Highlights

• Skyrim continues to be popular even a decade after its release, thanks to its easy modding and vast amount of content.
• Magic in Skyrim is often underestimated, but using the right spells can lead to amazing combat abilities and gameplay experiences.
• Knowing the best spells in Skyrim can make a huge difference in gameplay, whether it's transmuting ore for profit, filling soul gems, or summoning powerful allies. The Dragonborn has no excuse not to explore the magic system.

Not many games maintain their popularity ten years after their release, but somehow Skyrim is the rare exception. The game is easy to mod which has led to it having mind-blowing amounts of content. It's likely that even when Elder Scrolls 6 releases there will be many players still sticking with Skyrim. A lot of players think that magic is vastly underpowered in the game. However, that's simply because they just aren't using the right spells. If players know the best spells in Skyrim, they can manage to do amazing things in combat. So, the Dragonborn has no excuse not to hit the spellbooks already.

From summoning powerful creatures to freezing enemies in their tracks, the best spells in Skyrim that the Dragonborn can use are pretty vast. Players can genuinely utilize numerous forms of magic to make Skyrim more engaging than ever before, which goes to show just how underutilized and game-changing the magic system in this game is. With so many schools of magic available for the player to master, it's easy to see why they have so many options to completely alter the way they approach this game.

Updated February 7, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Skyrim is a game that continues to hold a special place in the hearts and minds of many fans to this day. The modding community has ensured that players never get bored of this amazing game that continues to prove time and time again why it deserves the moniker of being one of the greatest Western RPGs ever made.

While most people may completely ignore Magicka early on in the game, this changes over time when veterans decide to mess around with the magic system and realize just how much it changes how players approach Skyrim and its gameplay.

26 Transmute Mineral Ore

School: Alteration

• Skill Level: Adept
• Magicka Required: 88

Players who want to make a quick buck in Skyrim should check out the Transmute Mineral Ore spell. It lets players upgrade the quality of the ore they have. As a result, players can take basic materials and turn them into extremely valuable ones. Amassing a fortune becomes a breeze with this spell.

Of course, this spell is also great for players who want the best crafting materials possible to create awe-inspiring weapons that hit like a truck. Skyrim's best weapons can be looted, but players can stay ahead of the curve by actively engaging with the crafting system of the game.

25 Soul Trap

School: Conjuration

• Skill Level: Apprentice
• Magicka Required: 100

There are three crafting skill trees in the game, and the ideal choice for some mage builds is enchanting. However, with soul gems being an important and sometimes expensive resource that might be rare to come by, any help in filling empty ones is much needed.

That's where Soul Trap comes in. It's a utility spell, a curse to put on a target moments before they die. Depending on the strength of the spell, the window of time needed for the dead enemy to fill a gem might be longer or shorter. Find it in the Conjuration school of magic, and use it towards the middle of the fight just before a kill is secured to fill an empty soul gem.

24 Close Wounds

School: Restoration

• Skill Level: Adept
• Magicka Required: 126

Restoration is an underrated school of magic, as Colette always preaches. The truth is that Restoration spells can help players seriously save on health potions, which can have a fairly steep price tag at a general store. Moreover, health potions aren't that common in dungeons either.

Close Wounds is one of the best, most balanced spells in the skill tree. It demands quite a bit of Magicka since it's an Adept-level spell, but it's worth it. Close Wounds instantly gives the Dragonborn 100 health points. Since it doesn't take time to charge like Healing, it's a nice burst spell to use mid-combat as well.

23 Pacify

School: Illusion

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 290

While it's true that Skyrim has a ton of combat that can make it pretty hard to manage at times, players can easily turn the tide of battle in a flash by using certain spells to manipulate their enemies. One such spell that does a great job of reducing the threat of most enemies is Pacify, which can work wonders at high levels.

Players who don't care about killing and looting every enemy in sight can just use Pacify to render them completely harmless. This allows players to circumvent tough combat encounters, which can be a boon for players who aren't decked out in the best gear around and just want to have fun with the game instead of looking over their shoulder in every dungeon, worrying about the next enemy that crosses their path.

22 Conjure Wrathman

School: Conjuration

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 301

There are several creatures that the Dragonborn can summon to aid them in combat. One of these spells is the Conjure Wrathman spell, which summons a powerful ally with balanced stats. Players who want the best of a tanky summon with good attack skills will have their wishes granted by the Wrathman.

