The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim marked several milestones in the fantasy-RPG genre, and made such an impact that many fans play it to this day. One of Skyrim’s most memorable accomplishments is its approach to implementing dragons into both the lore and gameplay. In fact, most elements point back to dragons in subtle ways, which helps explain why dragons are so unique in Skyrim compared with other games.

Elder Scrolls 6 is on the horizon, but details about the game have been sparse since its announcement in 2018. However, it seems dragons won’t have as strong of a presence - if they are included at all. The dragon-focused aspects of Skyrim may prove to be a standalone feature in the Elder Scrolls franchise.

RELATED: Why the Elder Scrolls 6 Will Probably Not Have Dragons

How Dragons Impact Skyrim’s Gameplay

Skyrim Player Uses Netch Jelly to Survive Fall

Skyrim’s design created an atmosphere in which dragons have a direct and indirect role, perhaps best demonstrated in how players initiate combat with dragons. Dragons have their own sound design, often roaring in the distance to alert players that they’re nearby and making a distinct noise when flying overhead. Though this player interaction is subtle, it’s crucial in providing a sense of tension for the player, causing them to be aware of danger before combat begins. Skyrim’s sound design goes another step further, as music changes to the Dragonborn track when the dragon is aware of the player's presence, increasing the sense of tension with booming vocals and percussion.

Furthermore, dragons accommodate for each character archetype within the game; for example, mages and rogues can attack from range with arrows and spells, but warrior classes usually stick to melee weapons. Thus, dragons will land periodically so that warriors can get in close, and then won’t be able to fly once enough damage has been dealt. Different dragon variations help keep the experience fresh, and force the player to be mindful of their tactics when initiating combat. There’s a shout power acquired late in the game that forces dragons to land, and another shout power that allows the player to ride a dragon. This gives the player a wide array of options in terms of how to engage with dragons in Skyrim.

By contrast, franchises like Dragon Age and Dark Souls don’t have the same prevalence of dragon NPCs, or the same range of options in terms of engagement. In Dragon Age: Origins, there are several smaller dragons called drakes, but only two full-sized dragons: the High Dragon as an optional boss, and the final boss known as the Archdemon. Though the Archdemon plays a significant role in the plot of Origins, it only makes one appearance and can be attacked in mostly the same way as any other enemy. Dragon Age: Inquisition has several dragons the player can engage with, which shows how the series has developed them into a more imposing force, but it suffers from the same lack of dynamic engagement.

Meanwhile, the Dark Souls series has dragon NPCs that lend to the game's dynamic and engaging fight mechanics. However, dragons in Souls games are few and far between, and don’t offer the same sense of ever-present danger that can be found in Skyrim as a result.

How Dragons Impact Skyrim’s Lore

skyrim flying dragon feature

Dragons permeate nearly every aspect of the culture in Skyrim, and this strong lore establishes dragons as an anchor point for city aesthetics and religion for the Nordic race. Perhaps the strongest influence dragons have is through the use of the dragon language, which creatively binds gameplay and lore. On one hand, shout powers are derived from dragon language, giving the player abilities like fire breath and the iconic force shout that can fling enemies into the air. On the other hand, the dragon language allows the player to communicate with certain dragon NPCs, giving them character and motivations. The player learns new shouts by locating word walls built into dungeons, but this isn’t the only way dragons have influenced architecture throughout Skyrim.

Dragon-inspired architecture can be found all over the map, which gives an insight as to how every piece of lore is connected. Nordic ruins are often adorned with carvings of dragon heads, murals of the dragon’s history are cut into corridors, and many armor sets are covered in dragon scales and bones. Even the castle of Whiterun, Dragon’s Reach, is later revealed to be a giant trap built to capture and house dragons. Aesthetics like this serve a higher purpose than just fashion, they allude to Skyrim’s history.

RELATED: Grand Theft Auto 6, The Elder Scrolls 6 Are in Similar Boats

Many books and NPCs detail how dragons once ruled mortals, and the war against dragons led to the creation of the Warrior’s guild and the worship of Talos. Societies and religions were built around dragons, namely in the form of the dragon cult, which had priests and a form of hierarchical government. Tales of the dragons and those who can use the dragon language are passed down in Nordic societies, and all these details underpin how much of a force dragons have in the collective minds of Skyrim’s Nords.

Most pieces of lore in Skyrim point back to dragons as a focal point, which helps set its dragons apart from other games. Dark Souls, like Skyrim, has an origin story that incorporates dragons, but this lore doesn’t play a significant part of the story in any of the Souls games. As a result, the focus of the story is always shifted away from dragons. This is true with most other games; though dragons may exist, they haven’t had quite the same cultural impact or relevance comparison to Skyrim.

It’s clear that Skyrim’s lore and gameplay surrounding dragons is what has made them so memorable. Additionally, the modding community has allowed gamers to have their own interpretations of dragons within the world in Skyrim, which makes the game worth returning to while fans wait for Elder Scrolls 6.

Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: Why The Elder Scrolls 6 Fans Should Keep Their Expectations in Check for the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase