Last Dragonborn Victory

The hero who absorbs dragon souls to wield ancient Shouts against the World-Eater.

The Last Dragonborn stands as the mortal champion chosen to stop Alduin the World-Eater from destroying the world. Set 201 years after The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, this story unfolds in Skyrim, a northern province of Tamriel. As the only being capable of absorbing dragon souls, the player character fulfills an ancient prophecy. This unique ability allows them to learn powerful spells called 'dragon shouts' or 'Thu'um' by spending these absorbed souls. The narrative focuses on this quest to defeat Alduin, who is prophesied to end the current era.

Quick Facts

Protagonist role: Last Dragonborn
Primary antagonist: Alduin the World-Eater
Outcome: Quest to defeat Alduin; dragons are hunted for souls

Lore & Background

The conflict centers on Alduin, a dragon prophesied to destroy the world. Unlike previous entries in The Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim introduces dragons appearing randomly in the wilderness and attacking cities. These creatures engage NPCs and the player in combat. To fight back, the Dragonborn must learn words of power from 'word walls' found in dungeons or taught by characters. Each shout consists of three dragon-language words, with strength varying based on how many are spoken. While dragons are frequently referenced in earlier games, their physical presence here is a new mechanic where they generate randomly and can be killed to fuel the player's growth.

Reader's Guide

Begin by selecting one of ten races, including Nords, Imperials, or Dunmer, and choose a character appearance that can be changed later. Focus on improving skills like Archery or Smithing to level up attributes such as health, magicka, or stamina. Explore the open world to find word walls for Shouts and hunt dragons to absorb their souls. You may ride horses for faster travel or use the fast-travel system to move instantly between discovered points. Be aware that killing essential NPCs can block quests, while committing crimes accrues bounties that guards will enforce. The game supports dual-wielding weapons or mixing magic and melee, with power attacks expending stamina to stagger enemies.

Did You Know?

Skyrim was released worldwide on November 11, 2011, for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
The game shipped over seven million units within the first week of its release.
Players can dual-wield weapons or use a shield to bash enemies offensively.
A remastered version titled Special Edition containing all DLC was released in October 2016.