It's not easy to survive in the world of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Danger lurks around every corner, whether it's in the form of a bandit looking to rob the Dragonborn or a troll hungry for blood. Surviving the political insanity of Skyrim and its harsh environment is almost an achievement of its own.

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With all of its various dangers, it's really no wonder Skyrim is filled with headstrong, fearless, and powerful women. Many of them make an appearance in the main quest alone, and despite Skyrim's medieval fantasy setting, these ladies are far from being docile, helpless doormats.

Updated on November 18, 2022, by Anastasia Maillot: As Skyrim appears on the PlayStation Plus store for November, fans are flocking back to the classic RPG entry from Bethesda that defined over ten years of open-world RPG games. With an Anniversary Edition out and multiple re-releases, as well as an active, flourishing modding community, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is showing absolutely no signs of becoming irrelevant—at least until The Elder Scrolls 6 is finally properly teased by Bethesda. To honor Skyrim's entry to the PS Plus Store, this entry has been updated with some of the most memorable and powerful female characters from Skyrim.

15 Grelod The Kind

Skyrim Grelod The Kind In Orphanage

Grelod the Kind is anything but kind in Skyrim. She's the infamously cruel lead figure of Riften's orphanage, which is where the Dragonborn will find themselves after having a chat with Aventus Aretino. They witness the heartless way Grelod speaks to the children, which should be proof enough of how cold-hearted Grelod is.

Unfortunately, because of her steel grip on the orphanage despite looking like a docile old woman, she still merits her place on this list. After all, being strong doesn't necessarily mean one has a good heart, and Grelod certainly doesn't.

14 Borgakh The Steelheart

Skyrim Borgakh

Borgakh is one of the inhabitants of an Orc stronghold. More specifically, she's the daughter of the stronghold's leader, Chief Larak. Orcs in The Elder Scrolls universe are well-known for their strength in battle, making them intimidating enemies to face off against.

Borgakh is no different. She can become a follower of the Dragonborn, and here's where she truly shows her potential. She's an excellent, tanky follower to have that caps at level 30, and is skilled in the art of One-Handed combat.

13 Jenassa

Skyrim Jenassa

Another great follower option, as well as a strong female character in Skyrim, is Jenassa. Like Grelod, Jenassa has a questionable moral compass, but her cunning personality and proficiency in battle are simply the key things that keep her alive in a place as dangerous as Skyrim.

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Jenassa is a Dunmer who can be found in Whiterun when players enter The Drunken Huntsman. She's the mercenary type, so she'll expect payment before she agrees to join them on their adventures as a talented ranger with an impressive Archery skill.

12 Faralda

Skyrim Faralda

Faralda is one of the characters players will encounter when trying to make their way to the College of Winterhold. She's the person standing at the mouth of the bridge that joins the continent and the school of magic together and will ensure that no one undeserving of magical knowledge shall pass through.

The Dragonborn must pass a test before they can enter to impress Faralda. Once a member of the College, they'll learn that she's the one in charge of Destruction magic, which is proof enough that she's a highly talented mage using one of the most dangerous and volatile schools of magical arts.

11 Babette

babette the child vampire next to a dead body in skyrim

Babette is no doubt among the most unnerving characters the Dragonborn will encounter during their journey through Skyrim. They must first join the Dark Brotherhood to make her acquaintance. Babette has the appearance of a child, but she's actually a vampire whose hundreds of years old and has the mental mindset of an ancient being.

She's quite dark and murderous, which is why she's part of the Brotherhood in the first place. Moreover, she uses her innocent looks to gain people's trust in order to lure them into a trap and then kill them for food. This alone makes her an incredibly dangerous and powerful female character in Skyrim.

10 Mirabelle Ervine

Skyrim Mirabelle

Between Savos Aren and Mirabelle Ervine, who really runs the College of Winterhold? Mirabelle's definitely doing most of the heavy lifting, while Savos is preoccupied with, well, whatever it is that keeps him busy.

Mirabelle is in a position of power, in the only school of magic in the province of Skyrim. Everything depends on her word and her management skills. Given the circumstances, she's doing pretty well for herself. On top of that, she's a powerful mage.

