Sandbox / The Elder Scrolls Alduin

Alduin the World-Eater

"And the Scrolls have foretold of black wings in the cold, that when brothers wage war come unfurled..."

Voiced by: Daniel Riordan (English)^note Other Languages:Mikhail Belyakovich (Russian)

Alduin's wings, they did darken the sky
His roar fury's fire, and his scales sharpened scythes
Men ran and they cowered, they fought and they died
They burned and they bled as they issued their cries

— The Tale of the Tongues

Alduin, the self-proclaimed "Firstborn" of Akatosh, is the Nordic God of Destruction, World-Eater, Devourer of Souls, and Harbinger of the Apocalypse. It is his divine duty to emerge at the end of every "kalpa", or cycle of time, to destroy the current world so that it can be reborn anew. Alduin takes the form of a colossal and massively powerful black dragon. His name, in Draconic, translates to "Destroyer Devour Master".

In a past age, Alduin was considered the greatest of Akatosh's creations and he was responsible for the creation of the draconic civilization. However, in the Merethic Era of the current kalpa, Alduin grew proud and forsook his role as World-Eater in favor of conquering Mundus and being worshiped as a god. Several other dragons, most notably his chief lieutenant Paarthurnax, rebelled against him and allied with the ancient Nords. Paarthurnax taught the ancient Nords to use the Thu'um, but this alone was not enough. Three Nord heroes faced Alduin at the top of the Throat of the World, and when all else had failed, used the power of an Elder Scroll to banish Alduin by casting him out of the stream of time. This defeat was only temporary, and those involved knew that Alduin would one day return.

Thousands of years later, in 4E 201, Alduin did return. He began resurrecting fallen dragons and absorbed the souls of the recently dead in Sovngarde to increase his power. (The ongoing Skyrim Civil War ensured that the flow of warrior spirits was plentiful.) However, Akatosh sent the Last Dragonborn to Skyrim in order to oppose Alduin. Under the guidance of the Greybeards, Paarthurnax, and the Blades, the Last Dragonborn was able to defeat Alduin. However, Alduin's spirit was not absorbed by the Last Dragonborn, implying that he will one day return to fulfill his duty as World-Eater.

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Tropes relating to him

• Abstract Eater: In addition to his ability to eat entire worlds and consume souls, in some stories Alduin is able to eat more abstract concepts. One tale involved him eating the lifespans of the Nords so that they died at the age of six.
• Abusive Precursors: He ruled as a God-Emperor over the ancient Nords during the Merethic Era, with the remnants of the Dragon Cult who served him still dwelling within the ruins of Skyrim.
• All There in the Manual: His nature, and how it relates to Akatosh, is a bit convoluted but it has been talked about in previous games and texts. There seems to be a disagreement among scholars as to whether or not Alduin is Akatosh, or at least an aspect of him (for the record, Alduin himself states that he isn't as part of one of his Badass Boasts, as he claims to be Akatosh's son). His role as the Greater-Scope Villain also counts, as you can only find it in really obscure texts.
• Aloof Big Brother: Technically speaking. He's the firstborn of Akatosh's children, which includes all other dragons, Dragonborn, and even some of the Divines, but he's by no means a friend to any of them.
• Ambition Is Evil: The reason why many dragons turned on him at Kyne's command, including Paarthurnax, and the reason why the Dragonborn is sent after him in Skyrim. According to Paarthurnax, Alduin attempted to usurp Akatosh's dominion as the god over Nirn, abandoning his purpose as the World Eater to try and control the planet. The Dragon War and the subsequent thrashing he gets from the Dragonborn is Akatosh forcing him to get back in line and do his divine duty.
  Paarthurnax: Alduin wahlaan daanii^note caused his (own) doom. His doom was written when he claimed for himself the lordship that properly belongs to Bormahu — our father Akatosh.
• And There Was Much Rejoicing: After Alduin's defeat, the souls in Sovengarde cheer for his downfall.
• Anthropomorphic Personification:
  • As with the Daedric Princes and the Divines, who themselves are the personification of natural forces, some more obscure texts and threads on the Bethesda forums indicate that Alduin is the embodiment of the end of the world itself.
  • Within the context of Skyrim, Alduin may be a personification of the Civil War itself, and with the cyclical nature of time on Nirn, Alduin himself could be embodied in any event that causes the world to return back to the Dawn Era, and that Dragon Breaks are events involving Alduin temporarily resetting time to the Dawn Era's chaos.
  • Another theory is that Alduin is an aspect of Aka, the original oversoul of the dragon-god of time, which was split apart into different pieces. In this theory, the elven god Auri-El is the dawn, or beginning of time, Akatosh is the linear progression of time and causality, and Alduin is the termination of linear time and the return to the Dawn Era.
