The Elder Scrolls franchise is home to some of the most recognizable and beloved characters in the entirety of the fantasy gaming genre. Who could forget the Adoring Fan from Oblivion, Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak from Skyrim, or the Caius Cosades of Morrowind, after all?
For every character whose place in the stories told in The Elder Scrolls is fully realized, there are many who should have been given more time with the player in-game. Some were killed too early, some were underwhelming when compared to their backstories, and still, others were simply fun characters who needed more than just a cameo role.
10 Lucien Lachance - Oblivion
Lucien Lachance is the player's introduction to the Black Hand (the leaders of the Dark Brotherhood) in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. His voice is soft and alluring, and his intentions are nothing if not self-serving, but nonetheless he made an impact with players eager to begin their quest of death in Cyrodil.
He made an appearance in Skyrim as a spectral assassin who is summonable by the player, but otherwise has few interactions as a whole. It would have been interesting to hear him muse his own death, or comment on how the Dark Brotherhood has progressed since the Oblivion crisis.
9 Sam Guevenne - Skyrim
There's only one Hangover-type quest in Skyrim, and it's a real shame. The quest is one of the most memorable in the entire game – the player gets into a drinking contest, blacks out, and finds themselves unraveling the previous night to track down exactly what happened.
It's only one quest, though, and there could have been other Sam Guevennes in other Skyrim capitols. Better yet, it would have been funny to keep getting into amnesiac mishaps with Sam throughout the continent, much like the three Hangover movies were because of one guy over and over again.
8 Divayth Fyr - Morrowind
Divayth Fyr is among the most powerful Dark Elves in the history of Tamriel. He is stated to be over 4000 years old in Morrowind, and he lives at the top of the Tel Fyr tower with his female clones. He doesn't get involved in the politics of Morrowind, despite his power.
Instead, he is a part of the main quest and offers minor services to the Nerevarine. He appears again in The Elder Scrolls Online, but it would have been nice to see such a powerful character properly used in the original game.
7 Emperor Uriel Septim VII - Oblivion
Emperor Uriel Septim VII is perhaps the shortest-lived main character in the entire Elder Scrolls series. He dies before the introduction to the game is over, which is a real shame because it means the player doesn't get to hear Patrick Stewart's dulcet tones for the rest of the game.
Uriel Septim VII could have been brought back in The Elder Scrolls Online or perhaps brought "back to life" in Sheogorath's realm. Instead, he was a reason for the story to get going, and it's a shame we don't get to learn too much more about the Cyrodilian emperor.
6 Ulfr the Blind - Skyrim
Ulfr the Blind is the subject of one of the funniest jokes in all of The Elder Scrolls. In White River Watch, the bandit hideout, the player will see a man sitting at a table with a small book in front of him. This is Ulfr the Blind, who calls out to the player when they enter his earshot.
When the player looks at the book in front of him, it turns out the pages are blank... because he is blind. Seeing Ulfr's redemption as a bandit might have been a fitting way to turn a comedic moment into a wholesome one.
5 Grelod the Kind - Skyrim
Grelod the Kind, despite her name, was a mean old Orphanage runner who beat the kids so badly that they literally hire an assassin to kill her, through the Dark Brotherhood. She's an evil crone, to be sure, but one can't help but wonder what made her so horrid.
She could be both the sacrificial lamb for the player's entrance into the Dark Brotherhood, but the game could have done better to make the choice of killing her more bipartisan. She's one of the few targets you just don't feel bad about killing.
4 Fargoth - Morrowind
Fargoth sewed his way into the minds of Morrowind players thanks to his eyes that stare into your soul, long facial features, and ratty hairstyle. The player steals his ring as part of a quest to recover his stolen goods, but aside from this we never learn more about the strange Wood elf.
The wood elf is in Morrowind for some reason, but it's never fully explained. Following Fargoth might feel more menacing if his history as an immigrant to the Dark Elf lands was more explained.
3 Cicero - Skyrim
Cicero is the keeper of the Night Mother's coffin, who was also seen in Oblivion at the end of the Dark Brotherhood questline. He takes the appearance of a jester and serves a central role in the continuation of the Night Mother's storyline through the two games.
Cicero's history and slow fall into insanity are detailed in several journals found throughout the world in Skyrim. He can be a follower if spared, but aside from his random dancing barely exacerbates on his history with the Dark Brotherhood aside from quest text.
2 The Gray Fox - Oblivion
The Gray Fox is the leader of the Thieves' Guild in Oblivion, and someone the player only meets a few times in the progression of the guild questline. The Gray Fox has a history with the Imperial City, but that history doesn't belong to an individual.
The Gray Fox is a bit like The Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride – the person under the mask changes from time to time, to make the character of the Gray Fox appear untied to time. Learning about the history of the Gray Foxes throughout time would have been a great lore tidbit for players interested in this enigmatic character, who never returns to the series.
1 Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone - Skyrim
Jard Idgrod Ravencrone is the Jarl of Hjaalmarch province and makes her home in Morthal as an ally of the Empire. She has roles throughout the main quest, but she doesn't reveal much about her incredibly interesting history to the player unless they go snooping around in her dialogue trees.
For instance, Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone is a seer – she claims to have visions of the future against her will. This is only found out if the player asks her directly after a series of dialogue options, and the fact that she can be replaced with a different Jarl if the player sides with the Stormcloaks makes her a character few players have truly gotten to know.