Skyrim has some pretty great moments that every player can name right off the bat. Its opening is iconic, and even its side quests include standout moments that people talk about even today.
Some of my favorite Skyrim moments became my favorites because they’re the culmination of everything that came before in The Elder Scrolls’ lore, and just wouldn’t be the same without the decades of worldbuilding and lore that became the foundations of Skyrim’s world and stories.
There are many moments in Skyrim that change if you know the lore behind them. Some of these moments are seemingly insignificant, while others shape The Elder Scrolls’ world in pretty significant ways.
10
Running Into a Stilt Strider
The Last of Her Kind
Silt striders are largely confined to Vvardenfell, but there’s a lone one you can find on Solstheim. Dusty the Silt Strider can be found near Tel Methryn alongside her keeper, who explains he found her cocoon in a cave after the Red Year wiped most of them out.
This is a random sighting for many Skyrim players, but for those who know about the impact of silt striders, their importance in the lives of those in Vvardenfell, and the fact that she’s the last one, this moment feels very different.
Instead of a bizarre creature, you’re looking at a memory that is on its way out, a time that’s gone by and will soon be forever lost. Hearing Dusty’s calls across the plains of Solstheim hearken back to Morrowind in a very vivid way, and give this moment a gravitas that many miss.
9
Fighting the Falmer After Dawnguard
A Tragic Tale of Loss
The Falmer are some of the most annoying enemies to run into in Skyrim. They always appear alongside chaurus, and getting swarmed by both groups in a dwemer ruin while dodging traps is a recipe for a frustrating experience.
Chatting with Dawnguard’s Gelebor gives the Falmer a new perspective. On the cusp of annihilation by the Nords, the Snow Elves went to the Dwemer for sanctuary. The Dwemer agreed, but on the condition that they eat a poisonous fungus. The ones that did became twisted abominations and eventually the Falmer. Gelebor is the last Snow Elf, and running into them after this revelation is much sadder.
8
Choosing the Black Star
A More Nuanced Take on an Obvious Choice
Choosing the Black Star is a no-brainer for many. Considering how rare black soul gems are and how common black souls are, having a black soul gem that doesn’t get destroyed upon use is a boon. The only downside is making Azura angry, but there aren’t any consequences for it, so corrupt away!
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Dawnguard saw the return of the Soul Cairn, a plane of Oblivion that had been introduced in The Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire. The Soul Cairn is the final destination for those who are unfortunate enough to be soul trapped. The victims include Jiub, a character from Morrowind, and many other souls who are condemned to wander the fields of the Soul Cairn for eternity.
Many are confused, unaware they’re dead but not quite. While seeing the true cost of black soul gems may not quite dissuade anyone from choosing the Black Star, it gives the decision in subsequent playthroughs more nuance and weight.
7
Meeting Emperor Titus Mede II
Long Live the King
The Emperor of Tamriel always played an important role in The Elder Scrolls, until the death of Martin Septim and the end of the Septim dynasty. The Septims were replaced by the Medes, who had some fundamental and key differences from the Septims.
Where the Septims had a sacred bond with Akatosh and their seat on the Ruby Throne served to keep the forces of Oblivion at bay, the Mede dynasty relies purely on politics and saw a rapid decline in the Empire thanks to the war and stalemate with the Thalmor.
The Emperor you see in Skyrim is Emperor Titus Mede II, the man who was emperor during the war with the Thalmor and signed the White-Gold Concordat.
Thank You, Ancestor Moths
Despite being the title of the series and having three of them show up in Skyrim, the Elder Scrolls are actually very rarely featured in the series.
Reading an Elder Scroll takes years of dedication and perseverance, and can have devastating consequences for those who haven’t made the necessary preparations. It takes a toll on both the mind and the body, blinding the Moth Priests who dedicate their lives to studying them.
You actually get to read one in Dawnguard using a method that earned the Moth Priests their name, another moment that feels significant because of their appearance in Oblivion.
5
Arriving on Solstheim
Making Morrowind Relevant Again
Arriving on Solstheim is a significant moment and feels like something of a return in a lot of ways. Understanding the lore of Solstheim adds a lot of context, such as the Dunmer Ravenrock settlement, the dominance of House Redoran, Neloth’s presence, the Skaal, and the presence of lycanthropes on the island. Many of Solstheim’s features appear in .
Solstheim has changed hands between Skyrim and Morrowind several times, and the Red Year changed it forever in significant ways. It’s close enough to Vvardenfell that you can see Red Mountain on the horizon, and most of the island is covered in ash. These are all parts of the lore that add context to Solstheim and make every interaction and presence in Dragonborn more meaningful.
4
Farkas Becoming a Werewolf
Lycanthropy Comes with Some Caveats
Lycanthropy behaves a little differently in The Elder Scrolls than in the more traditional depictions. Instead of being a disease or a curse, it’s a blessing given to Hircine’s followers.
The moment Farkas transforms into a werewolf and reveals that the Companions’ Inner Circle are all lycanthropes is already a big revelation, but the connection to Hircine isn’t explained until later in the Companions’ questline.
There isn’t much reason to know about it unless you’ve done the Hircine Daedric quest in Falkreath. Knowing the lore makes the Hircine connection very clear long before he’s brought up as a problem later in the Companions’ questline.
3
Meeting Delphine
The Last of the Blades
Delphine’s revelation that she’s one of the last of the Blades should be a massive moment, but unless you’ve played the previous Elder Scrolls games or have read up on the lore about them, it’s a moment that kind of falls flat. It’s also insignificant in the long run if you don’t want to kill Paarthurnax, as the Blades’ questline essentially ends then and there.
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The Blades have always played a pivotal role in The Elder Scrolls, and you join them as a part of the main questline in both Morrowind and Oblivion. Meeting one as a Dragonborn takes on a completely different meaning if you know who they are and their role in the previous games.
2
Ulfric’s Speech in Windhelm
It’s Amazing How Far Shouting Can Take You
Skyrim’s civil war appears noble in theory, and it’s easy to be swayed by the Stormcloaks’ stories of being the underdog fighting against an oppressive Empire. The reality, however, is far more bleak. A lot of the details of the war between the Thalmor and the Empire are left unsaid, and it can be easy to see the Empire as an outdated and oppressive force that bows to the whims of the Thalmor.
The truth is that the Thalmor are manipulating the Stormcloaks, particularly Ulfric, as a splintered Empire is easier to conquer. You discover this in confidential documents at the Thalmor Embassy during Diplomatic Immunity. This manipulation goes back decades.
Although the Empire had agreed to outlaw Talos worship, it didn’t enforce this law in Skyrim until the Markarth Incident led by Ulfric Stormcloak, which pretty much made him the maker of his own problems and clearly easily manipulated. Listening to Ulfric’s speech when you meet him in Windhelm is vaguely nauseating if you know his lore.
1
Finding Alduin’s Wall
A Visual of History
Alduin’s Wall is one of the most important pieces of lore in Skyrim, and was heavily featured in marketing it back in the day before it was released. The creation of the Wall was ordered by Emperor Reman II, and documents the events that would lead to the return of Alduin.
There are more prophecies on the Wall than are mentioned in both Skyrim and the trailers. It documents each event of the Dragonborn Prophecy, but each of these events occurs in each of The Elder Scrolls games leading up to it. Looking at the Wall is like retracing your own steps, and is a wonderful homage to the stories and heroes that came before Skyrim, also highlighting the world and history that’s at stake.
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Released
November 11, 2011
ESRB
M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes
Engine
Creation
Expansions
Skyrim: Dragonborn, Skyrim: Hearthfire, Skyrim: Dawnguard