It's a great ally to have in the heat of battle, even though it might be a jack of all trades and a master of none. Easily the best thing about this summon is how cool this creature looks in the heat of battle, adding a ton of flair to what is otherwise a pretty simple combat system.

21 Fury

School: Illusion

• Skill Level: Novice
• Magicka Required: 67

Fury has the potential to be one of the most broken spells in Skyrim if the player uses it right. It sends the target into a berserk state, causing them to attack anyone in the nearby vicinity. Players who love hunting from the shadows will find this spell to be invaluable.

Of course, it's also great for splitting up attention between groups to make combat more manageable. Players who want to turn combat into a chaotic and hilarious affair should use this spell to sow discord among the ranks and cause enemy AI to go haywire as they try to split their attention between the Dragonborn and their allies.

20 Bound Bow

School: Conjuration

• Skill Level: Adept
• Magicka Required: 206

This Adept Conjuration spell is easily one of the most broken abilities in the entire game. If a player's Daedric equipment is in short supply, then players get to wield a Daedric Bow for the duration of this spell. Conjuring this bow and dealing damage is as easy as it comes, with players being able to hurt enemies with some serious damage.

Most enemies would perish in just one shot with this bow, which is pretty satisfying indeed. For tougher enemies, this bow can still be quite effective and tear through their health in no time flat. It's a great spell to use by sneaking, with players becoming magical stealth archers and wiping out enemies via the benefits of sneak damage.

19 Harmony

School: Illusion

• Skill Level: Master
• Magicka Required: 1052

The sheer number of Magicka required for Harmony and the level limitation of this skill is what makes this a tough sell for most magic users. However, players who prioritize magic and gain access to this spell early on will turn combat into a breeze.

All enemies up to level 25 are pacified and don't attack at all, making them easy pickings for the Dragonborn. Players must find the Master spell books in the College of Winterhold and reach the highest level in the Illusion school of magic to gain access to this spell tome.

18 Incinerate

School: Destruction

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 298

A powerful Destruction spell of the fire kind, it's an Expert-level skill for a good reason. It does 60 points of damage, and anyone hit will take additional fire damage over time. The Magicka cost is quite impressive at 298 points, but by this point, the player should be a specialist already.

The real utility of this spell also comes from the fact that with the right perks, it can stagger all enemies of all sizes. This is insanely useful in combat. Simply unlock Augmented Flames and Impact in the Destruction skill tree to reap the maximum benefits. Burning enemies to a crisp becomes immensely satisfying with this powerful spell.

17 Icy Spear

School: Destruction

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 320

The icy counterpart of Incinerate is the Icy Spear spell. The reason why fire and frost are listed here over shock is that shock is a more situational element, useful exclusively against enemies that rely on their Magicka to attack the Dragonborn. Most generic enemies, however, will not be Magicka users.

Icy Spear can also stagger foes if the right perks are unlocked (Impact and Augmented Frost). It does 60 points of damage to both health and stamina, meaning it will significantly slow down enemies. A great part about using this spell is seeing a shard of ice lodged into an enemy, which makes for a pretty memorable visual.

16 Oakflesh

School: Alteration

• Skill Level: Novice
• Magicka Required: 103

Players might be surprised to see Oakflesh here before others of its kind, but the reason for that is that Oakflesh is a fantastic starting Alteration spell. Given that Alteration is one of the hardest trees to level up, casting Oakflesh is arguably the best way to level it up. It's easy to get, though costly to cast.

Any mage can grab this spell and add some points into Alteration as a result. Cast it at the beginning of any fight when facing off against melee enemies. It ups the caster's armor by 40 points for a minute, which should be enough to take down any enemies while reaping maximum benefits from the spell itself. This makes up for its high casting price.

15 Ebonyflesh

School: Alteration

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 341

It takes quite a bit of investment in Alteration to unlock Ebonyflesh. However, the immense defensive benefits more than make up for this shortcoming. Players turn into absolute tanks once this spell is active, letting them jump into the heat of battle without even breaking a sweat.

Given that Ebony Armor is one of the best sets in the entire game, it's easy to see why Ebonyflesh is such an effective spell. Players who aren't fond of heavy armor and want to feel more lightweight in battle will have a great time bolstering their defense with this spell before going to town on enemies and ending their lives in no time flat.

14 Arniel's Convection

School: Destruction

• Skill Level: N/A
• Magicka Required: 0

The only way to get Arniel's Convection is through the side quest Arniel's Endeavor. It's so mighty that it burns opponents for a single fire damage a second, which might not sound like a lot initially. However, there are other perks to it to keep in mind, which turn this spell into a dealer of fiery death.

