Skyrim: Why Riverwood’s Faendal Is Always A Better Choice Than Sven

There are several points in Skyrim where a decision must be made that will have an impact on the future, with one of the earliest involving the feud between Sven and Faendal of Riverwood. The two men have developed an immature rivalry regarding their mutual affection for Camilla Valerius, and the Dragonborn must step in and resolve things. Whoever they side with will become a potential follower, so some thought must be put into the decision.

However, despite both men seeming similar at first glance, the majority of players agree that Faendal is far and away the superior option, even though Sven is likely one of the first people that they will encounter. The advantages of each option are not especially even, but once they are weighed against each other, Faendal is easily the winner. Unlocking a good follower in Skyrim can prove vital, given players can spend much of their journey on their own without help, and Faendal is a great option to have shortly after players leave Helgen.

Sven is a bard, and all of his combat and armor skills are very low, making him rather incompetent with any fighting style. Considering that a follower’s main role in Skyrim is to assist in combat, that puts him off to a bad start. In addition, he has an extremely low level cap of 20, the lowest in the game, so he will stop leveling up and increasing his stats far before the Dragonborn does. In short, Sven is one of Skyrim‘s most annoyingly bad followers who will likely be outclassed before the player reaches the meat of the game’s main quest, or even some of its more exciting side-quests.

Skyrim – Faendal Is A Better Follower Than Sven

On the other hand, Faendal is a skilled archer who can put his talents to good use in combat, especially when he has the opportunity to keep his distance. He also has a level cap of 30, which while not phenomenal, will keep him relevant a good while longer than Sven, especially with his archery skills. In addition, he also has the extra bonus of being a bowman who will train the player’s archery skill up to 50, a major bonus considering that the archery skill in Skyrim can be very powerful, especially when combined with sneaking. As an added bonus, if Faendal is a follower, then the player can take back the money that they pay him for training, essentially making him a free trainer. Considering how expensive training in Skyrim can be, especially at high levels, this is an excellent perk.

There is one last factor and that is their personalities. Outside of their feud, Faendal’s default personality is humble and friendly, while Sven is more standoffish. In addition, their plan of forging letters to make the other look bad to Camilla is childish and dumb, but the way they go about it also deserves mention. Faendal’s forgery makes Sven out to look like a buffoonish oaf, while Sven’s forgery is emblematic of the racism Elvish society faces in Skyrim. Sven’s choice of tactics makes it even harder to support him in his endeavor.

With everything taken into account, it is clear that Faendal is far and away the best choice for the player. He is useful to the Dragonborn in several ways, while Sven has no upsides aside from becoming eligible to be sacrificed to the Ebony Blade. This quest will probably determine a Skyrim player’s first follower, so it is best to make the smart decision and go with Faendal, ensuring a competent ally for a long time to come.

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