Join me as I rank a bunch of quests in Skyrim from worst to best! Skyrim quest tier list. Footage for this video was taken from a live stream 🙂
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Yes
At this point, the Skyrim soundtrack is better than the game. Its so epic, beautiful and enchanting, that the game can't live up to it. It transcends the game.
Skyrim quests in a nutshell:
"Dragonborn, I need your help! I lost my late mother's ring in a cave conveniently located on the other side of the map, hidden up the Mountainside. It's full of spiders, trolls, skeevers, Spriggans and I'm pretty sure I sure some Draugr in there as well. Please Dragonborn, you must return my dear mother's ring to me. In return, I'll give you 23 Septims and a couple potions."
I haven’t even watched this yet but I bet I can already tell you where no stone unturned is.
I feel like if bethesda went into more detail with what Paarthurnax did in the Merethic Era we might end up siding with Delphine in wanting to kill him. But as the game is we only see a dragon that is good and someone we don't like claiming he is evil.
For me personally, Dawngaurd is Talos tier no doubt about.
You already mentioned how good dragonborn dlc is, it have stunning visuals and amazing quests.I love miraak and everything about that dlc, But nothing comes close to dawngaurd in terms of quest designs, characters and locations.
personally I love dawngaurd more, especially as vampire lord, there's so much as vampire you can do, so many hidden quests that you can do, which still to this day people don't know. It have alot of fun quests, like going into vampire drug den and meeting soldiers from helgen, or dressing up as dawngaurd to kill city nobles or turning your spouse into a vampire. Most people play as dawngaurd, which is significantly less fun considering most of those quest are fetch quests and dwemer ruins as opposed to vampire quest.
But even as a whole dawngaurd is just the great, I don't think I need to mention serana, probably the most well developed character in all of Skyrim, her backstory was more impactful than anything else in Skyrim. Even a through away character like katria was memorable, she had more personality than half of Skyrim npc.
Dawngaurd dlc introduce so much more lore regarding elder scrolls, necromancy, soul Carin, Dragons, snow elves, vampires. Like in terms of adding a great new perspective to things, that dlc added alot more than any thing else in Skyrim.
soul Carin,Dark water caves and hidden valley were stunning locations with unique npc's and enemies, even dwemer ruin quests like lost for ages are so good with great lore added to them regarding dwemer society.
In terms of quest designs, characters and lore nothing comes close to dawngaurd in Skyrim, that's why it's my hand down favorite questline in the game especially vampire side.
Talos tier being the best? S tier? Aren't you scared that Thalmor will find this video and pay you a visit?
Here's how to play Skyrim.
Boot up, do the dark brotherhood quest line, do the dawnguard quest line. Take the disk out, throw it out the window like a frisbee and play oblivion instead. A much better game
The fact you can Destroy the Dark Brotherhood, and Commander Maro straight up attends your wedding because he likes you so much is incredible. I love the intricacies behind the Destroy ending!
"Oblivion Fighters guild doesn't have a twist" Um, actually, it does. (SPOILERS)
You are tasked to investigate a rival guild, so you join them, and drink something, and go on a mission to kill some monsters in a village. The twist is that those were people, not monsters, and the thing you drank altered your vision.
Yeah blades quest is 🤦♂️
Gamer girl bathwater delphine is megacunt
Why kill cool dragon boi?
I just started playing the main quest after 10 years of the game juat finishing the guilds n side quests.
Feel in love with him instantly.
Delphine?
Nothing nice to say.
When i saw the spoliler vids of her throwing a hissy fit about its either her or the dragon…
I imagined for most characters i played they would say "Bitch bye/ bye Felicia" 👋/ 5 page word walls that many fans in many videos n fourms show how much delphine is the 🤡🎪 that she is.
DG and DB are talos for 1st playthru.
Touching the Sky was truly something that opened my eyes to the potential of so many facets of the Lore, particularly the true history of the Late Merethic and Early First Era's of Tamriel. The Forgotten Vale OST is also something Serene.
In general most questlines either lack nuance, character development or a good story.
Lets take the College of Winterold Questline as an example.
