TES 6’s Story Can Stand Out Breaking a Big Franchise Tradition

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 22, 2024 4 Views 6 Min Read
TES 6's Story Can Stand Out Breaking a Big Franchise Tradition

Key Takeaways

  • The Elder Scrolls 6 has a chance to break tradition by featuring a more humanoid antagonist to differentiate from past godlike foes.
  • Previous TES entries have had otherworldly villains like Daedric entities, paving the way for a potential change in TES6.
  • TES6 could introduce a more grounded, political antagonist, offering a new direction and a more equal dynamic with the player character.



The Elder Scrolls 6 continues to be one of the most highly anticipated games. Bethesda’s massively popular fantasy RPG series has an army of fans hungrier than ever for the next mainline entry. This is understandable, with it being well over a decade since 2011’s Skyrim was released and left an indelible mark on the industry. Though the studio confirmed back in 2018 that The Elder Scrolls 6 is indeed coming, its focus on its latest sci-fi IP, Starfield, has seemingly left TES on the back burner, at least for the time being.

That hasn’t stopped speculation and rumors about The Elder Scrolls 6 from circulating, though, with the upcoming entry’s setting and other potential aspects often being the source of discussion. One element that the previous main titles have shared is the nature of their antagonists. From Morrowind through Skyrim, TES‘ major villains threatening Tamriel have all been some type of incredibly powerful, ancient, and inhuman godlike entity. Given this has been the case, TES6 has the chance to distinguish itself by moving away from this narrative staple and presenting players with an overarching foe that is more down to earth compared to previous depictions, but no less ambitious and dangerous.


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Official news about The Elder Scrolls 6 may seem few and far between, but one recent rumor about the game’s setting has far-reaching implications.

The Elder Scrolls’ Previous Antagonists Were All Otherworldly Threats

The last three numbered entries in the series have all seen players uncover the existence of and eventually face off against a foe that is well beyond the mortal races of Tamriel. Each of them was something more akin to primal force and/or one of the Daedric entities that reside in their unearthly realm, that emerged with the intent to destroy or enslave the world. These include:

  • Dagoth Ur (Morrowind)
  • Mehrunes Dagon (Oblivion)
  • Alduin (Skyrim)


While each was undoubtedly a terrifying and effective enemy in their own right, the fact that this setup has been used consecutively may be something that works against The Elder Scrolls 6. Many fans are probably already expecting yet another Daedric prince or similar figure to arise or be pulling the strings from the shadows in the sixth entry. However, Bethesda could give fans a big surprise by bucking this trend and having a more humanoid villain to menace fans this time around.

Why The Elder Scrolls 6 Might Want to Feature a Humanoid as Its Big Bad

Though monstrous and godlike antagonists can be memorable, fitting well within The Elder Scrolls‘ style of epic fantasy conflicts, having this be the case in TES6 runs the risk of repeating it one too many times. To avoid that, the next title could instead focus on a firmly humanoid villainous character. Depending on when and where The Elder Scrolls 6 is set, this could inform their origin and ambitions as well, perhaps via their political and military machinations, showcasing their attempts to rise to power in a more grounded way.


TES6 could still invoke the otherworldly angle to a degree without relying on it exactly. A possibility would be that this new figure intends to become something like Dagon Ur, but is in the early stages of accomplishing it, and thus remains heavily anchored to their mortality and material reality. The player character might be tasked with stopping the villain’s full transition to godlike form before it occurs.

This might also allow it to play with the Chosen Hero trope that the series often also employs. By subverting traditional expectations, The Elder Scrolls 6 could put the player character and the villain on a more equal footing, which might make for more interesting charaterizations and a nuanced plot, truly marking a new direction for the future of the franchise.

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