Strongest Skyrim Enemies
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Highlights
- The Wispmother, Falmer Warmonger, and Hagraven are some of the most challenging enemies in Skyrim due to their unique abilities and powerful attacks.
- Giants and Sabre Cats are formidable opponents that can deal massive damage to players, but they have specific weaknesses that can be exploited.
- Trolls, Chaurus Reapers, and Revered Dragons are difficult enemies to face, especially for low-level players, and require careful tactics and preparation to defeat.
There are many dangers in the province of Skyrim, from dragons to bandits and even chicken necromancers. While most enemies won’t pose a problem for the player so long as they have solid armor and appropriate weapons, there are a few encounters players will want to delay for as long as possible. Beginners who are just starting out in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim won’t have to worry too much about these creatures for some time, as many won’t even be available until much later on in the adventure. That being said, players looking to gear up for the future who want to know what’s coming should know about the most powerful enemies in Skyrim.
Most people would assume that Skyrim isn’t a very hard game, with most enemies becoming pretty manageable once players are at an acceptable level. While this is true in the majority of encounters, there are always instances where players may get caught off-guard because of the difficulty that ramps up outta nowhere. There are definitely some powerful Skyrim enemies who can pose a huge problem to the player if they’ve been underestimating everything in the game, giving them a rude awakening and forcing them to approach combat with more tact and discipline next time onward.
Updated October 14, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is a legendary title that needs no introduction. This game took the world by storm when it was released and continues to blow people’s minds to this day. Of course, it helps that mods have elevated the game in ways that most people couldn’t have imagined. The sense of adventure in this brilliant game is unmatched, and players can’t help but be wowed by the sheer number of things they can do in this game. Combat itself can be tackled in a myriad of different ways. Some enemies are so challenging that they can irritate the player even in the later stages, when they should be overpowered with the best equipment around.
26 Wispmother
The Wispmother isn’t necessarily a difficult enemy, but there’s something utterly terrifying about encountering one for the first time in Skyrim. These wispy ghost-like witches usually announce their presence with wisps of light that might guide an unsuspecting player into the Wispmother’s cold and callous embrace.
What makes the Wispmother challenging is her speed and the help of her little wisps during combat. Her frost spells will also slow the player down, so closing the distance for melee characters is extremely difficult. Good frost resistance is the best counter against her.
25 Falmer Warmonger
Normal Falmer are almost never an issue, but the Warmonger kind is an absolute headache to deal with. These high-level variants are introduced in the Dawnguard DLC and are well-known for their proficiency in both melee, ranged, and magical combat. They’re basically destructive jacks of all trades.
They can sustain quite a bit of damage as well due to wearing either Hardened Falmer armor or Falmer heavy armor, which is among the best heavy armor sets in Skyrim. Moreover, they have the ability to heal themselves with Restoration spells.
24 Hagraven
Hagravens are the feared dark bird-like mages the Forsworn considered their ally, and they’re truly a force to be reckoned with. Hagravens pose a similar issue as Wispmothers, as they use extremely powerful elemental spells from afar, therefore spamming the player down before they can close the distance.
Moreover, even if the player does get close enough, melee combat doesn’t get any better. Hagravens are armed with deadly claws that can deal serious damage and also inflict the Dragonborn with Brain Rot, which lowers Magicka. Archers are perhaps best equipped to deal with Hagravens from afar, as mages will have to break through Hagraven’s high magic resistance.
23 Werebear
What happens when a bear is combined with a werewolf? Something utterly horrific, as proven by these giant evil creatures found in the Dragonborn DLC, dubbed as Werebears. In terms of combat, Werebears are straightforward and quite similar to werewolves, but they can knock back the player, which makes them annoying to fight.
Moreover, they deal a ton of damage upfront and usually won’t be attacking the player alone. When a group of them converges on the player, they’re in major trouble, as each Werebear has a respectable health pool to sustain them.
22 Magic Anomaly
Some people might be surprised to see the Magic Anomaly on this list. Sure, these magical spirits are pretty small, move around a lot, and can be quite irritating to deal with, but surely that doesn’t qualify them to become one of the toughest enemies in the game… right?
