The Thu'um, also known as the Voice, is one of Skyrim's most iconic mechanics, and one of few Elder Scrolls 5 innovations unlikely to make an appearance in the next game. Once the player has made it far enough through the main quest to make dragon attacks a regular occurrence, it isn't long before they're farming dragon souls to unlock some of the game's most unique abilities.
Some shouts, however, are far more useful than others. Here are some of the shouts in Skyrim with the greatest utility as players travel the province, and where players need to go to unlock them.
Disarm
Disarm does exactly what it says on the tin, allowing Skyrim players to disarm any enemy below level 31. Not only does this shout disarm foes, but it also staggers them. Their priority usually becomes picking up their weapon again, which often allows the player to attack them from behind. If the Dragonborn is quick enough, they can even pick up the enemy's weapon before their foe gets a chance, leaving them far less effective in combat.
The shout's three parts are Zun, Haal, and Viik. They can be found at Eldersblood Peak, Silverdrift Lair, and Snow Veil Sanctum. This shout is a blessing when fighting Draugr Lords, and when aimed at a pack of bandits heading the player's way, it can be hilarious to watch as they scramble for their weapons.
Soul Tear
Soul Tear is only unlocked in the Dawnguard DLC, but can be very useful to any Dragonborn that finds themself tearing through soul gems quicker than they can find or fill them. This is a shout which, on the surface, simply deals 300 damage. However, if the shout is used to kill an opponent who is below level 100, not only does it have the same effect as the Soul Trap spell, but it reanimates their corpse for one minute to fight by the player's side.
The three components, Rii, Vaaz, and Zol, are all taught by the dragon Durnehviir after the player has used the Summon Durnehviir shout three times. Since the Summon Durnehviir shout itself requires 3 dragon souls to unlock, the player ultimately needs to kill 6 dragons to unlock this powerful ability, as well as making it to the Soul Cairn part of the Dawnguard quest. The shout itself can't be used on dragons beyond dealing damage, but it can be used to reanimate some of Skyrim's most powerful creatures, like giants, making it incredibly useful once unlocked. Although it might take some time to collect the necessary dragon souls, there's another shout which can speed up that process considerably.
Dragonrend
Dragonrend forces dragons to land, and is gained during the main quest Alduin's Bane. Although the quest is relatively late in Skyrim's main questline, the player doesn't need to use any dragon souls to unlock it. Dragonrend becomes particularly useful after the main quest, allowing the player to farm dragon souls far more easily, unlocking more shouts.
Each part of the shout has the same effect, just for a shorter period of time, making it versatile in combat. Without this shout, many dragons won't land until they've reached at least half of their health. If the player has the Dragonborn DLC as well, this shout can also make capturing dragons to ride them go more smoothly.
Slow Time
Slow Time, unsurprisingly, slows down time. Like Dragonrend, each part of the shout has the same effect, but using each additional word increases the duration. Each word also increases the extent to which time is slowed. The three words are Tiid, Klo, and Ul. They can be found at Hag's End, Korvanjund, and Labyrinthian. Tiid slows time by 70% for 8 seconds, Klo by 80% for 12 seconds, and Ul by 90% for 16 seconds. The shout can be particularly useful when fighting against enemies which can one-shot the player if they land a successful hit, like Skyrim's giants. Combined with the archery skill Steady Hand, this can be particularly powerful for bow-based players, allowing them to slow time practically to a stand-still.
Unrelenting Force
Unrelenting Force is a classic Skyrim shout, but no list of the game's most useful shouts would be complete without it. All three parts are learned during Skyrim's main quest, and players need only get to the end of Bleak Falls Barrow to find the only word wall involved. Unrelenting Force's utility in the mountainous land of Skyrim is obvious, but there are ways to make Fus Roh Dah even more powerful. Players can gain the ability Dragonborn Force in the Dragonborn DLC, where it is one of the three abilities they can find during the quest The Gardener of Men. This adds the possibility that the shout will also simply disintegrate enemies.
Become Ethereal
There are few shouts in Skyrim more useful that Become Ethereal, as this shout makes the player completely immune to damage. The duration depends on how many of the three words - Feim, Zii, and Gron - are said, but it lasts 8, 13, or 18 seconds. Even the shortest version can be extremely useful for travel, allowing the player to throw themself from the highest mountains in Skyrim and take no fall damage, and is only broken early if the player attacks, casts a healing spell, or uses potions or poisons.
This shout is great for dungeons, allowing the player to run through any number of traps. It's also useful for mages, allowing them to charge up high-level spells without interruption, and can let the player run through the lava in the Aetherium Forge or the damage-dealing pools in Hermeaus Mora's Apocrypha. Become Ethereal might be the most useful shout in all of Skyrim, with utility in any situation where the player can take damage. Players can even meditate with Paarthurnax to increase the speed of their health regeneration in their ethereal form, allowing them to dive back into the fray as soon as the shout's effects are over. The words - Feim, Zii, and Gron - are found at Ironbind Barrow, Lost Valley Redoubt, and Ustengrav.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available now on PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
