All the games within the Elder Scrolls series showcase twists and turns around every single corner. From deep and well-thought-out quests to hidden secrets all over the worlds you explore, you can always stumble upon something that catches you by surprise. But what if those things you stumble upon don’t seem to connect to anything else? What if those things seem to be of importance but no one is talking about them or acknowledging the fact that there is a possibility there?
That’s what has happened when it comes to fan theories. The world of Elder Scrolls has turned into a playground when it comes to the players out there that want to connect the dots. The players that want to explore everything and really get down to the bottom of those mysterious bug jars or the symbols on the back of notebooks. Literally anything and everything in some way or another has turned into a fan theory that we want to dive deeper into to get a better look. Which is why we collected all the fan theories we could find that seem to be the most popular on the web.
We want to explore what they really mean and how they might even convince you to believe them yourself! Of course, it will be hard to get to every game in the series, so we’ll be focusing on some of the most recent out there instead of digging far into the past, but there might be a mix here and there because of connections to past installments in the series.
25 The Most Villainous Of Them All
Some gamers believe that not only is there darkness within the game, but that YOU, the player, the Dragonborn, happen to be the most villainous in the game. If you really think about it, it does actually make some sense. While it doesn’t seem like this is actually the case in the game, having this theory in mind could make your next play through a lot more interesting. But could you imagine if this was actually true? It would totally be a game changer.
24 Dwemer Aren’t Really Extinct
A lot of people have thought that maybe it’s not true that the Dwemer are extinct; maybe they’re just hiding, or abandoned these ruins specifically, the ones we explore in the games. It doesn’t seem possible that these individuals would just up and leave all their hard work and creations behind, which is why we want to believe this theory in all of its glory. Maybe in a future game we’ll see a glimpse of them. We can only hope that we do.
23 Dragonborn Is Descended From Gods
If the Dragonborn being the villain isn’t your style… maybe he’s just a god?
Would it really be that hard to imagine that the Dragonborn could be something more than just a flesh and blood human with superpowers?
Can you imagine if this was actually true? It would be so awesome if more of these kinds of ideas were in the lore, it would make playing the game so much fun and fresh again next time you play it all the way through.
22 The Bug Jars ARE Important
Players have been debating for years now whether or not those collectible bug jars are actually useful in some way or not.
While they have been written off from devs, we aren’t going to give up when we say that there might be something more to them.
While it might be hard to prove, the runes carved into the lid of the jars seem to really mean something important. Maybe it has something to do with Daedra? We just seriously hope that that isn’t the truth.
21 Lydia Was Simply An Experiment
Some even go as far as to think and believe that Lydia was an experiment! Some people think that her mind was wiped and that’s why she doesn’t ever remember anything. Of course, it could just be how the character was written to have a little less character with her personality, but it is fun to think that maybe she was an experiment. It’s totally crazy if you really think about it, but weirdly makes sense, especially if you’ve had her as one of your main followers for a while now.
20 Skyrim Is In The Future
No one seems to believe the devs when it comes to the time period that the game takes place in. People either think that the game is set in the past or even in the future. Would you believe that Skyrim is not just set in the past but that the game is actually taking place in the future? This is why many players believe that Skyrim is the world after Fallout, after the world starts to heal again.
19 Or Maybe Just Created By Gods?
If you aren’t buying the idea that the Dragonborn was part God, maybe it would be more reasonable to believe that they were just created by Gods and placed on Nirn to make a difference, good or bad. The theories that surround the idea around gods and how they play a role in the character you play are very interesting, and we can’t help but believe that there’s something there in the lore that hints at these ideas being possibilities.
18 Maybe You Played As Sheogorath
Speaking of the ideas mentioned above about Gods, when you encounter Sheogorath in the game Skyrim, it almost seems odd since you saw him in the previous game. It might be because of all the drama that happened in the last game and he can basically make his world anything he wants, but still, it just seems off. Many people have taken this to believe that the Sheogorath you meet in this game is actually more along the lines of a reflection of yourself the player.
17 Lydia Knows Nothing
There are so many theories surrounding Lydia, especially because she’s one of the most memorable followers you have and one of the first you come across in the game. She does come off as a bit “off," but maybe it’s just how she’s meant to be, even if the community refuses to believe that that’s the case. Lydia seems like she can’t exactly keep up all the time. Even if you’ve used her as a follower for a while, she seems to not even remember you or even where she is!