• Arch-Enemy:
  • To the Last Dragonborn. They are The Chosen One prophesised to defeat Alduin, and the two confront each other personally several times throughout the story. Since the Dragonborn is gifted with the soul and blood of a dragon by Alduin's father, Akatosh, the two are technically siblings. The Dragonborn manages to defeat Alduin at the Throat of the Word with the aid of Paarthurnax, which prompts Alduin to flee to Sovngarde. This undermines the credibility of Alduin's rule in the eyes of his fellow dragons, who consider him a Dirty Coward for fleeing. Eventually, the Dragonborn pursues Alduin to Sovngarde, and destroys Alduin's physical form with the aid of the spirits of Alduin's ancient foes, Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, Hakon One-Eye, and Felldir the Old, finally fulfilling the Prophecy of the Dragonborn. He is also connected in various ways to the Thalmor, Lord Harkon, and Miraak, each of whom are major adversaries to the Last Dragonborn in their own right.
  • Also to Paarthunax, his younger brother and former lieutenant, who betrayed him and helped mortals rebel against his rule. He would then wait thousands of years for Alduin's return, and shortly after Alduin did so, Paarthunax began training the Last Dragonborn to prepare him to face Alduin. Paarthunax and Alduin would eventually face each other in combat at the Throat of the World, with the younger dragon managing to drive Alduin away with the assistance of the Last Dragonborn.
  • To the first Tongues: Hakon One-Eye, Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, and Felldir the Old, a trio of Nordic heroes who learned the Thu'um from Paarthurnax and led the rebellion against Alduin. During the Dragon War, Alduin confronted them directly, killing Gormlaith before being Felldir banishes him into the future using an Elder Scroll. Thousands of years later, the spirits of Hakon, Gormlaith, and Felldir, now residing in Sovngarde, aid the Last Dragonborn in killing Alduin.
• As Long as There Is Evil: Alduin, as the manifestation of the end of the world itself, can never be truly defeated and will return once the cycle is set to begin anew. To illustrate this, his soul isn’t absorbed upon his defeat.
• Asskicking Leads to Leadership: He's the leader of the dragons because he's the strongest. Of course, because of this attitude, the other dragons turn on him after he flees from the Last Dragonborn.
• Badass Boast: He is fond of these.
  I am AL-DU-IN! First born son of Akatosh! Mulagi zuk lat^note The greatest and strongest! I cannot be slain here, by you or anyone else!
• Beast of the Apocalypse: He is a massive black dragon and the purpose of his existence is to devour the world at the end of every kalpa, so that a new kalpa can begin and a new world can be born in its place.
• Because Destiny Says So: It is repeatedly stated that Alduin is destined to destroy the world so that it can be reborn, and so there are some (like the Greybeards) who don't automatically accept that stopping him is a good thing. Paarthurnax also argues this, believing that Alduin is doing what he was created to do. The problem is that, while he's meant to cause the destruction of the world, he seems to want to rule it even more.
  Paarthurnax: Paaz. A fair answer. Ro fus... maybe you only balance the forces that work to quicken the end of this world. Even we who ride the currents of Time cannot see past Time's end Wuldsetiid los tahrodiis. Those who try to hasten the end, may delay it. Those who work to delay the end, may bring it closer.
• Big Bad: In the Skyrim main quest, Alduin serves as the primary antagonist and the one that the Last Dragonborn must defeat to save Mundus.
• Big Eater: By his nature, as his purpose is to eat the entire world so it can be reset. Even as a mere dragon, his appetite for mortal souls is boundless and he can feed on mortal souls in Sovngarde to strengthen himself. That being said, even as the World-Eater, Alduin's appetite is not limitless, as he was unable to completely devour the world when the Leaper Demon King and the Greedy Man hid pieces from previous incarnations of the world and attack them to subsequent incartations.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality: Alduin's purpose is to end the world, which most mortals understandably see as a bad thing. The Greybeards just see it as fulfilling his duty as the World-Eater. Interestingly, Alduin's chief failing is that he had too much of a conventional morality, desiring power and dominion over mortals, instead of sticking to his divine task of ending the world when its time comes.
• Broken Pedestal: Late in the game, he becomes this his fellow dragons. After his defeat at the Throat of the World by the Dragonborn and Paarthurnax, the dragons under his rule begin questioning his worthiness to lead.
  Odahviing: Alduin has proven himself unworthy to rule.
• Brought Down to Badass: In a manner of speaking. As Alduin is embodiment of the end of the world itself, he can only manifest his full power when it is time to actually end the world, at which point he becomes a titanic monster with such divine power that he can even curse the Daedric Princes themselves into different forms. Anytime outside of that, however, he is "merely" an invincible dragon who needs a very specific realty-warping Shout (Dragonrend) to even render him into a state where he can be hurt.
• Combat Compliment: After the Last Dragonborn beats him at the Throat of the World, he admits that the Dragonborn has become extremely powerful.