However, what sets the Magic Anomaly apart from the other enemies in the game is that they can level up with the player indefinitely! This means that players at the highest level in the game who might be lacking a sense of challenge from certain tough foes in the game will finally meet their match when they encounter these Magic Anomalies!
21 Giant
Giants are not technically an enemy, given that they’re passive beings who don’t go out of their way to seek out the player and attack them. They’re just herding their mammoths, and will only attack as a form of self-defense or if the player gets too close for comfort.
Giants are slow-moving, which makes them easy to counter. However, what’s devastating about them is their ability to one-shot a player and literally send them to space with a single swing of their club. Archer characters, however, will deal with them fairly easily from afar.
20 Sabre Cat
Sabre Cats are some of the strongest natural animals found in the province of Skyrim. They can be difficult to spot from afar, but once they notice the player they’ll bound off toward them at high speed with no mercy at all. Those front fangs alone should be a testament to their toughness.
Sabre Cats are absolutely destructive at close range and deal a ton of damage. On top of that, they’re very fast and able to keep up even with players who have high stamina. Tanky players with heavy armor are best prepared to deal with them.
19 Troll
Trolls are one of the enemy types that get a bit easier to deal with as time goes on, but in the first thirty levels, the player will struggle to deal with these beasts if not properly prepared. In particular, the frost troll guarding the path to High Hrothgar can be deadly for low-level beginners.
Trolls of all kinds have a natural ability to regenerate health, which is why fighting them fair and square is very difficult. Only fire, their natural enemy, will take care of them quickly enough.
18 Chaurus Reaper
In the depths of Skyrim, living among the Falmer, are these large critters known as Chaurus. In the darkness, it can be very difficult to spot them, and fighting them in the claustrophobic tunnels and Dwemer dungeons can be a real headache even for experienced players.
The Chaurus Reaper is perhaps the strongest of its kind. It can even disguise itself as a Falmer chest and ambush the player, dealing immense damage at close range. Its shell-like exterior makes it highly resistant to damage as well.
17 Serpentine Dragon
Included in the Dragonborn DLC, this is the weakest of the unique dragons introduced in DLCs. That said, it’s by no means a weak enemy. The Serpentine Dragon outranks pretty much all base game Skyrim dragons with its incredible health pool.
Other than having a large health pool to sustain itself, it can use both fire and frost damage on the player, making it difficult to counter it elementally. Perhaps the easiest way to recognize it is its appearance which is snake-like and inspired its unique name as well.
16 Revered Dragon
Dragons in general can be a headache, given it’s the right kind. Most basic brown dragons won’t cause a player much trouble due to their predictable flight and attack patterns, but when other skills are thrown into the mix, dragons become a real challenge to deal with. That’s the case with Revered Dragons.
They’re exclusive to the Dawnguard DLC and are distinguished by a bright orange appearance. True to the theme of the DLC, they have the ability to drain the player’s vitality, which is incredibly annoying in combat. Moreover, they can appear surprisingly early on in the game, starting around level 33, while they tend to be around level 62.
15 Lurker Vindicator
If players own the Dragonborn DLC, these ferocious creatures can be encountered in the plane of Apocrypha and occasionally on the island of Solstheim. These terrifying beasts are actually Daedra, who would usually be servants of the Daedric Lord Hermaeus Mora. However, during the quest that leads the Dragonborn to Miraak, it becomes evident that he has taken control of these mighty beings.
Lurkers will fight the Dragonborn hand to hand, using their claws to swipe at them, but are highly vulnerable to ranged attacks.
14 Forsworn Briarheart
The Forsworn are a ferocious group of natives to The Reach, but what players may not know is that there are especially vicious men who have given up parts of their humanity among their ranks. Briarhearts are partly undead Forsworn and rank high in the group as they’ve had their hearts torn out and replaced with a Briar Heart.
Some Briarhearts are powerful casters capable of summoning atronachs to aid them, while others are skilled melee fighters, often dual-wielding weapons. However, if players target their hearts with an arrow, they will deal a bit of extra damage to them.
