How do I get Skyrim to recognize I don't have a follower anymore?

I went to do The Blessings of Nature quest where you need to get Eldergleam Sap. The pilgrim (Maurice Jondrelle) died in a fight on the way there so I was forced to battle with the Spriggans.

They were beating me, so I decided to just book it, hoping Faendal would follow me. I noticed a while later he was gone but didn't think anything of it.

Anyway, he didn't show up and I killed the dragon, getting Lydia to join me, when I asked her to she said it looks like someones already in my group, so I looked for Faendal, finally found him back at his house after I broke in and slept in his bed.

However, he isn't in my party and when I ask him to follow me he says I've already got someone with me. I think the game still thinks Faendal is following me because I never told him to stay put, or go our own ways.

I've even tried killing Faendal, paying my fine, then getting Lydia. But she still thinks someone is with me. When I talk to Faendal, the only option I have is to improve my archery or have him follow me.

How can I unlock my follower slot so Faendal (or someone else) can join me again?

Solution 1:

This is an issue many have experienced.

In the console, type the following:

set playerfollowercount to 0

Now the game will recognize that you no longer have any followers.

note: this only works on PC.

Solution 2:

Unfortunately, console users cannot use the console to fix this problem.

For those playing Skyrim Special Edition, there are a number of mods which allow multiple followers, mostly under the Followers category. Many of these mods add new followers, which does not fix this problem, but a few of them are general-purpose frameworks for adjusting the behavior of vanilla followers (e.g. Amazing Follower Tweaks). Most of those framework mods, including AFT, will also raise the follower cap, which in effect allows you to recruit additional followers on top of the one which the game believes you already have.

Some problems similar to this one may also be avoided entirely by installing the unofficial patch (PC, XB1, PS4) and other bugfix mods. However, it is not possible to eliminate all bugs, in any piece of software.

You should always make a new, permanent save (i.e. not a quicksave or autosave) before installing any mods, and be prepared to revert to that save if things break.