The Elder Scrolls series stands as one of the most well-known and loved in gaming. Memorable for its massive open worlds, boundless freedom, and memorable questlines, The Elder Scrolls remains the source of much video game discussion, but none more so than The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Following the reveal of Starfield, it looks as though the release of The Elder Scrolls 6 could be just around the corner. However, nearly a decade from Skyrim's original release, it is still the subject of plenty of interest from gamers, and it shows no signs of slowing down as it approaches its 10th anniversary. 

A potential reason that The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has remained in the hearts and minds of gamers is the sheer volume of memorable characters the game has produced. When remembering The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, a number of memories may come to mind, and likewise, a great many of the game’s NPCs that made the game feel as though it were alive. The game’s Radiant A.I. breathes life into the game, making Skyrim’s NPCs function as though they’re truly living within the game world. But there are some characters that shine more than others, retaining a place within the hearts or minds of fans.

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Babette

Skyrim’s smallest centuries-old Vampire, Babette, stands out from the crowd for obvious reasons. Her singularity is what makes her so memorable, there are no other characters quite like her. On first impressions, Babette looks like one of Skyrim's regular child NPCs, however, it soon becomes apparent that all is not quite as it seems. Babette, instead, is actually over 300 years old but was bitten by a vampire at the age of 10. This introduces quite an interesting dynamic, as the innocent appearance of the character is directly contrasted by her involvement with the Dark Brotherhood, as well as much of her dark dialogue.

Babette, throughout her appearance in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’s main game, as well as in her appearance in Skyrim’s Dawnguard DLC exemplifies how looks can be deceiving. The player first encounters Babette as she is entertaining a room full of assassins in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. While she may at first look out of place in the Sanctuary, it soon becomes apparent just why she is there. Babette is actually telling a story of a time when she lured an old man to his untimely end using her child-like appearance, highlighting the contrast between her perceived vulnerability and the actual threat she holds. The overall strangeness of her character makes Babette stand out in the minds of Skyrim fans.

Lydia

Skyrim Lydia Follower

From the outside, it may seem as though there’s little reason to remember Lydia. Kitted out in Steel armor, Lydia doesn’t exactly look to be someone worth remembering, however, she plays a significant role in the early stages of most player’s playthroughs. Lydia is one of Skyrim’s most popular followers, being offered up to the Dragonborn as a housecarl following one of the game’s early missions. The vast majority of players will have accepted her offer to follow the player, and as a result of her non-essential status, many more are likely to have lost her soon after.

Lydia is one of the non-essential followers in Skyrim, able to be killed in combat. Any search of her name online will turn up multiple results of disgruntled fans asking whether they’re able to bring her back, or at least regather their loot. Of course, for many Skyrim fans, the loss of Lydia as a follower isn’t of any real consequence. While her combat stats are fairly impressive, fans have expressed annoyance at a handful of her voice lines, particularly her sarcastic “I am sworn to carry your burdens” voice line. As a result of this, Lydia is one of Skyrim's most hated characters.

Fans have remarked how Lydia’s reluctance to join the Dragonborn on their adventures has proven to be a bit of a mood killer. Being joined by an NPC that very clearly doesn’t want to be there does take the thrill out of an adventure somewhat. But while the resentment of Lydia is fairly widespread in the Elder Scrolls community, it is a part of what makes her so memorable to the story. Skyrim's multiple follower mods have shown their importance in the player's experience of the game, and Lydia is possibly the one follower that left the biggest mark.

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Sheogorath The Prince of Madness

Sheogorath standing with his hands on his hips looking at the player in Skyrim

The cheese-loving Prince of Madness, Sheogorath is a regular fixture in the Elder Scrolls franchise, managing to leave his mark whenever he makes an appearance. His cameo in Skyrim is no exception as the quest tied to his appearance is too outlandish to forget. Sheogorath can be found once the player is teleported from an abandoned building in Solitude to the mind of Pelagius Septim The Third, where Sheogorath has decided to vacation. It is in this quest that the Dragonborn is gifted the Wabbajack, a staff capable of transforming living entities into any number of random animals or objects. 

The inspiration behind Wes Johnson's portrayal of Sheogorath is Scottish Comedian, actor, and musician Billy Connoly. The reasoning behind this is that Billy strikes a perfect balance between being intimidating and funny. Sheogorath fits this mold perfectly during his appearance in Skyrim. during his feature, Skyrim's Prince of Madness switches effortlessly between jovially joking with the Dragonborn, and reminding them of their mortality and vulnerability. Players won’t soon forget Sheogorath’s unhinged personality, which simultaneously amused the player and instilled them with a deep-seated feeling of unease.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is out now for PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

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