13 Draugr Death Overlord
Draugr can be a real snorefest to deal with, but the Draugr Death Overlord is no laughing matter. There’s a reason why this draugr variant is often the final boss in a Nordic Ruin dungeon, and many unique villains share the same design as the Death Overlord. Some Death Overlords also spawn with two-handed weapons, making them insanely good damage dealers at close range.
The Death Overlords are not only limited to melee range, however, as they’re also familiar with Thu’um or Dragon Shouts. In particular, their ability to use the Disarm shout is incredibly infuriating for players who depend on a set weapon and might be forced to look around for their sword which was just slung across the room while being chased by the Death Overlord.
12 Werewolf Vargr
Werewolf enemies are pretty tough to deal with as is, given how savage and fast they can really be. However, it’s the Werewolf Vargr that players should be extremely fearful of, with the sheer viciousness of this enemy reaching a whole new level.
Vargr are extremely aggressive and will absolutely pounce upon the Dragonborn once they manage to get their scent. This is true even if the Dragonborn is a Werewolf themselves, showing just how feral and out-of-control these Werewolves have become. There aren’t many enemies that can strike fear in the hearts of Skyrim players, but the Werewolf Vargr’s appearance is almost always a surprise… and a pretty deadly one at that.
11 Nightmaster Vampire
For those who have the Dawnguard DLC, the Nightmaster Vampire will be somewhat of a frightening encounter. Most commonly players will meet them at various vampire lairs around Skyrim, but it’s also possible to find them attacking cities or villages.
While the Nightmaster Vampire doesn’t deal much raw damage in terms of its weapon of choice (usually a dagger), it’s a powerful spellcaster with a wide range of different abilities it can use to reanimate corpses around it to come to its aid.
10 Forgemaster
Originally, we wanted to include Dwarven Centurions on this list. However, the Forgemaster is the strongest of its kind and deserves this special spot. Even if the player doesn’t own the Dawnguard DLC, they’ll get plenty of chances to meet these massive and frightening Dwemer creations capable of pummeling them to death.
The Forgemaster guarding the Aetherium Forge is much larger and more terrifying in terms of size and skill, however. It will breathe fire instead of steam on the Dragonborn and will be generally very resistant to all damage. Frost spells will serve players well against it, though, so keep that in mind.
9 Nightlord Vampire
Vampiric enemies can be an absolute pain to deal with, so it’s only a given that the most powerful regular vampire enemy around would be a tough cookie to break down. Such is the case with the Nightlord Vampire, a level 60 enemy that takes no prisoners and will give any player a tough time as they try to fight against this spellcasting foe.
Not only does this enemy specialize in both physical and magical attacks, but they also turn invisible after their health drops below a certain threshold. This forces the Dragonborn to either go all-out with their attacks against this foe or just be careful and not be caught off-guard by the many tricks this enemy has up their sleeve.
8 Lord Harkon
Lord Harkon is the main antagonist of Dawnguard DLC, an expansion that introduces vampires to the world of Skyrim in a memorable fashion. The addition of Serana as a companion was already celebrated by the masses. It helps that Lord Harkon comes off as a serious antagonist who can bring the pain to the Dragonborn when they finally get to fight him.
He’s arguably the toughest vampire in the entire game, and players must have their wits about them if they wish to stand a chance against this powerful foe. He can heal himself multiple times throughout the fight. To get the upper hand, players must employ an efficient offensive strategy to take out the many mobs he summons before taking him out once and for all.
7 Legendary Dragon
Dragons won’t be the player’s biggest worry, despite their prominence in the lore of Skyrim. They all have the same patterns of behavior and flying, which makes it easy to predict their movements. That being said, the dragon that will do the most damage to the player is the Legendary kind included in the Dawnguard DLC.
Players will recognize them by their large curved horns and purple scales from far away. With around 4000 HP and starting at level 75, they’ll use the Drain Vitality shout and (depending on their element) breathe both Frost or Fire. Given that this is the strongest variant of the Dragon that can be randomly encountered in Skyrim, it’s easy to see why so many players dread fighting against this powerful and fiery foe.
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