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The Adoring Fan becomes recruitable only after you become the Imperial City Arena’s Grand Champion. Start the Arena quest with Owyn, fight through the ranks, defeat Agronak gro-Malog (the Gray Prince), complete Ysabel Andronicus’s reward step, and leave the Arena. The Adoring Fan then approaches outside and offers to join you.
Accept with “Follow your esteemed Grand Champion!” and you can later speak to him to make him wait, follow you, or leave your party. He is mainly a flavor companion with limited practical utility, so recruit him for the character and his enthusiasm rather than for advanced combat support.
What you must do before the Adoring Fan appears
The Adoring Fan is tied to the Arena’s final rank; he is not available at the beginning of Oblivion Remastered. You must earn the Grand Champion title in the Imperial City Arena. That means completing the Arena progression, defeating its reigning champion, and receiving the title from Ysabel Andronicus.
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The Arena fast-travel point is available from the start of the game and sits on the eastern side of the Imperial City, according to GameSpot. You do not need a special item, separate quest line, or particular character build to begin the Arena sequence. Recruitment is part of the Arena reward path itself, not a separate purchase, downloadable item, accessory, or companion contract.
What the unlock sequence actually requires
There are several connected events, and skipping the conversation after the final bout is the most common reason players think the follower failed to appear. The practical order is:
- Begin the Arena climb with Owyn.
- Complete the available rank matches until Ysabel identifies Agronak gro-Malog as the reigning Grand Champion.
- Speak with Ysabel again when she offers the challenge.
- Defeat Agronak, known as the Gray Prince.
- Take Agronak’s Raiment to Ysabel.
- Accept the Grand Champion promotion and Raiment of Valor.
- Leave the Arena and accept the Adoring Fan’s invitation outside.
Defeating Agronak is necessary, but the post-fight hand-in and reward dialogue are also part of the progression state. If you win and immediately leave without speaking with Ysabel, the game may not yet consider you Grand Champion and the Adoring Fan will not have the trigger he needs.
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Travel to the Imperial City Arena
Use the Arena fast-travel destination or walk to the Arena on the eastern side of the Imperial City. Enter the building and find Owyn, the Arena’s gatekeeper and coordinator. The location is available as a fast-travel point from the outset, so no earlier faction or story milestone is required simply to reach it.
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Speak with Owyn and enter the ranks
Talk to Owyn to begin the Arena climb. Follow the available matches in order and return as required between bouts. The Arena advances by rank, so complete each listed fight before expecting the next opponent or promotion. Save between rounds, as Bethesda Support specifically recommends maintaining saves before entering the Arena and between matches.
The route is substantial. Destructoid calls it more than 20 fights, while GameSpot describes nearly two dozen. Use those numbers to understand the commitment, not as an exact counter. The important checkpoint is your rank and the eventual Grand Champion challenge.
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Reach the Gray Prince’s challenge
As you progress, Ysabel Andronicus explains that the reigning Grand Champion is Agronak gro-Malog, also called the Gray Prince. Continue until Ysabel gives you the opportunity to challenge him. Destructoid’s walkthrough specifically places a return to Ysabel before the final battle: speak with her, accept the challenge, and then enter the match.
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Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.If the challenge dialogue does not appear, do not assume a new item or unrelated quest is missing. Check that every available Arena bout has been completed and that you returned to the Arena staff after the previous promotion. The unlock is controlled by the Arena rank sequence.
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Defeat Agronak gro-Malog
Win the final Arena fight against Agronak. His defeat is the decisive gameplay requirement for the Grand Champion rank, as reported by both Destructoid and GameSpot. The match is not complete for reward purposes until the Arena’s post-fight conversation is finished.
Agronak is the opponent that matters for this follower. You do not unlock the Adoring Fan by winning an arbitrary number of earlier matches or by visiting the Arena once. The title, the Gray Prince fight, and Ysabel’s final reward step are the connected requirements.
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Return Agronak’s Raiment to Ysabel
Agronak drops Agronak’s Raiment. Take it to Ysabel as proof of the victory. She awards the Grand Champion rank and gives you a Raiment of Valor. This hand-in and reward conversation is the step that closes the Arena promotion; defeating Agronak and immediately walking away is not enough.
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Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Let the entire conversation finish before leaving. If you are checking your inventory or changing equipment, do so after the reward sequence rather than interrupting the dialogue. Bethesda’s Arena troubleshooting guidance also calls out equipment recognition, so keeping the relevant Raiment available makes it easier to recover if the game does not register the stage.
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Leave the Arena
Exit the Arena after Ysabel completes the reward sequence. The Adoring Fan should approach outside rather than inside the fighting area. If you do not see him immediately, make sure the rank and reward dialogue actually finished before troubleshooting the area.
The trigger is tied to leaving after the championship. Do not search for him at the start of the Arena climb or expect him to stand in the combat area before the final promotion.
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Accept his offer
When he asks to accompany you, choose “Follow your esteemed Grand Champion!” That choice recruits him as your follower. Declining the offer does not permanently remove him: Destructoid reports that he waits outside the Arena and can be recruited later.
