The sword Umbra is a powerful unique weapon coveted by knights and battlemages alike across Skyrim. It's a weapon described by the last living Dwemer Yagrum Bagarn as being "very choosey when it comes to owners, and therefore remains hidden until one is found." The game has appeared in multiple Elder Scrolls games and was brought to Skyrim in 2019 through the Creation Club.
Umbra is one of the many unique weapons included with Skyrim Anniversary Edition and is part of a new Dungeon and questline tied to Clavicus Vile, the Daedric Prince of Bargains and creator of the Two-Handed Sword. Interestingly enough, it was canonically destroyed in one of the Elder Scrolls novels, but because of its ability to choose when it appears, lore-conscious fans won't feel slighted.
Updated May 1, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: In Skyrim Umbra is an incredibly powerful sword for a variety of builds. Its ability to soul trap on hit works in tandem with an avid Enchanter, and the Stamina absorption means enemies will quickly run out of energy to keep attacking or avoid being staggered. When it comes to how to get Umbra Skyrim provides quite the challenge, as players must not only traverse a difficult dungeon, they must also fight one of the game's toughest enemies – made worse thanks to its invincibility shield. Knowing when to strike the boss and what strategies are available for dealing with their abilities can mean the difference between getting this powerful sword for yourself or re-loading from the most recent save.
Umbra Stats and Effects
Umbra has three separate enchantments that activate upon hitting an enemy. It casts the Soul Trap spell, giving 20 seconds to kill the target and fill a Soul Gem, as well as the Absorb Health and Absorb Stamina spells. It's a powerful Two-Handed weapon for melee builds, but it's an equally effective weapon for battle mages looking to fill Soul Gems more efficiently.
- Equipment Type: Two-Handed Sword
- Raw Damage: 24
- Inventory Weight: 23
- Gold Value: 2500
- Enchantment: Casts Soul Trap for 20 seconds and Absorb Health and Absorb Stamina for 25 points each on hit
- Enchantment Uses: 13
Umbra is one of the few weapons in Skyrim with more than two enchantments active at once. Perhaps because of this, it has very limited uses and costs a lot to recharge fully - at a max Charge of 3000, it's a weapon that takes a lot more than a Common Soul Gem to make functional again.
How To Get Umbra
How To Start Vile Whispers, Umbra's Questline
Umbra is found as part of the Vile Whispers questline that begins upon entering Champion's Rest, a new Nordic ruin near Shor's Stone in the Rift. Begin the journey by reading the Vigilant's Report near the entrance to Champion's Rest, then explore until you come across a spectral warrior who subtly guides the player onward.
The ghost disappears, then the player comes across a puzzle room featuring two of Skyrim's iconic totem puzzles.
Then, Solve The Totem Puzzle Room
After progressing through the dungeon a little ways longer you will come across a room with two doorways on each side. Through each of these entrances are two separate totem puzzles. The solution to each of these two totem puzzles is either found in the room or just nearby. If you're having trouble figuring out the solutions on your own, the orders are as follows.
For the westernmost chamber, turn the totems to Snake, Snake, and Dolphin from left to right. In the easternmost chamber, change the totems to Snake, Hawk, Dolphin in that order.
Fighting The Spirit of Umbra
Getting past these two totem puzzles unlocks the entrance to the Champion's Rest Amphitheater, where players fight against the spectral warrior seen earlier, whose name is also Umbra. They are invincible for most of the fight, indicated by a purple aura, but they can be damaged when they take time to summon allies. It's a good idea to take a companion into this fight to split enemy attention, as Umbra can only be damaged at certain times. A companion can distract already-summoned enemies while you wail on Umbra as opportunities arise.
It's a tough fight because Umbra is strong on their own, plus they have the help of summoned enemies and an invincibility shield. Prepare lots of healing potions and consider enchanting your gear for protection as you will be taking a lot of blows while waiting to strike back. The Umbra sword is found on the corpse of its eponymous specter, ready to serve a new wielder.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S