But I think it’s safe to say that the game has some truly memorable missions that you’ll absolutely love to play time and time again. Skyrim has much more replay value than most games, and being an RPG you can always choose your story each time. That uniqueness translates into the way you take on certain quests, and the decisions you take to define your character and their personality. As nerdy as that may sound, it’s actually super cool! If you haven’t played a fresh save game in a long time, it might be time for you to take another look at Skyrim. Maybe by looking into a few of these awesome quests… but where do you start? I’ve got your back, don’t worry – these are my picks for the best quests in Skyrim that you really should play, whether you’ve played them before or missed out on them, definitely give these a look over!
30. The Silver Hand
I think it’s safe to say that this quest HAD to be on my list. The Silver Hand is the quest in which you join the Circle and become a Werewolf, initiating yourself into a life of darkness from which you won’t be able to turn back any time soon. Kill the werewolf hunters and prove your loyalty to the order. You’re about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
29. Diplomatic Immunity
Dragons have been gone for many years. “What caused them to come back?”, many have asked themselves. There’s really no way to tell without a whole lot of investigating. And the answers are sure to be as interesting as the question itself. The Diplomatic Immunity quest will take you on a special mission in which you’ll have to infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy to see if you can find anything that ties the resurgence of dragons with the reappearance of the Thalmor. An intriguing and fascinating quest indeed, and one with many historical ties to the land of Tamriel as a whole.
28. Innocence Lost
By far one of the most somber quests in Skyrim, Innocence Lost will have you aid a child in his mission to summon the Dark Brotherhood. You’ll have to kill an innocent woman. Will that stop you? The Dark Brotherhood questline is not as good in Skyrim as it was in Oblivion, but this single quest truly stands out. And just note that since it is part of the Brotherhood questline, so you’ll have to complete it if you intend to become the leader of the order in Skyrim.
27. Forgetting About Fjola
It’s time to go and rescue Fjola to help poor Christer, her husband. Wait, she’s not being held captive… Did she actually become the leader of the bandits that live in the tower? Well, apparently so. But you’ll have to figure that out on your own. This is one weird quest that will make you question your own morality by trying to do the right thing or feeling tempted to do the wrong one. Whichever choice you make, the outcome won’t necessarily feel like the right one. In any case, it’s a good and rather odd quest that you have to play if you’ve never encountered Christer before.
26. The Way of the Voice
The Way of the Voice is one of the most emblematic quests in Skyrim. And one that serves to build some of the plots of the main storyline too. Once you learn your Unrelenting Force shout, the Greybeards themselves will summon you. And you’ll have to embark on a quest towards High Hrothgar to speak to the elders and learn “The Way of the Voice”. This quest is one of the main pillars that hold together the main questline of the game, and one of the best ones in terms of storytelling in Skyrim (in my opinion). It might not be as full of thrills as others. But it does set quite a fantastic picture for the game to unfold. I fully recommend you give it a shot.
25. The Black Star
I know that many Daedric Princes tend to cause conflict in players, as we don’t know whether to fear them, hate them, respect them, or like them. Azura has to be one of my favorite Daedric Princess in the game. And the Black Star quest is also one of my favorite Daedric quests in all of the Elder Scrolls universe. This quest will set you on a mission, given to you by Azura herself, that should end with you cleansing her Black Star which is corrupted by Necromancers. Malyn Varen’s soul must be destroyed – will you do it, or will you let Azura down? This fantastic quest remains as one of the best Daedric quests in terms of storytelling, and Azura’s voice actor did a great job in interpreting the script for this.
24. The Forsworn Conspiracy
A Conspiracy between the Forsworn and the Silver Bloods seems to be the talk of the town in Markrath. Such a peaceful city doesn’t deserve the air of shadiness that surrounds it. So you’ll have to embark on a mission to clear things up and decide the outcome of the conspiracy. This truly fascinating quest will force you to become an investigator as you try to discover what exactly is happening in Markrath, and why you witnessed a man murder a woman in broad daylight.
23. The Dawnguard Questline
Is there really anything bad to say about the Dawnguard questline? I think it’s the best questline in the game, with a unique story and narrative matched by no other quest in Skyrim. If you don’t own Dawnguard, definitely go snag it at some point. It’s well worth the cash.
22. The Pale Lady
The Pale Lady is a spirit that seems to be roaming the lands of Skyrim. She doesn’t seem able to find rest ever since her sword was stolen. It is up to you to decide whether you’ll return the sword and lay the Pale Lady to her final rest, or kill the spirit and keep the sword for yourself. The fight against the Pale Lady is truly difficult if you have the game set on Expert. And it’ll be quite a challenge to keep the sword too. It’s worth it, though. This weapon has a masterful effect where your foes takes 25 points of frost damage when they’re slashed. Hard to get but great to have.