• Complete Immortality: The Last Dragonborn "kills" him in Sovngarde, but his soul isn't absorbed. This strongly implies that he will return in the future to fulfill his duty and cannot truly be killed.
• Contrasting Sequel Antagonist:
  • To Dagoth Ur in Morrowind. While Dagoth Ur was a mortal who ascended to godhood, Alduin was never mortal in the first place. Dagoth Ur was once a servent of the Nerevarine's previous incarnation, Lord Indoril Nerevar. Alduin was the master of the cult which the Dragonborn's predecessor, Miraak, served as a priest in. While Dagoth Ur faces the Nerevarine inside of a volcano, Alduin faces the Dragonborn on top of a frozen mountain. While Dagoth Ur loses his immortality after the Heart of Lorkhan is destroyed. Alduin has Complete Immortality.
  • To Mehrunes Dagon in Oblivion. While Dagon was a Daedric Prince who sought to destroy all of Mundus, Alduin is the spawn of the Aedra whose divine purpose is to do just that... but prefers to rule it instead. Hence his banishment at the end of the game - he will return one day to perform his duty when the time is right. While Dagon doesn't personally appear until the end of the game, Alduin is an active antagonist throughout the story.
  • To Mankar Camoran, also in Oblivion. While Mankar is possibly a Dragonborn (as he can wear the Amulet of Kings), Alduin is definitely a full-blown dragon. Mankar is The Dragon to Mehrunes Dagon, while Alduin is a Big Bad. Mankar's final confrontation with the Hero of Kvatch takes place inside Paradise, plane of Oblivion ruled over by Mankar himself, which Mankar's folloers were falsely led to believe would be a paradise for them if they died for his cause. Alduin's final confrontation with the Last Dragonborn takes place in Sovngarde, a legitimate Warrior Heaven being attacked by Alduin. While Mankar fights the Hero of Kvatch as a Flunky Boss, Alduin fights the Last Dragonborn by himself.
• The Corrupter: He turns a kindly demon known as the Demon Leaper King into a Destroyer Deity known as Mehrunes Dagon.
• Damage-Sponge Boss: In the final battle in Skyrim, he has an obscene amount of health, which itself is effectively doubled with his 50% resistance to everything. It takes a lot to bring him down.
• Dark Is Evil: He's the only known dragon to be completely black, and it is his duty to bring about the end of the world. He should fall under Dark Is Not Evil due to his role being a natural part of reality's cycle, but his ruthless ambition and desire for to rule Mundus instead of fulfilling his duty denies him this.
• Defeat Equals Explosion: Unlike other dragons who just have their flesh burn off when they die, Alduin has a much more dramatic death ending with him detonating in a screen covering explosion.
• Despotism Justifies the Means: He subjugates mortals because of his natural desire to dominate and his sense of entitlement, but is disinterested in the task of actually running his empire. Instead, he leaves this responsibility to a group of followers known as Dragons Priests. This had mixed results, as while some Dragons Priests rule benevolently, others (such as Rahgot) rule as tyrants, leading to the rebellion the ends Alduin's reign.
• Destroyer Deity: Besides his role as World-Eater, he is actually revered as the ancient Nordic aspect of Akatosh. He also punished a demon who interfered in this role by transforming them into another Destroyer Deity: Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric Prince of Destruction.
• Dirty Coward: When he is defeated by the Last Dragonborn on the Throat of the World, he runs away rather than face his defeat with dignity. It is this moment that the other dragons realize he doesn't deserve to lead. A true dovah would fight to the end or submit to his better.
• Divine Parentage: He claims to be the "firstborn" of Akatosh. Other sources claim that he may be a fragment of Akatosh's being, or even an aspect of Akatosh himself.
• Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: He punished a demon who prevented him from devouring parts of reality by transforming him into Mehrunes Dagon, and giving him the Impossible Task of destroying the portions of reality he hid from Alduin.
• Dual Boss: Inverted. Each time you fight Alduin, you're the one with backup (Paarthurnax and any follower you may have at the Throat of the World, the ancient Nord heroes in Sovngarde).
• Draconic Abomination: While his primary appearance is that of a conceivable black dragon — albeit an incredibly powerful and massive one, he is an inconceivably ancient and eternal entity who is arguably beyond human rationality and ethics. Alduin is said to predate the existence of Nirn/Mundus (the world of the Elder Scrolls series) and to have destroyed the previous incarnation of the world; to have fought the creator-god Lorkhan/Shor at the beginning of time and come out no worse for wear; to be able to eat literally anything, in one myth devouring the lifespan of the entire Nord population down to six years; and is prophesized to devour the world at the end of time. When he is defeated by the Last Dragonborn, his soul is not absorbed, indicating that it's possible that Alduin can never be truly killed. Furthermore, there are hints that, when it is time for him to properly end the world, he grows to titanic proportions and wields a power beyond even the Daedric Princes so that he can unmake the world.
