If there's anything Skyrim teaches people about themselves, it's that there's a little hoarder hiding in everyone. There's something about its ridiculously extensive catalog of obtainable items that obsessively compels us to collect them. Some of these acquisitions make perfect sense, like a legendary weapon, or a powerful Daedric artifact. Although it can be a little more difficult to justify assembling three-hundred pieces of every available variety of cheese, we know we're going to do it anyway.

Which items are the choicest bits for the discerning pack rat? Which conversation pieces are sure to yield maximum bragging rights? If you find either of those questions weighing heavily on your mind as you rummage through your own absurd Skyrim item hoards, you're in luck. Keep scrolling to check out ten of the rarest items to be found in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

RELATED: Skyrim: The Most Powerful Weapons With Unique Enchantments, Ranked

Updated on February 21st, 2022 by Talha Bin Rizwan: Skyrim has a plethora of items that players will wield, use, or just hoard during their journey. Some items have great utility and aid players while others leave a lot to be desired. While most of the clutter will not aid players other than being dead weight, certain pieces may attract the attention of players who may wish to collect odd and unique items. These items are counted among the hardest to find in the game and will require players to keep an eye out if they want to get their hands on them. A few more of the rarest items in Skyrim have been added to this article.

18 Cyrodilic Brandy

Skyrim Cyrodilic Brandy within a Skyrim mod map

Booze is a big part of being a Nord. There's even an entire Daedric quest centered around drinking and having a good time. With that, it's no surprise Bethesda included some very rare drinks in the game that only the most resourceful players would be able to find. The rare Cyrodilic Brandy is one of them, and is a great reference to past Elder Scrolls games as well.

Players without the Dragonborn DLC will find this item particularly difficult to find. It can only be looted off of Plautius Carvain after he's dead, whenever he's encountered in the wild with his wife, traveling to the wedding in Solitude. Otherwise, Fort Frostmoth on Solstheim will have a few bottles of it behind a Master-level locked door.

17 Torture Tools

Skyrim torture tools on the ground

Clutter is a major issue and feature of Skyrim. It helps to bring in immersion in its many dungeons, and this macabre set of torture tools which luckily (or unfortunately, depending on how you see it) can't be interacted with. There's only a total of four of them in the entire game, making it a very rare piece of clutter.

RELATED: Skyrim: Things You Never Knew About Dragon Priests

The easiest way to find one is to play through the Companion quest line which will eventually bring the player to Gallows Rock, where one can be found next to a dead werewolf. There are also two found in the Dawnstar Sanctuary of the Dark Brotherhood at the end of its quest line, as well as one in Fort Dawnguard.

16 Revyn Sadri's Circlet

Skyrim Revyn Sadri selling his unique circlet

Circlets are nothing tremendously rare or uncommon in Skyrim. However, there's one type of circlet in particular that appears so rarely that it's actually considered a bug on the official Elder Scrolls wiki page. If you're lucky, you might be able to get your hands on it.

Head to Windhelm's Gray Quarters and speak to Revyn Sadri. There's a slight chance that he'll be selling something called Revyn Sadri's Copper and Onyx Circlet. There's nothing special to this circlet, no enchantment or particularly high value. It simply has an interesting and unique name, making it one of a kind.

15 Double-Distilled Skooma

Skyim Double Distilled Skooma within a Skyrim mod map

Skooma is already somewhat uncommon in the game, but not impossible to find in certain bandit dens or by speaking with Khajiit traders. However, the rare double-distilled skooma is absolutely one of a kind in the game, so much so that there's only one of it which can be found during a quest.

Go to Windhelm and speak with Stands-In-Shallows, who will ask you to fetch him some very strong skooma for his urgent needs. The bottle he asks for is inside the New Gnisis Cornerclub located in the Gray Quarter. This specific type of skooma restores 50 points of stamina.

14 Windshear

Skyrim Windshear on the front mast of the Katariah

Unique weapons are some of the best parts about wandering around Skyrim and adventuring. Coming across one is always a joy, but some of them are so well hidden that it's a miracle anyone ever found them in the first place. Such is the case with the legendary Windshear.

