History Characters / SkyrimMainCharacters

** The LevelCap, before patch 1.9, was 81; this was the level at which one would fight [[BonusBoss the Ebony Warrior]]. The ''least'' powerful of the Greybeards, Einarth, is level 90, Wulfarth and Borri are level 100 each, and the most powerful, Arngeir himself, is ''level 150'', matched potentially only by Miraak.

* BadassBaritone: All the dragons that you hear talk have deep, booming voices.

* BadassBaritone: Which may surprise people who realize that his actor is best known as the voice of ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]''.

* BadassBaritone: His voice is at once deep, calm and soothing. Helps that it's Max von Sydow voicing him.

* CoolOldGuy: As he was Alduin's right-hand dragon, this means he's several thousand years old. Unlike the other dragons, he was never killed and resurrected, and it ''shows''; his wings are tattered and his horns are broken. He's also the only dragon in the game who is personable and helpful towards the player.

* TheFettered: He constantly needs to keep himself in check and not succumb to his desire to dominate and destory. This requires a strict regimen of discipline that he has imposed upon himself. One example, he tells the Dragonborn that he enjoys making conversation with others but lives in seculsion anyway because denying himself small pleasures helps him resist the urge to indulge in greater ones as well.

* ReformedButRejected: He's been hiding on the Throat Of the World for thousands of years because [[spoiler:he's a dragon, and he did horrible things during the reign of the dragons over man - things that humans will possibly never forgive. Driven home by the Blades, who demand that you kill Paarthunax for what he did millennia ago, even though he's also the reason mankind is still breathing.]]

* TokenHeroicOrc: He's the only good dragon seen in the game. Odahving refers to the Way of the Voice, Paarthurnax's personal ethos, as "tyrannical" implying that he has channeled his inherent desire to dominate into controlling ''himself''.

* HotBlooded: Even for a dragon. It's why Paarthurnax recommends challenging him in particular when made privvy to the plan to trap a dragon to interrogate because of his eagerness for a challenge.

* JerkassHasAPoint: They want to kill Paarthurnax and believe he can never be trusted despite him actively aiding the Dragonborn in their fight against Alduin. Paarthurnax concedes this is a reasonable view to have and that were he in their shoes, he would have the same suspiscions.

* BarbarianHero: Three of the greatest heroes of the Nords, who wear this trope as their hat.

* TheDragon: He's Alduin's right hand man and is even literally a dragon until he changes sides.

* [[TheUnchosenOne The Unchosen Three]]: The Dragonborn were the chosen ones against Alduin, not these three. However, their Chosen One was [[RefusalOfTheCall Miraak]], so they had no choice but to step up in his place.

* IKnowYourTrueName: Played with. Calling a dragon's name will usually reach out to them and they will appear shortly after. This is how [[spoiler:Odahviing is summoned]] and even earlier, how the Greybeards summoned ''you'', since the Dragonborn, while a mortal, has the soul of a Dragon. However, the name doesn't hold any power over the dragon; rather it's the act of calling their name with the Thu'um that summons them. Dragons consider it a personal challenge to call out to each other with the Thu'um, and being ''dragons'' after all, they will usually accept. [[FridgeBrilliance You are no exception]], what with that [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration quest marker]] hanging around in your journal, nagging you.

[[folder:Odahviing]]

Alduin's right-hand dragon. [[spoiler:He ultimately changes sides and helps the Dovahkiin.]]

* BigNo: [[spoiler:Once the Dragonsreach trap's yoke slams down on him and entraps him by the neck, he expresses his despair by exclaiming "Nid!" which is Draconic for "No!"]]
* TheDragon: Literally ''and'' figuratively.
** To Alduin. [[spoiler:For a while.]]
** [[spoiler:Becomes a literal one to you after the end of the main quest.]]
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:Once he's yoked into the Dragonsreach trap, he admits it was his own fault for getting into his current predicament, and salutes the Dragonborn for their "low cunning".]]

