By reading some of Skyrim’s in-game books, along with talking to some important NPCs, players might learn a few details about past Dragonborns. The more the player learns, the more they might start to notice a pattern, that the vast majority of Dragonborns do not get a happy ending.
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The Dragonborn Don’t Often Get a Hero’s Ending
Despite the primary goal of Skyrim’s player character to stop Alduin and save the world, the Dragonborn aren’t always the heroes of their tale. The first Dragonborn, Miraak, is a perfect example of this. Raised as a servant of the ruling Dragons, Miraak was once a strong member of the Dragon Priesthood. Upon finding a Black Book, a powerful Daedric artifact, Miraak betrayed his Dragon masters and sided with Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of Knowledge and Fate.
Using the knowledge he gained to learn an extremely powerful Shout capable of controlling Dragons, Miraak became the first Dragonborn and began an uprising against those he once served. The more victories Miraak claimed, the more Dragon souls he consumed, becoming increasingly powerful with every battle. With the power he gained, the more arrogant and cruel Miraak became, even refusing to help Hakon, Gormlaith, and Feldir in their battle against Alduin.
Eventually, Miraak’s insatiable lust for power led him to the Dragon Priest Vahlok, who would defeat him in battle. Moments before death, Miraak was sent to Apocrphya by Hermaeus Mora. Upon his resurrection in the Fourth Era, Miraak is driven to madness, with his only desire being more power. Miraak’s tale ends at the hand of the Last Dragonborn (Skyrim’s player character), and the myth of Miraak fades into obscurity.
Mankar Camoran, the main antagonist of Oblivion, suffered a similar fate. A troubled upbringing led Camoran into a life of devout Daedric worship, eventually leading to his attempt to dissolve the Gates of Oblivion and allow Mehrunes Dagon to wreak havoc on the world. In his own Paradise in the realm of Oblivion, Camoran tortures even his most loyal followers. Camoran is eventually killed by the Hero of Kvatch, with his legacy being lost to time.
On the other end of the spectrum, even those Dragonborn who lived to aid others also tended to meet an unfortunate end. Martin Septim, for instance, is forced to sacrifice himself in order to stop Camoran’s world-ending schemes. Even one of the most well-known Dragonborn, Wulfharth the ancient Skyrim king, doesn’t get a happy ending.
Being one of the most powerful Dragonborns ever known, Wulfharth is continuously brought back to life throughout history, never allowed to rest. Wulfharth’s resurrections come to an end when Tiber Septim, a fellow Dragonborn, rips his soul out of his mortal body. Wulfharth’s soul is then used to power the Mantella, which in turn powers the Numidium, and Wulfharth’s soul is used as a weapon. Wulfharth’s mortal body eventually manages to destroy the Numidium, and he is finally allowed to rest, but his legacy is marred by deeds committed in Tiber Septim’s name.
Alessia, the first Dragonborn Emperor, is another historical figure who seemingly lived a good life, but didn’t get the ending they perhaps deserved. Born a slave in Cyrodiil, Alessia started a revolution against the Ayelids, a high elf race largely seen as sadistic slavers. Eventually, Alessia was crowned Emperor, and became a revered figure. Though Alessia is still remembered fondly by Imperial citizens, she wasn’t granted a peaceful death. Moments before she passed, Akatosh visited her death bed and forceably bound her soul to the Amulet of Kings so she would never ascend to Aetherius, the Immortal Plane.
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How Skyrim’s Dragonborn May Be Remembered
Thanks to player agency, Skyrim’s Dragonborn could be a hero or villain depending on what the player chooses to do. If the player wants, the Dragonborn could be a brutal, homicidal maniac who killed everyone and everything in their path. Alternatively, they could be the hero of Skyrim, helping out citizens wherever they can and ensuring that the world is a better place.
This fairly large amount of freedom does pose a potential problem in how The Elder Scrolls 6 is going to deal with the Dragonborn. If the character is referenced at all, then the upcoming game may need to decide which of Skyrim’s potential Dragonborn is canonical.
Regardless of how the player decides to tackle the game’s side objectives, the main Skyrim quest will always end the same way, with the Dragonborn defeating Alduin and saving the world. If Bethesda wanted to keep Skyrim’s protagonist morally ambiguous, it’d be a very easy solution to either not mention the Dragonborn at all, or have some passing comment be made that the Dragonborn is a mysterious character largely lost to history. This may be a disappointing legacy for some fans of Skyrim, but it would fit thematically with the Dragonborn lineage.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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