21. Unbound
Yes, this quest wasn’t going to be missing from my list. Unbound is the first quest in the game, which starts with the infamous “Hey, you’re finally awake” quote that has become the new Rick Rolling of video games. This legendary quest is the most emblematic out of the bunch, as it basically serves as the introduction to Skyrim as well as the tutorial for the game. Create your character and set yourself on a collision course towards the final fight with Alduin. You can’t escape your destiny, Dragonborn. Make the best of what you have after leaving behind the chains that tie you!
20. The Book of Love
The Book of Love is quite a long quest. But one that takes a spot on my list because of its amazing and immersive storytelling. Mara is the Goddess of Love in Tamriel, and she’s really praised in the lands of Skyrim. You will need to head to her temple in Riften where you’ll have to perform many quests for her followers to gain the favor of Mara herself. You will receive the “Agent of Mara” blessing after completing it, which grants a permanent magic resistance buff of 15%. Earn the favor of the goddess and get an amazing buff along the way early in the game – there’s no better way to kickstart your Skyrim adventure! Besides, some characters change locations further down the line, so you might be better off completing this quest before the Civil War questline.
19. Hard Answers
This quest is super odd. You’ll be sent on a mission to try and decode a hidden message in order to prove the treachery of a man who we don’t know whether he’s guilty or not. The coded journal that he kept might hold his secrets, though. And Enthir seems to think that translating it is the key. Your mission will be to decode the message and find out the truth. It’s hard to get answers, and this quest truly emphasizes that concept. A fun yet different quest is always one worth playing.
18. Rise in the East
Yes, it’s that quest. I honestly loved this quest because ships have never been a thing in Skyrim (not when they move, at least). So I think this is as close as we’ll ever get to experiencing some pirate action in the game. The quest itself is fantastic too, and you’ll be off fighting and killing a lot on your way to complete it.
17. The Wolf Queen Awakened
The Wolf Queen Awakened is a level 10+ quest that will have you gather the remains of Potema Septim and defeat her spirit, all to stop the Wolf Queen from returning to the world of the living. Get ready to strike down one of the strongest early-game foes that you’ll encounter if you decide to partake in this difficult mission!
16. Ill Met By Moonlight
Ill Met By Moonlight is a fantastic werewolf quest given by none other than Hircine himself. The quest itself isn’t too much of a big deal, in my opinion. But the rewards you get at the end is what makes it one of the best in the game. If you happen to spare the werewolves that you’ll fight in this quest instead of killing them, Hircine will appear and grant you his blessing. Unlike Mara, the Wolf Prince will give you his blessing in the form of a special ring: aka Hircine’s Ring. This bad boy grants the ability to transform into a werewolf as much as you’d want (if you are a werewolf already, of course).
15. A Night to Remember
A Night to Remember is, arguably, one of the most fun Daedric quests that you can play in the entire Elder Scrolls franchise. This one has you undergo a drinking contest with a dude called Sam and a couple of his friends. The thing is that this contest will cause you to get blindly drunk and wake up the next day without any recollection of what happened, highly reminiscent of those times back in college. The thing is, that the winner of the contest was supposed to get a weird staff from Sam. At least, according to what he promised. However he’s nowhere to be seen, and you seem to have made quite a mess while drunk. You’ll have to find Sam and see what that was all about. But the man holds a huge secret himself so be careful!
14. Battle for Whiterun
It doesn’t matter whether you take the side of the Stormcloaks and lead the rebellion of Skyrim, or the side of the Empire and try to put a stop to the rebellion; this quest is by far one of the best in the game and a defining moment in the storyline. In any case, Whiterun holds the key to the victor of the war. Whoever wins this battle will decide the fate of Skyrim. And with it, the fate of the lives of many people. Stop the rebels and fight for the Empire, or fight for a cause that seems honorable? Your pick.
13. Hail Sithis!
It’s time to get that blade ready – your next Dark Brotherhood contract is to kill the Emperor himself. This mission is by far one of the coolest and most epic, and even though the Dark Brotherhood questline is a bit underwhelming, this mission truly makes up for it. Basically, this is a can’t-miss quest.
12. Coming of Age
A treasure awaits somewhere deep inside a cave in Skyrim. In order to start this quest and embark on an adventure, you’ll have to speak to Salma and Beem-Ja outside the mysterious cave. You will then have to enter the cave, where you’ll end up with the treacherous Beem-Ja. Should you come out victorious, you’ll also end up claiming the treasure! I guess riches get the best of some men – including greedy Beem-Ja. The world will be better off without him.
