Skyrim features a number of unique factions for the player to join that are completely different than guilds found in Oblivion, Morrowind, and other Elder Scrolls games. One of the few returning factions is the Thieves Guild, which by the time of Skyrim has fallen significantly from the great heights of its past.
The Thieves Guild offers stealthy players a faction suited to their particular talents, especially players who prefer burglary over assassination. In Skyrim the Thieves Guild is based in Riften, a city already crime-ridden, as the player takes part in a quest surrounding the guild's streak of bad luck resulting in its current state.
Updated May 2, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: The Skyrim Thieves Guild is an organization that operates a little bit differently than its previous iterations in Oblivion and Morrowind. Being a member still gives special benefits, though the quests players are sent on seem less thief-y and more mafia-ey. Nevertheless, joining the Thieves Guild in Skyrim is almost necessary if you want to pursue a Stealth-related build as there are several Armor sets and other benefits that can be gained by progressing the organization's questline. Whether you agree with their methods or not, it's hard to find fault in the benefits themselves. Just look past the fact that Riften's homeless are, well, still homeless, despite all the Thieves' Guild talk of being defenders of the poor.
The Thieves Guild: Riften's Underground Mafia
The Thieves Guild in other Elder Scrolls titles was more than a bit different than its representation in Skyrim. In Morrowind, for example, the Thieves Guild has no problems with killing despite a heavy focus on stealing, and in Oblivion the Thieves Guild was a champion for the rights and livelihood of the Imperial City's most downtrodden.
In Skyrim the Thieves Guild is not concerned with petty theft like in previous centuries, devoting its efforts primarily to intimidating and extorting citizens. Part of this may be the guild's massive bad luck in recent big-name Heists, as extortion is more reliable than sneaking around. Nonetheless, the Thieves Guild is the best home for a character who prefers to stay in the shadows.
Why Should You Join The Skyrim Theives Guild?
The Thieves Guild of Skyrim isn't just a loose-knit group of mafia-like enforcers and burglars - it's also a kind of brotherhood that gives its members preferred treatment, special items and equipment, and access to some of the game's best enchanted gear tuned for Thieves and stealth-reliant players. The Nightingale Set, the Thieves Guild Set, and the Guild Master's Armor set are all only available through the Skyrim Thieves Guild questline. It's also a way to get Chillrend, and the Daedric Artifact the Skeleton Key, an unbreakable and reusable lockpick.
In addition to material goods, players get some other nifty benefits. For starters, there are a ton of free lockpicks and other useful items for Thieves just lying around. There are fences in the HQ that will buy stolen property from you, trainers for Pickpocketing, Lockpicking, and Sneak, and Guards will start to take bribes in exchange for looking the other way – even without the associated Bribe perk players normally need. There's even a Trophy Case that can be filled by completing difficult Radiant quests or found along the way on the main quest.
How To Join The Thieves Guild In Skyrim
The Thieves Guild in Skyrim is arguably one of the easiest factions for the player to join. It's based in Riften, so perhaps the most difficult part of the process is getting to this far south-eastern city in the first place. It's not as out of the way as it could be, though, as a carriage can be bought from any major city to get there without any sightseeing.
No matter how you decide to join the Thieves Guild, the initiation trials are extremely easy to complete, even for a fledgling stealth player. Normally it's a good idea to abuse the quicksave system to make pickpocketing and stealing a guaranteed success. The first quest for entry into the Thieves Guild is so forgiving, though, that it doesn't matter whether you ultimately pass or fail.
Method One: Follow The Main Quest Until Esbern Is Found
The way that most players encounter the Thieves Guild for the first time is by simply completing the main quest until Delphine is found. She will eventually guide the player to the Ratways beneath Riften in the quest "A Cornered Rat" after infiltrating the Thalmor Embassy. To get to Esbern players are forced to go through The Ragged Flagon, which can double as an introduction to Brynjolf and the rest of the Thieves Guild.
Method Two: Go Straight To Brynjolf in Riften
If you want to join the Thieve's Guild sooner (or are avoiding the main questline) Brynjolf will still offer you a place as long as you can get to Riften. The quickest way on a fresh save is to head to Whiterun and hire a carriage to Riften. Then, head to the Market and look for Brynjolf – sometimes he is waiting inside the Bee and Barb pub. Talk to him to begin your journey into becoming a member of the Thieves Guild.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S