Dragons were a focal point in the main storyline ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. The game’s main antagonist was Alduin, a dragon that was also referred to as the World Eater. Thus, it’s no surprise that the dragon species are a constant presence in the world ofSkyrim. However, they will likely play a smaller role inThe Elder Scrolls 6.
Bethesda announcedThe Elder Scrolls 6in 2018 but has since revealed very little about what players can expect from the upcomingElder Scrollstitle. Still, given that dragons were such a predominant force in the widely popularSkyrim, the community can’t help but wonder whether they might show up again in the next game. Well, given the recent leaks, this seems unlikely.
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Recent Elder Scrolls 6 Leaks
Just last month,information regardingThe Elder Scrolls 6was leakedonto Twitter. The poster — user SkullziTV — cited these leaks from an anonymous source. Other leakers also responded to the tweet, saying that they’d heard similar news. However, none of the details have been officially verified. As such, the information shouldn’t be taken as definitive, especially considering that it could have easily been fabricated.
That said, SkullziTV’s leaks reveal a lot about the upcomingElder Scrollstitle. For one, it citesHammerfell asThe Elder Scrolls 6’ssetting. The game will also reportedly feature a political system, marriage, betrayals, and joinable factions. And most notably, there won’t be any dragons. This may come somewhat as a surprise to theElder Scrollscommunity, as dragons were such a popular aspect ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. However, it makes sense when looking back at past games in the franchise.
The Oblivion Gates in The Elder Scrolls 4
WhileSkyrimhad dragons,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionhad Oblivion gates. EnteringMehrunes Dagon’s realm of Oblivionand closing the gate from inside was an important part of the game’s narrative. Thus, the player was given plenty of opportunities to do so — countless Oblivion gates to explore, even some that weren’t necessary to complete the main questline. Oblivion gates were the focal point ofThe Elder Scrolls 4.
WhenThe Elder Scrolls 5came around, it had a different setting and storyline. That’s why there weren’t any Oblivion gates in the base game. The player could visit otherrealms of Oblivion fromThe Elder Scrolls. but not Mehrunes Dagon’s Deadlands since these were no longer the focal point ofSkyrim.The main antagonists were the dragons who sided with Alduin, which is why the player could expect plenty of random dragon attacks and even opportunities to talk to the beasts.
Now, the same can be expected with the upcomingElder Scrolls 6. Whatever era the new title is set in, it will likely feature new narratives and be set in a different region of Tamriel (if the leaks are correct, in Hammerfell). It will also probably introduce a new focal point which will be present throughout the main questline — one distinct from dragons, which will helpsetThe Elder Scrolls 6apart from its predecessors.
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Dragon Lore in The Elder Scrolls Games
Finally, the lack of dragons inThe Elder Scrolls 6also makes sense lore-wise. The Dragon Crisis in the events ofSkyrimonly occurred because the people who lived in that region during the Merethic Era worshipped dragons. Though the Dragon Cult and theDragon Priests ofSkyrimwere overthrown, the surviving cultists buried the remains of any dragons that died during the conflict. They did this as they believed Alduin would return one day to resurrect his brethren — and they were right.
It’s this act of entombing dragon remains that allowed so many dragons to be resurrected during the Dragon Crisis of the Fourth Era. However, it’s worth noting that this practice was only widely practiced inSkyrim. While there could be other dragon remains in other regions of Tamriel, it seems unlikely forAlduin to purposefully seek them outwhen there are so many burial mounds inSkyrimalready. This is why the presence of dragons was concentrated in the region.
Granted, there could be dragons who willingly traveled to otherregions of Tamriel inThe Elder Scrollsor even those who lived long before Alduin’s return. However, little is documented about this in the Fourth Era. One instance is of an unnamed dragon written about in the book “Twin Secrets.” Its author supposedly found the beast nestled in the ruins of Vvardenfell in Morrowind and defeated it. Apart from this, not much is known about any dragon presence in regions outside ofSkyrim, including Hammerfell.
Picking Up After The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Additionally, inSkyrim’sendgame, the Last Dragonborn must choose between killing or sparing Paarthurnax, yet both options believably lead to there being no dragons (at least, none actively wreaking havoc) in Tamriel. Sparing Paarthurnax leads to him teaching the Way of the Voice to all dragonkind, making for a more peaceful species. This would lead many of the dragons to live similarly to Paarthurnax — away from human and elven civilizations, no longer seeking to dominate other races.
Alternatively,killing Paarthurnax inSkyrimand siding with the Blades paves the way for the ancient organization to grow its ranks and eradicate dragons once and for all. IfThe Elder Scrolls 6is set years afterSkyrim, it wouldn’t be farfetched to believe that the Blades, with help from the Last Dragonborn, managed to kill off the dragons still roaming the world.
All that said, it makes sense for Bethesda tonot include dragons inThe Elders Scrolls 6. However, many players have expressed that while they don’t want dragons to feature prominently in the next title, they would enjoy a side quest or two featuring them. So, while not making dragons the focal point ofThe Elder Scrolls 6seems like a good idea, removing them completely is a different story. Still, nothing yet is verified about the upcoming title, so things could very well change down the line. Until then, the community can only wait for more word onThe Elder Scrolls 6.
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