The Elder Scrolls is a sizable franchise with five full-fledged mainline titles and an MMO, but players don't control the same protagonist every time. Some of the most popular Elder Scrolls games are Oblivion and Skyrim, with the latter being more well-known thanks to the number of remakes it's received. However, the Dragonborn isn't the only hero in The Elder Scrolls games, and they may not be the most powerful. Many calamities have threatened Tamriel throughout the ages and have required many heroes to save the world. Bethesda's work on The Elder Scrolls franchise created phenomenal stories with unique protagonists, a trend that will hopefully continue in Elder Scrolls 6.

The Elder Scrolls franchise stretches back to 1994, with the release of The Elder Scrolls: Arena, with the most recent addition of new content being Elder Scrolls Online's Blackwood expansion. Unfortunately, the mainline games have not seen a new title since Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim released in 2011. Since then, only remakes and expansions for SkyrimandElder Scrolls Online expansions have joined the popular fantasy franchise. Despite Bethesda's announcement for Elder Scrolls 6's development, there is no word on when the studio will complete the project.

Many fans of The Elder Scrolls likely won't recognize every protagonist of the series, but Bethesda's fondness for Easter eggs ensures the continued legacy of their characters. Most heroes or mentions of their actions have appeared in the followingElder Scrolls games. Not only is this a respectful nod toward dedicated fans, but references of past protagonists serve to establish continuity for the in-game universe. Players influence certain outcomes in-game, but not every choice can be considered canon. Tamriel's heroes' journeys and legacies are impressive in their own right, though some share noticeable similarities.

The Elder Scrolls: Arena began what would become a highly profitable fantasy franchise. Arena takes place in Tamriel, during the 389th year of the Third Era during the reign of Emperor Uriel Septim VII. Elder Scrolls' adventure begins after the best mage, Jagar Tharn, is summoned to discuss a suspected coup with the Emperor. However, Uriel is tricked and trapped in a pocket dimension alongside his top general. Jagar Tharn assumes the identity of the Emperor, but not before slaying his mage apprentice, Ria Silmane. Thankfully, Ria's abilities allow her to maintain a presence before passing into the afterlife, and she calls upon the help of one of Tharn's prisoners. This prisoner is the player character.

The Elder Scrolls: Arena's protagonist could be one of eight player character races: Argonian, Khajit, Redguard, Breton, Bosmer, High Elf, Dark Elf, or Nord. After players complete their character creation, the prisoner is tasked with locating the Staff of Chaos. Ria Silmane acts as their guide, helping them escape the dungeons and guiding them to the magical artifact that serves as Tharn's life force. The Staff of Chaos has been split into many pieces, leading players on a chase to gather every piece. Once collected, the players must travel to face Tharn and destroy the Jewel of Fire, freeing the Emperor. Upon claiming victory and defeating the battlemage, players receive the title of "Eternal Champion," and Ria Silmane can pass into the afterlife.

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall was when the franchise began to form its identity and move away from the emphasis on combat present in Arena. Instead, players could embrace the roleplaying aspect of the game and make their own choices to reach unique solutions. Daggerfall takes place between the Imperial provinces of High Rock and Hammerfell, where the Emperor has sent the player to complete two vital tasks. Thankfully, these two tasks are not the only available activities, as Daggerfall is home to over 15,000 cities, towns, dungeons, and quests, making it one of the most complex games in The Elder Scrolls series.

Unlike Elder Scrolls: Arena, the player character is an emissary of Tamriel's Emperor tasked with freeing the ghost of King Lysandus and locating a letter sent by the Emperor to the Queen of Daggerfall. These two tasks lead to the game's central conflict, where players decide the fate of Iliac Bay with the power of the first Numidium. A Numidum is a mighty brass golem not unlike the Dwemer creations found in Skyrim. Players can wake the Numidum to unlock six different endings, arguably one of the most diverse conclusions in The Elder Scrolls franchise. Depending on the choice made, players can forge entire kingdoms, grant godhood, or die in the process. Unfortunately, the protagonist of Daggerfall does not receive any canonical titles, though they can earn titles by joining various guilds.