• The Dragon: Subverted in a twist of irony, despite Alduin being a literal dragon. Delphine suspects the Thalmor of being behind Alduin's actions upon being informed by the Dragonborn that he was the same dragon who attacked Helgen. Delphine's reasoning was that his attack on Helgen prevented the execuction of Ulfric Stormcloak, therefore prolonging the Skyrim Civil War that was working in the Thalmor's interests. However, the Dragonborn discovers that the Thalmor did not know who was responsible for the dragons' return either, and the game later establishes that Alduin is his own master.
• Dragons Are Demonic: Crossing over with Dragons Are Divine. While technically a being Above Good and Evil (like most of the series' deities), he takes the form of a black dragon with the divine duty of ending the world, an act which, at least from the point of view of mortals, is about as "evil" as it gets.
• The Dreaded: "Even the Daedra fear me!" Indeed, as shown in the Seven Fights of the Aldudagga, even the most malevolent of the Daedric Princes pale in comparison to Alduin when it is at full world-ending power. He is also this to his fellow dragons, as even when his defeeat at the hands of the Last Dragonborn atop the Throat of the World causes the dragons to question his leadership, the are still unwilling to challenge him openly.
• Drunk with Power: Alduin's "proper role" is that of World-Eater and the harbinger of the end times. However, after he and his fellow dragons conquered Skyrim eons ago, Alduin came to rather like ruling the world he was supposed to be destroying, and became even more petty and cruel than a dragon deity should be. This is stated to be part of the reason Paarthurnax turned against him.
• The End of the World as We Know It: A very literal case of this trope, because it is repeatedly stated that Alduin, as the World-Eater, is not going to erase all of Creation from existence; he is "merely" going to destroy the current incarnation so that a new one can take its place. Consequently, some characters (like the Greybeards) question whether stopping him is actually the right thing to do. Since world-eating is as much metaphorical as it is physical, there are some suggestions that Alduin may very well be "the end of the world" personified.
• Entitled Bastard: As the eldest son of Akatosh, Alduin considers it his birthright to rule over others.
• Et Tu, Brute?: He is displeased with Paarthurnax for betraying him.
  Alduin: Tahrodiis Paarthurnax! (Treacherous Paarthurnax!) My teeth to his neck!
• Eternal Recurrence: Alduin was created to destroy the world, so the next can take its place. Then he'll destroy that one for the next. And again. And again... this is implied to be why his soul cannot be absorbed, as he is an intrinsic part of the world that can never be destroyed.
• Ethnicity Monarch: He's the leader and ruler of all dragons, by virtue of age and power.
• Even Evil Can Be Loved: After his death in Sovngarde, Alduin's younger brother Paarthunax, despite acknowledging that Alduin brought his fate upon himself, cannot bring himself to celebrate his older brother's demise.
  Paarthurnax: So, it is done. Alduin dilon. The Eldest is no more, he who came before all others, and has always been.
  The Last Dragonborn: You don't sound very happy about it.
  Paarthurnax: Happy? No, I am not happy. Zeymahi lost ont du'ul Bormahu. Alduin was once the crown of our father Akatosh's creation. You did what was necessary. Alduin had flown far from the path of right action in his pahlok- the arrogance of his power. But I cannot celebrate his fall. Zu'u tiiraaz ahst ok mah. He was my brother once. This world will never be the same.
• Evil Counterpart: To his younger brother Paarthurnax. While both are dragons with the natural instinct to dominate, Alduin embraces it while Paarthurnax suppresses it.
• Evil Is Hammy: Even for a dragon, Alduin sure loves the sound of his own voice.
  "My belly is full of the souls of your fellow mortals, Dovahkiin!"
• Evil Overlord: Of dragons, and by extension the Dragon Priests. He wants to be one for all of Mundus, as he seems to enjoy ruling the world and being worshiped as a god more than he does destroying it.
• Evil Sounds Deep: Like most of the dragons, he has a deep booming voice.
• Evil Versus Oblivion: In an absolute tailspin on the trope, Alduin manages to be both; he is the oblivion destined to bring about the End Times, but he'd rather lord over the world than destroy it.
• Fantastic Racism: Towards mortals in general, and those who are Dragonborn in particular because they're not true dragons.
• Final Boss: The is the final opponent to be defeated in the main quest of Skyrim.
• Final Boss, New Dimension: His final fight with the Last Dragonborn takes place in Sovngarde, the Nordic afterlife.
• Final Boss Preview: Prior to his Final Boss battle in Sovngarde, he is fought as a boss atop the Throat of the World His first boss battle concludes with him fleeing the battle upon his defeat.
  Paarthurnax: Lot krongrah. You truly have the Voice of a dovah. Alduin's allies will think twice after this victory.
  The Last Dragonborn: It wasn't really a victory, since Alduin escaped.
