The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim brings to life a world filled with jaw-dropping castles and breathtaking scenery. Aside from the sights and sounds of Skyrim, it's also bustling with a myriad of fantastic and enchanting creatures. The inhabitants of Skyrim range from the mysterious high elves to the ginormous giants. Of course, the denizens of Skyrim aren't all friendly and they certainly aren't all harmless either. Danger lurks around every corner in this harsh and icy region. There are dragons that fill the sky, giant spiders that roam the caves and menacing trolls that run amok. Skyrim might be a beauty to behold but make no mistake, it's still very much a rose that has sharp piercing thorns.

With a world that's as dangerous as Skyrim, it's only fitting for players to have access to armaments that are equally as lethal as this region's vicious predators. Having the right weapons in a hostile place like Skyrim is the difference between being the fabled Dragonborn and being nothing but a fable of some random chump claiming to be one. Fortunately, there's an abundance of epic and legendary weapons that can be found within Skyrim.

These weapons could make any player so intimidating that their enemies would instantly run in the opposite direction upon contact! Well, figuratively speaking. Some weapons give players a significant edge over their enemies while others just outright break the game by being too powerful that it's unfair. These top 25 Skyrim weapons are quite difficult to get a hold of but they could certainly break the game once they're unearthed.

25 Lunar Weapons

The lunar-powered set of weapons can give any enemy trouble especially in the early parts of the game. Players would first need to take a trip to the bandit-infested settlement northwest of Whiterun called Silent Moons Camp. Here they will find a set of six lunar-fueled weapons.

It makes players feel like werewolves without actually becoming one.

Those who prefer hunting at night can greatly benefit from these weapons since they deal 20 points of burning damage whenever the moon is out. If that's not enough, disenchanting these weapons also unlocks its unique enchantment.

24 Dragonbane

The unique Dragonbane sword turns the already awesome and stylish Akaviri Katana into a dragon's nightmare. This sword is pretty much self-explanatory. It's basically the bane of all those pesky aerial threats that keep plaguing Skyrim since it deals an additional 20-40 damage per hit to any dragon.

Of course, this doesn't mean the Dragonbane is only a threat towards dragons as it also inflicts 10 shock damage to any other creature. For a one-handed sword, it has quite a decent base damage. It would be wise for players to nab it in Sky Haven Temple whenever they can.

23 Harkon's Sword

Being a vampire does have its perks and one of those is wielding the wickedly awesome-looking Harkon's Sword. While vampires might be known as creatures who stink, this weapon does anything but that. In fact, does almost everything quite right, if the player is a vampire, that is.

Harkon's sword doesn't deal that much damage but it does drain an enemy's health, Magicka, and stamina as long as its wielder is a vampire. It also benefits from Smithing perks which could dramatically improve its efficiency. It's a fitting reward for beating the final segments of Dawnguard.

22 Staff Of Magnus

Mage build players who have gone through the trouble of beating Morokei in Labyrinthian are rewarded with the exceptionally powerful Staff Of Magnus. While it may not exactly benefit melee-centered warrior builds, it's a dream for any wizard or battle mage. The staff absorbs as much as 20 Magicka a second.

It also starts draining an enemy's health once their magicka has been depleted. The staff basically acts as a conduit for unleashing devastating spells. It turns any player into an omnipotent arch-mage as long as they use the right equipment combination, skills, and character build.

21 Nightingale Bow

The Thieves guild questline might be tough to beat but there's a good reward waiting at the end of the “Blindsighted” quest. Players will receive the unique Nightingale Bow which deals a relatively high 19 base damage on top of its unique Nightingale Storm enchantment bonus. The added enchantment deals an additional shock and frost damage.

Getting the Nightingale Bow at higher levels means obliterating enemies with one shot. The bow is lethal enough on its own but it can be upgraded even further with the help of various perks.

