Top 10 In-Game Antagonists in the Elder Scrolls Franchise

It's been 26 years since the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Elder Scrolls franchise debuted with the Elder Scrolls: Arena in 1994. The series has undergone a drastic transformation from its💜 earliest releases to its most recent titles, but the games have always been engaging and fun. And one thing that adds to that engagement is the series' antagonists.

Indeed, the Elder Scrolls has always boasted an assortment of colorful villains, enemies, and opponents, from generic-yet-quirky bandits to despicably evil gods. So,with less than four years away from the series' 30th anniversary, and with the Elder Scrolls VI planned for t✅he future, it's time to look a🔯t and rank the 10 best in-game villains of the franchise.

10 Jagar Tharn ඣ 💫

Jagar Tharn is the primary antagonist of the first Elder Scrolls game, Arena. In a way, he's the villain who set the standard for all the bad guys that came﷽ after him. But while that accolade is admirable, the outdated and limited technology of the first game also makes him one of the weakest villains, in terms of motivation, storytelling, and interaction. Not to say facing him is an easy fight, but compared to the antagonists who followed him, he just doesn't quite match in memorability.

9 Umaril

Umaril is the last of the Ayleid Elves, and the primary antagonist of the Knights of the Nine expansion to the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. This former king sought refuge with the Daedra Meridia, to protect his kingdom from Imperial invasion. 𝔍This alliance backfired, and he now returns to Cyrodiil during the Oblivion Crisis as a powerful Lich, ready to raze the country to the ground. We're meant to stop him, and while his backstory is rich with lore, he's nothing too engaging, especially given that our interactions with him are separated by a language barrier. In the end, Umaril is just another body meant to bolster players' strengths.

8 Harkon

Harkon is the vampiric Volkihar leader and primary antagonist of the Dawnguard expansion to the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The prestige he carries as a Vampire Lord gives him charisma, while the backstory of his broken family makes him a loathsome enemy. Even our climactic fight with him can be tricky🔥 with his vampiric powers, but where he falls painfully short is his motivation.

He's forsaken everything he had for a prophecy to blot out the sun, so that vampires can freely rule the world. A good idea in the short term, perhaps, but in the long term? How quickly would the rest of Nirn die without sunlight, leaving Harkon and other vampires with an empty world to rule over? Maybe he actually wꦍants that, but if not, then perhaps he should think his schemes through in the future. If he had one, that is.

7 Hircine

The Daedric Prince of the Hunt has appeared in almost every main Elder Scrolls game, but he plays a special antagonistic role in the Bloodmoon expansion for Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. As a Daedra, he has an inherent association with "evil," but the god is a hunter at heart and sees it as an admirable sport. The fairness of said sport is questionable, though, and that's what so often drives his evil nature in his 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Daedric quests, and in Bloodmoon.

Those who Hircine deems as prey or hunter a🐟re extremely arbitrary, and Bloodmoon's questline has players stand up on behal🐽f of said allotted prey. We obviously best the god in combat, but Hircine loses with grace, giving players a fantastic boon, and yet another fun, bloody story to add to the series.

6 Alduin

A dragon, a god, the former ruler of the Dragon Cult, and the World Eater. These honorifics describe Alduin, the main antagonist of the Elder Scrolls V: Skryim. Despite all these accolades, this draconic deity just doesn't stack up compared to other antagonists. We encounter him repeatedly throughout Skyrim, from its iconic opening, to Kynesgrove, to overworld encounters, and more. And ꦏthese sce🌳nes are amazing, establishing him as a truly divine threat, but come our battle in Sovngard, there's ultimately nothing that distinguishes him from any other dragon we've fought, and he's also about as easy to defeat. All that build up for a weak payoff and no soul to loot. The novelty of an evil dragon god gives him some clout, as do our non-combative encounters with him, but he's undoubtedly the weakest 🅺of main quest a🦹ntagonists.

5 Miraak

Miraak is a fellow Dragonborn and the current champion of Hermaeus Mora, in the Dragonborn expansion to the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. His thirst for power led to his betrayal of the dragons and alliance with Mora, to access the Daedra's unlimited knowledge. But this deal came ൲with a price, trapping Miraak eternally in Mora's plane of Apocrypha, until we come along.

Miraak tricks us into entering this plane of Oblivion, where he plans to use us to escape the Daedra, return to Nirn, and conquer it. He's as clever as♛ he is strong, using numerous strategies and new Shouts to try and best players, and Dragonborn against Dragonborn certainly makes for a memorable showdown. But we'll still beat him, and Miraak, f🐬or better or worse, becomes nothing more than another soul to fuel our powers.

4 ♊ Mehrun♑es Dagon

As Daedric Prince of Destruction and Change, Mehrunes Dagon is responsible for the Oblivion Crisis and is the main antagonist of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. His goal behind the Crisis is reflected in his titles: to bring destruction and change to all of Tamriel. What better way to do that, than🎉 to merge Nirn with his plane of Oblivion? Mehrunes' potency as a villain comes from the fact that, rather than invade himself, he instead sends numerous Dremora and Mythic Dawn cultists to do his dirty work. And when he does finally intervene, it takes no mere mortal, but rather the intervention of Akatoღsh, to successfully beat him, and end the Crisis. Mehrunes Dagon is truly a terrifying deity, both in Oblivion and beyond.

3 Almalexia

Almalexia is one of the three deities of the Dunmer's Tribunal sub-Pantheon, alongside Vivec and Sotha Sil. She's also the main antagonist of the Tribunal expansion in the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Or rather, she's a secret antagonist, acting as a benevolent goddess and guide as we stop her fellow Tribunal gods in the storyline. It is only when we survive to the end of the quest, does she betray us, hoping to use our death to martyr us and bolster her worship. Her treachery is a special, painful sort of villainy, 🍌as she is otherwise a good ally. But still, we must stop her, and there are few who can claim the glory of killing a god.

2 Dagoth Ur

Elder Scrolls III Morrowind Dagoth Ur vs Player Cropped

This powerful Dunmer-turned-Chimer is the primary antagonist of the Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. He, much like the Tribunal before him, is attempting to ascend to living godhood. But unlike the former trio, he does so for ignoble reasons, hungry for the power, praise, and recognition. Given the age and technical limits of Morrowin🃏d, Dagoth is somewhat lacking in complex characterization. But he easily makes up for that in the compelling storyline of bringing down a megalomaniac. After all, there's always something so satisfying in humbling an arrogant god⛦.

1 Jyggalag

Jyggalag is the Daedric Prince of Order and primary antagonist to the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Shivering Isles expansion of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. This Daedra is the true aspect of Sheogorath, cursed by his fellow Princes to be the Mad God. This curse breaks once Era and Jyggalag♐ destroys the Isles, only to be relapse into Sheogorath and rebuild them, in an endless cycle. Players are meant to stop this cycle, to fight Jyggalag, and in doing so, to save the Isles.

When play🌳ers indirectly break his curse, 💞they in turn, take it upon ourselves, becoming Sheogorath incarnate. Jyggalag is a great villain, not necessarily because he's evil, but rather because he's a tragic character, lashing out whenever he can. Yes, in defeating him, we break his curse, and save him and the Isles from destruction, but we also lose ourselves to Sheogorath. Now, both Jyggalag and Sheogorath exist as separate Daedra, and we're left wondering if we really saved Nirn or only delayed its doom.

Next: 10 Pieces Of Cut Content From Sꦐkyrim We Wish We C💧ould Play