  Paarthurnax: Ni liivrah hin mere. True, this is not the final krongah - victory. But not even the heroes of old were able to defeat Alduin in open battle. Alduin always was pahlok - arrogant in his power. Uznahgar paar. He took domination as his birthright. This should shake the loyalty of the dov who serve him.
• Fog of Doom: He has the ability to create a supernatural fog, which he uses to ensare the souls in Sovngarde, making them easier for him to consume.
• Foil: To the Last Dragonborn. Those who are Dragonborn are (eventually) immensely powerful mortals that can eat the souls of dragons. Alduin is an immensely powerful dragon that eats the souls of mortals. Alduin was the first dragon in existence, while the Last Dragonborn is said to be the last Dragonborn in existence. Both are said to have been created by (or are aspects of) Akatosh.
• God-Emperor: He is a Physical God who rules over his fellow dragons, and he ruled over mortals during the Merethic Era, even relying on followers known as Dragon Priests to enforce his reign.
• God Is Evil: In the old Nordic religious tradition, Alduin is an aspect of Akatosh in his role as both creator and destroyer of time. Paarthurnax and even Alduin himself state that he is the firstborn of Akatosh. Of course, being Akatosh's firstborn does not contradict him being an aspect; it's more like an outright confirmation of it.
• Greater-Scope Villain:
  • In Battlespire and Oblivion, according to the Seven Fights of the Aldudagga, which reveals that Alduin was responsible for the corruption of Mehrunes Dagon, Daedric Prince of Destruction. That's right, the Oblivion Crisis and most of the following fallout (the establishment by the Thalmor of the Third Aldmeri Dominion, the Great War, the White Gold-Concordat, and the Skyrim Civil War) was indirectly his doing; this means that he actually pushed along the fulfillment of the "Prophecy of the Dragonborn".
  • Also in Arena, since that game's Big Bad, Jagar Tharn, was in league with Mehrunes Dagon.
• The Grim Reaper: He's the Nordic version of it. He is impossible to overcome, but the misfortune he weaves comes not from his function, but the fact that he's now become a power-mad Satanic Archetype.
• The Heavy: For Skyrim as a whole, as his actions both before and during the events of the game have a tremendous impact on the overall story. He is the Big Bad of the main quest, during which he attacks the Dragonborn directly at Helgen, the Throat of the World, and Sovngarde. He can also be seen resurrecting other dragons throughout Skyrim. His Divine Punishment of Mehrunes Dagon indirectly leads to the Oblivion Crisis, which in turn enables the rise to power of the Thalmor, who go on serve as an influencial antagonistic faction during the events of Skyrim (The Thalmor are the Greater-Scope Villains of the Civil War questline, and a Thalmor mage named Ancano serves as a the Big Bad of the College of Winterhold questline). His attack on Helgen is impactful on the Civil War questline, as it enables the Rebel Leader Ulfric Stormcloak to escape execution at the hands of the Imperials, prolonging the Skyrim Civil War. .The return of dragons caused by Alduin is also a part of the Tyranny of the Sun prophecy which Lord Harkon, the Big Bad of the Dawnguard questline, seeks to fulfil. During the Merethic Era, long before the events up the game, Alduin and his fellow dragons used a group of individuals known as Dragon Priests to enforce their reign over mortals. Several of those Dragon Priests are active threats within the ruins the Dragonborn can explore, and one of the Dragon Priests, Miraak, would rebel against Alduin and his brethren, and go on to become as the Big Bad of the Dragonborn questline. Alduin's revival of his fellow dragons also provides Miraak, who can absorb the souls of dragons, with a means to increase his power. By preventing the execution of the Last Dragonborn, Alduin affects the destinies of the countless people the Dragonborn interacts with, for better or for worse.
• Hero Killer: During the Dragon War, he confronts Gormlaith, Hakon, and Felldir, who are considered by their mentor Paarthurnax to be greater than any Nordic hero who came after them, and proves too powerful for them to defeat. He outright kills Gormlaith, and Felldir resorts to Alduin forward through time.
• Hoist by His Own Petard:
  • By attacking Helgen at the beginning of the games, Alduin prevents the Imperials from executing the Last Dragonborn. The Dragonborn would go on to kill Alduin.
  • Cursing the Leaper Demon King to become Mehrunes Dagon has the potental to backfire on Alduin, because the Last Dragonborn can kill him with Mehrunes' Razor if they obtain it before the Final Boss battle with Alduin.
• Hypocrite: Calls the Last Dragonborn "arrogant" for assuming the title of "Dovah", when he himself is essentially the personification of draconic arrogance.
  • Alduin's role as the World-Eater is defended by some as a necessary part of Creation, yet Alduin himself seems to care little about his position beyond it being a tool to validate his tremendous arrogance. He at one point punished a kindly spirit who refused to let him erase past Kalpas by turning him into Mehrunes Dagon, who's come close numerous times to destroying Mundus long before Alduin is supposed to.
