Even after seven years, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim still enjoys massive popularity in the gaming community. Often compared to its darker, science fiction counterpart Fallout, The award winning game has given individual players hundreds of hours of well crafted role playing. Gamers step into the shoes of the Dragonborn, a prophesied figure that is destined to save the land of Skyrim from the scourge of dragons. Set in the icy homeland of the Nord race and part of the larger world of Tamriel, the player is set loose in a sandbox to explore the world as they wish.
If they’d like to be a devilish rogue who wields a spectral bow, it can be done. If they’d rather be a healing wizard who prefers to wear heavy armour, they certainly can. A player can play through the entire main storyline and nothing else, or ignore their destiny entirely and head off into the world to join one of the many guilds available. As usual, the possibilities are endless in the world of The Elder Scrolls.
As anyone can imagine, though, such a huge game with an even bigger fan base has created almost endless memes and jokes all over the internet. The most famous of these involves a rather catchy quote that a player can hear while walking past a guard, but many other almost equally funny jokes have to do with other odd things to be found in the game.
Today we are looking at 25 memes that prove that Skyrim is way better than Fallout.
25 Tag, You're It!
Skyrim is the first Elder Scrolls game to include children. Other entries into the series always talk about children being around, but never actually show any. This time is different, and apparently, the children of Skyrim are exceedingly friendly to passing adventurers. In the city of Solitude, the player can be stopped by a group of children while on their way to the Blue Palace or the College of Bards. They’ll ask if you want to play a game of tag, and if you agree, the children will declare that you are it, and scatter.
This comic rather accurately depicts the real consequences of bringing a warrior who regularly fights and trades with the dark forces in their world into an innocent game of tag. The Dragonborn clearly means no harm, but factoring in the Daedric armour and terrifying voice, there’s no doubt that this girl will think twice before asking a frightening warrior to play.
24 It's Only The Wind
It’s extremely satisfying to take out enemies from a distance, and the thrill of clearing out a bandit hideout without a trace is some of the best fun out there. Unfortunately, the way that the game is programmed does lead to some very odd situations when you take this path.
Especially when a headshot isn’t a guaranteed way to take someone down instantly.
This often leads to the bizarre and frankly hilarious situation where you might hit someone in the head with an arrow which doesn’t do it, which will then cause them to become alarmed and come looking for you. The fact that they’re running around with a shaft waving out of them is funny enough to watch, but the real kicker is what happens if they don’t find you. They’ll decide that the arrow sticking out their body was just “the wind” and go back to what they were doing.
Talk about a lucky break!
Art by t3ragram.
23 Started From The Bottom
Apparently, almost everyone needs to steal everything that isn’t nailed down, a fact very much supported by many Skyrim players. Most gamers have confessed to taking everything they can get their hands on early on in the game.
This is very much not confined to taking gold or anything remotely valuable, but all the way to common buckets, brooms, food, and cheap wooden tableware.
As your character becomes more adept at thieving, and possibly becomes part of the Thieves Guild, they may find themselves turning up their noses at their old scores. This is generally helped along with the marks that the Thieves Guild uses to signal to fellow members on whether a place actually has anything valuable in it.
Art by Sia-Chan.
22 Crossed Wires
We’ve all been there: you switch games and hop into an entirely different genre, and the next thing you know you’re hitting every wrong button imaginable. That doesn’t mean that you won’t attempt some embarrassing things like this player did.
When anyone is facing down a dragon, it’s more than understandable that a player might freeze or just plain panic. They might forget to change their gear or even their dragonshout with a several-tonne angry flying lizard bearing down on them. If they just came from a first person shooter, they might suddenly forget that they’re not holding a gun. After several times uselessly trying to “reload” their sword or shield after their stamina drops to low, it’s easy to see why anyone might feel hopeless. Never fear, though, as it is possible to reload your sword.
Two words: stamina potions.
21 Oops, I Did It Again
We’ve all been there when starting a new game. We swear to ourselves that we’ll do things differently this time, change things up. After playing a powerful wizard who becomes the head of the Dark Brotherhood, the Companions, and leads a rebellion against the Empire for the fifth time in a row, we realize that it’s time for a change.
Except it isn't, and nope.
This player gets it. One of the more popular ways to play Elder Scrolls games is to be a stealthy archer who takes out their enemies from afar. This often leads players to become a part of the Dark Brotherhood, which once again has some of the most fun and interesting missions in the game. Like so many others, this gamer promised themselves that they were going to start facing their enemies head on as a warrior, but found themselves taking up the bow yet again.
20 False Advertising
It’s a rather common problem for role playing games to award a player with incredibly valuable loot, whether as a prize for completing a quest, or just lying around people’s houses for anyone to take, and then make it near impossible to get rid of. At least, not without taking a huge loss in the actual value of an item.