What makes Arniel's Convection so strong is that it costs zero Magicka to cast. This means it can still be powered up to deal more damage using various Destruction Spell Perks to deal significant damage but costs nothing to cast. It also increases burn damage taken on enemies when used, making it awesome for dual-wielding with a weapon that deals fire damage.

13 Paralyze

School: Alteration

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 450

There are many ways that players can make combat way more entertaining in Skyrim than just flailing about with their weapons like a madman, and a great way to show enemies who's boss is by using the Paralyze spell. There's something oddly hypnotic about using this spell in combat and watching enemies fall over helplessly, unable to move or defend themselves in any way.

Suffice it to say, the Dragonborn can completely whoop enemies without a second thought once they use this spell effectively in combat. It's imperative to be as skilled in the use of this spell as possible so that players can easily stop even the toughest foes in their tracks, turning them into target practice for the player as they are completely free to wail on these tough foes without too many problems.

12 Elemental Blast

School: Destruction

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 203

The Creation Club is an addition that players both cherish and lambast in most of Bethesda's games, and Skyrim is no exception. Still, players can't deny that the new spells that are added to the game after downloading a few packs do a great job of letting players mess around with more content in a game already jam-packed with things to do.

Elemental Blast is one such spell that completely wrecks the target in more ways than one. It deals both fire and shock damage, wrecking the opponent's magicka and stamina in the process too. Players must download the Arcane Accessories Creation Club content to gain access to this spell tome.

11 Conjure Ayleid Lich

School: Conjuration

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 358

Summoning help against tough foes is one of the best ways to make combat more manageable in Skyrim, with enemies having their attention diverted by the Dragonborn's companions. This makes it easy for the player to pick and choose their targets instead of being swarmed by foes and having to flail around mindlessly in the hopes of taking out as many foes as possible.

One of the best monsters that players can summon to deal with their foes is the Ayleid Lich. Not only is this creature pretty powerful in its own right, but the Lich can use high-level conjuration spells of its own to summon high-level undead to aid the player in a fight. This means that the Dragonborn can amass a small force in no time flat with the Ayleid Lich, trivializing the majority of combat encounters in the game!

10 Whirlwind Cloak

School: Destruction

• Skill Level: Adept
• Magicka Required: 338

Who doesn't love a little FUS - ROH - DAH? What about having the shout in protective spell form? Whirlwind Cloak is amazing for keeping archers or mages safe if the opponent gets in too close. Plus, it can lead to some hilarity for melee characters as they send opponents flying out of nowhere.

Though this spell may lack the consistency of Unrelenting Force, it doesn't have the cooldown time the shout has either. This makes it a pretty cinematic spell to use in the heat of battle, and seeing a charging opponent be flung away like a ragdoll with this spell never ceases to be entertaining.

9 Dragonhide

School: Alteration

• Skill Level: Master
• Magicka Required: 837

It's hard to die if players barely take any damage. Still, it can sometimes be a pain to wear pesky heavy armor. Fortunately, with spells like Dragonhide, a skilled mage doesn't need to worry. It's by far the best Alteration Spell in the game, reducing all damage taken by physical attacks by a whopping 80%.

The fact that this effect stacks with armor makes it even better to use in a combat scenario. It's the perfect spell for mages who want to wear powerful robes while still providing a major buff to those in armor, letting them close in and damage enemies without worrying about their health depleting in a flash.

8 Ash Rune

School: Alteration

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 418

There are many runes players can cast that deal large amounts of damage, but the Ash Rune is particularly unique. The only way to get this spell is to buy it from Talvas Fathryon, but it's worth the gold. This rune immobilizes all opponents in ash for a full thirty seconds.

One thing to keep in mind about this spell is that players can't damage any enemies affected by this spell while immobilized. Instead, players should work around this drawback and take the chance to heal up, set traps, or simply retreat whenever they need to.

7 Invisibility

School: Illusion

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 334

Combined with Muffle and Quiet Casting, Invisibility is the ultimate sneaking spell. It renders players invisible and can constantly be reapplied as needed. This spell makes any stealth quest mindbogglingly easy. Sure, it doesn't offer any damage potential, but its utility is too strong to ignore.

Invisibility is, however, an Expert level spell. Its duration is only 30 seconds, so players must make it count. Players should keep in mind that basic actions like opening containers, taking objects, and casting other spells will break the invisibility. The best way to use this spell is to either run away from combat or sneak around and destroy enemies in no time flat.