse to discuss it even after Harkon’s death. Throughout the DLC, be kind and attentive – ask her about herself, her family, and her feelings – to build up the “points” needed for the cure option to appear later.

Once Harkon is defeated, speak to Serana and follow this specific dialogue chain:

• “Have you thought about getting cured of vampirism?” – the opener.
• “Look what it did to your family” – she reflects on her Daedra-worshipping past (success).
• “You could be your own person again” – she admits she’d like to not always be thirsty (success).
• “If you want to cure yourself, I’ll support you” – she agrees to see Falion (success).
• “Good luck” – she leaves to find the cure alone.

After this, Serana departs for a few days to visit Falion, the alchemist in Morthal known for curing vampirism. When she returns to Fort Dawnguard, she’ll be human again – full of color, her eyes changed back to their original hue.

But here’s an important trade-off to consider before curing her. Once Serana is human, you can no longer use her to become a Vampire Lord yourself, and you lose access to more Bloodcursed Elven Arrows (which require her vampire blood). Her combat abilities stay the same, so she’s still a great follower – but weigh those losses. Many players actually recommend keeping her a vampire for the gameplay perks. The choice is yours, and it’s a meaningful one.

Can You Marry Serana? The Bittersweet Truth

Let’s address the question that breaks so many hearts: can you marry Serana? Because the connection between her and the Dragonborn feels genuinely romantic to many players, and the answer is a disappointment. Let me give it to you straight.

In the vanilla, unmodded game, you cannot marry Serana. If you approach her wearing an Amulet of Mara and ask, she will always refuse, regardless of the dialogue option you pick or whether you’ve cured her vampirism. She cites personal reasons – specifically her disdain for temples and rituals, given her dark past. She won’t bring herself into a temple after everything she’s experienced.

Here’s the nuance the community discusses:

• Vanilla marriage is impossible – she refuses every proposal, cured or not.
• Her refusal is characterization – it reflects her trauma and independence, not a bug.
• She stays devoted anyway – she still commits to going with you wherever you journey.
• Mods can enable marriage – popular community mods add the option for those who want it.

That characterization point is worth appreciating. As one player put it, there’s a real connection between Serana and the Dragonborn, but in her heart, it’s simply not that kind of connection – or at least not one she’ll formalize with a temple wedding. Some players find this refusal frustrating; others find it a mark of her being a genuinely independent, well-written character who won’t be reduced to a marriage prize.

If you absolutely want to wed her, the modding community has you covered. There are well-known mods on PC (Nexus) and console (Bethesda.net) that make Serana marriable and even expand her dialogue significantly. The Serana Dialogue Add-On is a hugely popular mod that adds tons of new voiced lines (using unused Laura Bailey dialogue), radiant conversations, and relationship progression, plus interactions across the Dragonborn and Hearthfire DLCs. If you want more Serana, it’s the community’s go-to.

Why Is Skyrim Serana So Beloved?

Let me step back and reflect on why Serana, specifically, became such a phenomenon, because her popularity is remarkable even among Skyrim’s huge cast. There are real reasons she stands above the rest.

Part of it is how involved she is. Unlike most followers who drone on about guard duty or the Cloud District, Serana has a variety of unique interactions that unlock as you progress together, making her feel far more real. Her relationship with you develops through shared struggle and dialogue rather than generic affinity mechanics – you earn her trust gradually, and that bond feels genuinely meaningful by the end.

Here’s what cements her status:

• Deep, voiced personality – brilliantly performed by Laura Bailey, full of wit and dark humor.
• Story integration – she’s woven into the Dawnguard narrative, not a random hireable.
• Strong opinions – she has real moral stances that can’t be easily changed.
• Combat excellence – a versatile, self-sufficient mage who outclasses most followers.
• Essential status – she’s flagged essential, meaning she can’t be permanently killed.

That essential status is a practical bonus – Serana can be knocked down in battle but won’t die permanently, so you never have to worry about losing her. Combined with her infinite usefulness and rich personality, she’s the total package.

Now, in fairness, she’s not universally adored – some players find her hood-in-sunlight quirk annoying, or feel let down that she becomes a plainer follower after the DLC’s story concludes. But the overwhelming community consensus places her among the very best, with many flatly calling her the best follower in the game. She’s a follower who, by all accounts, is her own person, and one who stands above all others. High praise, and well earned.

FAQ

How do I recruit Serana in Skyrim?

You need the Dawnguard DLC. Start the Dawnguard questline, travel to Dimhollow Crypt, solve the puzzle, and free her from the sarcophagus, then escort her home.

Can you cure Serana’s vampirism?

Yes, but only if you side with the Dawnguard and defeat Lord Harkon first. Then use specific kind dialogue options to convince her to seek a cure from Falion.

Can you marry Serana?

Not in the vanilla game – she always refuses due to her dislike of temples and rituals. You need a community mod to enable marriage with her.

Is Serana a good follower?

Excellent. She’s a versatile mage with necromancy, Destruction, and Conjuration spells, plus melee ability, making her one of the best followers in the game.

Should I cure Serana or keep her a vampire?

Curing her means losing access to Vampire Lord transformation and Bloodcursed Elven Arrows. Many players keep her a vampire for those perks. Her combat is unchanged either way.

Can Serana die?

No. She’s flagged as essential, so she can be knocked down in combat but never permanently killed, making her a reliable long-term companion.

Why can’t I ask Serana about a cure?

You must complete the Dawnguard questline and defeat Harkon first. Asking too early, or picking the wrong dialogue, can permanently lock you out of the cure.

Wrapping It Up

So there’s your complete The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Serana guide. This raven-haired vampire, freed from an ancient crypt during the Dawnguard DLC, has rightfully earned her place as one of the most beloved companions in gaming. She combines a deep, brilliantly-voiced personality with genuinely excellent combat abilities, a poignant personal story, and the kind of gradual, earned bond that most followers can only dream of.

Recruit her through Dimhollow Crypt, treat her kindly throughout Dawnguard to unlock her cure option, and weigh carefully whether to cure her vampirism or keep those Vampire Lord perks. Don’t be heartbroken by her marriage refusal – it’s a mark of her strong character, and mods can fill that gap if you crave more. Above all, use her necromancy and versatile magic to dominate any fight.

Serana proves that a great companion is about far more than stats – she’s a real, complex character who makes your entire journey richer. Whether you keep her a vampire or restore her humanity, she’ll stand by you as one of Skyrim’s finest allies. Now go free her from that crypt, Dragonborn. A legendary partnership awaits.

P.S. Here’s your Amulet of Mara of gratitude (worn platonically, as Serana would insist): if this guide helped you unlock the best of Skyrim’s finest companion, share it across your social feeds so fellow Dragonborn don’t miss her hidden depths, and pin it to your bookmarks like an Elder Scroll you’ll want to read again before your next descent into Dimhollow. Every share is basically a reanimated ally that keeps our team fighting for great guides. And if you’re seeking creative or commercial collaboration, the Lizet Manski team is one message away – reach out directly and let’s forge a legendary partnership together.