Within the world ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, there exists a menagerie of morally repugnant gods called the Daedric Princes who typically rule a distinct plane of Oblivion. Unlike the Divines, which often receive worship and reverence in Tamriel,the Daedra are considered taboo and villainous, and their worshipers keep to the shadows. From the deceitful Boethiah to the repulsive Peryite, these gods tend to not have mortals' best interests in mind, and use them as playthings and pawns in greater schemes.
That being said, there are certainly some Daedra more despicable than others, and some who are closer to being morally neutral. While none of these gods could truly be called “good,“there are a few who stand out from the rest as the most evil and destructive forces in theElder Scrolls.These ten Daedric Princes are among the worst players will meet and deal with in Skyrim, memorable for the chaos and cruelty they sow.
10Peryite Is The Lord Of Pestilience
A Twisted Form Of Order That Only Brings Pain
Peryite is often regarded as a lesser Daedric Prince, but just because he’s not as powerful as the others doesn’t mean he isn’t as repulsive.Peryite is the prince of disease and order,two things which may seem unrelated, but which the god regards as inseparable. He sees sickness as a gift he bestows upon the purposeless and disordered, and tolerates no suggestions to the contrary.
Peryite appears in the game as a skeever, since he reveals the rodent’s souls when they die, and uses them as a symbol of his infectious powers.
Peryite will have the Dragonborn kill a priest of his that has shirked his duties, rewarding them withSkyrim’s Spellbreaker Shield, hypocritically referring to the priest as an infection that must be cleansed. He also calls the Afflicted, people cursed by him with a horrible wasting disease, vessels for his blessing, and hopes they will continue to spread it. Though Peryite may see sickness as a gift,he is creating a cycle of disease and painto fulfill his own sick purposes.
9Clavicus Vile Takes Joy In The Twisting Of Mortal’s Wishes
Be Careful What You Wish For
Clavicus Vile lives up to his name in how he treats mortals, whether they follow him or not. As the Daedric Prince of wishes, Clavicus has a unique restriction on his powers: he can only use them to grant the desires of others. Buthe takes great pleasure in twisting the words of those who come to him for aid, often making them regret what they wished for.
Skyrim: Why Clavicus Vile Asked The Dragonborn To Kill Barbas
Barbas is a friendly talking dog who seeks the assistance of the Dragonborn. However, in Skyrim, a Daedric Prince wants him dead at the player’s hand.
In the game, the Dragonborn learns first-hand how the Daedra would grant certain wishes. A wish to end the civil war, for instance, would lead to Vile simply killing everyone in Skyrim, so the fighting would stop. Vile does have some moral guidance in the form of his dog, Barbas, but all in all,the god’s flippancy towards killing people and the sadistic way he revels in their miserymakes him a pretty despicable figure.
8Namira Encourages Her Followers To Revel In Decay
A Coven Of Cannibals
Namira is the Daedric Prince of decay, though withinSkyrim, she is more representative of cannibalism. Themain quest done for herinvolves human sacrifice, eating corpses, and earning a ring which grants the wearer great power from cannibalistic acts. Obviously,cannibalism is bad, and Namira encourages her followers to partake in it, calling her morality into question.
Within the lore of theElder Scrolls,Namira is not as downright evil as other Daedra.She is thought of as a patron of social outcasts and beggars, “blessing” them with the ability to invoke pity or disregard. Still, it’s undeniable that she encourages some unsavory practices, and her fondness for decay tends to lead to death and blight.
7Sheogorath Brings Madness Wherever He Goes
Don’t Let This God’s Jovial Demeanor Fool You
Sheogorath is the loud, merry, and maniacal Daedric Prince of madness. As such,he is among the most chaotic of the Daedra, and his influence can be positive or negative depending on his mood. Sheogorath himself is quite insane, and insanity is often the “gift” he bestows upon his worshipers. Some historical figures in Tamriel, like emperor Pelagius III, a member ofThe Elder Scrolls' Septim Dynasty, fell victim to the Daedra’s madness, much to the world’s detriment.
While it’s not exactly clear whether Pelagius went mad of his own accord or due to Sheogorath’s influence, it’s clear the Daedra made things much worse for him and those under his rule.
Sheogorath thinks little about the consequences of hs actions and influence, justhoping to provoke as much chaos as possible in the realm of mortals.And he has caused some pretty terrible events over the course of Tamriel’s history, all for the sake of his fun. While Sheogorath is not a conqueror or murderous sadist, he is certainly among the most dangerous of the Daedric Princes.
6Vaermina Is A Literal Nightmare
Tormenting People With Their Own Dreams
Vaermina is the Daedric Prince of dreams and nightmares, as well as dark omens.She is known for inflicting psychological torture against her allies and enemies alike, using their worst fears against them. She rules from a plane known as the Quagmire, and from there, she grants both ominous portents and horrible dreams to those around her.
Elder Scrolls: Lesser Daedra That Never Appeared In Skyrim
Long-time Skyrim players have likely encountered some Lesser Daedra, yet there are dozens more that never made their way into the game.
The city ofDawnstar is afflicted by her nightmaresduring the story ofSkyrim, driving the snowy town into even deeper despair. She not only gains power from causing this suffering, butshe has also been known to steal away good memories, leaving those she affects with nothing but despair. Her penchant for mental torment makes her one of the scarier Daedra the Dragonborn can meet.
