Skyrim: 5 Best Quests [55 Hours Experience]

We know you are eager for the best rewards and storyline in Skyrim, and for that, we have these best 5 Quests in Skyrim!

By Hammad Ijaz

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November 20, 2023

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To get a quest in Skyrim, you need to interact with NPCs throughout the game. The quests include objectives like retrieving something, defeating a boss, or solving puzzles. Once you complete a quest, you will usually be rewarded with something valuable and rare. However, not all quests reward you the same. Therefore, depending on the reward and story, there are 5 best quests that you should complete in Skyrim.

Skyrim Best Quests

There are a total of 273 quests available in the game. Here are the best 5 notable quests and their rewards in Skyrim:

Companions Quest – Become their leader.
College of Winterhold Quest – Gain access to new spells, abilities, and perks.
Innocence Lost Quest – Receive the Aretino Family Heirloom.
The Way of the Voice Quest – Learn all words of the Whirlwind Sprint.
Hard Answers Quest – Obtain the Nightingale Blade.

Why Trust Us: I’ve played Skyrim for more than 50 hours on Steam, experiencing every mechanic and element the title has to offer.

Here is a quick glance at some of the Best Quests in Skyrim:

Quests	Best For	Reward	Location
Waking Nightmare	Best Quest For Narrative Depth And Complexity	Skull of Corruption	Start by speaking to a strange man Erandur in Windpeak Inn in Dawnstar
Kyne’s Sacred Trials	Best Quest For Hunters	Kyne’s Sacred Trials Froki’s Bow Title of Huntsman/Huntress	Initiated by speaking to Froki Whetted-Blade at his cabin in the south of Ivarstead
The Mind Of Madness	Best Puzzle-Based Quest	Wabbajack Title of “Champion of Sheogorath	Started by speaking to a strange man Dervenin around the Solitude streets
The Cursed Tribe	Best Rewarding Quest	The Volendrung Largashbur	Initiated by speaking to the orc named Atub located in the Rift region of Skyrim
To Kill An Empire	Best Short Quest For High Rewards	Emperor’s Robes Gold	Part of the Dark Brotherhood questline, takes place in province of Haafingar

5. Waking Nightmare

Best Quest For Narrative Depth And Complexity.

Best Skyrim Quests: Waking Nightmare Quest — The Waking Nightmare Quest [Image Captured by us]

Why I Chose This: The immersive gameplay elements this quest provides with narrative complexity.

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Quest Location:

Start the Walking Nightmare quest by talking to Erandur at the Windpeak Inn in Dawnstar.

Quest Rewards:

Obtain the Skull of Corruption, a unique staff dealing significant damage and creating target clones, along with gold.

Quest Length:

The Walking Nightmare quest is moderately long, taking around 1-2 hours to complete.

Quest Difficulty:

This quest is challenging, involving a maze-like dungeon with enemies, traps, puzzles, and a formidable end-boss.

Quest Description:

Help Erandur, a former member of Daedric Prince Vaermina’s cult, halt a nightmare plague afflicting Dawnstar’s residents. Locate the plague source and defeat the powerful Nightmare while facing waves of enemies.

Starting the Quest:

Visit Dawnstar and speak to Erandur at Windpeak Inn. Follow Erandur to Nightcaller Temple, facing deadly spiders on the way.

Progressing Through the Temple:

Inside the temple, encounter waking orcs and mages, defeating them. Find a mysterious book that Erandur can interpret. Drink a potion to experience another person’s memory, leading you to a dream-like state. Awake on the other side of a previously impassable barrier.

Reaching the Skull:

Advance toward the skull while encountering Erandur’s friends. Eliminate them before Erandur attempts to destroy the skull through a ritual.

Choose Your Path:

Option 1: Let Erandur complete the ritual, allowing him to become your companion, but note that it won’t count as one of the 15 Deadric Artifacts for the Oblivion Walker trophy. Option 2: Kill Erandur and take the skull for the Oblivion Walker Trophy, ending the quest.

Enjoy one of Skyrim’s best quests.

Obtain the Skull of Corruption unique reward.
Unique gameplay experience and a potential companion.

The maze-like dungeon navigation can prove to be frustrating.

4. Kyne’s Sacred Trials

Best Quest For Hunters.

Skyrim: Kyne’s Sacred Trials Quest — The Kyne’s Sacred Trials Quest [Image Captured by eXputer]

Why I Chose This: The unique title of Huntsman after completion of the quest with unique rewards and weapons.

