Skyrim: 8 Best Swords [55 Hours Experience]

Best Swords that you can use to hunt and kill your enemies in Skyrim.

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March 7, 2023

The World of Skyrim provides players with different playstyles that suit them. They can either play as a warrior, a mage, or even a thief. If they want to play as a warrior, they have a variety of different swords available in Skyrim Special Edition. Some of these swords are easy to find, whereas others are unique and powerful. They all can have powerful enchantments that will surely help you on your journey as a Dragonborn.

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Skyrim has over 30 swords available for players. These swords are different in their stats and enchantments. Some have high damage but weaker enchantments, whereas others have lower damage but powerful enchantments. All in all, 8 Swords are worthy of being called the best of the best. Some of these include:

Let’s look at the comparison between the stats of these Best Swords in Skyrim:

Weapon Name	Base Damage	Weight	Base Value	Enchantment
Lunar Steel Sword	8.0	10.0	138 Gold	While the moons are out, burns the target for 20 points.
Miraak's Sword	12-16	3.0	410-1,250 Gold	Absorb 15 points of Stamina.
Nightingale Blade	10-14	11-15	426-1,665 Gold	Absorb 5-25 points of Health and Stamina.
Red Eagle's Bane	11.0	1.0	345 Gold	Undead up to level 13 are set on fire and flee for 30 seconds.
Silver Sword	8.0	7.0	100 Gold	Especially effective agaisnt undead.
Stalhrim Sword	13.0	14.0	985 Gold	25% stronger Frost Damage enchantments
The Pale Blade	8-11	12-15	169-914 Gold	Creatures and people up to level 5-16 flee from combat for 30 seconds. Target takes 5-25 points of frost damage to Health and 50 points of Stamina Damage.
Windshear	11.0	10.0	40.0	Bash attacks made with this weapon have a chance of knocking enemies down.

Lunar Steel Sword

Weapon Name	Base Damage	Weight	Base Value	Enchantment	Location
Lunar Steel Sword	8	10	138 Gold	While the moons are out, burn the target for 20 points.	Located at the Silent Moon Camp.

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The next weapon in the list of the Best unique swords of the game is the Lunar Steel Sword. The sword empowers in the presence of the Moon and it deals additional damage to it. Now, the game says that the Dragonborn can use the Lunar Forge (where they are found) to craft the Lunar weapons. But upon our testing, we found out that there was no such thing.

How To Get

When you visit Whiterun for the first time, if talk with Proventus Avenicci, the Steward, he will give you the quest. The quest will simply state ‘Kill the Bandit Leader at Silent Moon Camp’. When you go there, you’ll find that the location is infested with bandits. Defeat them and climb up the stairs. There will be the Lunar Forge. Besides the Lunar Forge, you’ll find the Lunar Steel Sword with the Lunar Iron Sword.

Miraak’s Sword

most powerful sword in Skyrim Special Edition. — Miraak’s Sword [Image Credit: eXputer]

Weapon Name	Base Damage	Weight	Base Value	Enchantment	Location
Miraak’s Sword	12-16	3	410-1,250 Gold	Absorb 15 points of Stamina.	Looted from Miraak’s dead body during the quest ‘At the Summit of Apocrypha’.

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The Miraak’s Sword has to be the most unique sword in the game. And that isn’t because you won’t find any other copy of it without console commands, it is because of its shape. With each attack, the blade turns into a tentacle, and it grows in length. The tentacle doesn’t affect its range at all, as it will still have a typical sword’s range. But that no doubt is a unique animation of the sword’s attacks.

How To Get

During the quest ‘At the Summit of Apocrypha’ quest, you’ll get to acquire Miraak’s Sword along with other possessions of Miraak. The quest becomes available only if you have the Dragonborn DLC. In the DLC, Miraak is the final boss that you have to fight. You will have to learn a new Thu’um and then fight Miraak in his temple. When he is defeated, you can loot the sword from his body. With that, it will have his Staff and Armor set too.

Nightingale Blade

Weapon Name	Base Damage	Weight	Base Value	Enchantment	Location
Nightingale Blade	10-14	11-15	426-1,665 Gold	Absorb 5-25 points of Health and Stamina.	Acquired after completing the Thieves Guild’s quest ‘Hard Answers’.

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Up next, we have a powerful sword that belongs to Gallus Desidenius. He was the former Grandmaster of the Thieves Guild. Nightingale Blade has the 3rd highest base damage of all swords in the game. That alone makes it worthy of keeping with you. But to get that stats, your character needs to be of a higher level. Make sure that you’re at least level 46 before you get on the quest.

How To Get

You will get the Nightingale Blade during the quest ‘Hard Answers’. In the quest, you’ll have to decipher Gallus’s Encoded Journal which is written in a special language. For that, you’ll have to get the help of Enthir. From there on, you will have to find Calcelmo’s Stone which is a Falmer Translating Guide. Show it to Enthir and then he will decipher the code. Then, when you talk with Karliah, she will reward you with the Nightingale Blade.

Red Eagle’s Bane

Weapon Name	Base Damage	Weight	Base Value	Enchantment	Location
Red Eagle’s Bane	11	15	345 Gold	Undead up to level 13 are set on fire and flee for 30 seconds.	Acquired during the quest ‘The Legend of Red Eagle’ at Rebel’s Caring.

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Then, we have a sword that belongs to one of the legends of the First Era. That legend was known as the Red Eagle. He lived in the 10th century when the Reach was attacked by a certain empress. Then, Red Eagle used his sword, Red Eagle’s Bane to kill thousands of enemies before he was killed. The sword is unique in another manner as you get it by converting a different sword to it.

