Highlights

• The skill trees in Skyrim offer a satisfying progression system, allowing players to specialize or become a jack of all trades.
• Certain perks in the skill trees can greatly enhance a character's power or quality of life, depending on the chosen build.
• Valuable perks such as Steady Hand, Unhindered/Conditioning, and Bribery can greatly benefit archer builds, armor wearers, and players looking to avoid consequences for their actions.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is home to one of the most satisfying progression systems ever put to screen in its skill trees, which is just one of the reasons the game has remained so popular to this day. These allow players to progress through the game in a wide variety of ways, specializing in just one area or becoming a jack of all trades. As players progress through the levels, these trees unlock special perks that can drastically alter a character's power or quality of life.

While some perks may seem trivial, or only a means to unlocking the subsequent ones, others are a vital part of certain builds, and can single-handedly transform a character from wannabe to warrior. Here are some of the most valuable perks on offer in Skyrim, that any player should definitely consider investing in, regardless of which path they choose to take through the game.

Updated on January 10, 2024, by Jake Fillery: Perks remain an important aspect in Skyrim, and part of the joys of levelling up isn't just to hear that heroic chant or to marvel at the constellations above, but to enhance the skills and abilities that make each individual Dragonborn unique from one another. the best Skyrim perks will often be dependant on the individual build, but there are some universal consistent that players might want to pick up to ensure that they are in for a good time, and their enemies, including Alduin and perhaps the Daedra, are in for a bad one.

12 Steady Hand

Slow Time By 50% When Aiming A Bow

Requirements:

• Archery: 60
• Eagle Eye perk

Being an archer in Skyrim is one of the most fun builds one can have. It's not overly overpowered, and a stealth archer can pull off some impressive feats when sneaking around a cave or some Dwemer Ruins. However, to do that, a vital perk is going to be Steady Hand, which allows players to slow time, giving themselves enough reaction speed to line up their shots and fire with precision into unaware enemies, or those enemies that have been alerted and are ready to cause some commotion.

Steady Hand is one of the best perks in Skyrim for those who enjoy an archer build. Players should really always have a bow on hand, especially if they have not invested in magic, since many enemies have a distance on the player, and even enemies like dragons can be a real pest when they refuse to land. Using Steady Hand just allows players to be a tad more patient with a bow.

11 Unhindered/Conditioning

Wearing Light/Heavy Armor Weighs Nothing And Does Not Slow The Wearer Down

Unhindered Requirements:

• Light Armor: 50
• Custom Fit perk

Conditioning Requirements:

• Heavy Armor: 70
• Cushioned perk

Unhindered and Conditioning work the same, but they are entirely dependent on what preference of armor the player uses. If players like Light Armor, then take Unhindered. If players like Heavy Armor, take Conditioning. Both of these perks give the same bonus, which is to negate all penalties for wearing armor. Players will no longer have a reduced speed when they are sprinting, as well as the fact that their stamina will not drain so rapidly, especially seen in heavy armor usage.

Even better still, is the fact that players will be able to wear their armor without worrying about their carry capacity, as their armor that is equipped will weigh approximately nothing at all. This means that players can not only carry more equipment and loot, but they can run towards their enemies faster and stronger than before, and what's more terrifying than a Dragonborn in Daedric armor wielding a two-handed club made of a dragon's tooth?

10 Bribery

Bribe Guards To Ignore Crimes

Requirements:

• Speech: 30
• Haggling perk

While Bribery might seem like a fairly irrelevant perk on the surface, it can make the game a much easier experience for any player. Being able to get the guards off a character's back without the need to revert to the last save and lose stolen items allows players to level other skills like Pickpocketing, Sneak, and Speech (by selling stolen items) without worrying about repercussions, as they'll be able to easily make back any funds spent on bribes.

This is much more profitable when players join the Thieves Guild and can access multiple fences, as relieving wealthy citizens of their belongings and selling them on is a perfect way to make quick cash and level Speech.

9 Impact

Stagger Foes With Dual Casting

Requirements:

• Destruction: 40
• Destruction Dual Casting perk

A very useful tool for any combat scenario, Impact allows a player to stagger an opponent with almost any destruction spell, regardless of the opponent's size. While this can't be caused by the novice spell Flames, Firebolt, and any other similar level spell and upwards will trigger the effect, allowing players to completely incapacitate an opponent at a fairly low level of destruction.

While mages can certainly make good use of this perk, any player will certainly benefit, as it can allow them the time to switch weapons, take potions, or simply do some serious damage while the enemy cannot respond. It can also be chained, so an opponent has no way to respond.

8 Regeneration

Healing Spells Are 50% More Powerful

Requirements:

• Restoration: 20
• Novice Restoration perk

Restoration tools will be a huge part of any mage's arsenal, but any player can make excellent use of them in keeping their health topped up, as well as that of any allies. Regeneration increases the healing power of all restoration spells by 50%, which even for lower-level spells makes them far more viable.