Elder Scrolls Battlespire (1)

Following the success of Daggerfall, Bethesda began production on three new projects. The first to release wasBattlespire, a smaller adventure set in Tamriel. Battlespire introduces the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon, who becomes a significant threat in later Elder Scrolls games. Battlespire's protagonist is an apprentice at the Battlespire, a tower reserved for training battlemages. Players take the role of the unfortunate apprentice who discovers a Daedra army led by Mehrunes Dagon has killed nearly everyone in the tower. To make matters worse, his partner was kidnapped by the Daedric Prince. An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire features only seven levels that take players throughout the realms of Oblivion. The apprentice must defeat Mehrunes Dagon to free their partner and return to Tamriel. Like Daggerfall, the protagonist receives no unique title, and the canonical status of their actions remains unknown.

Elder Scrolls Redguard

Unlike other Elder Scrolls games, The Elder Scrolls Adventure: Redguard fails to allow any significant character customization thanks to its static protagonist. Redguard takes place in year 864 of the Second Era, making it a prequel to Elder Scrolls: Arena. The beginning of Redguard highlights the conquest of Tiber Septim, who has recently extended his reach across Hammerfell, home of Elder Scrolls' Redguard people. After annexing portions of Hammerfell, Septim established governors that would reside over the province and enact the Empire's rule. This led to the creation of various resistance movements and the abuse of the Redguard people.

Players take control of Cyrus, a Redguard who recently arrived on Stros M'Kai to search for his missing sister. Unlike other protagonists, Cyrus comes with a set name, skills, and race for the sake of narrative consistency. Cyrus' sister was a prominent member of a Redguard resistance movement known as the Restless League and sealed her fate against the invading Imperial Legion. Cyrus' search eventually places him at odds with the servants of Tiber Septim sent to suppress the Redguard people. This loss and the crimes against his people lead Cyrus to try and resurrect the spirit of Prince A'tor to bolster morale and force the Empire to negotiate more favorable terms. After defeating Septim's governors with the help of Prince A'tor, Hammerfell gains equality in the Empire. Cyrus the Redguard's actions are significant, leaving a lasting legacy throughout the Redguard people.

Why Morrowind Is Still the Favorite Elder Scrolls Game

Releasing more recently,Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is a game that is likely more well-known than some of its predecessors. Morrowind takes place in Vvardenfell, one of the homelands of the Dunmer, also known as Dark Elves. A trio of living gods known as the Tribunal rule Vvardenfell and are at war with a former ally of theirs called Dagoth Ur. With the inhabitants and ruling parties of Vvardenfell warring against one another, players fulfill an active role in the game's political society.

Morrowind brought back RPG character customization, where players control their character's name, race, gender, class, and birth sign. Like Skyrim's introduction, players begin as a prisoner who has just arrived in Seyda Neen after some behind-the-scenes influence from Uriel Septim VII, the current Tamrielic Emperor. Shortly after, the Emperor's Blades, a prominent Elder Scrolls faction, sought out the player character and tells them that they might be a prophesized warrior called "the Nerevarine."

Naturally, the Emperor seeks to use them for political gain, and the player becomes their agent in Vvardenfell against Dagoth Ur and his followers. As Morrowind progresses, the protagonist is confirmed as the reincarnation of the Dunmer hero Indoril Nerevar, making them the true Nerevarine. Their quest takes them across the land, leading to a final confrontation with Dagoth Ur. After defeating the false god, the Nerevarine is recognized throughout Morrowind and returns peace to the land. The Nerevarine is a player character that frequently appears throughoutElder Scrolls' texts, especially in Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC.

Elder Scrolls How Long It Takes To Beat Every Single Game Oblivion

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion takes place six years after Morrowind but does not connect directly to the storyline. Oblivion is set in Cyrodiil, at the heart of the Tamrielic Empire during the Oblivion Crisis. After the Emperor falls to unknown assassins, a quest to find his illegitimate son to take the throne begins. The journey takes players through the Tamrielic Empire, gathering Martin Septim, the illegitimate son of Uriel Septim VII, to take his place as Emperor. Along the way, players face threats like Daedric Princes and demons seeking to cripple the Empire forever.

