The Elder Scrollsseries stands as one of the most well-known and loved in gaming. Memorable for its massive open worlds, boundless freedom, and memorable questlines,The Elder Scrollsremains the source of much video game discussion, but none more so thanThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Following the reveal ofStarfield, it looks as though the release ofThe Elder Scrolls 6could be just around the corner. However, nearly a decade fromSkyrim’soriginal release, it is still the subject of plenty of interest from gamers, and it shows no signs of slowing down as it approaches its 10th anniversary.
A potential reason thatThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimhas remained in the hearts and minds of gamers is the sheer volume of memorable characters the game has produced. When rememberingThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, a number of memories may come to mind, and likewise, a great many of the game’s NPCs that made the game feel as though it were alive. The game’s Radiant A.I. breathes life into the game, makingSkyrim’sNPCs function as though they’re truly living within the game world. But there are some characters that shine more than others, retaining a place within the hearts or minds of fans.
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Babette
Skyrim’ssmallest centuries-old Vampire, Babette, stands out from the crowd for obvious reasons. Her singularity is what makes her so memorable, there are no other characters quite like her. On first impressions, Babette looks like one ofSkyrim’sregular child NPCs, however, it soon becomes apparent that all is not quite as it seems. Babette, instead, is actually over 300 years old but was bitten by a vampire at the age of 10. This introduces quite an interesting dynamic, as the innocent appearance of the character is directly contrasted by her involvement with the Dark Brotherhood, as well as much of her dark dialogue.
Babette, throughout her appearance inThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’smain game, as well as in her appearance inSkyrim’sDawnguard DLCexemplifies how looks can be deceiving. The player first encounters Babette as she is entertaining a room full of assassins in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. While she may at first look out of place in the Sanctuary, it soon becomes apparent just why she is there. Babette is actually telling a story of a time when she lured an old man to his untimely end using her child-like appearance, highlighting the contrast between her perceived vulnerability and the actual threat she holds. The overall strangeness of her character makes Babette stand out in the minds ofSkyrimfans.
Lydia
From the outside, it may seem as though there’s little reason to remember Lydia. Kitted out in Steel armor, Lydia doesn’t exactly look to be someone worth remembering, however, she plays a significant role in the early stages of most player’s playthroughs. Lydia is one ofSkyrim’smost popular followers, being offered up to the Dragonborn as a housecarl following one of the game’s early missions. The vast majority of players will have accepted her offer to follow the player, and as a result of her non-essential status, many more are likely to have lost her soon after.
Lydia is one of the non-essential followers inSkyrim, able to be killed in combat. Any search of her name online will turn up multiple results of disgruntled fans asking whether they’re able to bring her back, or at least regather their loot. Of course, for manySkyrimfans, the loss of Lydia as a follower isn’t of any real consequence. While her combat stats are fairly impressive, fans have expressed annoyance at a handful of her voice lines, particularly her sarcastic “I am sworn to carry your burdens” voice line. As a result of this, Lydia is one ofSkyrim’s most hated characters.
Fans have remarked how Lydia’s reluctance to join the Dragonborn on their adventures has proven to be a bit of a mood killer. Being joined by an NPC that very clearly doesn’t want to be there does take the thrill out of an adventure somewhat. But while the resentment of Lydia is fairly widespread in theElder Scrollscommunity, it is a part of what makes her so memorable to the story.Skyrim’smultiple follower modshave shown their importance in the player’s experience of the game, and Lydia is possibly the one follower that left the biggest mark.
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Sheogorath The Prince of Madness
The cheese-loving Prince of Madness, Sheogorath is a regular fixture in theElder Scrollsfranchise, managing to leave his mark whenever he makes an appearance. His cameo inSkyrimis no exception as the quest tied to his appearance is too outlandish to forget. Sheogorath can be found once the player is teleported from an abandoned building in Solitude to the mind of Pelagius Septim The Third, where Sheogorath has decided to vacation. It is in this quest that theDragonborn is gifted the Wabbajack, a staff capable of transforming living entities into any number of random animals or objects.
The inspiration behind Wes Johnson’s portrayal of Sheogorath is Scottish Comedian, actor, and musician Billy Connoly. The reasoning behind this is that Billy strikes a perfect balance between being intimidating and funny. Sheogorath fits this mold perfectly during his appearance inSkyrim. during his feature,Skyrim’sPrince of Madnessswitches effortlessly between jovially joking with the Dragonborn, and reminding them of their mortality and vulnerability. Players won’t soon forget Sheogorath’s unhinged personality, which simultaneously amused the player and instilled them with a deep-seated feeling of unease.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis out now for PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
