The land of Tamriel is colored with various entertaining characters to meet. Masters of the arcane arts, shrewd politicians, and conniving thieves are just a few of the personalities that dot its landscape. However, there is one NPC from The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind that made such a big impression that it would be a shame for it not to make a comeback in The Elder Scrolls 6: the Mudcrab Merchant.
Typically, when players think of merchants, they think of ones like Belethor from The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Rarely do they think that a crustacean is up to the task of being a merchant, much less a successful one. However, that is just what players can find in Morrowind, and it makes for an NPC that would be justified in making a return in The Elder Scrolls 6.
The History of The Mudcrab Merchant
Azura's Coast is an oddly desolate part of Vvardenfell, mostly composed of a series of islands. But in that seemingly empty part of the map, players can find the most unlikely of creatures selling his wares to players: a mudcrab. This mudcrab in particular has no physical characteristics that set it apart from other mudcrabs, but it does come with the distinct personality of being a merchant. Despite having very few lines of unique dialogue, it is arguably one of The Elder Scrolls' most unique NPCs.
The fun doesn't stop at just its personality either. Funnily enough, the Mudcrab Merchant is also by far the wealthiest merchant in the entire game, carrying 10,000 drakes in its inventory. To get an idea of how wealthy he is, the second most wealthy merchant is a scamp named Creeper, and he only has 5,000 drakes. Unlike other merchants, the Mudcrab Merchant buys the player's items at full price, regardless of their disposition and speech levels. This makes it one of the best gold-making methods in The Elder Scrolls. For these reasons and more, the Mudcrab Merchant deserves to make a reappearance in The Elder Scrolls 6.
Despite having been introduced all the way back in 2002, Bethesda Softworks has not forgotten about this iconic NPC, featuring the Mudcrab Merchant in The Elder Scrolls: Legends as a card. The Mudcrab Merchant has become a fan-favorite character for many. Not only would its return be a callback to one of The Elder Scrolls most unique NPCs, but it could become a running joke, similar to The Elder Scrolls' M'aiq the Liar. It would also make sense in terms of precedence, as The Elder Scrolls franchise has had a tendency of bringing back many characters from previous games.
For example, Neloth is a dark elf mage found in Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC. However, he actually first appeared two decades ago in Morrowind. There are many other characters in Skyrim that are like Neloth in that they came from previous games. The Mudcrab Merchant could be next in line, having a humorous explanation for how he survived the eruption of Red Mountain. Though it might be strange that it managed to live hundreds of years, it is within the realm of possibility, considering that its ability to talk is already extraordinary. Whatever the case may be, The Elder Scrolls 6 should follow Morrowind's footsteps using the Mudcrab Merchant.
Though it isn't likely that players will see the return of this NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6, it certainly is a fun idea to entertain. After all, interactions with The Elder Scrolls' NPCs are part of the reason why the franchise is so popular.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in development.