• I Am X, Son of Y: "I AM ALDUIN! FIRST BORN SON OF AKATOSH!"
• Jerkass: Whether or not he's evil, whether or not he's in the right, it's hard to deny that Alduin is an asshole.
• Join or Die: He gives his younger brother and former follower, Paarthurnax, the ultimatum to rejoin him or perish. Paarthunax refuses to serve Alduin again.
  Alduin: Suleyki mulaag, Paarthurnax. My power has waxed, while yours has waned. Aav uv dir. Join me or perish with your mortal friends.
  Paarthurnax: Unslaad hokoron! Never again!
• Kaiju: When Alduin consumes the world at the end of a kalpa, he is large enough for farms to shoot out of his nose.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: In The Seven Fights of The Aldudagga, he gives up on eating all of the world at the end of one kalpa because he is too full to finish eating it, as The Leaper Demon King attached pieces of previous kalpas to the current world, making it too big for Alduin to consume. Alduin instead settles for eating the world except for the portions of reality the Leaper Demon King stole, and orders the Leaper Demon King to destroy the stolen portions for him.
• Kryptonite Factor: The Dragonrend shout. Unless under its effects, he is literally invincible.
• Mad Libs Catchphrase: He seems to be rather fond of expressing his enmity with someone by saying "My teeth to [person who earned his ire]'s neck".
• Meteor-Summoning Attack: Alduin has a unique Dragon Shout which only he can perform. When he uses it, the sky turns darker, a vortex of clouds appears in the sky, and meteors start raining down. This attack first gets unleashed in Helgen at the beginning of the game, contributing to the village's destruction at the dragon's hands; and it also gets unleashed during your battles with him toward the end of the game.
• Mind Screw: Alduin and his connection to Akatosh, Auri-El, and the Aka oversoul is a complicated and muddy matter that is hotly debated both in- and out-of-universe precisely because of how mind screwey it gets. He is simultaneously both an aspect of Akatosh and separate from him, while at the same time being a part of the Aka oversoul while also being a creation of Akatosh. In other words, he's the same being as Akatosh and Auri-El, while also a separate being, and the creation/child of them, all simultaneously. To make it even screwier, Alduin backs up different parts of this in different accounts.
• Monument of Humiliation and Defeat: Alduin's Wall, an Akaviri sculptural relief in the Sky Haven Temple which has Alduin's defeat at the end of the Dragon War as its centerpiece. It also depicts the Prophecy of the Dragonborn, in which the Last Dragonborn faces Alduin.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: His name means "Destroyer Devour Master." He is also known as the "World-Eater".
• Necromancer: He has the ability to turn the lifeless skeletons of other dragons into fully living flesh-and-blood dragons.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: He shows up in Helgan just as the Dragonborn was about to be beheaded. If he had waited even a second longer, the world would have been screwed.
• No True Scotsman:
  • Berates the Last Dragonborn for having the sheer audacity to take for themselves the name of "Dovah", apparently seeing them as little more than an abomination or pale imitation. At one point, he mocks the Dragonborn in the draconic language, before getting even more offended when he realizes the Dragonborn can't even understand it.
  • Alduin in turn gets this the other way when many other dragons consider him fleeing from the Dragonborn rather than submitting or dying makes him no true Dovah.
• Not Worth Killing: Downplayed. When the Dragonborn and Delphine confront Alduin at Kynesgrove, Alduin belittles the Dragonborn's status before ordering Sahloknir to kill them and Delphine for him instead of doing the job himself.
• Obviously Evil: He's a black and spiky dragon with glowing red eyes who desires to rule the world and be worshiped as a god. Subverted, however, in that his ultimate function of destroying the world is a necessary one and, as with most deities in the series, he (supposedly) operates on a level Above Good and Evil.
• Odd Job Gods: His specific purpuse as a deity is to devour the world at the end of every kalpa. The rest of the time, he's Brought Down to Badass, becoming merely a Nigh-Invulnerable dragon who spends his spare time trying to become an Evil Overlord.
• Omnicidal Maniac: He's called "The World-Eater" for a reason. Though depending on your interpretation of the mythology behind him, he may or not fit the 'maniac' part of this trope as his destroying the world is actually a regulated process, although, as Mehunres Dagon learned, he gets absolutely livid if you interfere with the process.
• One-Man Army: During the Dragon War, his presence (and eventual absence) alone was enough to decide the battle between the dragons and the human/dragon alliance. When he returns, he is able to destroy the entire garrison at Helgen and raze much of the town to the ground by himself, without taking a scratch, despite the presence of elite Imperial soldiers and battlemages. When the Dragonborn finally battles him face to face, Alduin is virtually invincible unless they use Dragonrend on him, which briefly weakens him enough that the Dragonborn can hurt him. In terms of lore, he's easily able to destroy the entire world when the appropriate time comes along, although he prefers to rule it instead.