* IFightForTheStrongestSide: [[spoiler:After you Shout Alduin about the head and wings the first time atop High Hrothgar, Odahviing and other dragons engender doubts about the supremacy of Alduin amongst themselves. Odahviing only helps the player because he wants to know who is more worthy as leader.]]
* IGaveMyWord: Played with. He acts offended when you question if he can be trusted, saying he has done nothing to earn your distrust. The player can point out [[spoiler:he just tried to trick you into letting him go without telling you everything about Skuldafn, such as how it can only be reached by flying.]]
* IKnowYourTrueName: How he's summoned. It's not so much that he's compelled to, but calling a dragon's true name is tantamount to a challenge, and he's not about to back down when [[spoiler:you just fought off Alduin himself]]. Later, [[spoiler:he comes as a matter of respect.]]

* RedIsHeroic: [[spoiler:The one red dragon in the vanilla game is the one to pull a HeelFaceTurn.]]
* ReformedButNotTamed: [[spoiler:He pledges allegiance to the Dragonborn at the end of the main questline, but is otherwise still as proud and combative as any other dragon.]]
* SummonBiggerFish: [[spoiler:Once you gain his allegiance, you can summon him to fight alongside you by Shouting his name.]]

* TheDragon:

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: How dragon hierarchy works. When a scuffle ensues over one's pecking order position, a dragon either wins the fight, submits, or dies. [[spoiler:It thus becomes a serious issue when Alduin's violation of this understood system (a system ''he put in place'', no less!) by fleeing from his defeat by the Last Dragonborn at the Throat of the World plants seeds of doubts of his supremacy among his draconic legions. Odahviing, among others, had already defected and/or abandoned the World-Eater by the time the Last Dragonborn makes the pilgrimage to Skuldafn.]]

* AnAxeToGrind: "'''Feel the bite of my axe!'''"

* AwesomeMcCoolname: His name means "Snow Hunter Wing" or "Winged Snow Hunter."

* AwesomeMcCoolname: His name means "Allegiance Strong Hunt."

* AwesomeMcCoolname: His name translates into "Phantom Sky Hunt."

* AwesomeMcCoolname: "Phantom Word Servant" (or "Mighty Servant", depending on whether you read it as two words or three) is the translation.

* AwesomeMcCoolname:
** Nahagliiv: "Fury Burn Wither"
** Vuljotnaak: "Dark Maw Eat"
** Vulthuryol: "Dark Overlord Fire"
** Viinturuth: "Shine Hammer Rage"
** Krosulhah: "Sorcerer Day Mind"
** Kruziikrel: "Ancient Dominate"
** Relonkiv: "Dominate Wise"

* TheCaligula: They all count to some degree, but Hevnoraak and Rahgot are the most clear examples.

* ColdBloodedTorture: Hevnoraak was ''very'' fond of this, especially due to the fact that his CompellingVoice ensured his victims wouldn't resist.
* TheDragon: One could argue that Nahkriin is this to Alduin, as he's the lord of Skuldafn and guards [[spoiler:Alduin's portal to Sovngarde]].

** Of course, the Vahlok's reign in Solstheim is remembered well by the Skaal, so he might simply be their TokenGoodTeammate.

* MalevolentMaskedMen: Masked and evil.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: The Nord enchanter who eventually became the Dragon Priest Ahzidal had his home in the city of Saarthal. [[WhereIWasBornAndRazed Then the Snow Elves happened]], leading him to swear revenge on them and take on his MeaningfulRename. He got that revenge through Ysgramor's Companions by outfitting them with enchanted weaponry.
* SealedEvilInACan: Hevnoraak, Otar the Mad, and Morokei. Otar doubly so, since they not only entombed him but then put extra locks on the tomb to make sure he wouldn't be crawling out of it without help.

%%* CoolOldGuy

* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: In his youth, Ulfric Stormcloak was one of the rare individuals permitted to study at their monastery and learn to use the Thu'um, even intending to become a Greybeard himself, but left to fight the War when he grew frustrated with the Greybeard's insistence on remaining neutral. While they understood his reasons for leaving their order at the time, they were not happy to learn years later of his flagrant misuse of the Voice, during the duel in which he killed High King Torygg.

