Highlights
- Daedric Princes, who are the strongest and most intelligent Daedra, play a significant role in The Elder Scrolls series, with their questlines being popular among players.
- The Daedric Princes that have not been featured in previous games include Boethiah, Clavicus Vile, Jyggalag, Malacath, Mephala, Meridia, Molag Bal, Namira, Nocturnal, Peryite, Sanguine, and Vaermina.
- Based on potential storytelling and player interest, the most likely Daedric Princes to be featured in The Elder Scrolls 6 are Malacath, Clavicus Vile, and Sanguine. Jyggalag, Nocturnal, and Meridia are also possibilities, while the darker Princes are less likely.
Daedra are denizens from the planes of Oblivion and come in varying degrees of strength; the strongest and most intelligent Daedra are the Daedric Princes, who rule entire planes of Oblivion and possess power equivalent to gods. The Daedric Princes interact with mortals far more than their counterparts, the Aedra or Eight Divines, resulting in Daedra worship around Tamriel. Questlines from the Daedric Princes are some of the most popular parts of The Elder Scrolls, and they're sure to make an appearance in The Elder Scrolls 6, though which Princes get the spotlight is up for speculation.
Since The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, one of the expansion packs for each game has heavily featured a Daedric Prince. Morrowind's main game invested in Azura, while its Bloodmoon expansion featured Hircine, Oblivion's main game featured Mehrunes Dagon as the key antagonist, while its expansion The Shivering Isles featured Sheogorath, and Skyrim's Dragonborn expansion featured Hermaeus Mora.
The Daedric Princes That Still To Be Featured in The Elder Scrolls
The Daedric Prince for The Elder Scrolls 6 is unlikely to be one of these five as it would be a retread of past content. Instead, players can look to the Daedric Princes that have the most potential for an interesting story, no matter where it's set. While Hammerfell is not confirmed to be The Elder Scrolls 6's setting, it is arguably the leading speculation for the upcoming title, but that unfortunately doesn't help in regard to speculation. Hammerfell, unlike some other locations, doesn't have a lot of connections with the Daedra, at least in the lore preceding TES6.
The Daedric Princes who haven't been featured in The Elder Scrolls:
- Boethiah: The Prince of Unlawful Overthrow of Authority
- Clavicus Vile: The Prince of Bargains
- Jyggalag: The Prince of Order
- Malacath: The Prince of the Ostracized
- Mephala: The Prince of Plots and Discord
- Meridia: The Prince of Life and Energy
- Molag Bal: The Prince of Domination and Enslavement
- Namira: The Prince of the Ancient Darkness and Repulsive
- Nocturnal: The Prince of the Night
- Peryite: The Prince of Pestilence
- Sanguine: The Prince of Hedonism
- Vaermina: The Prince of Dreams and Nightmares
The Daedric Princes least likely to feature heavily in The Elder Scrolls 6 are Peyrite and Namira. Peyrite, though depicted as a dragon, is generally considered to be the weakest and least remarkable of the Daedric Princes. Meanwhile, Namira's realm of "all things considered repulsive" would be a hard sell to players, especially considering her quest in Skyrim involved a cult of cannibals.
The Daedric Princes With Storytelling Potential
- Jyggalag didn't appear at all in Skyrim despite his restored status as a Daedric Prince, and Bethesda may want to make up for that in The Elder Scrolls 6 by giving him a prominent role, although it may be unlikely after The Shivering Isles.
- Nocturnal plays a large role in the Thieves Guild storylines, but her realm of the night and darkness has potential, and she's one of the most popular Daedric Princes.
- Meridia's role as an obscure but "good" Daedra means it's likely she would be more akin to Azura's role in Morrowind rather than have an expansion pack dedicated to her.
An expansion focused on Sanguine, the Prince of Hedonism, would work particularly well thanks to the nature of his plane of Oblivion, the Myriad Realms of Revelry, which are said to encompass thousands of different planes and environments. He's said to test the darker natures of people, though rather than the murder or exploitation of others that the other Princes seem to prefer, Sanguine encourages people to give in to their own natures and desires. This concept could be very interesting for roleplaying, and the potential for character and storytelling is unlimited. It could be reminiscent of The Shivering Isles, but rather than involuntary madness, the individual makes a conscious decision to give in to temptation.
Clavicus Vile is another Daedric Prince with storytelling potential that hasn't received a lot of focus in The Elder Scrolls. Because of his role as the Prince of Bargains, he's known as a trickster. He's often seen alongside Barbas, a shapeshifting Daedra who houses much of Clavicus Vile's power, and who often takes the form of a dog. Part of Clavicus Vile's plane of Oblivion, the Fields of Regret, ended up trapped above Tamriel as the floating island Umbriel.
While Umbriel was eventually banished back to the Fields of Regret, it's unknown what Clavicus Vile's plane looks like right now. Exploring bargains and deals with a Daedric Prince, all while exploring his home and being confronted with the consequences of choices, has a lot of storytelling potential. Barbas could even be there to assist the player character along the way.
Another likely option is Malacath, who is particularly important to the Orcs, and who used to be the Aedra Trinimac. Malacath is the Prince of the Ostracized and, while reviled by the Dunmer, is generally regarded as a Daedric Prince who cares for his followers. His role as a savior for outcasts has some interesting storytelling, as does Malacath's past as a former Aedra.
The more violent and darker Daedric Princes such as Molag Bal, Boethiah, Mephala, and Vaermina haven't been explored as much as the other Daedric Princes. Their planes of Oblivion are likely too dark to be depicted within The Elder Scrolls 6, and so any story focused on them would need to be closer to Morrowind: Bloodmoon. Hammerfell doesn't have a strong tradition of Daedra worship, so it's unlikely these Princes will be explored in depth beyond their usual artifact quest.
Therefore, it seems that Malacath, Clavicus Vile, and Sanguine are the most likely. A step down from there would be Jyggalag, Nocturnal, and Meridia, while those who have been a big focus in past games (as well as the darker Princes) are the least likely.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development.