Whether choosing to play as a mage, warrior, or any other build in Skyrim, this perk allows players to quickly use a restoration spell and get straight back into the action, without having to spend time casting multiple.

7 Assassin's Blade

Fifteen Times Damage With Daggers Sneak Attack

Requirements:

• Sneak: 50
• Deadly Aim perk

Making use of the Sneak skill will be key for any Thief build, including the ever-popular Sneaky Archer. However, any class of player can use this skill tree to their advantage, as sneaking allows players to make a great deal of money via thievery, or deal significant damage to opponents before they can react.

Assassin's Blade adds a 15x damage multiplier to sneak attacks with daggers, which will be more than enough to finish off most weaker enemies, all without being detected. Even for Heavy Armour bruisers, the ability to take one opponent out of the fight entirely is invaluable. And yes, it will also level sneak faster when attacking the monks of High Hrothgar.

6 Arcane Blacksmith

Improve Magical Weapons & Armor

Requirements:

• Smithing: 60
• Steel Smithing perk

Arcane Blacksmith will require players to grind some levels of Smithing, but once they do, the reward the perk can provide is immense. It allows players to improve magical weapons and armor, which can be exceedingly useful while making armor, as once players unlock the ability to improve further they can do so incrementally, after enchanting it first.

The true power of this perk, however, is unlocking the ability to improve magical weapons and armor found as loot, which are some of the most powerful in the game. Weapons like Champion's Cudgel can be improved at a grindstone to create one of the strongest possible two-handed weapons, and much more.

5 Deadly Aim

Three Times Damage With Bow Sneak Attacks

Requirements:

• Sneak: 40
• Backstab perk

Another incredibly useful perk from the Sneak skill tree is Deadly Aim, which adds a 3x damage multiplier to sneak attacks with bows. This perk will be perfect for any player with an archery specialty, as attacking from range makes sneaking much more practical, and can seriously soften up an opponent.

However, any player will be able to make excellent use of this perk, to get some considerable damage down before engaging an opponent. Combining it with other perks in the archery tree will increase its power, but this perk is more than powerful enough to be useful in its own right.

4 Extra Pockets

Increase Carry Capacity By 100

Requirements:

• Pickpocket: 50
• Night Thief perk

Tucked away midway through the Pickpocket Skill tree, Extra Pockets might just be the best quality-of-life perk available in Skyrim. It grants a player 100 extra carrying capacity, which is especially useful early game before players have had a chance to level their stamina.

Almost every Skyrim fan has been in a situation where they're out exploring, maybe just killed and looted a dragon, and suddenly they're hit with the notification: 'You are carrying too much to be able to run'. This perk is the single biggest upgrade to carry capacity available in the game and is well worth the investment.

3 Necromage

Spells Are More Effective Against Undead

Requirements:

• Restoration: 70
• Regeneration perk

Necromage may be the most powerful perk in the game in the right hands and only falls to third on this list as there are conditions a player has to meet before it can be truly utilized. The first use however requires no such conditions, as the perk makes all spells more effective against undead. This makes many dungeons much easier, as spells will take down draugr much more quickly.

The perk comes into its own, however, when the player becomes a vampire, by having the disease passed onto them. With this, all enchantments become more effective, as do skill perks acquired afterward, meaning the power cap for a player is significantly higher than before.

2 Extra Effect

Put Two Enchantments On The Same Item

Requirements:

• Enchanting: 100
• Corpus Enchanter or Storm Enchanter perk

Extra Effect from the Enchanting skill tree does exactly what it says on the tin, allowing players to enchant weapons and armor with two enchantments rather than one. While this will require some grinding of enchanting levels, the payoff is well worth it, as it allows players to create incredibly powerful and versatile weapons.

Just one way to use this is to enchant a weapon with both a damage enchantment and soul trap, so it can fill soul gems and effectively recharge itself over time. Equally, damage enchantments can be stacked on weapons, or fortify enchantments stacked on armor, which can turn any Dragonborn into an unstoppable force.

1 Twin Souls

Have Two Atronachs or Zombies At Once

Requirements:

• Conjuration: 100
• Dark Souls or Elemental Potency perk

The final enchantment in the Conjuration tree will also require some serious grinding and leveling but is widely considered the most powerful perk in the game for very good reason. Twin Souls allows players to conjure two atronachs, or reanimate two undead, which when paired with a follower, allows anyone to take a team of 4 to any battle in Skyrim, seriously tipping the scales.

Whether players choose to specialize in Necromancy or Atromancy, this perk can turn the tide of almost any fight in their favor and will be especially powerful when paired with its prerequisite perks which increase the strength and duration of the souls they summon. It has more than earned its place at the head of this list.