The Elder Scrolls series has great lore, huge open worlds, and some of the broadest roleplaying freedom afforded to players in the RPG genre. What it is rarely praised for, however, are its villains. The Elder Scrolls 6 is Bethesda's opportunity to change that.
Ever since The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, every main Elder Scrolls villain has been a powerful ancient being akin to a god or demon. The Elder Scrolls 6 needs to buck the trend, delivering the main series' first mortal antagonist since Daggerfall. Here's why, and some of the candidates for the next game's antagonist.
The Elder Scrolls'Â Antagonists
The last three Elder Scrolls villains were, in order, Dagoth Ur, Mehrunes Dagon, and Alduin. While born a mortal, Dagoth Ur was a Chimer Lord who infused himself with the divine energy of the Heart to become a self-proclaimed god. Mehrunes Dagon is a one of the Daedric Princes of Oblivion, and in both his appearance and role as the Daedric Prince of revolution and change, is essentially The Elder Scrolls' version of Satan. Alduin the World Eater is Skyrim's antagonist, and is considered the ancient Nordic god of destruction.
Dagoth Ur is the most compelling and individually characterized of these villains by far, if only because the Tribunal's betrayal of Nerevar complicates his perspective. In contrast, Mehrunes Dagon has no spoken dialogue in Oblivion, and only shows up as a demonic giant during the final fight. Alduin desires total dominance and destruction, but doesn't have any personal or relatable motivations at all.
The Elder Scrolls 6 shouldn't shy away from powerful beings like the Aedra and Daedra, but Bethesda does need to address how insufficient totally inhuman and intrinsically evil characters are when designing a compelling antagonist. The Elder Scrolls games prioritize freedom above the strength of the main storyline. However, that doesn't mean that the series' villains should have such a simple role in its stories that the last two antagonists were both different beings worshipped as lords of destruction.
Mortal Villains In The Elder Scrolls 6
The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall had the main series' last mortal villain. Lord Woodborne was a Breton noble who assassinated King Lysandus of Daggerfall. To avenge Lysandus the player could assassinate Woodborne in turn, or could publicly humiliate him. While Daggerfall was limited by the technology of the time, Lord Woodborne had far more relatable goals as a villain than the past few antagonists seen in the series. Seeing an opportunity to take power in the chaos of battle, Lord Woodborne took it. He may not be particularly complicated, but at least his aims are understandable, unlike the pure desire for destruction fueling both Alduin and Mehrunes Dagon.
To take The Elder Scrolls 6 to the next level the game needs a compelling mortal protagonist with fundamentally human reasons underlying their actions, even if they end up being an Elf, Orc, Argonian, or Khajiit. The next game should tell a story that isn't about a villain who wants to bring about the end of the world, but whose evil is rooted in more realistic and compelling goals.
The Elder Scrolls 6's mortal villain could be the Thalmor leader in whichever province the game ends up being set in. Like Woodborne, it could be a local ruler vying for power, or the leader of a powerful Daedric cult who is explored in greater depth than the Mythic Dawn from Oblivion. Not only did Alduin and Mehrunes Dagon stand out as lacking characterization, but they didn't even have mortal followers who were fleshed out. At the very least, The Elder Scrolls 6 needs to put more time into its main story and developing the antagonistic characters players will meet on their journey if it's going to surpass Skyrim's legacy after all these years.
The Elder Scrolls 6Â is currently in development.