Among the many factions of Skyrim is one devoted only for theft and corruption. The Thieves' Guild, living in the Ratways underneath Riften, is in shambles when we first arrive to the city. Having lived its heydays a long time ago, the members are desperate to return to an era of former glory. While this might seem like any other story, the mighty Thieves Guild and its unique quest line has tons of inconsistencies and flaws built into it. From plot points that make no sense to details that have us scratching our heads in confusion, we've compiled the 10 ways in which the Thieves' Guild in Skyrim makes no sense. Hopefully, we'll see these patched out in the next The Elder Scrolls game.

10 Anyone Can Join

You'd think joining such a secretive gang of thieves would be a difficult job, but it's actually quite the opposite. It's Brynjolf himself that approaches the Dragonborn in Riften and tries to entice you to join after a small test. He tells you to steal a ring and plant it on someone else while he distracts the crowd.

Fair enough, sounds like a basic task a thief would know how to do. However, even if you fail this test he'll still accept you into the Guild and state that he has high hopes for you. Man, the Guild really must desperate to just trust any lackluster thief on the street!

9 Feared Mercer

Later on in the storyline, it becomes evident that Mercer Frey isn't exactly the loyal member of the Guild he's always pretended to be. While he's most likely much more seasoned as a thief than the Dragonborn, you'd think the Dragonborn would still have the upper hand in a fight against him, given that they're, well, the Dragonborn!

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But no, everyone seems incredibly afraid of Mercer. Karliah even says that he can only be defeated if the Dragonborn joins the Nightingales. Unfortunately, Mercer is just as easy as any other enemy. Sure, he might use invisibility, but he isn't anything special compared to, Dragon Priests, for instance.

8 Blind Professional Thieves

Skyrim Thieves Guild Mod

The Thieves' Guild has a reputation of its own all across Skyrim. They're talented people, with quick hands and unparalleled stealth. And yet somehow, all this time, they've been completely oblivious to the fact that Mercer has been stealing from their vault right under their noses.

This really is the biggest embarrassment of all. If this information got out during the questline, the Guild would probably be out of business. In fact, it's kind of a miracle word never gets out about the Guild getting robbed from all of its gold and other treasures. No wonder Brynjolf and his friends are desperate, they can't even track their own possessions.

7 Karliah And Her Nocturnal

The Thieves' Guild is one thing, but becoming a Nightingale is an entirely different story altogether. Apparently, some members of the Guild identify as Nightingales and have sworn their loyalty to the Daedric lord Nocturnal. What exactly is the benefit of this? Well, you get cool gear and according to Karliah you have to do this in order to defeat Mercer.

What she doesn't know is that we're the Dragonborn, and we could probably get away with never becoming a Nightingale in the first place. If anything, it's just extra fluff in the story. But hey, at least we score that super sweet Nightingale gear, right?

6 Questionable Principles

The Thieves' Guild works in shadows, blackmailing and stealing. With its sheer influence it can control politics and businesses from the shadows. However, the Guild will always try to ensure no life is endangered. Well, until the keeper of a meadery is sent to prison for his entire life after the Guild decides to poison the mead in a mission to avenge Maven Black-Briar.

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While no one is killed, it's a pretty heavy sentence to befall on someone, to have to remain between bars for the rest of their existence. Such cruelty goes against the principles of the Guild, yet no one bats an eye during this mission. Hypocrites, much?

5 Karliah's Poison Arrow

Mercer will eventually ask you to join him on a mission to track down a traitor of the Guild known as Karliah, who supposedly killed the previous Guildmaster. Well, turns out that Mercer was behind it all, and Karliah is actually the good guy here. At the final stage of this mission, Karliah shoots a powerful paralyzing arrow into us to slow our heart rate down and make us immune to Mercer's attack.

While this makes sense on paper, she could have just shot her super-efficient arrow into Mercer instead and ended this entire ordeal then and there with our help. But now, now we need to go through the effort of becoming a Nightingale. It seems silly and backward, doesn't it?

4 Plenty Of Jobs

Skyrim Thieves Guild Members

When we first join the Thieves' Guild, it's said over and over again that the Guild is in a state of ruination. With very little influence and few jobs, money isn't flowing in the way it used to. Here's the catch though: once we join, suddenly there's plenty of jobs to do. It seems like they just needed someone dumb or hardworking enough to do them.

With so many members and associates, you'd imagine at least something gets done around here, but the real action only seems to begin once the Dragonborn joins. Why not just admit these thieves are lazy and merely waiting for someone to do the dirty work for them?

3 Friends With The Dark Brotherhood

Remember how the Guild's principles lean on the idea of stealing and blackmailing, not on hurting people? Well, somehow and some way, the Guild still managed to make friends with another faction that seems completely contrary to the Guild's principles and ideals.

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Delvin Mallory, one of the main members of the Guild, is actually a very close friend of Astrid's. While it might not be public knowledge, it just goes to show that thieves and assassins are not that different after all. It's a bit hypocritical to claim to be a member of the Guild with friends like these, but fair enough, Delvin.

2 Inconvenient Merchants

Interior of the ragged flagon

As you continue to work hard in order to restore the Guild's former glory, your influence will increase in each of the major cities of Skyrim. The rewards are pretty nice: you'll unlock new merchant stalls within the Ragged Flagon, with various wares you can purchase during your stop between quests.

However, something that seems a bit backward is the fact that you can't actually sell any stolen items to these merchants. Yes, they might work for the guild, but if you've stolen it, they don't want it. Why did the Guild hire these guys anyway if this is the case? It's a question we'll never get an answer for.

1 Why Return The Key?

In order to fully complete the Thieves' Guild questline, we need to return the infamous Skeleton Key to the Twilight Sepulchre. Once we do so, we can never use the key ever again. Now, this is obviously the stupidest decision we need to make in the game.

How many of us have delayed completing this quest, just so we can use the Skeleton Key to our heart's content and open all possible chests and doors in the world? With no real motivation to return it and with the rewards so slim compared to just how good the key is, this is really the most illogical quest in the entirety of the Thieves' Guild.

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