How To Get

While reading the book ‘The Legend of Red Eagle’. In the quest, you’ll have to find the Red Eagle’s Fury in the Red Eagle Redoubt. There, you’ll have to fight a bunch of Forsworn. They are some hard-to-beat foes so you will have to go prepared. When you get inside, you’ll have to fight your way through them until you get to the Forsworn Brainheart. He will have the Red Eagle’s Fury.

Then, there will be a pedestal where you’ll have to place the sword which will open the door to the Red Eagle’s Tomb. You’ll have to defeat him. When looted, he will have the Honed Ancient Nord Greatsword of Burning on him. After that, when you remove the Red Eagle’s Fury from the pedestal, it will be converted into the Red Eagle’s Bane.

Silver Sword

Weapon Name	Base Damage	Weight	Base Value	Enchantment	Location
Silver Sword	8	7	100 Gold	Especially effective against undead.	Looted from any Silver Hand members or at Castle Volkihar.

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If you have to go down in crypts and fight Draugr or are on a quest to defeat the Vampires, then the Silver Sword is one that you should get. Although it has low base damage, it is quite deadly to undead and vampires. Making them vulnerable to it. You’ll find it at several different locations so it isn’t a ‘rare’ sword in the game.

How To Get

You’ll find that the members of the Silver Hand will always carry the sword. And apart from one location, you won’t find it anywhere other than with the Silver Hand. That location is Castle Volkihar, where you’ll find it on a shelf near the Vampire Royal Armor. If you joined the Companions, you’ll find yourself fighting against the Silver Hand. That way, you’ll get your hands on the Silver Sword fairly easily.

Stalhrim Sword

made of Stalhrim. — [Image Credit: eXputer]

Weapon Name	Base Damage	Weight	Base Value	Enchantment	Location
Stalhrim Sword	13	14	985 Gold	25% stronger Frost Damage enchantments	Sold by different vendors or crafted through Smithing.

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The Stalhrim Sword is not a unique weapon as it can be crafted in the game. But to get it, you will have to get the Dragonborn DLC of the game. Because it is not a part of the vanilla game. If you have the Skyrim Special Edition or the Anniversary Edition, the Stalhrim Sword will already be a part of the game. You’ll note that it is similar to the Ebony Sword in damage.

How To Get

There are a few confirmed locations where you will find the Stalhrim Swords. We found out that in the Skaal Village, Baldor Iron-Shaper, and at Raven Rock, Glover Mallory sold the Stalhrim Sword. Apart from that, you will find it in random chests throughout the game too.

In addition to all that, you can craft it new. But for that, you will need to complete the ‘A New Source of Stalhrim’ too. Not only that, but you’ll also need to be of level 80 Smithing and get the Ebony Smithing perk. With that, you will need these items to craft them at any forge.

1x Leather Strip
2x Stalhrim

The Pale Blade

Weapon Name	Base Damage	Weight	Base Value	Enchantment	Location
The Pale Blade	8-11	12-15	169-914 Gold	Creatures and people up to levels 5-16 flee from combat for 30 seconds. Target takes 5-25 points of frost damage to Health and 50 points of Stamina Damage.	Acquired at Frostmere Crypt during the quest ‘The Pale Lady’.

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The Pale Blade is surely one of the unique weapons in the game. Although its appearance is similar to that of the Ancient Nord Sword, it can have a higher base damage, depending on the Player’s Level. The Sword belongs to The Pale Lady, and it has a powerful enchantment that will make it even more powerful.

How To Get

You’ll find the Pale Blade in the quest named ‘The Pale Lady’. The quest starts when you enter the Frostmere Crypt. There, a group of bandits will be attacking Eisa Blackthorn. Save her and she will inform you of the quest. If she dies in the process, you can read from the journal on her. Then you’ll have to enter the Crypt and find The Pale Blade. When you retrieve it, you’ll have to kill The Pale Lady to get the blade.

Windshear

powerful enchantment. — [Image Credit: eXputer]

Weapon Name	Base Damage	Weight	Base Value	Enchantment	Location
Windshear	11	10	40 Gold	Bash attacks made with this weapon have a chance of knocking enemies down.	On the wooden bow of The Katariah Ship during or after the Dark Brotherhood quest ‘Hail Sithis!’.

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One of the most powerful Swords in all of Skyrim Special Edition is the Windshear. That is not because of its damage or anything else. But it is due to the powerful enchantment that the sword has. Not only that, it is one of the rare weapons, too, that is thanks to the place where it is hidden. Chances are, you’ll never find it if you’ve never looked for it on forums or guides.

How To Get

Now, to get the Windshear, you will have to get the Dark Brotherhood’s quest line. In it, you’ll find the sword during the quest ‘Hail Sithis!’. In the quest, you’ll have to get on The Katariah ship and assassinate Emperor Titus Mede II. When you get on the ship, get on its deck and go to the front of the ship. There, get on the wooden beam on the bow. On it, you will find the Windshear wedged into the wooden beam.

If you didn’t manage to get the sword during the quest, you could get it after it too. Just go there and get on the ship, it will be at the same location.

The world of Skyrim is vast. It gives the player different options on how they want to play. You can play it easily by learning the Transmute spell and making gold out of thin air. Or, You can work your way up by learning different skills such as Alchemy and making a powerful build in turn. It all depends on how you want to play the game.

In addition to all that, the game lets you take wives. Or you can have some powerful followers such as Serana. It all depends on how you want to play the game.