It’s hard to believe that Skyrim could possibly be 10. Time remains forever an enemy, and 10 years have slipped through our collective fingers like so many grains of sand. Here we are then, in November 2021, with 10 years since we first saw dragons take to those Nordic skies, since we first shouted FUS RO DAH, and since we first died to a frost troll when trying to climb a big staircase.
Now, with Bethesda releasing a brand-new version of Skyrim to commemorate its 10th anniversary, we thought it was the perfect time to look back at our favourite Skyrim moments.
Be warned – there are spoilers after this point!
Downing your First Dragon
Killing dragons in Skyrim doesn’t get old. Of course they can be a little troublesome when you’re trying to do something else, but hearing that cry and the thrum of the battle music always is a little thrill.
It’s never more thrilling and memorable than when you first kill a dragon. You’re sent out to investigate a watchtower that’s come under attack and there, from the skies, comes Mirmulnir. This battle is fairly simple but it’s a moment that’ll stick with you long after you finish the game. Seeing this dragon swoop in, eat soldiers whole, and then be absorbed into your body is the stuff epics are made of.
Killing an Emperor
It’s almost a staple of the Elder Scrolls series that Dark Brotherhood quests are the best. In Skyrim, they’re no exception. The questline culminates in a grand plan to assassinate the Emperor, seeing you hide as a mysterious chef, climb aboard a boat, before finally plunging your weapon into the Emperor’s body.
What makes this questline so memorable isn’t just the depth and complexity of the plan, but the characters you meet along the way. From the Orcish chef to the Emperor himself, it’s full of richly-depicted individuals who make this world feel more fully-rounded. Then the inevitable confrontation with Emperor Titus Mede II doesn’t go the way anyone planned, and is all the better for it.
Jailbreak
Markarth is one of the most beautiful locations in Skyrim, but its stone walls hide many secrets. It has traded hands many times, with the Forsworn recently being in charge of this ancient Dwemer town. The Forsworn Conspiracy quest can lead in unexpected directions, seeing you locked up alongside a gang of potential rebels.
This quest can go down a few different ways but one of the best moments in Skyrim comes if you decide to help the Forsworn in their escape, fleeing the city in a riotous cavalcade of violence. Bursting through the city, your new comrades in arms slaying guards at your side as you fight for freedom is a truly great moment.
It also helps that this quest is one of the few that changes the state of the world, albeit in a minor way. After helping the Forsworn escape, some will no longer be hostile to you, making the world feel as if it truly adapts to you.
Going Back to Solstheim
Returning to Morrowind will never happen – the events of the Red Year made sure of that – but that doesn’t mean we can’t get a little of that good Morrowind-y action.
The Dragonborn expansion takes players back to Solstheim, the location of the second Morrowind expansion: Bloodmoon. Things have changed since those days, with Raven Rock becoming a Redoran outpost and the original fortress falling to ruin. In fact, ash covers the entire bottom half of the island…but it’s still Solstheim, still Morrowind, and it still feels brilliant to be back.
A couple of familiar faces even pop up, from the Glenmoril Coven to a certain ancient Dunmer. Being back on Solstheim feels a little like coming home and even for non-Morrowind fans it’s filled with some of the best quests Skyrim has to offer.
Entering Blackreach
The Dwemer have always been a mystery in latter-day Elder Scrolls entries. However, in Skyrim we got to see behind the veil a little more. This mainly came through the forgotten city of Blackreach, occupying a colossal cave that stretches under much of Skyrim.
Admittedly we only see a small section of the huge Dwemer ruins. There’s more visible in The Elder Scrolls Online, but what we do see is utterly breathtaking. Emerging from a standard dungeon, you find yourself amidst crystals, strange plants, and long-lost structures that haven’t been seen by mortal eye for hundreds of years. Blackreach is jaw-dropping, especially for the new Skyrim player.
Just don’t talk to us about Crimson Nirnroot.
Just…Being There
Finally, probably the most memorable and best part of Skyrim is just existing in that world, soaking up the atmosphere.
You can kill dragons, fire off fireballs, and wield all the daedric weapons you want – but for a sense of place, the moment-to-moment feeling of existing in a universe, Skyrim simply cannot be beaten. Whether you’re exploring the frozen north in The Pale or sniffing the fresh pine-filled air of Falkreath’s forests, it’s always worth taking a moment to appreciate your surroundings.
Skyrim wouldn’t be as enduring or as popular as it is without, well, Skyrim. It’s a world that aches to be explored, that sings primal songs to the heart. There’s a reason 10 years of Skyrim feel like they’ve passed in a blink of an eye.
It’s the perfect time to pick up your copy of Skyrim from the Green Man Gaming Store. Choose from the Standard, Legendary, Special or even VR editions!