There are basically no quests except the first one that is dedicated to studying magic. In an institution for that exact purpose! You could literally just use swords the entire questlines and still become Arch-Mage. Aside from the "twist" that Ancano is evil was so unsurprising. Instead, Bethesda could have done the following:
The first few quests are for learning some spells. If one is higher levelled with magical skills those CAN be skipped. Then you go to Saarthal, find the eye and the Arch-Mage begins to study it. He sends College Mages increasingly often on expeditions into different places to search for answers to what the Eye of Magnus is. After the second meeting with the Psijic Mages and going to the Augur of Dunlain it is revealed one of the elves in the academy is planning to misuse the eye for nefarious purposes. Everyone suspects Ancano and for investigating deeper why Arch-Mage Aren begins to obsess over the eye an argument breaks out and he kicks the Thalmor out of the Academy, forcing him to find exile among the Nords of Winterhold which hate him even more. Everything seems peaceful for a while until it's found out the location of the staff of Magnus can be found by following the Synod Mages that went into the dwemer ruin and everything proceeds as in the normal storyline. So you find out that huge Magicka spikes come both from Winterhold and Labyrinthian so you return and find out Aren does exactly what Ancano does in the vanilla story. When the magical anomalies attack, and things begin looking bleak, Ancano saves the day because he wants to protect the College students out of a sense of duty, because he genuinely cares for their safety whereas Aren does not. Everything proceeds as normal and you are sent to the Labyrinthian and you find out Arens friends are imprisoned by the Dragon Priest, you free them and so on. In the end, the reason Aren goes for the Eye because he wanted the power to both free them and defeat the Dragon Priest below labyrinthian. He ends up dying. For your actions you become Arch-Mage, but still have to exile Ancano due to his affiliation with the Thalmor and so he has to leave. So why am I so much for giving the Thalmor some humanity? Because they are portrayed as 100% evil. But why not subvert those expectations with one questline? It doesn't need to make the Aldmeri Dominion a good force but gives a great chance to make the player ask questions about what allegiance to a force like Thalmor would mean with hatred against them being almost guaranteed despite some genuinely doing it because they believe in it being a noble cause. This could go hand in hand with the main quest.
I have absolutely no respect for Boethiah’s quest. I don’t bother offering up a follower, and instead just butcher all her followers on the spot, and leave her standing there with her dick in her hand, wondering what the hell just happened.
The civil war is a chore, if I decide to do it. Sometimes, I just leave it alone.
im going to make a case for why the Brotherhood is the "best" quest in the game.. and why Astrid is actually one of the best most REAL characters..
fyi: we're all lore nerds here and have passion and feelings about stuff we love… so imma let all my passion out on this one relatin to the Darkbrother hood quest.
not saying ur wrong or right nor that im right or wrong.. i just have different perspective on this one quest and tbh is a massive difference in perspective.. xD
it appears the Brother is really just a few members strong…. i like to think the random assassins are rookies that just come and go cause that makes sense given the aweful state the brotherhood is in… the "true" members are few…
also explains why Astrid has extremely strong family bonds with the few true members.. due to lack of members.. u easily build stronger bonds like FAMILY ties with those members.. correct..?
family bonds > religion itself to her.. as far as I see it.. sithus and nite mother are like a dad who left to get milking and the oldest child now has to take on all the burn and look out for the rest of the kids.. DADDY DONT JUST GET TO COME BACK 50 years later and think he get to play dad.. top of dad YOU/US the LDB just walk up in there with “daddy” and daddy is like “oh not only am I back but gets ur “step mom” and new leader… Astrid 100% is in the right to not like or see us as family… if anything we are actually destroying or threatening what she built and the members also contributed too .. they put themselves FIRST to SURIVIE rather then a absent god…
she not the night mother was there in the trenches struggling to protect the “fam” was she dumb in trusting the empire .. yes butt being dumb choices are part of “reality” and often caused by desperation..
I think the quest was top tier.. as it perfectly tells the story of how mortals really are just tools for the gods… night mother should be kissing Astrid’s ass for her commitment to EVOLVE to protect the last few members.. also “hearsay” and rumors are absolutely a effective way to get info… we all know a thing or two about ppl and wut they been up to behind closed doors… also consider Astrid has seemingly good ties with the the thrives guild like bernoff and delvin.. delvin even say “say hi to astrid for me” if I remember correctly…
GALLOUS sent delving there for protection in the past.. astrid LOOKED OUT FOR THE THEIVES GUILD.. delvin is a highly important thieves guild memeber..