20 Zephyr

Treading cautiously along a certain narrow walkway in the ruins of Arkngthamz will net players the unique and powerful Zephyr bow. Using this bow is akin to firing a fully-automatic crossbow since it lets players shoot arrows about 30% faster than regular bows! It already has a good 14 base damage.

Guards will be getting more than just an arrow in the knee.

Firing this bow's high damaging shots multiple times in a row makes it even more overpowered. The only problem now is finding enough arrows for this bad boy to shoot.

19 Dawnbreaker

Simply stumbling upon the rare one-handed sword Dawnbreaker is quite impossible since players would first need to unearth a certain item from random treasure chests. While finding the item and finishing the quest “The Break Of Dawn” can be troublesome, its reward is well worth the effort. The Dawnbreaker has reasonable base damage.

It also has the ability to deal additional burning damage and possibly cause undead enemies to explode dealing even more damage to its surroundings. Dawnbreaker's devastating attributes can easily be abused especially after considering the fact that Skyrim is basically littered with undead such as draugrs.

18 Skull Of Corruption

With the right combination of skills and equipment, the Skull Of Corruption staff can be a nightmare on the battlefield. However, its wielder would first need to collect dreams from sleeping people in order to maximize its efficiency. A dream fueled staff means unloading a nightmarish barrage of 50 damage on multiple targets.

It's like the Freddy Krueger of Skyrim except in weapon form.

As with any Daedric artifact, the Skull Of Corruption can only be obtained through a quest which involves a Daedric Prince. The quest can be triggered by visiting the Windpeak Inn in Dawnstar.

17 Nightingale Blade

One of the strongest one-handed swords in Skyrim is also one of the most versatile one in its class. The Nightingale Blade can spell trouble for anyone standing in front of it. Apart from dealing significant base damage, it also saps away both health and stamina.

Players could basically refill their health and not run out of steam from dealing power shots all while draining the life out of their enemies! Of course, players would first have to finish the thieves guild quest “Hard Answers” before they could get their hands on such a fine blade.

16 Wabbajack

The Wabbajack can unleash all sorts of chaos into Skyrim. What else do players expect from a staff that involves the prince of madness Sheogorath himself? While the Wabbajack isn't exactly powerful on its own, it does have the tendency to break the game with its sheer unpredictability.

Seriously, what other weapon can transform an intimidatingly ginormous dwarven centurion into a measly chicken? The Wabbajack also has a chance to instantly vaporize enemies possibly even turning some of them into a permanent delicacy such as a sweetroll! Players can drastically alter the outcome of any battle with a wave of a wand.

15 Chillrend

Chillrend can be found locked inside an expert display case located underneath Riftweald Manor. This rare sword can even be abused early in the game. It has decent attack damage but this is further complemented by an additional 30 frost damage.

While Chillrend's name sounds cool, it isn't just for show since it has a chance to practically immobilize enemies rendering them defenseless! It can easily overwhelm foes especially when paired with the Elemental Fury shout. The fact that it's a one-handed sword gives means that combining it with other weapons only amplifies its capabilities even further.

14 Mace Of Molag Bal

There's a good reason why the guards of Skyrim react in horror whenever a player wielding the Mace Of Molag Bal walks right past them. This rare one-handed mace is as scary as it looks! What makes it exceptionally game-breaking is the fact that it can be obtained quite early upon entering Markarth.

It's hard not to get intimidated by its looks alone.

It deals a staggering 25 damage to both stamina and magicka regardless of the player's current level. While it does use up charges rather quickly, this is conveniently remedied by its innate soul trap ability.

13 Drainblood Battleaxe

Battleaxes have always had a trade-off of dealing heavy damage at the cost of taking up lots of inventory space. However, having a bigger and quite heavier weapon doesn't necessarily mean that it's better. The Drainblood Battleaxe is significantly lightweight for a weapon of its caliber.