16 One Of The Most Memorable Scenes
There are a ton of big themes in the game of Skyrim, but it also seems true that some of the most memorable are just distractions to the player from the real battle between good and bad.
After all the shocks in this game, this really does seem to be a big theory compared to many others floating around.
While this idea is a bit more abstract, it does seem like it could at least be a bit true. The ultimate test of good and bad.
15 The Introduction Was Just All A Ploy
We all know the introduction to the game, but what if the Dragonborn knew that it was going to happen and they planned it all along? That would be a bit twisted, but people seem to think that this might actually be the case. If the introduction was just a ploy, could you imagine if your character had planned everything? Maybe that would even prove that he is a god of some sort. It would change everything about the game and how you play through it.
14 Used To Be A Part Of The Companions
The Companions actually used to be a lot bigger, but individuals from other guilds like the Thieves Guild left due to disagreements with the whole werewolf thing. Which kind of makes sense, even if it is just a theory. It really seems like the Companions should be a lot bigger than they actually are currently in the game. I don’t blame them for not wanting to be forced to turn into a monster! It’s not really a question why people would have left. Maybe that’s why there’s so few.
13 Not Agreeing On Beast Blood
Like we just mentioned, the disagreement of beast blood and being turned into a werewolf is a huge burden that not many people would probably want to deal with. Plus, those who are turned into werewolves are basically forced to be pitted against the vampires throughout the land, which makes things even more complicated. We hope they explore this later on in future games as well; it would be interesting to see if this player theory is actually as true as it seems.
12 Maybe Even In Fallout?
Some players have even gotten to the point where they believe that Skyrim is in the same world that Fallout takes place in. Many believe that Skyrim is the future when the world starts to grow back after the events in Fallout. The devs have proved this wrong, but that hasn’t stopped people and they continue to believe there is a huge crossover between these two very largely different worlds. But who knows, maybe in the future we’ll get a crossover game!
11 Rorikstead Is For The Daedra
If you listen to some of the lines of villagers that live in this little town, it’s not hard to imagine that there might be something sinister going on here they wouldn’t want us finding out. Maybe it even used to be an old quest?
Let’s just say, we don’t want to go there anymore.
There have also been many hints about something “off” occurring in Rorikstead. It doesn’t go much further than that when people visit there, but it’s still creepy.
10 There Are Cults Everywhere
This one might be slightly more simple, but can you imagine if instead of the guilds across Skyrim, they’re just cults? Maybe those strange little towns with people who have odd tendencies and strange eyes are in a cult too. Maybe there are just cults literally everywhere within the game. It honestly wouldn’t even be a surprise! It seems more and more natural to think this simply because of how people act within the game when you’re on your adventures.
9 Hermaeus Mora Is Your Friend
On the theme of everyone’s favorite theory of the Dragonborn actually being the villain, many have come to the conclusion that Hermaeus Mora is actually your friend and that’s why he helps you find different secrets within the game. With this theory in mind, you should totally replay the game because it would twist everything in a very different way you probably didn’t think about before when you first started playing the game. It’s certainly a theory to think about.
8 The Snow Elves Were Blind Because Of Them
Many have said that snow elves went biologically blind because of being in the dark for so long, which does actually happen in the real world. But many fans believe that it could be something more.
Maybe the snow elves were treated this way on purpose?
Some think that the Dwemer blinded the snow elves on purpose to keep them from seeing what they were building in the caves. How awful! Let’s just hope that that isn’t actually the reason behind their genetics now.
7 An Assassin For Himself
A lot of players in the community believe that the Dragonborn is already an assassin. Which makes sense on one hand, because one purpose of the Dragonborn is to banish the dragons that are tormenting the people, which could be considered slayings. But while there are many people who stand behind this theory, it doesn’t seem to really be that accurate when you take into account the rest of the game. Maybe the Dragonborn isn’t as innocent as you might have thought.
6 Being A Prisoner Here
Many think that when you travel to different dimensions, it’s because the gods of those realms are trying to keep the Dragonborn as a sort of prize, aka a prisoner. While this might seem like a harsh reality that could never fit into a game like this, if you think back to the different realms you’ve visited with your character, the dots might start to connect in different ways than you might have thought from the first time you played.