11. The House of Horrors
There is a house in Markrath that seems to have been cursed by demons. That’s what the legend says, anyways. And you will find that to be true as you embark on the House of Horrors quest in assistance to the Vigilants of Stendarr (there’s a mod that allows you to join them too!) In any case, this will end up with you speaking to none other than Daedric Prince Molag Bal. If you haven’t completed it yet, go ahead and enjoy yourself. It’s super fun.
10. Frostflow Abyss
Alright friend, if you’re into creepy or eerie quests, you might’ve found your match. I won’t go into much detail about it as the thrill and mystery are crucial to this quest, and if you haven’t played it yet I don’t want to spoil the fun. Explore the Frostflow Abyss and uncover the dark secret being held in its depths. Check out this guide if you really want to learn more…
9. Forgotten Names
Deep below the College of Winterhold you’ll find a mysterious Daedric Glove. What’s the purpose of this artifact? What are you supposed to do with it? Forgotten Names is a quest that will take you on a mysterious adventure towards the depths of the college, where you’ll have to solve a couple of quick puzzles and then make the decision of whether to end a life or save it. As many Daedric quests, this one has quite a dark taint to it that makes it just eerie enough to balance itself between good and evil.
8. Blood on the Ice
Oh man, this quest has been such a huge sensation among the Skyrim player base. I think it’s truly impacting everyone because it’s not a quest that you’d expect to find in the game unless you install a mod. But no – Bethesda actually went ahead and added a quest about a damn serial killer to the game. The absolute mad lads. Blood on the Ice will have you investigate the mysterious killings of various women in Windhelm, and hopefully put an end to the sadistic game being played by one man (or woman?) that lives in the city.
7. The Ghost of Old Hroldan
This lore-rich quest is another one on my list that involves ghosts. I’m sorry, I know it’s becoming a trend. But there are too many good quests with undead in them! In this one, you’ll have to return the sword of Hjalti to the ghost that roams in the Old Hroldan Inn. Do it and bring peace to this one mighty warrior that died in battle.
6. Kyne’s Sacred Trials
I love this quest. It’s all about fighting guardian beasts (which basically are spirits). You will be visiting the lairs of many guardians and defeating them in battle if you wish to complete all of Kyne’s Sacred Trials. And this quest has some serious Oblivion vibes, for some reason, which is another factor in why I absolutely love it.
5. Forbidden Legend
It’s time for the Gauldur Amulet to reappear in the world. And finishing the Forbidden Legend quest is the only way to do it. According to an old tale, there were three brothers that killed their father many years ago. The father was the owner of the now long-gone amulet. But completing the quest will unite you with the spirit of the dead man, who will guide you and help you craft the amulet again. The quest itself is pretty long, as you’ll have to find all of the ancient resting places of each of the brothers. Puzzles and traps await, as do many creatures on a lust for blood.
4. Waking Nightmare
Why are all of the citizens of Dawnstar experiencing nightmares at night? There seems to be a lot of confusion in the streets as to what is going on, and you must take the responsibility of cleansing whatever evil is causing woe to the citizens. Big surprise, right? You, the hero again. Ally with a priest of Mara and help him defeat the evil that roams Dawnstar and save the citizens from their crippling psychological pain, or ignore this quest altogether and tell them to screw themselves.
3. The Cursed Tribe
Orcs and giants battle it off as the chieftain of the orc tribe seems to be sick to his bones. It is your mission to find a solution to this ever-growing dilemma. How can you do it, then? Well I don’t want to spoil too much, but one thing is clear as day – peace is not an option. If you decide to embark on this quest, do so as if you were going to war. Many perils await and you’ll have to fight a few giants. We all know how annoying they can be.
2. The Mind of Madness
Poor old Pelagius has been possessed by Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness. You’ll have to travel into his mind and set Pelagius free, while also earning the amazing Wabbajack for yourself. I found out that many people didn’t like this quest while making this list, which I thought was outrageous. I still love it though so it gets a pretty high spot in my list!
1. To Kill an Empire
To Kill an Empire might not be the quest in which you finally end the Emperor’s life. But it’s a much better quest than Hail Sithis. The whole plot of sneaking in and impersonating the chef that cooks for the Emperor himself is just too fun to ignore. And the build-up, the tension, all created by this quest feels second to none. By far the best quest in the game, in my opinion, and it’s got a lot of really fun backstory too.