RELATED: Skyrim: The Most Brutal Difficulty Mods, Ranked

At the final stage of the Dark Brotherhood quest, rather than immediately escaping the Katariah, head to its main deck and walk up the main front mast to find this rare and unique scimitar lodged into the wood. It's not an amazingly good weapon, but it has the chance of knocking some enemies down when bashed with.

13 Notched Pickaxe

The Notched Pickaxe is likely the most well-known item on this list, on account of its status as an Easter egg. Its name is widely accepted as a nod to Markus Persson, or "Notch," the creator of the timeless and ever-popular sandbox game, Minecraft.

It is stashed away in a hard-to-reach location at the very top of the Throat of the World, near the highest climbable point in the game. It actually has some limited application to boot, as it boosts the wielder's Smithing skill by five points.

12 Fur-Trimmed Cloak

You'll be the envy of every Jarl at the party when you strut in wearing this absurdly rare Nordic ensemble. The Fur-Trimmed Cloak is only worn by two select Jarls in the entirety of the game, namely Korir in Winterhold, and Idgrod Ravencrone of Morthal. A third is worn by Bryling, a Thane in service to Elisif in Solitude.

RELATED: Skyrim: Secret Side Quests Everyone Missed

As (bad) luck would have it, all of these NPCs are marked as essential, meaning they cannot be killed for their swanky duds. Bryling, however, loses her essential flag after the Dark Brotherhood quest "Bound Until Death," and we're not responsible for what you decide to do with that information.

11 Auriel's Shield

In addition to being rare, Auriel's Shield is one of the strongest and unique shields in the game. Its enchantment allows it store the energy of blocked attacks. When the player executes a Power Bash with it, this energy is unleashed to devastating effect.

Added with the Dawnguard DLC, it's tucked away within a hidden sublocation inside the Forgotten Vale, known as the Forgotten Vale Forest. Getting there can be a little tricky, as the Dragonborn will have to track down the Ruby Paragon first. Once inside, just scout out the nearby ruins to locate the Falmer that drops this beautiful piece of defensive equipment.

10 Woodsman's Friend

This unique two-handed weapon can actually be scooped up just after the Dragonborn leaves Helgen for the first time, provided they know where to look for it. It can be a little difficult to spot, but sufficient stomping between Pinewatch and the nearby lake should yield it eventually: just keep an eye out for its fallen former owner.

At a glance, the Woodsman's Friend actually does a bit more damage than your standard iron battleaxe. However, what goes unmentioned is the fact that it also swings a bit slower than its plain counterparts, actually causing it to do less damage over time. This one is best picked up before diving into the Hearthfire content, as building the Lakeview Manor house can cause it to disappear.

9 Flag

It's absolutely and completely useless. It seems to ignore the laws of physics, as when dropped, it'll simply float in mid-air. In all likelihood, it's the result of a coding oversight or an outright mistake by a developer that stayed up coding way too late one night. It's... well, it's a flag. A red one, to be precise.

RELATED: Skyrim: The Craziest Random Encounters You Probably Missed

Similar flags can be seen denoting Imperial holdings in the various homes and castles of Skyrim's Jarls. In order to get your hands on it, you'll need to purchase Proudspire Manor in Solitude, which doesn't come cheap. After that, just have a children's bedroom built onto it, and you'll be able to pluck your prize right off of the map contained therein.

8 Mead with Juniper Berry

"This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in." There's likely not a single Skyrim player that doesn't remember the then-gallows-bound musings of Ralof as they rolled into Helgen during the game's introduction.

As it turns out, there's an answer to be had, if the Dragonborn decides to revisit Helgen at some point. Scattered all over the floor of Helgen's burnt-out husk of an inn are these unique bottles of mead, found nowhere else in Skyrim. It looks like Vilod was still making his juniper berry mead after all. Though probably not so much after Alduin had his say.

7 Giant's Club

The weapon that is single-handedly responsible for sending countless Dovahkiin on an all-expenses paid trip into the stratosphere wasn't meant for players (or NPCs other than giants) to pick up or interact with. However, even without the aid of console commands, players can vicariously "own" their own Giant Club by utilizing their followers.

A loose one can be found in the giant camp at Tumble Arch Pass, northeast of Whiterun. After locating it, and summarily learning that you can't pick it up yourself, enter your follower's command menu. Hovering over the club will give you the option to have your follower pick up the item. If they're not carrying anything better, they'll even equip it.