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Quest Location:

Initiate Kyne’s Sacred Trials quest by speaking to Froki Whetted-Blade at his cabin south of Ivarstead.

Quest Rewards:

Gain the ability to summon Kyne’s Sacred Trials for hunting challenges. Receive Froki’s Bow, a unique weapon dealing extra damage to animals and creatures. Earn the title “Huntsman” or “Huntress.”

Quest Length:

Complete Kyne’s Sacred Trials in about 45 minutes.

Quest Difficulty:

Moderately difficult quest involving hunting and defeating animals, including a legendary beast at the end.

Quest Description:

Help Froki Whetted-Blade complete sacred trials to prove your hunting skills and gain Kyne’s favor, the goddess of the hunt. Hunt and defeat various animals and creatures, including a cave bear, saber cat, wolf pack, and the legendary Guardian of the Vale.

Completing the Quest:

Speak with Froki at Froki’s Shack to start the quest. Hunt and defeat guardian Mud crab, Wolf, and Skeever. Report back to Froki. Next, hunt guardian Mammoth, Sabre Cat, and Bear. Report to Froki again. Finally, face the Guardian Troll at Graywinter Watch with other trolls. Completing all trials finishes the quest.

Kyne’s Sacred Trials is among the top quests in Skyrim, offering unique hunting challenges and rewards.

Provides players with unique rewards and weapons.
Provides “Huntsman/Huntress” title on completion.

Focused on hunting challenges providing limited excitement for other players.

3. The Mind Of Madness

Best Puzzle-Based Quest.

Skyrim Best Quests: The Mind Of Madness Quest — The Mind Of Madness Quest [Image by eXputer]

Why I Chose This: The puzzle-solving and combat encounters provide for a thrilling and entertaining experience.

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Quest Location:

Begin the Mind of Madness quest by talking to Dervenin, a peculiar man wandering the streets of Solitude.

Quest Rewards:

Acquire the Wabbajack, a unique staff with unpredictable effects on targets. Earn the title “Champion of Sheogorath.” Receive a leveled amount of gold.

Quest Length:

Complete the Mind of Madness quest in approximately 1 to 2 hours.

Quest Difficulty:

This quest is challenging, involving puzzle-solving, navigating a surreal world, and defeating various enemies.

Quest Description:

Help Sheogorath enter the mind of Pelagius Septim III to cure his insanity. Navigate through a surreal world with puzzles and illusions. Confront Pelagius’ fears and anxieties to complete the quest.

Starting the Quest:

In Solitude, aid a servant in rescuing his trapped master from an abandoned corridor in the Blue Palace. Retrieve the key from Falk if you completed the Wolfskull Cave quest, or ask a maid for the key by mentioning Falk. Use the key to access Pelagius’ mind on the second floor.

Completing the Quest:

Speak with Sheogorath to receive the Wabbajack and three tasks.

First Task: Paranoia – Use the Wabbajack to turn figures into wolves while they sit next to a man.
Second Task: Anger – Make a figure big and an attacker small by shooting the Wabbajack at the figure twice.
Third Task: Night Terrors – Wake up Pelagius with the Wabbajack, handle creatures without harming Sultry Maiden or young Pelagius, experience scenes, then return to the Blue Palace with the Wabbajack to complete the quest.

In my opinion, The Mind of Madness is one of Skyrim’s top three quests, offering a unique and surreal adventure with the enigmatic Sheogorath.

Get rewarded with a unique Wabbajack staff.
Earn the title of “Champion of Sheogorath”.

Challenging for low-level players.
The Wabbajack’s unpredictable effects can lead to unexpected outcomes.

2. The Cursed Tribe

Best Rewarding Quest.

Skyrim: The Cursed Tribe Quest — The Cursed Tribe Quest [Screenshot Grab: eXputer

Why I Chose This: The powerful Warhammer this quest provides on top of the new player base.

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Quest Location:

Start the Cursed Tribe quest by speaking to Atub, an orc, at the orc stronghold of Largashbur in the Rift region of Skyrim.

Quest Rewards:

Receive Volendrung, a unique Warhammer with stamina-draining and health-absorbing abilities. Gain access to Largashbur as a player home.

Quest Length:

Complete the Cursed Tribe quest in approximately 1-2 hours.

Quest Difficulty:

This quest is moderately difficult, involving battles against strong enemies, including a giant, a troll, and a powerful orc warlord.