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If you want to continue alone, you can decline without losing the opportunity. Return to the Arena exterior later and speak with him when you are ready. The choice is therefore about timing, not a one-time irreversible reward.
How to control him after recruitment
Tell him to follow
Speak with the Adoring Fan and select the follow instruction when you want him to travel with you. His role is intentionally simple; there is no evidence in the cited guides of a larger command system, skill-training interface, or specialized follower menu.
Following is useful when you want his commentary, torch, and visible presence while traveling. It does not turn him into a configurable combat class. The available descriptions present him as a straightforward companion rather than a character with a detailed tactical loadout.
Tell him to wait
Use the wait instruction when you want him to remain where he is while you continue alone. This is useful before entering a situation where you do not want a companion beside you, or when you are separating exploration from the Arena-related role-play. Talk to him again when you want to change the instruction.
Waiting is a command, not a permanent dismissal. If you later decide that you want company, return to him and choose the follow option. Keeping him waiting also lets you preserve the character without requiring you to take him into every encounter.
Dismiss and re-recruit
If you dismiss him or initially decline his offer, he remains associated with the Arena area rather than disappearing forever. Return outside the Arena and speak with him to take him along again, according to Destructoid’s guide.
This makes the Adoring Fan easy to treat as an optional role-playing companion. You can use him for a stretch of travel, dismiss him for a solo section, and return when you want the Arena champion’s enthusiastic escort again.
Understand his practical role
GameSpot describes him as carrying a torch and offering encouragement from the sidelines during combat. That makes him a characterful companion, not a replacement for a combat specialist. The guides do not establish him as a dependable damage dealer, healer, equipment carrier, or inventory-management solution. Plan your character and supplies as if you are adventuring without a powerful specialist.
His value is therefore situational. If you enjoy atmospheric dialogue and the contrast between a celebrated champion and an overly enthusiastic admirer, he adds personality to ordinary travel. If you are choosing companions strictly for combat output or utility, the available descriptions do not support treating him as an optimized build.
What happens if he dies
Destructoid states that the Adoring Fan returns within three in-game days if he dies in combat. That is a secondary-guide claim, not an official guarantee: Bethesda’s surfaced support material for Arena problems does not confirm follower death or respawn behavior.
If he is missing, wait or sleep for three in-game days as the guide describes, then check the Arena exterior before assuming the recruitment failed. Keep a recent save if his return does not occur as expected. Because the behavior is not confirmed by Bethesda, do not treat the three-day interval as a guaranteed reset in every situation or on every installation.
Using him without disrupting your playthrough
Choose the command that matches your objective
- Follow: Select this when you want the Adoring Fan present for travel, dialogue flavor, and his combat-side encouragement.
- Wait: Select this when you want to explore or fight alone while leaving him at his current location.
- Dismiss: Use this when you no longer want him accompanying you; you can return to the Arena area and recruit him again later.
Because his documented commands are limited to these basic follower choices, avoid looking for an unreported equipment, tactics, or assignment screen. The useful decision is simply whether his presence suits the next section of your game.
Recruit him for personality, not power
The Adoring Fan’s value is his distinctive enthusiasm and the novelty of having the Grand Champion celebrated by an eager companion. The available guides frame his gameplay contribution as limited. If your goal is maximum combat efficiency, treat him as optional flavor; if you enjoy Arena role-play, recruit him immediately after the championship and keep him as a visible reminder of the title.
Bethesda Game Studios design director Al Nanes gives broad advice to explore, talk to people, and let discoveries redirect your story. That philosophy fits this follower particularly well: his appeal is the character interaction created by the Arena victory, not a mandatory upgrade to your build.
Troubleshooting an Arena progression problem
Bethesda Support gives a specific recovery sequence for Arena progression issues, including cases where time does not advance correctly or an equipped Raiment is not recognized. Apply the least disruptive fix first and keep a save from before entering the Arena area.
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| Symptom | Action | Why it can help |
|---|---|---|
| A round, promotion, or post-fight state does not advance | Reload a save made before entering the Arena area. | Restores the quest state before the problematic transition. |
| The Arena seems stuck after a fight | Fast-travel away from the Imperial City Arena, then return. | Reloads the area and its scripted state. |
| The game does not recognize the Arena Raiment | Remove bound equipment and re-equip the Arena Raiment. | Bethesda specifically recommends re-equipping the required gear when the check fails. |
| A timer or waiting condition does not resolve | Wait or sleep for three in-game days. | This advances the in-game time window used by some scripted conditions. |
| The issue persists after area resets | Restart the game. | A full restart can clear a transient quest or scene state. |
| Mods are installed | Disable or remove relevant mods, then retry from a clean save. | Mods can alter Arena scripts, equipment checks, or scene triggers. |
Bethesda also recommends saving before entering the Arena and between rounds. Those saves give you a controlled rollback point instead of forcing you to repeat the entire climb if a promotion or equipment check fails.
