Skyrim’s Worst Unkillable Characters

Despite being a great game overall, Skyrim has some truly detestable characters, and the worst ones are those that the player cannot do anything about. Owing to Skyrim‘s open-ended nature, most NPCs in the game can die, including some truly unlikeable ones. However, there are a few select characters in the game who cannot die at all.

In Skyrim, characters who are tagged as “essential” cannot die by any means outside of story-related circumstances. This tag is usually extended to very plot-important characters, such as jarls and other notable figures, although some other assorted characters have the tag as well. As a result, unlikeable characters who are essential tend to be hated more than other disliked characters such as Nazeem and Grelka. It’s not too bad when Skyrim‘s rude NPCs can be killed, but it’s much worse when there’s nothing that the player can do to them.

While there are a fair amount of essential characters who are not especially likable, there are a few, in particular, that stand out as incredibly insufferable. They go beyond simply being unlikable and manage to come off as some of the worst people in all of Skyrim and even the Elder Scrolls series. However, no matter how awful they are, the player has no chance to punish them for their misdeeds.

Erikur Is One Of The Most Spoiled, Selfish Men In Skyrim

Elisif the Fair, the jarl of Haafingar, is a rather decent woman. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for one of her Thanes, Erikur. An incredibly callous man, he only cares for his own desires and shows open contempt for others. He uses his money and his status as Thane to assert his alleged importance over others. He fits right in with Skyrim‘s religiously intolerant Thalmor, and his worst behavior is on display at one of their parties. In the quest “Diplomatic Immunity,” he harasses a Bosmer slave and potentially has her sent to the Thalmor’s torture chamber after she refuses his advances. He shows no remorse for anything that he does, only satisfied when he gets what he wants.

One cut mission, “Boethiah’s Bidding,” made him even worse than he is in the final game. This quest would have had the player assassinate Elisif on the orders of the Daedric Prince Boethiah, leaving Erikur to take her throne as jarl. His unused quotes after the fact even imply that he was the one behind the assassination plot, solely because he wanted more power. Sacrificing a follower for Boethiah’s Calling was bad enough, but putting Erikur in power would be an utter disaster. Thankfully, in the final game, he has little influence, as everyone in Solitude’s court takes advice from the much more rational Falk Firebeard instead.

The only positive thing about Erikur is that his essential status can actually be removed. After the missions where he is directly involved have been completed, his essential status will deactivate, allowing the player to enact whatever punishment they wish upon him. Funnily enough, if the player kills Erikur, then they might get a letter from his sister thanking him for the deed, showing how much he was truly hated.

Rolff Stone-Fist Is Skyrim’s Most Obnoxious, Racist Bully

Rolff Stone-Fist immediately makes a negative impression on the player the very first time they see him. On the player’s first visit to Windhelm, Rolff will be harassing and threatening a Dunmer woman, accusing her of being an Imperial spy with no evidence. Showcasing the racism that appears in Skyrim seems to be Rolff’s only purpose. Unlike some instances where a character will turn out to be better than first impressions make them seem, Rolff truly is just as vile as he appears.

Rolff’s daily schedule primarily consists of drinking at Candlehearth Hall during the day and wandering through the Dunmer neighborhood known as the Gray Quarter shouting racial slurs at night. In conversation, he has no interest in any topic outside of his hatred for the Dunmer, even bragging about his own racism. The only other interaction that players can have with this NPC is challenging him to a brawl, which will reward them with a rather unimpressive 100 gold when they win. If the player adopts a child and lives in Windhelm, their child will even sometimes say that Rolff has been telling them about how dangerous the Gray Quarter is, almost definitely due to his own racism. Skyrim has several awful choices for players and having Rolff as a neighbor is one of them.

Despite being an insufferable racist with no plot relevance, Rolff is inexplicably labeled as essential due to being a potential target for a radiant quest from the Thieves’ Guild. While several characters are essential for this reason, most of them are not as insufferable as Rolff. Rolf honestly adds nothing to the game aside from being a hateful figure that the player is better off avoiding.

Maven Black-Briar Is Skyrim’s Most Unpunishable Crime Lord

Maven Black-Briar is one of the most infamous NPCs among Skyrim‘s fanbase for two reasons. One is her incredibly arrogant personality, and the other is her essential status that ensures her reign of terror will continue. Even a Dragonborn wicked enough to join Skyrim‘s Dark Brotherhood will quickly tire of Maven’s antics. Among players, Maven is frequently cited as one of the most despised characters in the game, and what screentime she gets does a good job of explaining why.

Maven is a meadery owner and crime lord based in Riften who spends much of her time wandering through the city. She is harsh and demanding with practically everyone that she meets, even threatening to disown her daughter Ingun for being interested in potions rather than the family business. She doesn’t show any politeness to the Dragonborn either, insulting them if they acknowledge her power. Indeed, Maven has ties to both the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood and uses them to her advantage. Despite not holding an official position of power, her money and connections essentially give her free reign of Riften. Her backstory sounds like a potential build to one of Skyrim‘s toughest boss fights, but Maven never faces any consequences.

Maven’s immunity goes beyond the norm for essential characters. Like the others, she is immune to death by any means. However, if the civil war storyline ends with the Imperials victorious, not only will Maven not be punished for her misdeeds, but she will become the jarl of Riften, formally becoming the city’s ruler. It’s one of Skyrim‘s biggest injustices and can make players resent Maven even more.

Skyrim‘s unlikable essential characters are some of the most insufferable figures in the game, especially knowing that the player is forced to let them go unpunished for their crimes. In a world where the Dragonborn can fight cruelty and villainy of all sorts, these figures are immune to justice. It is this unfairness that makes them feel like the worst of the worst in Tamriel.

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