6 Roasted Ox Head

Because who doesn't need a big, stinky, and completely inedible burnt cow head to adorn their dining room table? It's the perfect way to simultaneously wow and gross-out the guests at your next dinner party. As a bonus, said party will also cost a lot less if they're put off enough by this macabre centerpiece to skip the actual dinner part.

RELATED: Secrets Behind The Making Of Skyrim

That said, you have an extremely limited window to snag this rare bit, as there's only one Roasted Ox Head and it's within Sovngarde's Hall of Valor. Needless to say, you'll need to be quite far along in the main questline in order to do so, but all you need to do is remember to snag it.

5 Akaviri Sword

This one-of-a-kind katana was added in the Dawnguard DLC, although the only known instance of it rests in the hands of the Imperial Moth Priest, Dexion Evicus. He's encountered on both sides of the main questline, though the exact context differs just a wee bit depending on whether you're a valiant Dawnguard or a vampiric villain.

Either way, your only hopes for actually obtaining it rest in the Misdirection perk or getting really crafty with the reverse pickpocketing. The blade itself, though unique, is pretty unremarkable. It does decent (though unimpressive) damage, and looks just like a Blades Sword for most intents and purposes.

4 Combat Fork

There are a multitude of eating utensils in Skyrim. Forks and knives exist in joyous abundance, much to the delight of silverware enthusiasts. However, a handful of particular forks stand apart from the rest. With a fearsome damage rating of one, these forks may be wielded as weapons.

The trick is finding them. They look just like the normal, non-weaponized forks, but there are several locations in which these fabled forks may be found. One is in Honeyside, the purchased player house in Riften, after buying the porch furnishing. Another can be found outside the entrance to Gloombound mine, far to the southeast of Windhelm and close to Narzulbur. As an added bonus, it has a knife counterpart that's usually not far away.

3 Ysgramor’s Soup Spoon

Ysgramor's Soup Spoon selected in the inventory

Ysgramor's Soup Spoon is a unique piece of silverware found only in Calixto's House of Curiosities in Windhelm. Despite being labeled as a “spoon”, the item appears to resemble a fork. Supposedly the item once belonged to the ancient Skyrim hero Ysgramor, but it is unknown if he actually used it or not.

The Ysgramor's Soup Spoon can be found on display on one of the shelves at Calixto’s shop. Players can learn more about the spoon from Calixto, who will also offer a tour of his shop. In terms of value and weight, Ysgramor's Soup Spoon resembles every other fork in the game.

2 Exquisite Sapphire

Exquisite Sapphire

Skyrim’s only Exquisite Sapphire was added as part of the Dragonborn DLC. It is acquired when players give Glover’s Letter to Sapphire of the Thieves Guild. The letter is located inside Glover Mallory’s house in Solstheim, in the basement, which players can access via a variety of methods.

RELATED: Skyrim Special Edition: How To Get The Blackguard Armor Set At Level One

They can either break in and use a clipping glitch to enter the locked basement room or complete a few side quests for Glover after which he gives the key to the Dragonborn as a reward. The Exquisite Sapphire is the single most miscellaneous item in Skyrim, selling for 5,000 septims and also having the highest weight to value ratio.

The items in Glover's basement refresh after every 8 days, including his letter to Sapphire. The letter can be looted and given to Sapphire repeatedly after every cycle for an Exquisite Sapphire. However, players will need to make sure they do not have the Unofficial Skyrim Patches installed, depending on which version of the game they are playing.

1 Argonian Ale

Argonian Ale on a shelf in the Bannered Mare

Players can get the only bottle of the Argonian Ale via the side-quest “Argonian Ale Extraction” given by Brenuin in Whiterun. The bottle can be found in The Bannered Mare and only spawns when the quest is acquired. Players lose possession of the drink when they give the bottle to the beggar to complete the quest.

Provided their pickpocket skill is high enough, players can attempt to pickpocket it from Brenuin after they give the Argonian Ale to him. They can then sell the ale to a vendor if their speech skill is high enough with the appropriate perks.

The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: Skyrim: Rare Magical Effects You Never Noticed (& 5 Rare Spells You Never Cast)