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When the Adoring Fan does not appear outside
First confirm that you completed all three post-match events: Agronak’s defeat, the hand-in of Agronak’s Raiment to Ysabel, and the Grand Champion reward conversation. Then leave the Arena through its normal exit and check the exterior.
If the rank was not awarded, return to Ysabel and finish the missing dialogue before trying the area-reset steps above. If you declined the offer earlier, check the Arena exterior again because Destructoid reports that he waits there and can rejoin later. If he died after recruitment, the same guide reports a return after three in-game days, although Bethesda has not officially confirmed that behavior.
Do not begin a second Arena progression or search for a separate recruitment quest while the original sequence is incomplete. The follower is attached to the Grand Champion result, so correcting the Arena state is the appropriate fix.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes to avoid
- Stopping after the victory: Agronak’s defeat alone is not the complete reward sequence. Return to Ysabel with his Raiment.
- Leaving before the promotion dialogue ends: Wait for Ysabel to award Grand Champion and the Raiment of Valor.
- Expecting him at the start of the game: He is unlocked through the final Arena rank, not by visiting the Imperial City early.
- Counting matches as a strict requirement: Guide descriptions differ between more than 20 and nearly two dozen. Use the rank progression and Gray Prince challenge as your checkpoints.
- Assuming he is a specialist: The documented role is torch carrying and encouragement, with basic follow and wait commands.
- Treating the three-day return as official: Destructoid reports it, but Bethesda’s support material does not guarantee follower death or respawn behavior.
- Ignoring saves and mods: Bethesda recommends saves before entering and between rounds, plus disabling or removing mods when troubleshooting.
Platform and availability context
Bethesda’s getting-started article dated April 22, 2025 listed Oblivion Remastered for Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC. That dated platform statement does not guarantee current regional availability, storefront listings, or edition details. The Adoring Fan recruitment route itself is tied to the game’s Arena progression, not to a separate purchase, accessory, or add-on.
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- Start the Imperial City Arena with Owyn.
- Complete the rank progression and its fights; the guide descriptions place it at more than 20, or nearly two dozen, bouts rather than a fixed universal number.
- Accept Ysabel’s challenge to Agronak gro-Malog, the Gray Prince.
- Defeat Agronak and take Agronak’s Raiment to Ysabel.
- Receive the Grand Champion rank and Raiment of Valor.
- Leave the Arena and accept the Adoring Fan’s offer with “Follow your esteemed Grand Champion!”
- Use his dialogue to make him follow, wait, or leave; return outside the Arena if you dismissed or declined him.
- If progression breaks, use Bethesda’s save, area-reset, Raiment re-equip, three-day wait, restart, and mod-check sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get the Adoring Fan at the beginning of Oblivion Remastered?
No. He becomes available after you earn the Imperial City Arena’s Grand Champion rank. You must complete the Arena progression, defeat Agronak gro-Malog, finish Ysabel Andronicus’s reward conversation, and leave the Arena.
How many Arena fights are required?
Destructoid describes more than 20 fights and GameSpot describes nearly two dozen. Those are approximate guide descriptions, not a fixed universal counter. Follow the rank progression and continue until Ysabel offers the Gray Prince challenge.
Where is Agronak gro-Malog?
Agronak gro-Malog, also called the Gray Prince, is the reigning Grand Champion encountered through the Imperial City Arena progression. Ysabel tells you about him and provides the final challenge after you advance through the ranks.
What do I do after defeating the Gray Prince?
Take Agronak’s Raiment to Ysabel Andronicus. Let her award the Grand Champion rank and give you the Raiment of Valor. Then leave the Arena; the Adoring Fan should approach outside.
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Choose “Follow your esteemed Grand Champion!” when he offers to accompany you. If you decline, Destructoid reports that he waits outside the Arena and can be recruited later.
Can the Adoring Fan wait or follow me?
Yes. Speak with him and use the basic follow or wait instruction. You can also dismiss him and return to the Arena exterior later to recruit him again.
Is the Adoring Fan a strong combat companion?
The available guide descriptions frame him as a simple, characterful follower who carries a torch and offers encouragement. They do not establish him as a specialist damage dealer, healer, equipment carrier, or inventory solution.
What should I do if he disappears after dying?
Destructoid states that he returns within three in-game days, but Bethesda has not officially confirmed follower death or respawn behavior. Wait or sleep for three in-game days, check outside the Arena, and keep a recent save in case the reported behavior does not occur.
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Bethesda Support recommends reloading a save from before entering the Arena area, fast-traveling away and back, removing bound equipment and re-equipping the Arena Raiment, waiting or sleeping three in-game days, restarting the game, and disabling or removing relevant mods. Save before entering and between rounds.
The Bottom Line
To recruit the Adoring Fan, complete the Imperial City Arena, defeat Agronak gro-Malog, return Agronak’s Raiment to Ysabel, accept the Grand Champion reward, and leave the Arena. Choose “Follow your esteemed Grand Champion!” outside. His useful commands are follow, wait, and dismiss; his main appeal is personality rather than advanced combat power.
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