Continuing The Elder Scrolls pattern of beginning protagonists as prisoners, Elder Scrolls IV:Oblivion's player character begins in the prisons of Cyrodiil before Uriel Septim VII pardons them. They guide Uriel through an escape route beneath the city, where the Blades Captain perishes, and Uriel accepts his fate. The former prisoner is entrusted with the Amulet of Kings and sent to run ahead.

With a Septim no longer on the throne, Oblivion gates begin to open across the world and pour Daedric armies into Tamriel's realm. As players fight the Mythic Dawn, a cult dedicated to ushering in the reign of Mehrunes Dagon, they obtain many titles and live essential chapters of history to the Empire. Saving Kvatch from Daedric forces earns the player the title "the Hero of Kvatch," and completing the game secures their legacy as the Seventh Champion of Cyrodiil.

Elder Scrolls How Long It Takes To Beat Every Single Game Skyrim

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the most popular game in the series. Skyrim has become the standard for many open-world, roleplaying, fantasy games, receiving excellent reviews and many remasters. There are several problems in Skyrim, but the central conflict concerns the return of Alduin, Akatosh's firstborn. Alduin is a tyrannical dragon prophesized to end the world and can only be stopped by a Dragonborn. Hundreds of years ago, Alduin nearly wiped out humanity but was sent forward in time for the later generations to defeat. Alduin begins resurrecting the dragons, causing mass panic in Skyrim and ushering in the end of days. Simultaneously, the nation of Skyrim is in a Civil War following the end of the Great War between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Tamrielic Empire. Skyrim's Stormcloaks battle the Imperial Legion for independence, following the banning of Talos worship and further oppression by the Dominion's forces.

Players control a character captured by the Imperial Legion after trying to cross the border. Scheduled to be executed, Alduin's sudden attack saves their life and destroys Helgen Keep. The main quest takes players across Skryim as they unravel the mystery of the Dragon Crisis, interacting with the country's leaders and remnants of the Blades. During this quest, players discover their identity as the Last Dragonborn.

Only a Dragonborn can permanently kill a dragon by absorbing its soul to become more powerful, meaning the player character is the only one capable of defeating Alduin. While battling dragons and uncovering the means to kill Alduin, players must broker a temporary peace between the Stormcloaks and the Imperial Legion. Still, they can later decide the fate of Skyrim's Civil War by joining one of the two sides. Skyrim is the latest game in the series, so it's unknown what the Dragonborn's legacy will be in future Elder Scrolls titles.

Elder Scrolls Online Blackwood Trailer

Elder Scrolls Online's story is slightly more difficult to summarize, as it's consistently updated and growing beyond the vanilla campaign. The base campaign contains two primary conflicts for players to pursue, with the first concerning the invasion of the Daedric Prince, Molag Bal, and the second concerns the inheritance of the vacant Imperial throne by one of three alliances: the Aldmeri Dominion, the Daggerfall Covenant, and the Ebonheart Pact. Players decide their allegiance during character customization, more specifically, by choosing the race of the character. The Aldmeri Dominion consists of the Altmer, Bosmer, and Khajiit; the Daggerfall Covenant is home to the Bretons, Orcs, and Redguards; and the Ebonheart Pact contains the Argonians, Dunmer, and Nords.

Elder Scrolls Online fails to escape the curse of imprisoned player characters. Though the introduction to the game was recently updated to make new content more accessible, both tutorial missions involve the player escaping prison and learning the ins and outs of the game. Currently, players can access any world from the portal room to begin their adventures. Unlike other Elder Scrolls games, player characters are not established heroes and are no more important than the many other player characters inhabiting the world. There are many ways to develop a character as a powerful individual throughout Elder Scrolls Online, including PvP, PvE, Guild, and Side Quest activities.

Bethesda has secured a lengthy legacy of heroes throughout Tamriel, crafting the in-game history through player accomplishments and choices. While the roleplaying genre of the game makes some of its history's details questionable, it somehow adds to the nuances of the world. Different empires across Elder Scrolls' Tamriel likely prefer one narrative over the other. While it may not match every player's playthrough, it can be seen as propaganda to perpetuate a more acceptable story. The Elder Scrolls contains vast amounts of content for dedicated fans willing to traverse old systems and add more stories with the release of Elder Scrolls 6 in the future.

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