Best Legend Seeds In Crusader Kings 3

Legends are one of the highlights of the new Legends of the Dead DLC for Crusader Kings 3 and add a ton of flavor to every playthrough. Players can spread these tales of great deeds across the map with the help of their court poet and musician, as well as a hefty lump of gold.

To start a Legend, though, a character will need a Legend Seed and these come in a few different forms, enabling the embellishment of Legitmizing, Holy, or Heroic Legends, all of which play out differently. How characters acquire Legend Seeds also varies, with some present by default due to a certain heritage or lineage and other Seeds awarded for achieving things in-game, such as taking down a legendary animal on a hunt.

Updated November 6, 2024 by Joe Grantham: There is no shortage of Legend Seeds in Crusader Kings 3, and with new ways to play the game now available such as taking on the role of a Landless Adventurer, some of these Legend Seeds have become even more intriguing. Furthermore, the hugely successful Roads to Power DLC introduced a few new Legend Seeds; The Knight of the Swan and The Greatest Conqueror, meaning the premise of more and more new Legend Seeds being introduced in the future has already been established.

1 The Heirs Of Charlemagne – Legitimizing

Conditions: As A Capet Or Karling, Rule France Or The HRE & Be Illustrious

Charlemagne is a name that many CK3 players try to live up to, and this makes The Heirs of Charlemagne Legend Seed one of the best. It is available to all Karlings and Capets, with the former being found predominantly in 867, and the latter in 1066 and 1178.

Players will need to rule the Kingdom of France or the Holy Roman Empire as one of these characters, while also have an Illustrious level of fame. Thankfully, many of the Karlings and Capets start off strong in power, so this is a fairly easy Legend to gain access to. As a ruler of one of these powerful realms, players should also have the gold to fund their Legend.

2 The Song Of El Cid – Heroic

Condition: Play As Rodrigo De Vivar In 1066 & Become A King

El Cid is one of the most famous knights from history, and with the Roads to PowerDLC for Crusader Kings 3, players can now step into his shoes as a Landless Adventurer. Beyond having special story content, he even has his very own Legend Seed, The Song of El Cid, which can be initiated if he becomes a king.

By becoming a king after adventuring and then completing this legend, players will get to see their version of El Cid become more famous than the real man himself. To start this journey, players must select the 1066 start date, and among the landless options, find Rodrigo de Vivar.

3 A New Ceasar – Legitimizing

Conditions: Restore The Roman Empire Via A Decision

Restoring the Roman Empire is always going to be a fun playthrough idea in CK3, and players who complete this feat by taking the decision will also gain a unique Legend Seed, A New Ceasar. Unlike historical seeds, any character can gain this Legend Seed, regardless of their culture, faith, or family history.

As holding onto such a vast and diverse empire is by no means easy, having a Legitimizing Legend spread should help players consolidate power. It is also great for roleplay reasons.

4 Sons Of Scota – Heroic

Conditions: Hold The Kingdom Of Scotland With A West Germanic Or Goidelic Heritage

The only specific Legend Seed to have an achievement attached to it is Sons of Scota, which claims Scottish descent from the daughter of an Ancient Egyptian Pharoah. By completing this Legend as a Scottish King, players will earn The Pharoah Islands achievement, but for a truly fun CK3 playthrough, they could take this idea further.

With descent from Ancient Egypt established, players could then set out on a Heroic Adventure to reclaim Egypt once and for all. This is a unique feature of Heroic Legends, which seems to be more rare.

5 The Holy King – Holy

Conditions: Be Alfred The Great Or A Member Of His Dynasty

Some Legend Seeds require more than just gold to get started, and the Holy King is one such example. As King Alfred the Great or a member of his dynasty, players must first eradicate all Pagans from Britain, thus earning themselves the title.

By completing this Legend, players will be able to instantly convert vast swathes of people to their Faith, wage a large holy war, and build a Legendary Shrine. If players have one of the Dynasty Legacies from the Heroic Bloodline, they can even become a Saint for completing The Holy King Legend. While promoting this Legend, players will also gain bonuses such as extra Learning stats.

6 Heirs Of The Dragon Goddess – Heroic

Conditions: Pagan Dynasty & Rule The Pagan Kingdom

One of the most epic-sounding Legend Seeds has to be Heirs of the Dragon Goddess, which is given to members of the Pagan Dynasty who happen to rule the Pagan Kingdom, east of the Indian subcontinent. These rulers believe that they are descended from Mahasammata, who was born from the womb of a dragon goddess. They therefore supposedly have the holiest and mightiest blood flowing through their veins.

King Anawrahta in 1066 is thus a great starting ruler as he has access to this Heroic seed and starts with a fantastic Martial stat and, at the age of 52, already has plenty of the best Martial Perks. Promoting the Legend itself gives various other military bonuses, making world domination a real option under the Burmese King.

7 The Red Hand Of Ulster – Legitimizing

Conditions: Have Irish Culture (Or An Offshoot)

Ireland is often known as a tutorial island in Crusader Kings 3 as this is where the tutorial takes place. However, with the introduction of The Red Hand of Ulster Legend Seed, there is now a great reason for players to head back there. This Legitimizing Legend relates to an old tale that the first to lay their hand on Ulster would be made High King of Ireland.

Interestingly though, whoever pushes this Legend forward will be claiming that it was their ancestor who had the bright idea to chop off their hand and hurl it into Ulster. While winning all of Ireland has always been fun, it is even better and arguably easier with this humorous but powerful Legend.

8 The Legacy Of Arthur Pendragon – Legitimizing

Conditions: West Germanic Or Brythonic Heritage

The Legacy of Arthur Pendragon is one of the best Legend Seeds for several reasons. First of all, Arthurian romance tales are among the most iconic from the Middle Ages, and many nobles from the British Isles pushed forward ideas of their descent from King Arthur.

It is also a Seed available to many characters in the game, meaning players don’t feel shoehorned into a certain starting ruler to live out the legend of King Arthur. The flavor and events for this particular Legend are also particularly great, with lots of details.

9 Hieros Gamos – Legitimizing

Conditions: Yngling Dynasty With Norse Culture Or Germanic Religion

One of the best Legend Seeds in CK3 has to be Hieros Gamos, which enables members of the Yngling dynasty to claim descent from an actual god, Freyr. This is not only incredibly cool for roleplay purposes in CK3, but it gives the bearer of this Legend an even greater claim on the Kingdom of Norway with the new Legitimacy mechanic.

Haraldr “Tanglehair” of Vestfold is a great starting ruler in 867 to try this seed out with, as players can complete a rags-to-riches story with him only having a small area of land in the beginning. The Martial bonuses gained while promoting the Legend will even help Haraldr in his endless conquests.