Skyrim is a fantastic RPG with an epic story and arguably even better side quests (to say nothing about how gorgeous the graphics look a decade after release), but it also has its share of weirdness. If you take the time to dive into the lore, you may discover even more bizarre details.
Lucky for you, we’ve already done the necessary homework. Beware: you may find major or minor spoilers about quests below that you didn’t see during a playthrough. With that disclaimer out of the way, Skyrim has plenty of strange goodness to offer, so let’s get weird!
10 Hamelyn
You don’t have an option to interact with Hamelyn, so you may not have thought about him often (or missed his craziness altogether). Regardless of your familiarity, rest assured that the “Skeever King” is one of the weirdest NPCs in Skyrim.
Hamelyn lives in the tunnels underneath Honningbrew Meadery, where he conducts experiments on his rodents. His “irresponsibility” got him kicked out of the College of Winterhold, and ultimately he dies at the hands of the Dragonborn.
9 Sheogorath
What would a list of weird Skyrim characters be without the Daedric Prince of Madness? Sheogorath may be the most insane character in a video game, by definition. This Deadric Prince was the god of order before becoming an inverted form of his original self.
His mission is arguably the strangest in The Elder Scrolls V, and at the least, it deviates from the other quests in amazingly weird ways (which also make it the best Daedric Quest in the game). It’s worth any hardcore fan’s time to dive further into his lore because it’s a fascinating chapter in an epic story.
8 Cicero
Cicero was a “normal” assassin before you encounter him, but by the time you meet, he’s the excitable Keeper of the Dark Brotherhood everyone knows and loves. Depending on your choices, he can either become a zealous friend or antagonist.
This Imperial assassin is weird because he’s overly excitable and hopelessly dedicated to his “mother.” You might find reasons to sympathize with Cicero, but you’ll have more difficulty if you turn him into the guards early in the campaign.
7 Septimus Signus
Septimus Signus has the distinction of having read the Elder Scrolls, but unfortunately, he wasn’t prepared and went mad. Believing that he had found a cube containing the Heart of Lorkhan could only drive him further into madness (and he is incredibly intelligent).
Even his death is odd and left to interpretation for fans of the game. His ludicrous ramblings reveal his motivations, but it takes a pocketful of patience to get through the dialogue. Between his shaky voice, skooma addiction, and cryptic dialogue, he definitely belongs in a list of anything weird about Skyrim.
6 Knjakr
Knjakr is weird and evil, but luckily he’s not difficult to kill if you’re at an appropriate level for traveling through the Ratway Warrens in Riften. As you pass his “room” in the makeshift insane asylum, he invites you to “stay for dinner.”
As you might assume, Knjakr is a cannibal who thinks the Dragonborn looks like a tasty meal. He may try to tell you that he has a shiny present for you, but it’s probably best for everyone if you take him out on your way through the sewer.
5 Lisbet
When the Dragonborn meets Lisbet, she presents herself as a shopkeep whose husband passed away recently. Your character learns later that’s she’s a cannibal who ate her husband and worships a dark Daedric Prince (hence why she’s probably not marriage material).
If that’s not weird enough, she says during The Taste of Death Quest that her husband had “such great taste.” The other foot officially drops when she mentioned that her brother had a “juicy liver.”
4 Babette
The last thing that you expect to see while you’re trying to join the Dark Brotherhood is a 10-year-old girl, but Babette is no child. This vampire is over 300 years old, and she notes that her innocent appearance makes her a better assassin.
Fans of Alchemy and the Dark Brotherhood quests will talk to her with relative frequency for potions, items, and training. Babette’s a shocking character and an odd duck whose inclusion might make you decide to become a vampire or cure your vampirism, depending on how your view her story.
3 Calixto Corrium
If you never completed the Blood on the Ice quest and took a tour of Calixto’s House of Curiosities, you probably think he’s a charming shopkeeper. Unfortunately, he’s a horrific murderer who harvests the organs of young women.
Calixto wants to revive his sister, Lucilla, and he obviously is willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goal. If everything goes well, you’ll catch him and make him pay for his crimes by the end of this quest you don’t want to miss.
2 M’aiq the Liar
M’aiq the Liar is weird because he appears in random places and always has a cryptic comment or “humblebrag” about his travels (which can also be hilarious, of course). M’aiq the Liar started as an easter egg included by the developers to provide commentary about The Elder Scrolls series, and he’s a beloved inclusion in Skyrim.
M’aiq can see through invisibility spells or potions, so it’s impossible to avoid his comments when he’s ready to speak. He claims that “all people are beautiful to him,” but considering his name, it’s probably a passive-aggressive insult about your avatar’s appearance.
1 Wylandriah
It’s clear from the first conversation with Wylandriah that she’s obsessive about her research, not unlike a Ph.D. candidate who has studied one topic for years. If you take the time to read a note on her table, her weird behavior should come into focus.
It seems that Wylandriah also found herself in Sheogarth’s Realm of Madness where the mage lost a few marbles. If you haven’t taken the time to speak with her, she has some of the most interesting and bizarre conversations in Skyrim.