The earliest main missions in Skyrim revolve around a small town called Riverwood, which has a tavern and not much else. A friendly character suggests to the player to go to the general store in order to stock up on goods before heading into the local tomb. By this time, it is more than possible for a player to have gathered a sizable stash already, but still have very low level equipment. Many players were very disappointed to hear this promise of a well stocked store only to find a shopkeeper with only around 300 gold.
19 Garden Fresh Veggies At Your Local Tomb!
After wandering into a tomb that has been supposedly abandoned for a thousand years, more than one player has wondered who was keeping the tomb so well lit. The torches on the walls will be freshly lit, and the candles, no matter how burned down they are, will continue to burn without aid or replacement no matter how long you stay.
That same person must also be the weirdo who leaves all sorts of fresh meats and produce lying around these same places.
It’s as if the Ancient Tomb and Cave Committee had a meeting and decided that the number one things that an adventurer looks for in a dungeon is treasure, monsters, and healthy eating. It never fails to crack players up when they open a grain sack that is covered in cobwebs and has been guarded by mummified Nord warriors for decades to find completely edible greens and fruit.
18 A Most Terrible Realization
An amazing feature about many video games today is the ability to modify them to your liking. In the case of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout 4, Bethesda has actually gone out their way to release a creation kit, which is a tool containing all the assets and programs needed in order to change the way the game works.
If a player wants to look like an anime character, thanks to mods, now they can!
Some very dedicated fans have taken this tool to the extreme ends of its capabilities and even beyond with the right know how. For example, the mod Frostfall adds an extremely customizable and immersive survival experience that gets harder based on the region and the weather.
Oh, except the only ones who get to enjoy mods for Skyrim are players who either own a computer or an Xbox 1. If you don’t have Skyrim for either platform, you’re out of luck.
17 Sir Bearington The Undeterred
Some of the funniest moments in Skyrim can occur simply because the artificial intelligence controlling the enemies within the game doesn’t actually have the ability to measure the danger index of the Dragonborn. Most would think that after a lengthy and epic battle with one of the ancient and immortal dragons would be more than enough to convince nearby wildlife to take cover or to take off, and hopefully not bother the powerful warrior who is currently beating the giant flying lizard to a pulp.
The Skyrim grizzly did not get this memo, however.
No, instead of running away like any other sensible animal, they, along with a passing sabretooth and a giant spider will happily join forces in take down their apparently mortal enemy.
16 The Newest Head Of The Thieves Guild
Sometimes one has to wonder if video game stats and all the perks that come with them exist in real life. In the case of these people, some may joke that they somehow managed to max out a certain stat in roleplaying, such as Smithing or Illusion. The man in this photo takes things much further.
Usually when the police are about to come through your door, the general consensus is to either give up immediately, or run.
This man decided to take the third option.
Somehow, he managed to climb up to the top of his roof and hide behind a chimney, which almost seems like the most unlikely place to evade the cops. Judging by the officer’s confused stances though, they have no idea where he is. So the one who put this meme together declared this man to have maxed out his Sneak skill.
15 Who Needs Happiness When You've Got A Cool Staff?
Everyone knows the saying about how money can’t buy you happiness. Some interpret it as meaning that no one needs any luxurious goods at all. Others like to turn the phrase around by adding that it’s still preferable to cry in a Ferrari than in a minivan.
However you slice it though, many can agree that the creator of this meme has it right: a powerful magical staff is pretty awesome.
It doesn’t matter what the staff is for, really. It could be used to shoot massive fireballs or bolts of lightening, or to heal a friend in need. One very special staff has the ability to turn any character or creature into anything from pastries, to chickens, to even bigger, scarier monsters, though that one’s not for sale.
At the end of the day, no one is saying no to buying an awesome staff.
14 Chicken Run
Crime and punishment go very much hand in hand in the land of Tamriel. In a place so dangerous, it appears that almost every nation has given their military/police force the authority to be judge, jury, and punisher, if things come to that. It doesn’t help that the idea of subduing a criminal is almost unheard of in this world.
A guard will fight any criminal to the end whether they hurt another person or if they accidentally stole a wooden bowl.
This doesn’t compare to the chaos that’s raised should the player just happen to attack a chicken.
It doesn’t matter if it’s on purpose or by accident, if the Dragonborn so much as harms a feather on a bit of poultry, the entire town will rise up and try to take the mighty prophesied warrior down permanently. Clearly, the land of Skyrim takes its animal cruelty laws very, very seriously.
13 Smell Ya Later
The Khajiit of Tamriel are famed all over for their natural agility, night vision, sharp claws, and heightened senses. As a race of humanoid cat-like people, they enjoy all sorts of perks that come from their more animal-like DNA. They are well known to be difficult to sneak up on because of this. This goes for every Khajiit, except this one.
Kharjo, while in the middle of letting the player know that he will likely smell anyone coming (or not), is about to get walloped by a huge slice of irony.
Directly behind him, a huge dragon is apparently sneaking up on what it hopes to be the unsuspecting pair, though how literally anyone couldn’t hear the obvious noise such a big creature would make is a mystery for unsolved case files.
