The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was an instant success upon its release in 2011, garnering game of the year awards from virtually every media outlet and cementing itself as one of the all-time greats in video canon. While the base game did more than enough to earn this recognition, the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn DLCs maintained the game’s model of consistency.
Each of these expansions added game-changing mechanics, environments, and lore to the series, furthering Skyrim‘s claim as one of the greatest titles in the history of not only Bethesda Game Studios, but gaming in general. Within all three DLCs are an impressive array of quests, a select few of which are among the best that the game has to offer.
10 Build Your Own Home (Hearthfire) Walks The Player Through A Brand-New Mechanic
Although the Hearthfire DLC didn’t feature many quests compared to its two sibling expansions, “Build Your Own Home” introduced the Dragonborn to its two primary features: home building and customization. Acquired via the stewards of Hjaalmarch, Falkreath Hold, and the Pale, this quest walks the player through the mechanics of purchasing a property and editing its features, ending immediately after they build the foundation of their home.
“Build Your Own Home” is only the tip of the Hearthfire iceberg, but considering the depth of game mechanics that it introduces, it warrants mention on this list. As the DLC’s primary quest, this mission represents everything that Skyrim‘s second expansion has to offer.
9 Retaking Thirsk/The Chief Of Thirsk Hall Questline (Dragonborn) Might Be Solstheim’s Most Eccentric Adventure
Skyrim‘s final expansion, Dragonborn, returns to Solstheim, the ash-covered island found in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It contains a wide array of quests that give life to the differences between its culture and that of the Nordic presence in Skyrim. Among these is a fun little narrative centered around the Thirsk Mead Hall questline.
Thirsk Mead Hall, formerly belonging to a clan of Nord warriors, has been taken over by a group of Rieklings by the time that the Dovahkiin finds it. The player has a choice to make: help the Nords regain their lost glory or accept the Rieklings as a peculiar new family.
8 Summoning Karstaag (Dragonborn) Leads The Dragonborn To A Familiar Enemy From Morrowind
As expected of Skyrim‘s final DLC, Dragonborn challenges the player with some of the most difficult foes in the game, one of these being the titular opponent from “Summoning Karstaag.” Karstaag, a legendary frost giant from The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon, returns for this callback quest, presenting what is quite possibly the toughest challenge in the entire game.
With complete immunity/resistance to Unrelenting Force, Paralysis, Mehrunes’ Razors’ ability, the Wabbajack’s ability, frost damage, poison damage, and many more features, Karstaag can stymie even the strongest character builds. Thankfully, “Summoning Karstaag” rewards the player with the ability to summon the giant, even if it does stop functioning after three uses.
7 The Ebony Warrior (Dragonborn) Parallels The Growth Of The Player
Unlockable after reaching level 80, “The Ebony Warrior” is a treat for players that have thoroughly ground their way to Skyrim‘s endgame. This quest pits the player against an enemy that has also completed all the challenges placed in front of them.
The Ebony Warrior is a Redguard warrior who, according to his dialogue, has completed all of Skyrim’s quests, defeated all its villains, and bested all its challenges—all that remains is a final battle against the Dragonborn. One of the more memorable quests in all of Skyrim, “The Ebony Warrior” is a fantastic addition to a DLC that serves as a perfect capstone to a character’s adventures.
6 Touching The Sky (Dawnguard) Brings A Forgotten Race Back To Life
As part of Skyrim‘s first DLC, the vampire-centric Dawnguard, “Touching the Sky” places the Dragonborn in contact with an unexpected ally: a surviving Snow Elf named Gelebor. The Snow Elves were once on largely equal footing with the other Elven races, but after a series of political hardships, they were forced into subservience by the Dwemer, slowly but surely devolving into the abominations currently known as the Falmer.
Regardless of which faction the player joins, “Touching the Sky” will eventually task them with obtaining the Bow of Auri-El in preparation for their final encounter with Harkon. Gelebor assists in this task on one condition: the Dragonborn helps him defeat his evil brother, Vyrthur, deep within the Forgotten Vale.
5 Beyond Death (Dawnguard) Finally Explores A Mysterious Area
Souls gems have been part of The Elder Scrolls lore since its inception back in 1994, yet until the “Beyond Death” quest appeared in Dawnguard, the location inside the gems, referred to as the Soul Cairn, was largely a mystery. As Serana, the NPC that accompanies the Dragonborn for the majority of the DLC, searches for her mother, she and the player travel into the mysterious region in hopes of finding the trapped vampire.
This quest pits the player against several enemies, including the imposing Boneyard Keepers and the realm’s resident dragon, Durnehviir. “Beyond Death” also rewards the player with the Summon Durnehviir shout, which allows the Dragonborn to assist the ancient dragon in seeing the skies of Tamriel once more.
4 The Gardener Of Men (Dragonborn) Thrusts The Last Dovahkiin To An Unfamiliar Realm
Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of knowledge and memory, weaves his tendrils throughout the events of Skyrim‘s final DLC. Via the Black Books he has scattered throughout Solstheim, he is able to transport the Dovahkiin to his realm: the Lovecraftian plane of existence known as Apocyrpha.
While several quests explore the inside of Black Books, “The Gardener of Men” is the only one that takes place in the main Dragonborn questline. Compared to the secondary quests centered around Apocrypha, this one displays far more of its horror-inspired inhabitants than any other in the franchise.
3 Lost To The Ages (Dawnguard) Provides A Look Into The Life Of The Dwemer
The disappearance of the Dwemer has long been one of The Elder Scrolls‘ most interesting mysteries. Although a definitive answer has never been fielded by the franchise, quests like “Lost to the Ages” provide a look into the Dwemer lifestyle before they vanished from Tamriel.
Aetherium was a precious material to the Dwemer during the First Era; so precious, in fact, that it caused a civil war among the members of the race located in Western Skyrim. “Lost to the Ages” explores this conflict, rewarding the player with their own piece of Aetherium-based armor upon its completion. This combination of unseen lore, engaging delves, and unique equipment makes this one of the best secondary quests in all of Skyrim.
2 Kindred Judgement (Dawnguard) Features Skyrim’s Strongest Vampire
Regardless of what decisions the player makes during the Dawnguard DLC, the final quest, “Kindred Judgement,” always concludes in the same fashion: a heated battle to unseat Harkon, the vampiric leader of the Volkihar Clan. In spite of being accompanied by Harkon’s daughter, Serana, the player can expect a brutal battle as they rush to stop Harkon before he ushers in the Tyranny of the Sun.
Bethesda Game Studios wasted no opportunities with the final battle of Dawnguard‘s questline, placing the players up against the strongest vampire in the entire game. Harkon’s Vampire Lord form makes for one of the most fun fights in the entire series and provides a great conclusion to a magnificent expansion.
1 At The Summit Of Apocrypha (Dragonborn) Pits Dragonborn Against Dragonborn
The final quests of each Skyrim DLC include fights that are as enjoyable as any that Bethesda has to offer. “At the Summit of Apocrypha,” the last mission of Solstheim’s primary questline, features a battle that stands above any offered in the game’s post-release content. Pitted against Miraak, the first Dragonborn, the player must find a way to beat one of the most imposing threats in all of Tamriel.
Miraak’s design, weapons, and attitude all assist in making him Solstheim’s most iconic enemy. These are further complemented by the unsettling environment of Apocrypha and the impact this conflict has on the inhabitants of Solstheim.