• Opportunistic Bastard: He takes advantage of the Skyrim Civil War by feasting on the souls of warriors who go to Sovngarde after being killed in the conflict.
• Orcus on His Throne: Defied. He's meant to be doing this, waiting until it's the appropriate time for him to destroy the world as he is foretold to do. Unfortunately, Alduin found that he preferred to rule the world and be worshiped as a god instead. Upon finding himself thrown forward through time to the 4th Era, he didn't let it deter him and got right back to it by destroying Helgen. After, he can be found resurrecting other dragons at burial mounds throughout Skryim.
• Outside-Genre Foe: At the start of the game, Skyrim is in the middle of a Civil War between the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloak rebellion, which has been ongoing for some time. Soon, Alduin shows up in Helgen and begins attacking indiscriminately, a turn of events that leaves both sides shocked. Justified with the revelation that he arrived in the Fourth Era after having been banished into the future from the Merethic Era.
• Pieces of God: Like the other dragons and Dragonborn, Alduin is believed to be a fragment of Akatosh's very being. In his case, he is the first and most powerful of them.
• Physical God: As the strongest and firstborn of the dovah, he has access to powerful Shouts that no other dragon can use, and is literally invincible unless he gets hit by Dragonrend. When he is fulfilling his duty as World-Eater, he enters another level entirely, wielding greater power than even the Daedric Princes.
• Planet Eater: He is the "World-Eater" for a reason. In The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga, he is described as exhaling entire farms out of his nose and dwarfing even the Throat of the World itself.
• "Pop!" Goes the Human: The Leaper Demon King and the Greedy Man attempt to trick Alduin into killing himself in this manner. Unfortunately for them, Alduin catches on to what they are doing first.
  The Leaper Demon King: Oh [expletive]. You have found us out, World-Eater! Yes, just after the two bells of the All-Maker's Goat sound the Greedy Man and I and our servants hoard bits and bobs of the world so you can't eat it all. And when the world comes back we sort of just stick these portions back on and so that's why it is all bigger and bigger for you to eat each time. But it wasn't my idea! The Greedy Man hates you so much and it was his idea to finally trap you one kalpa when it was all much too big and so you would explode out from your belly and die so that the world would never have to die again!
• Pride: His dominant flaw is his arrogant security in his own power. For his first defeat, the ancient Nord heroes spoke his name with the Thu'um, which in dragon language is basically a challenge, and upon his arrival they hit him with Dragonrend. When he returns to linear time in the 4th Era, the Last Dragonborn does this again and once more hammers him with Dragonrend. After this confrontation, Alduin retreats to Sovngarde to recover strength - which makes the rest of the dragons question his leadership and leads directly to his second, and far more comprehensive defeat.
• The Problem with Fighting Death:
  • When the Leaper Demon King tries to trick Alduin into killing himself to prevent him from ending the kalpa, Alduin press-gangs him into destroying the portions of reality he hid from Alduin.
  • If the Dragonborn tells Paarthurnax that he wishes to prevent the world from being destroyed by Alduin, Paarthurnax invokes this trope by telling them that the world may need to end so the next one can come into existence.
    The Last Dragonborn: I like this world. I Don't want it to end.
    Paarthurnax: Pruzah. As good a reason as any. There are many who feel as you do, although not all. Some would say that all things must end, so that the next can come to pass. Perhaps this world is simply the Egg of the next kalpa? Lein vokiin? Would you stop the next world from being born?
  • Angier also invokes this trope to the Dragonborn, telling them that it is possible Alduin is meant to win and destroy the world so the next one can be created. Angier also brings up to the Dragonborn that the ancient mortals who stopped him only delayed this process.
    The Last Dragonborn: Is there another way to defeat Alduin?
    Angier: Perhaps not, but this shout was used once before, was it not? And here we are again. Have you considered that Alduin was not meant to be defeated? Those who overthrew him in ancient times only postponed the day of reckoning, they did not stop it. If the world is meant to end, so be it. Let it end and be reborn.
  • When the Dragonborn defeats Alduin, they do not absorb his soul, implying that Alduin will return to destroy the world when the time is right.
• Public Domain Character: He is essentially the Elder Scrolls version of Jormungandr, the world-eating serpent.
• Red and Black and Evil All Over: Well, he certainly looks the part, and he is the Big Bad of Skyrim.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: In fact, he's one of the few dragons to have them.
• Reset Button: His divine duty in the cosmic order is to serve as one of these for Mundus. By eating the world, Alduin effectively resets time back to the chaotic and primordial Dawn Era, allowing the Aedra to once more establish Convention and redefine the rules and nature of the new kalpa. His discovery that the daedra that would become Mehrunes Dagon was defying this by hiding away parts of previous kalpas sent him into an immense fury, and Alduin cursed him into his current form.
• Restart the World: He enables the world to reset by devouring it at the end of each kalpa.
