The continent of Tamriel, the land of The Elder Scrolls franchise, has incredibly diverse geography. Be it jungles, marshes, deserts, plains or mountains, Tamriel has it all in a relatively small geographical space, with each region of the world having its own distinct geographical style.
One would think that such diverse climates would breed extremely diverse and rare life, and while that's somewhat true in regards to intelligent races, not so much when it comes to the monsters of Tamriel. For one reason or another, several different hostile creatures appear all across Tamriel, regardless of climate. These enemies have features in almost every Elder Scrolls game to date and will surely be seen again in The Elder Scrolls VI.
10 Karstaag - Toughest Ice Giant There Is
First introduced in the Bloodmoon expansion pack for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Karstaag was an Ice Giant who ruled over a tribe of Reikling on Solthsteim. Karstaag kept a peaceful relationship with the local Skaal tribe until he was captured by Hircine and forced to fight Morrowind's protagonist, the Nerevarine.
When it was announced that the Dragonborn would also get to visit Solthesteim in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's final DLC, Dragonborn, there was a lot of speculation as to what characters would return. Karstaag's return seemed unlikely, as he was killed by the Nerevarine, but if the Dragonborn places his skull upon his throne, his ghost will appear to battle the Dragonborn.
9 Glenmoril Witches - The Source of Lycanthropy
In the Companions questline of Skyrim, one of the central debates amongst the group is whether the faction's Lycanthropy is a blessing or a curse. Regardless of what the other members of the Companions think, the Harbinger, Kodlak Whitemane, wants to be cured.
To do this, the Dragonborn will need to slay the witches of Glenmoril, who turn out to be Hagravens. However, they were not always such creatures, as their presence has been felt in the franchise for many years. They had a whole questline in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, and members of the Glenmoril coven can be encountered in friendly and hostile capacities in both The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Morrowind.
8 Regular Animals - A Wild World
As well as fantastic beasts, Tamriel is home to many creatures that a regular human in our world would recognise in a heartbeat. Some are nice and friendly, while the Wolves and Bears are commonplace enemies in Tamriel, often attacking unsuspecting players while out in the wilds.
Modern animals aren't the only ones, though, as Mammoth and Sabre Tooth Tigers are foes players will have to contend with out in the world. While fairly mundane compared to the other magical creatures of the world, their presence is a nice little connection to the real world.
7 Clannfear - Daedric Velociraptor
It's not uncommon, in Tamriel, to come across people who have trained vicious animals to aid them in battle. However, when a Daedra wants such a beast, no ordinary Sabre Cat or Bear will do. They need something unstoppable in its brutality.
Enter the Clannfear, a lizard/small dinosaur with teeth and claws that will tear anyone who steps in their way to shreds. These beasts were first introduced in The Elder Scrolls: Battlspire before making their way to Morrowind, Oblivion & Elder Scrolls Online. They're notable in their absence from Skyrim, likely due to the Oblivion Gates being sealed at the end of Oblivion, but given that Dremora can still be summoned into Tamriel, don't rule out seeing these creatures in the future.
6 Daedroth - Muscly Crocodiles On Legs
Back to the planes of Oblivion and the Daedroth are powerful foes that players must contend with. Their hulking forms are as deadly as they look, and in case that wasn't scary enough, they're intelligent enough to wield powerful weapons to boot.
Introduced in Daggerfall, Daedroth have featured in every Elder Scrolls game released since except for Skyrim, due to the planes of Oblivion being closed off and more of an emphasis put on different types of enemies in that entry in the franchise. Such a powerful force can surely not be kept away from Tamriel for long, though.
5 Dwemer Animunculi - Living Machines Of A Dead Race
One of The Elder Scrolls' greatest mysteries is that of the Dwemer. While scholars know a lot about their history, the circumstances surrounding their lives, their disappearance and even what they looked like is shrouded in mystery.
The only thing that remains of their race is their ruins and the Automatons that lurk within them. From Spiders to Colossus, the Dwemers were masters of engineering and created machines with a lot of attacking power that seem to hold at least some level of sentience, with how they patrol the corridors of the Dwemer Ruins.
4 Dragons - Immortal And Intelligent...And Deadly
A fantasy world just wouldn't feel complete without magnificent creatures like dragons flying through the sky. As the main focus of Skyrim's plot, a hell of a lot has come to be known about dragons through various lore sources.
Beings of great intelligence, they have immortal souls that can only be destroyed by being absorbed by another Dragon or the Dragonborn. Not only that but they're said to have existed before time itself and had their own civilization long ago. Try as the Dragonborn might to have caused their extinction in Skyrim, Dragons are clearly going to be an eternal presence in The Elder Scrolls.
3 Bandits - Meat For The Grinder
The Elder Scrolls has no shortage of generic enemies, but none are quite as prevalent as the Bandits. Sometimes they'll go by slightly different names, but the land of Tamriel is full of generic enemies in fairly weak armor, who hilariously think they stand a chance against the player.
No matter where players go in an Elder Scrolls game, and no matter how powerful they are, Bandits will always find a way to be a nuisance. That's ok though, everybody has their place in the world, and someone has to be murder fodder so the hero can level up quickly.
2 Atronachs - Daedric Elements
Sometimes referred to as Elemental Daedra, Atronachs are one of the most vital tools for any aspiring Conjurer in Tamriel. Residents of the planes of Oblivion, Atronachs use the power of the elements to smite their foes.
A huge variety are available and have been seen in the franchise as early as Daggerfall. Be it flame, frost, storm, stone, air or even shadow; an Atronach can be summoned by powerful mages from the planes of Oblivion to fight by their side, making them arguably the most common type of Daedra to see in Tamriel.
1 Spriggans - Nature's Guardians
Not only among the most common enemies in The Elder Scrolls but also low-key, one of the most powerful to face in one-on-one combat. Featured in every game since Daggerfall, Spriggans lurk in the places where nature rules, be it in glades or overgrown ruins.
Their powerset is extremely impressive. They have powerful regenerative abilities and can camouflage themselves in foliage with so much ease they practically become invisible. When it comes to offence, they can cripple their enemies with potent poisons they can produce themselves, as well as having their own language, which can be used to control wild animals. Wherever nature lurks, there shall you find a Spriggan. So, until the land of Tamriel becomes full of the sprawling metropolises we see in our modern world, they're sure to remain commonplace.