Skyrim's vast amount of content has kept Elder Scrolls fans busy for almost a decade since the game's release in 2011. Besides the main quest, players can delve into dozens of side quests and infinite radiant quests that give players an excuse to explore all of Skyrim's dungeons.
These quests wouldn't exist if not for NPCs, however. Hundreds of NPCs exist to flesh out the world of Skyrim, each providing unique dialogue or entire quests to embark on. Some NPCs are remembered for their weird or humorous dialogue alone. Ranging from fourth-wall breaks to cannibal chefs, here are ten of Skyrim's weirdest and funniest NPCs that players can find.
10 Neloth
Neloth is a master Telvanni wizard that can be found in Morrowind and Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC. He is one of Skyrim's most talented wizards, but like most wizards from House Telvanni, he has to make a big deal about it.
Nearly every conversation with Neloth is about raising his own ego while playing down the player's accomplishments despite the player's Dragonborn status. The best example of this is when players use Neloth as an Enchantment trainer. He will give the player up to five levels in the skill, as most trainers do, but trying to upgrade it past will cause Neloth to comment "I could, but I won't. It wouldn't do to have you become better than me after all." Considering most mages in the main game take themselves so seriously, it's a breath of fresh air to see a wizard that has an inflated ego.
9 Kjeld The Younger
Kjeld the Younger is a strange Nord that can be found in Kynesgrove. Instead of upholding the tough-as-nails persona most Nords live by, Kjeld the Younger has the temperament of a child. Players can frequently hear Kjeld plead with his mother to play outside or to avoid doing chores. When he talks to his father, Kjeld gets applauded for complaining to his mother and standing up for himself. He is certainly one of Skyrim's strangest non-essential NPCs.
8 Cicero
Cicero is one of Skyrim's most annoying NPCs, always dancing and stating psychotic lines in a high-pitched voice. Dressed in flamboyant jester attire, Cicero never got over his final Dark Brotherhood Contract just before their old Sanctuary was destroyed. As a result, Cicero went from a skilled assassin to an insane, murderous jester. Bring him along as a companion for some truly strange dialogue.
7 Hamelyn
During the Thieves Guild questline, players will have to visit the Honeybrew Meadery to assist with shutting down the establishment for Maven Black-Briar. This proves to be much easier than the player might anticipate, as there are poisonous skeevers under the meadery.
Where are all of these skeevers coming from? An insane Breton mage named Hamelyn has been experimenting on skeevers to infuse their fangs with venom. This isn't the first time he's done this, either. According to his journal, Hamelyn was once a College of Winterhold student that was kicked out for using his magic "inappropriately." He was also arrested in Whiterun for a similar incident. Hamelyn's fascination with skeevers is no doubt a reference to the Pied Piper of Hamelin myth.
6 Sild The Warlock
Towards the end of the Rannveig's Fast dungeon, players will come across a Word of Power that has a suspiciously placed chest in front of it. Walking towards the wall will be trapped inside a lair that belongs to Sild the Warlock.
This necromancer tries to appear imposing but fails in every aspect. He describes his devious plan to the player as he meticulously looks for tools to torture the player. The issue is the cell the player is trapped in is easily opened since the key is right next to the cage. Sneaking out will leave the warlock frustrated and exclaim his desire to experiment on a live subject for once. It's rather humorous to see this warlock's meticulous plan fall apart so quickly.
5 Wylandriah
Riften's court wizard is none other than Wylandriah, a Bosmer mage that appears insane at first glance. She loses her train of thought easily during dialogue and will ramble on about things of little importance. For example, players first meeting her will be asked how to create a harmonic field. Players can tell her to use calipers to stabilize the field, to which she will say they are one of the rarest items in Skyrim. This is a reference to the removal of calipers in Skyrim. The Dragonborn can also suggest for her to swallow a soul gem, a suggestion she resonates with before losing her train of thought.
Wylandriah also asks the College of Winterhold for a substance named "Greenmote," a material exclusive to Sheogorath's Shivering Isles that players explore in Oblivion. Either she is one of the most intelligent mages in Tamriel or she is completely insane.
4 Knjakr
Knjakr is an insane Nord chef that can be found in the Ratway Warrens under Riften. Trapped in a cell, Knajakr will plead for the player to enter their cell to "stay for dinner." With a chef hat on and a knife in hand, Knajakr will attack the player and eat their corpse. This deranged cannibal is such an unexpected sight that it comes off as one of the game's strangest yet humorous encounters.
3 Sheogorath
It would be criminal to mention Skyrim's strangest NPCs without listing the Prince of Madness himself. Sheogorath is one of The Elder Scrolls franchise's Daedric Princes that can be found during the quest "The Mind of Madness."
Sheogorath can replace rain with cheese, throw a moon at a city he doesn't like, transform giants into rabbits, and is more than happy to give the player his trusted Waabajack Daedric Artifact—a powerful staff that does a random effect with every use. To make matters stranger, Sheogorath is also the player character from Oblivion. Combined with his humorous dialogue, Sheogorath is easily one of Skyrim's most memorable characters.
2 Chicken Necromancer
While exploring The Rift, head south of Geimund's Hall to find a unique necromancer encounter. This novice necromancer can be seen practicing his magic on a dead chicken. Should the player get too close, the necromancer will become hostile. Once slain, take the chicken egg atop the shrine to see all nearby chickens rise from the dead. Don't worry, they aren't hostile. Even novice necromancers need to start from somewhere.
1 M'aiq The Liar
M'aiq the Liar is less of a character and more of a massive inside joke between the Elder Scrolls community and Bethesda. This strange Khajiit is known for his wealth of misinformation, rumors, and fourth-wall breaks that reference past games.
Ever since Morrowind, M'aiq the Liar has been an NPC that comments on changes between each game. In Skyrim's case, M'aiq will comment about the removal of calipers, how blocking while dual-wielding would be confusing, how every member of his family is named "M'aiq the Liar," and suggests the player should carry a spare weapon in case one breaks—an outdated piece of advice since Skyrim removed weapon durability altogether. It's a fun nod from the developers on how the franchise has changed from game to game.