Plenty of weapons exist in Skyrim for players to find. From war axes to bows, there is a weapon type that can fit any play style. War axes are one of the most interesting options in Skyrim due to their perk pool and how easy they are to obtain.
That said, there aren't many unique war axes to find. With only 13 options to choose from, it can seem disappointing to use war axes that aren't crafted. Fortunately, some war axes are more than capable of dealing with Skyrim's many dungeons and quests, with the best war axes in Skyrim able to tear through enemies like a knife through hot butter.
Updated December 19, 2022, by Aldous Foster: Over the years since Skyrim's original release, a great many things have changed. With different versions of the game and the massive expansion of the modding scene, Skyrim has become a customizable experience that just improves over time. One thing that has not changed, however, is that war axes are still generally undervalued. With the release of Skyrim's Anniversary Edition, there were ten new unique swords added to the game but only two new war axes. Luckily, the effectiveness of war axes has also not been changed either, and the new additions are strong. Any players wishing to find the most powerful, unique war axes in Skyrim have plenty to choose from.
13 Ghorbash's Ancestral Axe
Ghorbash the Iron Hand was supposed to give players his axe at some point during Skyrim's development, but this weapon was cut before the game was released. The weapon is still obtainable through console commands or modding, but there is not much point given its lackluster stats.
Packing only eight base damage per swing, which puts it level with iron axes, there are far better axes to find in Skyrim.
12 Notched Pickaxe
Likely a reference to Minecraft, the Notched Pickaxe is a unique war axe that can be found at the tip of the Throat of the World. While it only deals 5 damage per swing, it makes up for this by dealing an additional 5 points of shock damage to targets while enhancing a player's Smithing skill by 5.
It's not a remarkable war axe compared to most options, but it's by no means a terrible weapon as it can be combined with a set of enchanted armor to massively improve the player's smithing.
11 Poacher's Axe
The Poacher's Axe is much stronger than what its stats would imply. It deals 5 base damage per swing but has the attack speed of a dagger, capable of attacking 1.3 times a second. It also deals 3 extra points of damage to animals, an enchantment that can be learned at an Enchanting Table upon dismantling the item.
It's a very solid early-game axe that can be found in various locations or gained from different merchants or bandits.
10 Ceremonial Axe
The Ceremonial Axe is tied to the "Silenced Tongues" quest and must be obtained to finish it. It deals a solid nine damage per swing, but it cannot be removed from a player's inventory until the quest is finished.
This can result in strange bugs where the weapon can never exit a player's inventory regardless of quest status. Besides this, the Ceremonial Axe is a standard Ancient Nord War Axe.
9 Ulfric's War Axe
Ulfric Stormcloak has a signature Steel War Axe which deals the base nine base damage per swing. It can be obtained rather early by starting the Civil War questline and siding with the Stormcloaks. Ulfric will give his axe to the player and ask them to deliver his weapon to Balgruuf in Whiterun.
Instead of giving this quest item away, players can keep it to make the earlier portions of Skyrim slightly easier.
8 Lunar Iron War Axe
Northwest of Whiterun lies the Silent Moons Camp, a strange location that has a unique forge. This forge crafts lunar weapons, granting a powerful enchantment that makes these weapons deal 20 additional points of damage while the moons are out.
Besides this powerful enchantment, it's a standard Iron Axe that deals eight damage a swing.
7 Lunar Steel War Axe
Differences between the Steel and Iron War Axe variants are in their base damage alone. The Steel variant deals nine base damage instead of eight.
They are identical besides this. They're obtained from the same location too, with the same 20-damage enchantment.
6 Hoarfrost
Hoarfrost is a deadly pickaxe found in the Dragonborn DLC. This axe belongs to Ralis Sedarys and can be obtained by either killing him or stealing his weapon. It only deals five base damage, but it has a massive 15 frost damage enchantment that has a small chance of freezing targets solid.
This weapon won't stunlock targets since the freeze property is rather rare, but the enchantment is so strong that it makes Hoarfrost one of the most powerful weapons in Skyrim.
5 Skyforge Steel War Axe
Around the back of the Companion's mead hall in Whiterun is one of the most legendary forges in Tamriel. It is here, and only here, that Eorland Gray-Mane makes Skyforge Steel weapons. These weapons may look like ordinary steel but are far sturdier, dealing more damage. The only way to obtain one of these weapons is to join the Companions, and after proving they deserve a place among them, Eorland will offer to make one Skyforge weapon of the player's choosing.
The Skyforge Steel War Axe deals a base damage of 12. This means it deals 3 more points of damage than the Steel War Axe and the same amount of damage as Elven War Axes. Continuing the Companions quest does allow players to use the Skyforge to craft Nord Hero weapons, which are somewhat unique in that they too can only be created at the Skyforge. However, the Dragonborn will never be able to create another Skyforge Weapon.
4 Okin
Okin is a powerful Ancient Nord War Axe that deals 12 base damage and has a ten-point frost enchantment. It's much less interesting than most weapons on this list, but its high damage potential with every swing makes it a reliable option for all content.
It can be obtained a few hours into the game in the Volunruud dungeon and can tackle most of Skyrim's content with ease. It's just a shame so many foes are resistant to frost damage.
3 Tyrant's Bane
Originally added by the Creation Club, and now by the Anniversary Edition, Tyrant's Bane is obtained through the Bones for a Crow quest. This quest can be started by talking to innkeepers about bounties and rewards the player with a way to craft Dragonplate Insulated Armor, which has the same stats as the base Dragonplate Armor but looks slightly different. Along the way, however, the player will have to kill a character called Crowstooth, who drops Tyrant's Bane.
This unique weapon looks the same as the Forsworn War Axe but deals 12 base damage rather than 11. It also has a fire enchantment that deals an extra 30 damage.
2 Cleaver Of St. Felms
Another Anniversary Edition weapon is the Cleaver of St Felms. Dealing 14 points of base damage, which is only one point less than Daedric, Ebony, and Stalhrim, this is one of the strongest unique, one-handed weapons in Skyrim. It also deals 30 points of fire damage and absorbs 25 points of Magicka, which makes it even stronger in the hands of a Battlemage character.
To obtain this weapon, the player must progress through the Ghosts of the Tribunal questline in Solstheim, which grants the player access to weapons and armor from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. The Cleaver of St Felms can be found on Vesparth the Toe in Ashfall's Tear.
1 Dawnguard Rune Axe
On the surface, the Dawnguard Rune Axe is a great mid-game option that deals 11 base damage alongside ten points of Sun damage to undead. However, this axe becomes much stronger when it kills undead. Every undead slain by this axe grants it one additional point of sun damage, up to a cap of 100.
This weapon is supposed to have its bonus reset every sunrise, but tempering the Rune Axe will prevent it from resetting its kill count. Since sun damage is tripled against undead, this weapon is capable of one-shotting Dragon Priests, Draugr Deathlords, and Master Vampires. It's a mediocre weapon against normal foes, but this weapon gives Dawnbreaker a run for its money when it is used against undead.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Anniversary Edition is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.