Those craving a game with both an immersive open world and colorful characters should look no further than The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Although the game was released about 10 years ago, it remains one of the best games of the last decade due to how expansive its universe is and how incredible its villains are.
However, not every evil NPC is equally made. Some of the bad guys and enemies in Skyrim are either terribly underwhelming or just a little bit ridiculous. After all, what dangers could the Dragonborn not take on? Here are 10 villains that are laughable at best and fairly easy to deal with.
10 Morokei
Dragon priests are creatures that should never be underestimated. That being said, these liches who come from a past dominated by dragons who enslaved humanity are not equally powerful. Krosis, for instance, is a difficult one due to being located nearby a dragon.
Morokei, on the other hand, is one of the easiest priests to deal with. The cave he's found in provides a ton of natural cover to hide from him, and since he's part of a fairly big quest that many complete early on, he falls just short of being noteworthy.
9 Jaree-Ra
Who would be so foolish as to trick the Dragonborn himself into an unfavorable agreement? Apparently, an Argonian called Jaree-Ra. Hungry for treasure from an Imperial ship, he tells the Dragonborn to turn off the light of Solitude's lighthouse so they can rob the vessel.
However, Jaree-Ra is a bit dumb because he believes his sister Deeja is strong enough to kill the Dragonborn once they arrive to the ship's wreckage. It's almost unbelievable how little he thought through his own plan.
8 Grelod The Kind
In order to join the Dark Brotherhood, the Dragonborn must travel to Riften after speaking to a young boy called Aventus in Windhelm, who desperately wants Grelod dead. Upon arriving to the orphanage that Grelod leads, it's evident she treats the kids with little respect.
Given how unkind she is and that she gained her name as an ironic joke from the locals, it's a miracle she hasn't been put out of business. She's pretty much asking to be assassinated, and talks with such disrespect that it appears she believes no one can do her harm.
7 Ancano
The whole point of being an agent is to be perfectly inconspicuous. That being said, one man in all of Skyrim must have not received the memo. Yes, that's a reference to Ancano.
From the very first moment the Dragonborn joins the College of Winterhold, it's pretty obvious something fishy is up with Ancano. He's rude, loud, and loves to get involved in everything — even though he's not part of the College.
6 Mogrul
Not to be confused with the Mogrul of the Dawnguard faction, this Mogrul inhabits Raven Rock in Solstheim and is pretty much the local loan shark among its inhabitants. What's best, this greedy coward is constantly protected by his friend Slitter.
After the Dragonborn hooks Drovas up with Neloth as an apprentice, Mogrul is set on extracting 1000 gold from the Dragonborn to make up for Drovas' debt. Brave of him to assume he could simply demand the Dragonborn for 1000 gold without consequences.
5 Chicken Necromancer
Necromancy is a taboo school of magic for a reason, as it deals with the matter of the dead. Many forts and dungeons crawl with exiled mages who practice these forbidden arts successfully, but one necromancer seems obsessed with a different kind of magic entirely.
Located in the vicinity of Solitude in the mountains, the player will stumble across a lone necromancer who will summon zombie chickens from the dead. Ah yes, chickens, the most frightening creatures in all of Tamriel.
4 Krev The Skinner
No man hates werewolves quite as much as Krev the Skinner, leader of the fearsome Silver Hands faction. Except, he's actually not scary at all and is less than impressive in combat on all fronts. In fact, it's almost an insult to Skjor's character that this fool was even able to slay him.
Krev is an easy opponent in battle, and given the size of his faction, he's incredibly foolish to challenge the Companions. Really, what chance does he stand against a faction in which the Dragonborn is a member?
3 Hajvarr Iron-Hand
While there are many foolhardy NPCs in Skyrim, there's one man who takes the cake: Hajvarr. Leader of a pathetic group of bandits just outside of Whiterun, one of the biggest and well-guarded cities in all of Skyrim, he's just a bitter man who didn't get accepted into the Companions.
Not just that, for some awful reason he thought it smart to place his blind uncle as gatekeeper of his hideout. What better way to secure a place than put a blind man on duty? That probably explains why Hajvarr is just a petty thief.
2 Mehrunes Dagon
Fans of Oblivion might disagree, but Mehrunes Dagon is the dumbest Daedric Prince. Maybe it's because he's chaotic, maybe it's because he's just following the purpose of his very essence, but there's no denying this creature has made questionable decisions.
Mehrunes Dagon has tried to invade the world of the living many times, and each time he has failed terribly. However, just like a "crazy" person who will keep on doing the same thing over and over again, excepting a different result, he never gives up.
1 Alduin
That's right: Alduin is a pathetic villain. An entire essay could be written about how poor the main quest of Skyrim is, but ultimately it all boils down to Alduin. Compared to other enemies, he presents no challenge at all.
At the end, Alduin even loses the trust and loyalty of some of his strongest followers, which goes to show he barely has anyone worth the Dragonborn's time on his side. Moreover, given how long it takes for most players to even finish the main quest, Alduin could have easily resurrected his dragons quicker and razed down Skyrim immediately if he truly was the World Eater.