Leading up to its release in 2011, Skyrim's titular province was touted as a cold, harsh place full of monsters and challenges great enough to make any adventurer tremble. Of course, while the game doesn't have power creep as badly as Oblivion does, by the time players hit around level 30, they'll be powerful enough to take on nearly any challenge with ease. However, there are some exceptions.

As Skyrim fans have likely noticed, there are certain objectives in the game that will provide tough challenges for players to tackle, some of them being run-of-the-mill quests while others take a bit more stone-turning to uncover. With hundreds of hours of content in Skyrim's base game and DLC, there's a lot to do and see. These quests are just the most difficult to scratch off of the list.

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Updated April 10th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: There are tons of quests sprinkled across Skyrim, and even more thanks to the title's DLC additions. With the Skyrim Anniversary Edition popping up and once again revitalizing the long-running game, players have jumped back in to build their characters and once again take the mantle as the Dragonborn. But some of Skyrim's many quests are much harder than others and some are so annoying and time-consuming that they feel difficult. To shine a better light on the hardest Skyrim quests, and showcase some of the most annoying adventures that players may want to avoid, the following list has been updated with even more entries.

Unearthed

Skyrim Barrow Start Quest Dragonbown

There are quite a few quests in Skyrim that seem pretty simplistic on the surface but soon evolve into something more sinister and difficult as time goes on. Unearthed is a pretty solid example, as one of the more inconspicuous quests found throughout the Dragonborn DLC. Players will find the start of the quest just outside Kolbjorn Barrow, in Solstheim. There, they will find an NPC named Ralis Sedarys, who will request some financial help. All in all, undertaking these requests from Ralis will set players back 11,000 Septims, but they should be able to make some of the cash back during the questline itself.

All of these payment gates will eventually lead players to a Dragon Priest, which they'll need to slay to finish the quest. During this fight, players will also have to contend with Draugr, which will continue to spawn until the Dragon Priest falls.

A Return To Your Roots

Elder Scrolls Online Most Beautiful Locations Blackreach Western Skyrim

Some quests in Skyrim aren't difficult because they have imposing bosses or elaborate puzzles, some of them are difficult because they feature obnoxiously difficult fetch quests that are mind-numbingly tedious to complete. There are a few of these that are sprinkled throughout Skyrim but one of the most annoying is A Return To Your Roots. Players can start this quest by either picking a Crimson Nirnroot or reading Sinderion's Field Journal within Sinderion's Field Laboratory in Blackreach.

Once done, players will be tasked with finding and collecting 30 Crimson Nirnroot throughout Blackreach's frustrating terrain, which seems much easier than it really is. Completing the quest will require players to search every little nook and corner of the expansive underground zone. It's a definite time sink.

At the Summit of Apocrypha

apocrypha in skyrim

Those that manage to grind their way through the Dragonborn DLC will be greeted with one of the most challenging mainline quests in the entire game. The Dragonborn will need to make their way through a nightmarish place known as Apocrypha, which is filled with an array of strange creatures and Eldritch Horrors. Players will be forced to navigate this scary zone to obtain a key item needed to defeat Miraak, the big bad of the Dragonborn DLC.

The quest culminates in going against Miraak themselves, and the fight is definitely a step up from the other "big bads" found throughout Skyrim. Miraak is powerful and will heal himself multiple times before finally going down.

The Break of Dawn

skyrim-meridia-statue-dawnbreaker-quest

Odds are that the Break of Dawn will be one of the first Daedric Artifact quests that players come across when they start their Skyrim journey. The quest will become available at level 12, with players finding Meridia's Beacon in a random chest somewhere in the world. They'll then get the chance to speak to Meridia herself, before journeying to her temple to cleanse it of evil. Meridia isn't exactly a fondly remembered character due to her dialog, but that's not what makes the quest difficult.