* {{Irony}}: He points it out during the negotiations for a peace treaty - how men of war and violence (Tullius and Ulfric) are now being called to High Hrothgar: a sacred place whose very stones are dedicated to peace and tranquility.

* HeWhoMustNotBeHeard: They try to speak as little as possible. For example, the initiation ceremony with all four Greybeards speaking at once is implied to be incredibly dangerous, taxing the Dovahkiin. And every time they greet you with a simple "Dovahkiin" the temple can be heard shaking. More specifically, they just ''whisper'' the word when greeting you and it still sounds like half the temple's gonna come crashing down at any moment. When Einarth reproaches Arngeir for withholding aid after you reveal you've associated with the Blades, the entire temple shakes during the duration of his admonishment.

** The LevelCap, before patch 1.9, was 81; this was the level at which one would fight [[BonusBoss the Ebony Warrior]]. The ''least'' powerful of the Greybeards, Einarth, is level [[UpToEleven 90]], Wulfarth and Borri are level 100 each, and the most powerful, Arngeir himself, is ''level 150'', matched potentially only by Miraak.

* AndThereWasMuchRejoicing: [[spoiler:Overall, dragonkind seems pretty happy at the end of the main quest that Alduin is dead... or whatever he is. That it was the Dragonborn, whose name in their language translates roughly to '''Born Hunter of Dragonkind''' who killed him doesn't affect their mood much. Given the below trope, most likely accept that it was simply meant to be.]]

* AbusivePrecursors: The dragons ruled over ancient man in Skyrim and the rest of Tamriel with an iron fist, until they were defeated and [[spoiler:Alduin was sent forward in time.]]

* AndThereWasMuchRejoicing: [[spoiler:All in all, the dragons seem pretty happy at the end of the main quest that Alduin is dead... or whatever he is.]]
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: How dragon hierarchy works. When a scuffle ensues over pecking order position, a dragon either wins the fight, submits, or dies. [[spoiler:Alduin's violation of this understood system (a system ''he put in place'', no less!) by fleeing is what engenders doubts of his supremacy after the Dragonborn Shouts him about the head and wings atop the Throat of The World.]]

* BrownNote: The Dragonrend shout - Joor Zah Frul (Mortal, Finite, Temporary) - is this to all dragons, as it imposes on them the concept of mortality, which they are unable to grasp. Dragonrend makes dragons unable to fly and stuns them temporarily. It also lifts Alduin's complete immunity to damage.

* HonorBeforeReason: A ''true'' dovah that is unwilling to submit will stand and fight to the death, even against an opponent obviously and overwhelmingly superior. The fact that [[spoiler:Alduin flees from a battle with you makes the rest of the dragons question his right to rule.]]

** A staple of Dragon culture. Dragons greatly respect strength and those who prove to be a WorthyOpponent. One of their traditions holds that when two dov greet each other for the first time, they will test the Thu'um on each other, as a means to both demonstrate their power and to size each other up.
** This belief is best shown when [[spoiler:Alduin flees battle with the Dragonborn. Afterwards, Odahviing reveals that many Dragons have begun questioning his right to rule and are considering defecting or [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere leaving altogether]]]].
* IKnowYourTrueName: Played with. Calling a dragon's name will usually reach out to them and they will appear shortly after. This is how you call out to [[spoiler:Odahviing]] and how the Greybeards summon ''you'', since you have the soul of a Dragon. However, the name doesn't hold any power over the dragon; rather it's the act of calling their name with the Thu'um that summons them. Dragons consider it a personal challenge to call out to each other with the Thu'um, and being ''dragons'' after all, they will usually accept. [[FridgeBrilliance You are no exception]], what with that [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration quest marker]] hanging around in your journal, nagging you.

** They are also terrified of Dragonborn since they devour dragon souls, which would negate their existence altogether. [[spoiler:There's also the fact that Alduin can revive dragons that still have their souls, even if they've been dead for the better half of a millennium.]]