Quest Description:

The “Cursed Tribe” quest revolves around assisting the orc tribe of Largashbur in lifting a curse that afflicts them. Summon the Daedric Prince Malacath to help remove the curse and retrieve the Volendrung artifact from a dwarven ruin. Aid the orcs in battling their enemies and confront Chief Yamarz, who has betrayed the tribe.

Starting the Quest:

Head to Largashbur, located south of Riften, and speak with Atub. Learn about the ongoing giant attacks and the sickness affecting the orc leader. Obtain Troll Fat and a Daedra Heart to proceed.

Dealing with the Giant:

Travel with the orc leader to confront the giant northeast of Riften. Choose between letting the leader handle the giant himself or accepting a bribe.

Fighting the Giant:

Regardless of your choice, you will need to battle the giant.

Completing the Quest:

Speak to Malacath and Atub, who will instruct you to place the mace on an altar. The mace transforms into Volendrung, and you can take it from the altar.

The Cursed Tribe is a Daedric quest requiring a minimum level of nine and offers the powerful Volendrung Warhammer as its reward.

Get rewarded with a unique Warhammer, Volendrung.
Provides a new player home base.

Powerful enemy encounters may prove quite challenging.
The Largashbur player home doesn’t allow any customizability.

1. To Kill An Empire

Best Short Quest For High Rewards.

Best Quest in Skyrim: To Kill An Empire — To Kill An Empire Quest [Screenshot Captured by eXputer]

Why I Chose This: The high rewards this quest provides with the short completion time.

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Quest Location:

The “To Kill an Empire” quest is part of the Dark Brotherhood questline and primarily occurs in Solitude, Haafingar province.

Quest Rewards:

Completion grants a substantial amount of gold and the Emperor’s Robes, a unique item with high value that can be used or sold.

Quest Length:

On average, this quest takes around 30 minutes to an hour to complete.

Quest Difficulty:

The difficulty of the quest varies based on your level and equipment. Involves infiltrating a heavily guarded area, posing a challenge for lower-level characters or those lacking strong stealth abilities. Several optional objectives within the quest can add complexity and difficulty.

Quest Description:

The objective is to assassinate the Emperor of Tamriel, Titus Mede II. Stages include gathering information about the Emperor’s whereabouts, infiltrating his ship, and carrying out the assassination. The quest has significant repercussions for the Dark Brotherhood and Skyrim’s political landscape.

Starting the Quest:

Receive the quest from Astrid in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary after completing the “Recipe for Disaster” quest.

Completing the Quest:

Infiltrate Emperor’s Tower posing as The Gourmet, assisted by a Writ of Passage from Commander Maro. Prepare Potage le Magnifique with a poisoned ingredient alongside Chef Gianna. Witness Emperor Titus Mede II succumb to the meal. Face betrayal and battle Penitus Oculatus agents. Survive and return to the Sanctuary near Falkreath, fending off Maro’s men.

“To Kill an Empire” is considered one of the best quests in Skyrim and holds significant narrative and gameplay impact within the Dark Brotherhood questline.

Get rewarded with high amounts of gold and an Emperor Robe.
A quick and satisfying quest experience.

Requires players to be skilled in stealth.
Optional objectives in the quest increase the complexity and the time taken for completion.

Other Honorable Mentions

Here are a few other stand-out quests in Skyrim that are worth mentioning.

Ill Met by Moonlight: If you love being a werewolf any time of the day, then this quest is definitely for you to complete.
Beyond Death: Dawnguard expansion’s final quest, which requires you to access it after reaching at least the 13th level in the game.
Stones of Barenziah: A comparatively lengthy quest, but the players can re-explore the Skyrim world with many different mods.
Laid to Rest: A haunting quest in Skyrim, you must be emotionally prepared to deal with this quest.
Frostflow Abyss: To complete this quest, one must possess a strong weapon as a backup.
Forgetting About Fjola: A great side quest that grants you Fjola’s wedding band and some gold as a completion reward.
Lost to the Ages: A slightly lengthy side quest that requires Dawnguard DLC to unlock.

Final Words

All in all, these are the best quests in Skyrim that will challenge your skills and provide you with great rewards. Moreover, apart from the skills and rewards, you will also be able to dive deeper into the lore of Skyrim. And that will eventually open doors for curiosity and answers.

Moreover, if you are not aware, the 2023 VR Mods of Skyrim and Best Skyrim PC Mods In 2023 have changed the game. Not only that but if you get your hands on the Nightingale Armor along with the Best One-Handed Weapon, you will be able to complete most of these quests with ease.