Since the release of The Elder Scrolls: Arena back in 1994, the Bethesda-owned franchise has grown to be one of the most popular properties in the history of gaming. With the inevitable release of The Elder Scrolls VI inching closer with every month that goes by, many fans are reflecting upon the fantastic catalog of quests that the series has to offer.
Among the major installments of The Elder Scrolls, countless missions, tasks, and quests are handed down to the player throughout their time in Tamriel. While almost the vast majority of them deserve recognition, a handful stand out as being exceptionally rewarding experiences.
10 "At The Summit Of Apocrypha" Blows Players Away With Its Visual Prowess (Skyrim)
Upon its release in 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was immediately praised as one of the greatest role-playing games of all time. Its three DLCs — Dawnguard, Dragonborn, and Hearthfire — maintained this standard of success, but despite their consistent quality, one of their quests clearly stands above the rest: "At the Summit of Apocrypha."
Miraak, the first Dragonborn, serves as the primary antagonist of the Dragonborn DLC, and the player's battle against him, which takes place in the Lovecraftian realm of Apocrypha, is as visually stunning as any in the franchise. This, coupled with Miraak's unforgettable presence, make it a must-play for anyone returning to the series.
9 "The Ultimate Heist" Is The Best That The Thieves' Guild Has To Offer (Oblivion)
The Elder Scrolls are enigmatic, reality-altering constructs that play huge roles in many of Tamriel's most important events, but despite their significance, players have few direct interactions with them throughout The Elder Scrolls. However, "The Ultimate Heist," Oblivion's final quest for the Thieves' Guild, doesn't just expose the main character to one of these artifacts — it tasks them with stealing one from the Imperial City.
The Thieves' Guild has been featured in every single title from The Elder Scrolls, yet they never accomplish a feat as grand as the one accomplished in this quest. While they may not be everyone's favorite guild in the series' fourth installment, "The Ultimate Heist" is undeniably one of the highlights of playing Oblivion.
8 "Dragonslayer" Places The Dragonborn Against The World Eater (Skyrim)
Alduin functions as the primary antagonist for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and is mentioned in Nordic prophecy as "the World Eater," the dragon destined to bring about the end of life itself. Of course, there are a wide variety of entities, both mortal and otherwise, that would like to see such a prophecy foiled, and as a result, many of them band together in Skyrim's most high-stakes quest, "Dragonslayer."
The Dragonborn leads the charge, and with help of the struggling Empire, rebelling Stormcloaks, stoic Greybeards, and several of Sovngarde's legendary warriors, they mount a direct assault on Alduin. What follows is an appropriately grand battle that captures everything that's great about Skyrim.
7 "Remove The Head Of The Thieves' Guild" Pits Two Factions Against Each Other (Morrowind)
As engaging as the guild questlines are in The Elder Scrolls franchise, they are usually self-contained in relation to other guilds and their actions. This lack of interaction between the factions is what makes Morrowind's "Remove the Heads of the Thieves' Guild" such a unique experience for the series.
Morrowind doesn't offer the same breadth of missions as the franchise's later installments, but missions like this one, provided to the player by the Fighters' Guild, show where it shines. The guild, unhappy with the Thieves' Guild, task their number one solider with taking down the band of thieves, starting at the top. This power struggle is fascinating to watch play out and provides a glimpse into the dynamic between the parties.
6 "God Of Schemes" Puts An End To Molag Bal's Assault (The Elder Scrolls Online)
The Elder Scrolls Online and its DLCs cover a breadth of material, but the game's core narrative centers around one of Oblivion's most intimidating figures: Molag Bal. The Daedric Lord of dominion has launched an attack on Tamriel known as the Planemeld, and it is up to the player, Emperor Varen Aquilarios, and their fellow Companions to stop him in an effort that culminates in the game's final quest, "God of Schemes."
As far as ESO quests go, "God of Schemes" is hard to beat. Characters encountered throughout the game's narrative return to join the assault on Coldharbour, the player makes a decision about which companion serves as a sacrifice, Molag Bal provides a fantastic battle, and underutilized characters like Mannimarco and Meridia pop up in surprise appearances. All in all, this quest contains the best that the MMORPG has to offer.
5 "Hail Sithis!" Ends The Reign Of An Emperor (Skyrim)
Guilds play an integral role in the happenings of Tamriel, so it makes sense that quests like "Hail Sithis!," the final assassination mission in Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood questline, are among the best in the franchise. The Dragonborn's targets become more high-profile as the contracts come in, until eventually, they are tasked with the impossible: assassinating the Emperor of Tamriel.
The Elder Scrolls franchise is no stranger to placing its players in roles of significance, but rarely does the game allow for them to have such a direct effect on Tamriel's political landscape. "Hail Sithis!" does exactly this, making for arguably the best guild-related quest in all of Skyrim.
4 "Light The Dragonfires" Brings Mehrunes Dagon To Life (Oblivion)
Mehrunes Dagon appears throughout The Elder Scrolls, yet never has he played a more prominent role than the one he did in its fourth installment, Oblivion. The Oblivion Crisis, caused by Dagon and his Mythic Dawn followers, almost upends the entire world, and it is only halted thanks to the Hero of Kvatch's efforts in the game's climactic quest, "Light the Dragonfires."
Dagon, nearing total annihilation of the Imperial City, ravages the Empire's capital city, leaving the player, their allies, and the last remaining member of the royal bloodline, Martin Septim, to halt the invasion. Due to Septim's bloodline, he is able to tap into the power of dragons, transforming into an avatar of Akatosh and taking down the Daedric Prince in an incredibly grandiose sequence.
3 "A Night To Remember" Draws From Pop Culture To Great Effect (Skyrim)
The Daedric Princes are an eclectic group, and even though the majority of them shouldn't be trusted, they provide some entertaining quests in The Elder Scrolls franchise and more specifically, Skyrim. When the Dragonborn accepts a challenge from an unassuming Nord named Sam Guevenne in a small tavern, initiating the quest "A Night to Remember," little do they know what kind of Daedric hijinks await them.
Sam Guevenne reveals himself as Sanguine, the Daedric Lord of debauchery, and as a result of his drunken antics with the Dragonborn the night before, the player must embark on a The Hangover-inspired trek that generates as many laughs as any quest in the series.
2 "Whodunit?" Turns The Elder Scrolls Into A Murder-Mystery (Oblivion)
The Elder Scrolls series has never taken itself too seriously, and this approach was on display during Oblivion's best murder-mystery quest: "Whodunit?" Assigned by the Dark Brotherhood, "Whodunit?" tasks the Hero of Kvatch with attending a house party plagued by an unknown killer — unknown to everyone but the player, that is.
The Hero of Kvatch works their way through the festivities, doing their best to kill each character without alerting the other guests as to their activities. Watching the NPCs react, which changes based on what order they are assassinated in, is an absolute treat for fans of the Brotherhood.
1 "The Mad God" Unseats Two Living Gods From Their Thrones (Morrowind)
Although The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind didn't receive the same praise as its sequels, the title was chock-full of lore-rich quests like "The Mad God." Throughout the game, the player attempts to help Morrowind's ruling body, the Tribunal, in their attempt to stabilize the region. However, after the source of their power, the Heart of Lorkhan, is destroyed, things go awry.
With the Tribunal's divinity dissipating, one of its three members — Almalexia, the Mother of Morrowind — became threatened by her now-mortal existence, killing her fellow member of the Tribunal, Sotha Sil, in an attempt to take power. "The Mad God" pits the player in combat against her and, should they be successful, puts an end to the most famous female Chimer of all time.