5Boethiah’s Domains Spell Out How Evil She Is
Deceit, Treason, And Murder
Boethiah is the Daedric Prince of a ton of stuff, including treachery, conspiracy, and murder, which admittedly isn’t great. Learning about her past and present actions doesn’t do much to improve her reputation either. She’s most notable inSkyrimfor the murder cult that follows her,which can convince the Dragonborn to murder their ally upon an altarto gain the god’s favor.
Outside of that, she’s done a few things that generally makepeople consider her one of the most evil Daedra to exist. From encouraging the perpetuation of blood sport, to consuming the Orcish god Trinimac, Boethiah is bad news. Her only saving grace is that, unlike some of Daedra, she tends to wear her evil on her sleeve, never hiding her bloodlust or rage. For the goddess of deceit, she’s surprisingly straightforward.
4Hermaeus Mora’s Actions Speak Loudly In Skyrim
Prince Of Knowledge, Lord of Apocrypha
Hermaeus Mora is Daedric Prince of knowledge and learning, which doesn’t sound especially evil. Andmany people in Tamriel do tend to consider this Daedra as more neutral, though he does possess awareness of all kinds of forbidden knowledge to bestow upon his followers. Still, his actions inSkyrimdefinitely show off his evil and vindictive side, proving he is no better than many of the evil Daedra.
Mora appears in the base game during a quest to help an eccentric old scholar find a Dwemer artifact. He will command the Dragonborn to betray the scholar and give the artifact to him, and if players refuse, he will take it very personally, sending Dremora out periodically to kill them. He’s even worse in theDragonbornDLC, where players can explore his realm of Apocrypha and see his horribly mutated followers, as well assee him kill innocent people to learn their secrets. Mora is a nasty Daedra whose actions paint him as a real villain in the later sections ofSkyrim.
3Mehrunes Dagon Will Be Familiar To Players Of Oblivion
An Ambitious Daedra With A Serious Thirst For Blood
Mehrunes Dagon is the Daedric Prince of destruction, revolution, and ambition, and he appears prominently inTheElder Scrolls 4: Oblivionas the main antagonist.He attempts to invade Tamriel though the use of Oblivion Gates, sending destructive Daedra through and gathering mortal allies through the cult of the Mythic Dawn. Dagon is a classic big bad guy, with little to no morals and a complete disregard for mortal life.
Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood Preview - Mehrunes Dagon Beckons
Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood chapter launches in June with plenty of new content and features, including a new Trial and two companion characters.
Practically everything that’s associated with this good is deemed evil, from the book The Mysterium Xarxes, to his broken Razor, to the cult he inspired. But what divides Dagon from the last two Daedra here is thathis end goal is to take over the world, not to destroy it entirely. Both are definitely bad, but it’s a slight distinction that makes a difference.
2Mephala Encourages People To Kill Their Friends
This Daedra May Go By Another Name As Well
Mephala is the Daedric Prince of lies and secrecy, and the patron of assassins and spiders. She loves death, especially in the form ofcold-blooded murder, particularly against those who trusted their killer. She’s a pretty negative influence, and in Skyrim, she can even be observed trying to convince a child to kill his father, Jarl Balgruuf. Mephala’s evil comes in both the violent ends she promotes and the ways she manipulates her followers into becoming killers.
Mephala is a pretty fringe Daedra inTheElder Scrolls 5, and wouldn’t normally bear this position on the list, butthere’s a theory that she is also present in the form of another character: the Night Mother.TheNight Mother of the Dark Brotherhoodis the skeletal figure that commands the league of cutthroat and ritualistic killers that the Dragonborn may join. If this figure is an aspect of Mehpala, as many players suspect, it would mean that she is behind two of the most lethal assassin groups in Tamriel, the Brotherhood and the Morag Tong.
1Molag Bal Is The Embodiment Of Evil
Nothing Is Worse Than This Daedric Prince
Molag Bal is the Daedric Prince of domination, enslavement, and a fewer other unsavory acts that make himthe standout pick for most evil Daedra inSkyrim. Unlike other Daedra, who toy with mortal lives for the purpose of amusement or conquest, Molag wants nothing more than to kill every living soul and destroy Tamriel entirely. His plane, Coldharbour, is probably the most miserable place in theElder Scrollsuniverse, where tortured souls are made into slaves for the Daedra’s army.
From creating vampires, to corrupting clerics, and resurrecting his mortal enemies over and over again until their wills break, Molag Bal is undeniably the worst. EvenBoethiah, another very evil Daedra, considers him a dangerous threat and a mortal enemy. Though he exists in a weakened state duringSkyrim, players ought to still be careful around his house in Markarth, lest they end up the objects of his torment.
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the multi-million-selling fifth entry in the Elder Scrolls franchises created by Bethesda Softworks. Set two hundred years after The Elder Scrolls IV; players will embark on a quest in the north of Tamriel as they come into their own as a Dragonborn, a being of immense power that has the ability to save the world. Players will travel the land of Skyrim with their own created character as they take on various quests and battle many foes on their way to stop Alduin the World Eater, a Dragon destined to destroy the world.