The final challenge before completing the quest is to defeat a necromancer named Malkoran and his shades, thus purging the evil from the temple. Unfortunately for level 12 players, Malkoran has a few spells that make him quite the challenge, especially at higher difficulties. He's surrounded by corrupted shades and has both fire and frost spells that makes him a devil in a fight. However, the reward is well worth it, as Dawnbreaker is one of the most visually appealing weapons in the game.

Elder Knowledge

Dwarven machine from Discerning the Transmundane

Perhaps one of the longest quests in Skyrim, Elder Knowledge tasks players with recovering an Elder Scroll. Taking place after players meet Paarthurnax, the quest features a particularly beefy delve through Dwarven ruins that will have players facing off against Dwarven Automatons and Falmer at the same time. While many of the challenges are manageable, it can get a little bit exhausting as it presses on.

Not to mention, the final puzzle is one of Skyrim's most intimidating. While it revolves pretty much entirely around button presses, messing it up can leave players with a decent bit to untangle. Luckily, however, the quest does reward players with some interesting lore about the Elder Scrolls themselves, so those that are interested in the world at least have that to cling to. Plus, it paves the way to the Oghma Infinium quest, which gives players a healthy boost to select stats.

The Wolf Queen Awakened

The Wolf Queen Awakened Quest Solitude Skyrim Elder Scrolls

As far as in-world lore goes, The Wolf Queen arc is one of the most interesting that Skyrim has to offer. There's an eight-part series of books to be found in-game that makes the quest all the more interesting, recounting the tale of Potema Septim. The quest is also a two-parter, as players will first need to complete "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" before they're able to truly take down Potema Septim.

Players will then need to journey through The Temple of the Divines in Solitude, facing off against Draugr and Vampires before eventually taking on Potema. Players not only have to face off against Potema herself, though, but also take down her undead council. It's an all-around difficult encounter that players are going to want to stock up on quests for if they want to see it all the way through to the end.

No Stone Unturned

While it isn't difficult in the traditional sense, No Stone Unturned is as time-consuming as they come. Players will be tasked with tracking down Stones of Barenziah to reforge her crown. There are a total of 24 stones, but there are no quest markers associated with them, leaving players to find them on their own. Done without a guide, it may take players their entire adventure to find, assuming that they're even able to find all 24 of the stones in the first place.

Fortunately for those that see the quest through, there's a great reward associated with it. Players will earn the "Prowler's Profit" ability, which makes precious gemstones more common when looting chests. While that's great on its own, it can also be a useful tool for leveling up Blacksmithing in Skyrim, as expensive jewelry is one of the fastest ways to earn levels in the skill tree.

The Ebony Warrior

Ebony Warrior Skyrim

In many ways, the Ebony Warrior is a reflection of the player themselves, as he's effectively an over-leveled adventurer looking for his next great challenge. He won't appear until players hit level 80, which is Skyrim's soft level cap without making any skills Legendary. Added with the Dragonborn DLC, he serves as a formidable foe for players to tackle once their finally ready to take him on, though his ultimate goal is to be sent to Sovengarde.

What makes the Ebony Warrior such a difficult challenge is his experience with both spells and marital weapons. The character is capable of smacking the player down if they aren't careful enough, so it's best to go in prepared for a fight. Anything less than that, and players may end up on the losing end, cutting their own adventure short and leaving The Ebony Warrior disappointed.

Summoning Karstaag

Of all of Skyrim's challenges, Karstaag is just about the fiercest. A summonable ghost of a frost giant, Karstaag is large, imposing, and has plenty of power to take players down regardless of their level. While there are ways to cheese the fight and diminish the challenge, facing the beast head-on will prove to be a difficult time. Plus, he's able to regenerate his health and has substantial armor.

Those that manage to beat Karstaag will be rewarded, however. Upon eliminating him, players will earn the ability to summon him three times, which can come in handy in a pinch. Of course, those that managed to take down Karstaag in the first place probably won't need the help when push comes to shove.

Skyrim is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

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