* MakeMeWannaShout: The original wielders of the Thu'um.
* MightMakesRight: Dragons believe this so strongly, there is absolutely no difference in their mindset between being powerful and being correct. That is why all of them follow Alduin: whatever their personal thoughts on humans, Alduin is the strongest and as such, his views on humanity and the subjugation thereof are correct. It's also why [[spoiler:Odahviing defects]] later on in the story, it's after [[spoiler:the Dovahkiin has bested Alduin in combat, proving that even Alduin has a [[AlwaysABiggerFish bigger fish]].]]
* MonogenderMonsters: All dragons seen so far are male. Justified, as they have no need or capability to reproduce sexually - according to a Dremora, "they just were, and are". Female dragons ''do'' exist if you troll the more obscure lore; the Jills usually spend their, ahem, ''time'' maintaining the timestream at their father Akatosh's behest.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: According to the Greybeards and Paarthurnax, many Dragons rebelled ''against'' Alduin's plans and fought for humanity during the Dragon War, only to be [[HeelFaceDoorSlam wiped out afterwards]] by the Blades.
* OneGenderRace: Due to dragons being immortal and no sign that they reproduce it appears as if all dragons are male.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Their power comes from speaking Words of Power.
* OutsideContextProblem: How they are perceived by the people of Skyrim. Before their arrival, the Dragons were mostly treated as a non-existent myth.
* PoirotSpeak: Language is very intrinsic to the Dragons, and as such they tend to switch between Tamrielic and Dovahzul regularly.
* ProudWarriorRace: A lot of them have this attitude. It is the general opinion of the dragons that they must stand and fight no matter how powerful their enemy is, even if that enemy is a foe capable of killing them permanently (i.e. you). The dovah also have a tradition where, upon the first meeting between two dragons, they must use their respective Voices upon one another. To put it in perspective, the dragon equivalent of a handshake is to ''punch the other guy in the face.''

* RiseFromYourGrave: [[spoiler:The Dragons aren't just coming back. They're coming back to life. That said, a few such as Paarthurnax have managed to survive since Alduin's previous attack, without being resurrected.]]
* SympathyForTheDevil: It is repeatedly said that many of the Dragons are intelligent, peaceful creatures, if naturally inclined to be destructive and cruel, and want no part of Alduin's plans; but if they openly defy him, he'll surely kill them since he is obviously stronger than any of them. Indeed, many times you'll see dragons flying around that are not hostile unless you engage them, as a dragon's pride is at stake when it comes to fighting a Dragonborn. Special mention for the trope goes to Durnehviir in the ''Dawnguard'' expansion, who yearns to return to Tamriel but has spent so many centuries in the Soul Cairn that now he can only enjoy the temporary summonings you invoke; and Numinex, the dragon trapped in Dragonsreach by Olaf One-eye. Paarthurnax mentions that he visited once, and Numinex had been in captivity for so long at that point that he no longer remembered his own name.

* TrapMaster: Vahlok's BossRoom is littered with flame traps, and since he'll constantly be trying to keep his distance to make you run into them.

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Used to be Alduin's Dragon, but defected before Alduin's first defeat.]]

* {{Jerkass}}: She's rather rude and demanding, especially on your first meeting. She tricks you into a meeting and demands a demonstration to verify the Dragonborn's identity, but without giving you a reason why she should be indulged. If you demand she explain herself, she snaps at you that ''she'll'' decide when to do that, offhandedly saying you would be dead already if she didn't like the look of you. If you decide to simply ignore her and leave, she'll mention that she should kill you, but decides she won't. Justified, as she doesn't trust you and has the Thalmor after her head every sleeping and waking moment. That said, she comes across as more friendly and humble if you talk to her about her background after proving your status as the Dragonborn, and isn't nearly as bad as, say, [[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas Colonel Moore]].

* BaldOfAwesome: Whether or not his baldness is from age, he's still good enough to take on Thalmor hit-squads by himself.

* LastOfTheirKind: By the events of the game Delphine and Esbern and the last surviving members of the Blades, however it is possible to recruit three new members in the quest-line ''Rebuilding the Blades''.

* OneGenderRace: Due to dragons being immortal and no sign that they reproduce or that female dragons exist it appears as if all the dragons are male.

* OneGenderRace: Due to dragons being immortal and no sign that they reproduce it appears as if all the dragons are male.