Gallous trusted and look to astrid enough to deem shes GOOD in his eyes and will help protect a cructial member..
i think delvin grasps this well and probably other members minus mercer…
so if astrid helped and looked out for them.. its only natural the thieves guild KNOWING the brother hood is in extremely bad times would HELP THEM.. how.. well INFO… keeping a ear open and listening for roomers and such..
so there.. simple explanation why astrid easily gets contracts by "hear say" as in the thieves guild are relying that info and astrid is "stupid" so why would she say "oh the theives guild" xD
she aint gonna tell us… i instanly said to myself "oh rumers huh.. so ur not gonna tell us.. fine by me yolo.."
so as far as im concerned the theives guild if anything are the “foot soldiers” for info for astrid given to her by delvin and etc.. to me that makes perfect sense and totally believable…
consider this most ppl complain how we usually just become leader so fast after a hand full of quests… we’ll it makes sense with the Brotherhood.. they are hanging on by the skin of their teeth and their GOD literally shows up out of the blue and asserts we're their listener/leader and Astrid RESISTS it and ppl complain about her and the brotherhood.. shes doing what any normal person would do who puts the family first.. not just bend over for a stranger.. like what.. I think the quest is the best in game.. perfect displays all ur humans efforts and dedication mean absolutely nothing to the gods ur support…
just like Thrisk mead hall..
the chick thats leading it… clearly did such a good job that all the members finally got time to relax and enjoy themselves.. after all whats the point of PEACE time if u cant enjoy it..
then they suprised attacked… probably at nite and drunk.. goes to see her "god"
he just projects and calls her trash..
what did she tell us..? she said he aint shit cause all he does is TALK and ac tually doesnt do anything.. just sits back in the "heavens" and dictates what they do.. they are in the TRENCHES not him.. people call her dumb and bad leader.. bruh what..
again example of how we the player lowkey trash HUMANS for being human and looking to themselves not the gods to try to make a living…
i refuse to side with sithus and night mother if it was a choice..
i 100% side with the Skull chick over her backseat gaming god too at thrisk mead hall… 😂
like both are out here putting in the work.. blood sweat tears.. relying on EACH OTHER.. THEY PUT IN THE WORK.. mistakes are OK..
nitemother sithus and that thrisk god just fking back seat game .. they show up and wanna judge people and didnt do shit to help the whole time..
conclusion i understand exactly why astrid did what she did.. they sadly worshipped TRASH GODS who dont really .. no who dont at all give a shit..
they take all the credit of the good and success yet blame the humans for all the bad …
U.. the HUMAN are more important to astrid then the gods damn "tenets"
im an athiest and anti thiest at times.. these quest chains hit hard at home..
ironcially i genuinely would support the aedra/divines butt not the daedra… they have zero regard for humanity while the aedra genunely love the mortals.. they dont dictate either.. rather lessons we can CHOSE to obey or not and have left us "guidlines" to help us on that path if we so CHOOSE… not the deadra though.. u gotta follow the rule to a T and ur STILL TRASH and disposible..
most heart breaking moment was when astrid was burnt and dyin and said "i was wrong" she should have said "i dont regret shit.. FK THE GODS..fk the nitemother.. fk situhus.. fk the listner.."
i genuinelly feel disgusted when i play that quest knowing how it turns out..
the very person who isnt at fault for the Brotherhoods decline.. inherented it.. their god wasnt present.. didnt help at all.. she saved the remaining members and fled and "raised" them more self reliant.. only reason teh brotherhood still exists is cause of her.. only for their god via US to show up and think we have the "right" to just take it.. and forcing change.. even the members there showed tehy cared more for astrid then the nitemother… cause that bitch DITCHED them long ago..
this quest chain is god tier because its fking tradic and aweful.. humans are worthless.. all our efforts.. sweat tears… are WORTHLESS.. shit to be flushed down the toliet for the "gods"
astrid pick herself up.. she picked up the surviving members.. they both moved forward and gain some stability and means to live ON THEIR OWN.. all for nightmother and us the player to SHIT IT OUT AND FLUSH IT..
i hate this quest so much because its too fking real.. hence why its god tier..
i might be looking too deep into it.. butt thats 100% what it feels like..
and astrid to the community will go down in history as a stupid retarded "evil/bad" person who was a "fake follower" and wanted power for herself who caused her "familys" death out of despertion resulting in a mistake..
reality – she realized she has to look to herself and her "family" NOT THE GOODS to make a living and find some peace and stabiltiy.. but still being human ur make mistakes like out of desperation knowing all ur hard work and "love" is about to be undermine by the motherfking "dad" who just comes back with from the store WITHOUT THE MILK.. many years later…
thats TRAGIC..
so i hope after all that.. ya'll if ya'll read .. take that into consideration when thinking about the brotherhood quest and astrid…
sorry for any curse words lol.. just really hits home due to similiar irl expereiences when i was a person of faith involved in a specific church.. where ur blamed for everything bad that happens yet everything good or decent u did was NOT UR WORK.. lmao and the church/god is credited at UR EXPSENSE for UR EFFORTS AND TIME U PUT IN.. then getting all the blame for anything stuff taht isnt "inherently bad" butt its bad according to the "Rules/tenets"
even when im playing this quest rp'ing not taking it serious.. something still in me gets pissed and upset.. 😂
when the world crumbles and all the horrers come out.. imma look for people like astride to lead and look out for people.. NOT gods not any religious groups no RULE BOOK on what we can and cant do.. imma try to survive and i refuse to support and follow a "god" that literally abondoned us and only wants to show up after we manage to save ourselves enough to at least try to move forwad..