• Satanic Archetype: Dragons, as creations of Akatosh, are analogous to angels as a whole in this setting. Alduin is the first and most powerful among them, and sought to usurp Akatosh's hold over Mundus. This results in him being pitted against the Dragonborn and defeated.
• Sealed Evil in a Can: He wasn't actually defeated in the Dragon War, merely banished from the stream of time. He reemerges during the 4th Era, during the events of Skyrim. It's also potentially what happened to him after being slain by the Dragonborn, he's lost the ability to manifest a physical form beyond the appointed time for Nirn's destruction
• Secret Art: SLEN TIID VO, the shout he uses to revive dead dragons, is exclusive to him. His Meteor Storm Shout is also one (though "Storm Call" is very similar in function and is obtainable). Another is "VEN MUL RIIK", "Wind Strong Gale", which shrouds an area in thick concealing mist.
• Smug Super: He is a powerful dragon who enjoys boasting of himself and mocking his enemies, Paarthurnax outright states that "Alduin was always pahlok - arrogant in his power."
• Sorcerous Overlord: He is a draconic Evil Overlord who can cast Dragon Shouts to perform feats of magic such as summoning meteor storms, resurrecting dead dragons, and creating a Fog of Doom.
• Soul Eating: Alduin can devour the souls of mortals. He travels to Sovngarde near the end to do that.
• Soul Power: A big fan of this as devouring mortal souls replenishes himself.
• Spanner in the Works: For General Tullius, who managed to capture Ulfric Stormcloak, the leader of the Nordic rebellion that had almost managed to rout the Empire completely from Skyrim before Tullius arrived to head the Legion forces there. Had Alduin not shown up when he had, it's likely the Empire would have won the Civil War not long after.
• Spikes of Villainy: All the dragons are pretty spiky, but Alduin is especially so. "The Tale of the Tongues" even calls attention to this, describing his scales as "sharpened scythes".
• Spoiled Brat: He flaunts his status as the son of Akatosh while neglecting his responsibilities as the World-Eater to rule over his father's property.
• A Storm Is Coming: Invoked by Alduin himself. Among the many, many powers that Dragon Shouts have is the ability to summon storms, ominous clouds, and fog. Alduin does so several times in Skyrim.
• Swallowed Whole: He inflicts this on Mehrunes Dagon in The Seven Fights of The Aldudagga. Dagon doesn't even realize that Alduin has already eaten him until he sees "the churning dragon stop around him" everywhere he looks.
• Take Over the World: Alduin eventually forsook his duties as the World-Eater and gave in to his draconic desire to dominate, which in this case, wanting to take over and rule over all of Nirn.
• Trash Talk: When he's not making Badass Boasts, he's outright mocking his foes.
• Villainous Breakdown: When the Last Dragonborn defeats him in Sovngarde. In fact his exact words (which he screams in his highest ever pitched voice) are:
  "Zu'u unslaad! Zu'u nis oblaan!" (I am immortal! I cannot die!)
• Villainous Rescue: Indirectly. In Helgen, the Imperial forces have captured the Last Dragonborn and Ulfric Stormcloak and are seconds away from executing them when Alduin arrives on the scene and promptly starts burning the village to the ground. The Last Dragonborn and Ulfric easily escape Imperial custody during the ensuing chaos (as the Imperial forces are a little preoccupied by Alduin attacking the village), kicking off the main quest of Skyrim.
• We Can Rule Together: In Sovngarde, he compliments the Last Dragonborn and mentions that s/he would have been an excellent slave. For someone whose fundamental nature is to dominate, that is probably as close as he can come to this trope.
• Worthy Opponent: When he realizes he can't make the Last Dragonborn a slave, he basically concedes that he sees the Last Dragonborn as the only real threat he's ever encountered.
• Would Hit a Girl: He kills Gormlaith, and does not refrain from attempting to kill a female Dragonborn.
• You Fool!: He calls out the Leaper Demon King for trying to kill him to prevent the end of the kalpa.
  Alduin: You stupid little [expletive], do you even know what would HAPPEN if that happened, my dying and being unable to eat and the kalpa left to run forever? Why do I even ask, you who are a little low spirit whose only real power is jumping around? It is the Greedy Man I should really be mad at!
• Your Soul Is Mine!:
  • As firstborn of Akatosh, Alduin has the "right" to consume the souls of the fallen warriors in Sovngarde to replenish his strength. When he is defeated the first time by Paarthurnax and the Last Dragonborn, he retreats to Sovngarde to feed on the fallen and regain strength. Of course, Shor is displeased with this, and while he doesn't directly intervene, he does dispatch the old heroes of Skyrim to assist the Last Dragonborn in putting a stop to it.
  • Subverted with Alduin's own soul at the end of the main quest. Unlike most dragons, Alduin's soul is not absorbed by the Dragonborn upon being slain.