Nothing makes a heroic quest quite so satisfying as foiling the plans ofa truly hateable villain.One ofthe Elder Scrolls franchise’sgreat strengths is the trueevilof its villains.
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Ranging from Dr. Evil-esque megalomania to mundane cruelty—and even sheer pettiness—the series' antagonists offer a sinful variety of jerks.
Whether joining or destroying them, these villains offer the most vivid evil you’ll find throughout the Elder Scrolls games.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Empowered by the all-knowing Daedric Prince Hermaeus Mora, the antagonist ofDragonbornis an absolute bastardbecause he steals a dragon’s soul after you defeated it.No new shouts for you, hero!
While Miraak’s evil schemes are direct and personal—rather than “world-spanning conquest”—theconcreteway he screws with the player is quite distinctive.
Other characters may perpetuate greater villainy, but by kill-stealing, the battle between the Dragonborn and Miraak becomes a personal vendetta.
The first dragon himself. Alduin’s scheme may be straightforward, but that doesn’t mean his villainy is lacking. The World-Eater’s purpose is single-minded:consume the world so that it can begin anew.
A ceaseless appetite for destruction drives Alduin’s villainy, in his arrogance, to leave the world empty and desolate except for dragonkind. It’s not a particularly cunning plan, but then again, I imagine being a giant lizard, Alduin must have quite the appetite.
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The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The final antagonist of theBloodmoonexpansion forMorrowind,Hircine is a Daedric Prince who simply lives for the love of the hunt.ImagineThe Most Dangerous Gameand toss in some werewolves, frost giants, and other powerful fantasy creatures, and you’ve pretty much got the right idea.
Hircine’s an engaging villain because, unlike his fellow Daedric Princes, he comes across as truly indifferent to morals and mortals alike. Tamriel exists as a game preserve, a constant contest ensuring that only the fittest will survive for Hircine to personally hunt.
We recognize that as evil, sure, but clearly Hircine doesn’t. This amorality makes Hircine trulystrange—fitting for an eldritch entity from beyond the mundane world!
7Jagar Tharn
The Elder Scrolls: Arena
Jagar Tharn is the antagonist of the very first Elder Scrolls game,Arena,and he offered a truly devious mastermind worthy of comparison to later installments in the series. He’s also especially detestable because he taunts the player every time you die.
With magical misdeeds ranging from cloning to imprisoning souls in Oblivion,Jagar Tharn is more than your average megalomaniacdue to the variety of his crimes. It’s also worth noting that the former Imperial Battlemage is one of very, very few villains who actuallysucceeds!
Tharn has already usurped the Septim throne inArena.The player’s quest is not tostopTharn’s goals, but to undo the damage already done.
6Almalexia
Considering the three “Living Gods” of the Dunmer’s ALMSIVI Tribunal killed you in your past life as Lord Indoril Nerevar, it’s perhaps not that surprising that they’re not particularly keen to meet the player throughoutMorrowindand itsTribunalexpansion. When you finally meet Almalexia, though, she’s all charm and grace.
Turns out, she’s scheming to be the only God in Morrowind. In a classic example of absolute power corrupting absolutely,Almalexia unscrupulously schemes against friends, servants, and foes alike in a bid to retain her immortality.
Almalexia’s willingness to betray not only the player, but even those most devoted to her makes her one of the most treacherous characters in the series. Fortunately, she gets her day of judgment at the Nerevarine’s hands.
5Mehrunes Dagon
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
When a villain tries to “end the world,” few are actually trying to end theworld itself.Not so with this Daedric Prince!
Mehrunes Dagon doesn’t just want to steal a few souls or expand the power of his own realm. No,his goal is to merge the mundane world with Oblivion itself.Talk about vision!
In addition, the events ofOblivionaren’t the only time Mehrunes Dagon attempts this goal. His stubbornly destructive nature helps characterize the Daedric Prince as a truly alien entity, willing to plan and scheme for generation after generation of mortal lives.
4Dagoth Ur
For pure megalomania, it’s hard to topMorrowind’smain antagonist Dagoth Ur.This iconic villainsecured a monopoly on divinity and planned within his volcano fortress to conquer the world using a giant robot.
Defeating him requires not just physical violence, but also uncovering key secrets of Tamriel’s setting—like the fate of the Dwemer, and the nature of divinity. Meanwhile, Dagoth Ur’s plague spreads further from the Red Mountain, threatening Vvardenfell and beyond with the undying madness of corpus.
Top that, James Bond.
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3Lord Harkon
The vampire is a classic horror villain, so it’s no surpriseDawnguard’svampire lord is near the top of our list.Lord Harkon seeks to blot out the sun and rule a new world of eternal night.
What makes Tamriel’s master vampire stand out is that he is truly thefirstof all vampires, and is quite pleased with that fact. There’s no tragic disease or curse in his past—Lord Harkon was just a bastard willing to sacrifice a thousand human lives to Molag Bal.
He’ll even kill off his own beloved wife and daughter, to achieve his final goals. Nowthat’sheartless.
2Mannimarco
The final villain ofOblivion’sMages Guild questline is a ruthless necromancer who presentsamorality on a human scale.Mannimarco is a compelling antagonist because, like the best villains, he’s a type of evil we can recognize in our own lives.
The self-styled “King of Worms” may use familiar justifications for his evil, but his deeds go well beyond what’s possible without magic. Mannimarco’s dark magic not only brings corpses back to life—it also allows him to enthrall a person’s soul.
Even death won’t let victims escape Mannimarco’s clutches.
1Orvas Dren
At the top of our list of world-conquering (or destroying) evil maniacs, we have a deceptively mundane villain.Orvas Dren leads the Camonna Tong drug cartel,which spreads misery across Vvardenfell while enriching himself.
The Camonna Tong is a particularly nasty organization, even as fantasy worlds go. Theft, murder, slavery—if you can think of it, Orvas Dren and his goons have done it. He’s the source of problems in quests all aroundMorrowind.
And there’s no grand scheme here, either. Orvas Dren just wants riches, and the bigoted bastard enjoys seeing outlander “inferiors” oppressed along the way.
Putting a stop to Orvas Dren not only brings justice for his victims—it also frees Vvardenfell’s government from the Camonna Tong’s shadowy influence. Defeating Dagoth Ur ensures the land’s survival; defeating Orvas Dren gives hope for the future.
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