This battleaxe packs as much power as a bigger and heavier weapon all while weighing as light as a one-handed sword! As if that wasn't enough, it also has the ability to absorb 15 health as well. Although a trip to the draugr cesspool known as Labyrinthian is required to nab this ghostly armament.

12 Mehrunes' Razor

Mehrunes' Razor looks more innocuous than it's intimidating. However, it's given by the notorious TESIV: Oblivion boss Mehrunes Dagon himself so assuming it's weak is a huge oversight! This reasonably strong yet extremely lightweight dagger is quite deceptive and has a trick up its sleeve.

It's small but downright dangerous.

It has an equally small chance of instantly ending foes in just one swing. While that percentage might be quite minuscule, its ridiculous speed does make up for that. The sheer speed of this dagger, especially when coupled with Elemental Fury, significantly increases its chances of delivering a fatal blow.

11 Auriel's Bow

One does not simply find the daunting Auriel's Bow, one has to earn it! Auriel's Bow can only be obtained in the final segments of Dawnguard. Its unique ability to shoot Bloodcursed Arrows that shrouds the sun in darkness makes it a vampire's dream.

It's one of the most damaging bows in the game which also benefits from an additional 20 sun damage. This dream bow can instantly turn into a nightmare for any undead creature since it deals triple damage to them. Furthermore, the extent of its powers can even be increased with the Elven Smithing perk.

10 Miraak's Sword

Miraak's Sword comes with a cool tentacle effect animation making it the perfect weapon for Lovecraft fans. Of course, its performance also befits a legendary tentacled cosmic being as well! This sword could deal as much as 16 damage per strike at higher levels.

It also weighs as much as a dagger making it one of the lightest swords in the game. Apart from its base damage, it can also absorb 15 stamina making power strikes a lot more prominent in battle. It doesn't take much to charge it either so its low maintenance is a huge bonus.

9 Miraak's Staff

Miraak's Staff lets players ensnare their enemies in a pit of immobilizing tentacles. The staff doesn't exactly do direct damage per se. However, it's capable of spawning dozens of tentacles on the ground which staggers enemies and poisons them at the same time.

This staff makes any situation a sticky one.

Players could pretty much use these tentacles to form a barrier of protection around them. Since the staff is one-handed, players can also use it in conjunction with weapons that compliment its ability, which in turn could easily spell doom for the opposition.

8 Bloodskal Blade

Doing a power attack while using the Bloodskal Blade makes its wielder shoot out energy waves like Goku. The energy wave that this unique sword discharges staggers enemies and adds an extra 30 damage to its already decent enough base damage. Enemies can't even hide from this blade since its energy wave also goes through walls!

Bloodskal Blade sports an impressive range for an up-close-and-personal type of weapon. If its wall-penetrating energy waves aren't enough to break the game then perhaps a tsunami of energy will. Did we mention that its energy wave ability doesn't run out?

7 Champion's Cudgel

Swinging the rare Warhammer Champion's Cudgel could spell catastrophe for any unfortunate victim on its receiving end. Having devastating base damage isn't the only thing this unique Warhammer has. It comes with a Chaos Damage enchantment, granting it a 50% chance to cause 25 shock, frost, and fire damage, all at the same time!

The chance of unleashing a destructive barrage of strikes is highly probable with this weapon. Not many creatures can withstand this Warhammer's brutal crushing power so it's basically essential for any warrior or melee builds to have this in their inventory.

6 Wuuthrad

The legendary and intimidatingly large Warhammer known as Wuuthrad comes with a unique perk that's quite self-explanatory. Based on its description, it's apparently “especially mean to elves.” Fortunately for players, Skyrim is teeming with an assortment of elves to use this Warhammer on including those annoying Falmers.

Wuuthrad basically obliterates most elves dealing almost twice as much damage towards Bosmers, Falmers, Atlmers, and Dunmers. It's also a threat to non-elves though since it still has significant base damage. Needless to say, using Wuuthrad alongside Elemental Fury basically screams overkill.