conclusion FK THE NITE MOTHER AND SITITUS AND THE DRAGONBORN AND CIERIO in this quest.. their TRASH.. xD and fk those nords/skull and their "god/spirit" if we side agaisnt the chick leader at Thrist mead hall.. if disgusting how we turn our backs on the ones that looked out for us and put us BEFORE a damn "rulebook" xD
surface level personally i dont think ppl see what i see.. theres a underlying "message" and its sad.. we are TRASH and USED NAPIKINS to throw away.. good enough to cary the filth of the gods butt not good enough to be cleaned adn washed adn maintained.. we're fking paper plates to them not actually real silverware..
thus brother hood quest is god teir.. no.. HUMAN teir casue its true and real asfk tbh. and sad asfk… xD
If you create a quest that essentially requires a mod to show you where everything is, what you've made is a chore.
Sucks that Lost to the Ages wasn't on there lol. My favorite quest in the game
I was about to say the The Companions is actually pretty good, but then I remembered that I haven't played the vanilla version in a decade and the mods I've used made it far better than it was.
You collect 30 Crimson Nirnroots scattered across Blackreach, not across Skyrim, still tedious non the less
Well i feel like all the guilds are a huge let down. I feel like the MQ is too urgent it might have been better idk if it wasn't revealed right off the cart ride. Also for the CW doing the spy parts and then the fort sieges is decent but at the end theres no real satisfaction, no accomplishment and what along the way the reward is a few iron weapons or something. I get to say when asked to kill Ulfric ill gladly kill him, then Rikki says Talos making everything I fight for nul and void. Its my Empire dont wipe your mud on my white carpet. Nords Nords i hate Nords. Hmph what you want milk drinker. Theres just no way. LDB is less important than a chicken. Turn in a bounty and Balgruf interrupts next time talk to Avanicci . Dambit im trying you interrupted me.
No Stone Unturned deserves its own extra-bottom tier
One of the best quests in the game is the Aetherium quest line, clearing the unique dwarven dungeons with the ghost of an adventurer was nice, shes one of the few actual likable fleshed out characters in the game, plus you can get good rewards with the aetherium items and faster shooting bow, and on top of all that it adds the random event with the guy who cheated the adventurer
All around solid quests and I wish Skyrim had more of those
you should of added videos to the quest lines you were rating while talking about them.. because people don't remember these quests without seeing visually.
The preview for this video is awesome…
One of my biggest gripes with Skyrim overall is the lack of quests for people wanting to play a good guy.
All sorts of quests if you want to break the social contracts, murdering, stealing, betrayal etc.
All you kind of get is Mjola and destroying the Dark brotherhood. But we never get to see Maven Blackbriar in jail for her crimes, never get to destroy the thieves guild. Destroying the dark brotherhood is a nice twist but it's dependent on killing the orphanage lady with no option to persuade her to change or even get her arrested. Destroying the brotherhood also could have been a long quest chain where you start off foiling assassination attempts, learn where the hideouts are, then ultimately cleanse them out.
Lost to the Ages, Ill Met by Moonlight (an a half dozen other daedric quests), Forbidden Legend, and the whole main questline?
As a general rule, Delphine is an annoying and pushy character. Any quest involving her is automatically terrible.
Dawnguard had the best main story but can we appreciate the awesome side content the doc added, lost to the ages is awesome and the quests to recover the Dawnguard rune artifacts was fun too
Thank you – content like this is nice inbetween the deeper lore videos!
Ah yes Blood on the Ice. The murder mystery where the only way you can catch the correct culprit is to sell the evidence to him. No reason for this, the game just won't let you accuse him otherwise.
Paarthurnax is like Werner Von Braun.
He was a war criminal, but he joined the other side and helped them with their future.
A huge gray area where it really depends on if one believe the ends justify the means
You should rank all the Witcher 3 quests
Ill-Met By Moonlight will always be one of my favorite quests…
See's Thumbnail
My brain on autopilot: "A NEW HAND TOUCHES THE BEACON"
Me: Oh for Talos' sake
"I played Dragonborn when I was 13 or 14."
That's when I played Arena. I think that's the prime age for development of your video game psyche. The games you play at that age will be with you for the rest of your life.