12 There's Always Another Pawnshop...
Alongside many player’s complaints about merchants having way too little coin or selection to do any meaningful trading with is the annoying habit they have of apparently having no sense of value. You can take a legendary sword that has seen countless battles and enchanted to the n'th degree to the best weapons maker in Skyrim, and there is a fair chance that he will appraise it as being worth just enough for a bed at the local inn for the night.
The sword that the Dragonborn is offering to the merchant in this comic appears in the game, and it has a very special enchantment that allows it to deal extra damage to dragons.
In this scenario, the Dragonborn who is trying to retire and buy a farm, and understandably would think that a sword like that would fetch more than enough gold to start a new life as royalty, let alone a farmer.
11 You Can't See Me!
Two main enemies that a player will run into while exploring the tombs of Skryim are animated skeletons and undead, mummified Nord warriors known as Draugr. They can be formidable once you begin to face off against higher levels, and some of them even know magic. In some cases, you might even get a bigger surprise when you come across one that can perform a legendary Dragon Shout, a feat that only yourself and a few other living people in the world can still do.
They will however also make an attempt to be clever.
As you walk down the narrow passages, you might spot a few mummies laying still in burial pits in the wall. Others might be propped up and posed to look epic and formidable in a corner. The majority of these Draugr will never move, but from time to time, and always at the worst possible moment, several will suddenly “wake” up and begin attacking you.
10 Wrong Physics Engine
It’s a common fact that goats, especially mountain goats, are extremely nimble. Anyone can google countless images of these animals standing on impossibly tiny ledges as if they’re on solid ground, and even navigate them like they’re no big deal. It really is amazing when nature creates something so fascinating.
It’s even better when you suddenly realize that the Dragonborn might actually have goat in their family tree.
A running joke about Skyrim is the fact that many players prefer to take a very direct route when heading to a destination, especially a new one. This direct route might involve a player deciding to simply scale a mountain and risk falling off instead of just going around it like a normal person. For whatever reason, the collision mechanics that allow a player to go up a hill will also continue to apply on near vertical surfaces.
9 A Dragonborn And Their Trusty Steed
We’ve already discussed how the animal’s of Skyrim have a tendency to disregard all common sense and self preservation in the name of defending their territory. What happens when an animal’s master is the one that’s being threatened then?
This isn’t the awesome rescue that most would think it is, however. If anything, it’s one of the most annoying aspects of the game.
After saving up a thousand gold for just the cheapest horse, the player must suddenly watch as their steed throws itself directly into the maw of an angry dragon or bear. Horses just happen to be one of the weakest creatures in the game, both in terms of hit points and damage output. To make matters even worse, often the horse will somehow draw all the attention of the attacker, which means that it’s most likely you’ll be shopping for a new horse very soon.
8 It Would Be A Shame Indeed
Many modern role playing games recognize the fact that, when a player is trying to get somewhere, an immovable character in the doorway is about the worst thing that can happen. Unfortunately for Skyrim fans, Bethesda didn’t decide to include this super helpful feature.
Thankfully, with everything in Skyrim being so large, and characters having their own schedule to stick to which keeps them moving, you rarely run into this problem. Except, of course, when you have a companion.
When someone is following you around everywhere you go 24 hours a day, such as loyal Lydia, the chances of them becoming stuck in a doorway and you becoming stuck in that room skyrocket. Many times, players have had to resort to temporarily letting themselves clip through walls or in the worst case, revert to an earlier save just to continue the game.
7 You Can't Trust Anyone These Days
One would think that in a world where being followed around by intelligent companions, many of whom are firmly on the right side of the law, a thief would have to worry about these people catching them in the act. Instead, companions are entirely loyal to the player no matter what their moral compass, and will happily allow the Dragonborn to commit multiple heinous crimes without a peep.
It’s too bad that the game engine apparently forgets to add this feature to a player’s horse.
The way that stealth works in Skyrim is that as long as the player isn’t completely detected by anyone, then they can get away with just about anything. If the player is detected while, say, breaking into a house, the guards are automatically alerted, and they will come running to stop you. This is just supposed to apply to other characters, but apparently, your horse is a snitch.
6 Time To Crash That Hype Train
According to the behind the scenes videos, Bethesda send their developers to Norway in order to study the landscape there. It certainly shows, as in some cases the biggest reward a dungeon can offer is a door to the outside that leads to a breathtaking view of the surrounding country.
However, the hype train for the game has barely slowed down since its release in 2011. It is still nearly worshipped by many circles in the gaming community. To this day, a quick Google search every few hours will still yield a good deal more artwork and jokes surrounding the game.
Not everyone loves the hype however, even if they still love the game. Many players like this one will still happily sit for hours on end exploring the chilly land, but find themselves seething whenever they so much as catch a whiff of a an “arrow to the knee” joke.