9 Legate Rikke

Skyrim Legate Rikke

Legate Rikke works in the Imperial Legion, just below General Tullius. Right off the bat, it's pretty evident that Rikke is strong-willed, determined, and more loyal than most of the soldiers in the Legion or Rebellion.

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Her devotion to the Empire is immensely deep, and her skills in combat alone are worthy of praise. She's probably had a hard life, but she stands taller than a tower.

8 Aela The Huntress

Skyrim Aela

Member of the Companions, Aela not only is an archer who can stand her ground and snipe even the toughest of targets from afar, but she's also a werewolf. Unlike many of the other Companion members, she actually embraces her wild nature.

Aela's background also makes her admirable. She comes from a long bloodline of women who enlisted in the Companions long before her.

7 Irileth

Skyrim Irileth

Jarl Balgruuf's housecarl Irileth might look to most like a simple servant to the man, but one should never judge a book by its cover. Irileth was chosen because of her impeccable skills in combat and her extremely strict, serious nature. She would take a dagger for Balgruuf.

Her past is shrouded in mystery, except for the part where she was a trainee for Morag Tong in Morrowind. Known for being an infamous guild of assassins, the precursors of the Dark Brotherhood essentially, Irileth is not one to be messed with.

6 Astrid

Skyrim Astrid

Speaking of assassins and the Dark Brotherhood, Astrid is another immensely strong figure in Skyrim. Although her actions eventually lead to her unfortunate fate, her thirst for success and her tireless ambition have made her the beloved mother of the guild before the Dragonborn arrives.

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People listen to Astrid and respect her, even if they disagree with her at times. She just has that natural charm that has helped her become an unstoppable force in the Brotherhood. Well, almost unstoppable.

5 Delphine

Skyrim Delphine

Although Delphine's story begins in a very humble place, she still ranks above all of the previous women for one simple reason: she's one of the only remaining Blade members. Considering how mythical and ancient the Blades are, this makes her a very capable and important individual.

She's ready to put everything on the line, including her modest life, to save Skyrim and retake her position as a member of the Blades. It's no easy decision, but Delphine makes it without hesitation.

4 Karliah

Skyrim Karliah

Mysterious and cryptic Karliah is first painted as the antagonist in the Thieves Guild questline, but it soon turns out she was cast aside wrongfully. Resourceful, and talented beyond belief in combat and thievery, Karliah is a threat even someone like Mercer Frey fears.

She's a Nightingale, a servant of Nocturnal, but more importantly, she's a descendant of Queen Barenziah, a woman well-known for being extremely multi-talented and powerful in Morrowind.

3 Serana

Skyrim Serana

Serana's character is both fascinating and tragic. She's a pure-blood vampire, a rare kind of vampire who received her bloodsucking nature from Molag Bal himself. The fact that she even survived a ritual as devastating as this is a testament to her resilience and strength.

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Her old age makes her impressively wise. Moreover, she's the key that Lord Harkon desperately needs to enact his plan to conceal the sun, making Serana not only powerful and smart but also an asset to Clan Volkihar.

2 Maven Black-Briar

Skyrim Maven Black-Briar

Hated for a good reason, it's no wonder so many fans often grumble that they wish they could assassinate Maven Black-Briar. As the matriarch of the Black-Briar family, she has power beyond belief. The woman doesn't have to ever lift a sword, because she holds influence no one else quite does.

Her connections expand all across Skyrim and Tamriel, making her feared, hated, and the kind of woman whose demands will always be listened to, no matter where she goes.

1 Elenwen

Skyrim Elenwen

The most powerful and significant woman in all of Skyrim has to be Elenwen, the representative of the Aldmeri Dominion. Politically, her power and influence are massive. She's the woman who keeps both the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloak Rebellion on their toes.

Since she leads all Thalmor agents in Skyrim, that means she can control any place and guild where these agents are present. From the College of Winterhold to every single city, Elenwen possibly holds even Ulfric Stormcloak, a man capable of using Thu'um, under her thumb.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

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