Despite being a decade old, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is still one of the more popular open-world fantasy RPG games that both old and new players enjoy. One of the reasons why fans love to replay Skyrim is because there is plenty of things for gamers to do; not only are there a ton of hidden features and locations to discover but there are over 200 side quests to complete.
While there is a myriad of challenging quests in the DLCs, Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn, the base game itself has a few quests that can be difficult for even the most seasoned players. These quests will often require persistence, skill, and oftentimes, more than a few tries to complete.
Elder Knowledge
As part of the main questline of Skyrim, players can trigger "Elder Knowledge" by speaking with Paarthurnax, who will talk about the Elder Scroll. From there, the Dragonborn must read the "An Incomprehensible Book" in the College of Winterhold, fight two battles in the Dwemer ruins, slay Falmers while navigating their way through Alftand, and reach the Tower of Mzark.
The many fierce monsters and the number of location jumps make this quest a difficult and often frustrating one to complete. While it does reveal important points about the lore of the game, it can often take several grueling hours to complete. Unless the player is invested in the lore, the quest can feel tedious and unnecessarily long.
Blood On The Ice
After several women are found dead in Windhelm, the Dragonborn is tasked with the investigation of these gruesome murders. The player must roam around the city to talk to witnesses, look for clues, and cooperate with guards to eventually catch the murderer.
While this whodunnit adds an interesting layer to a game that often has players chasing down monsters, it is one of the more challenging side quests to get right. If the Dragonborn doesn't talk to the unmarked NPCs in the right sequence, for example, the player can end up blaming the wrong person. It's one of those quests that players most likely ended up reading a guide to complete.
Silenced Tongues
Deep in a cave in Volunruund, the player starts this quest by reading Heddic's Volunruud Notes. Hidden in the crypts of this cave are several draugr, who can immensely damage the player when they use frost magic. The ultimate goal is to find the ceremonial weapons that the player can use to slay Kvenel the Tongue.
The several draugr that the player encounters around the crypt are hard enough to beat, but the spectral draugr, Kvenel, elevates this quest to a whole new level. Overpowering this enemy is akin to defeating some of the strongest monsters in the infamously difficult Dark Souls games. If the player attempts this quest at a lower level, evasion tactics are likely the only way to successfully bring down the final boss.
No Stone Unturned
The Stones of Barenziah are Unusual Gems scattered around the world of Skyrim. Players who find the first gem can activate this quest, which is crucial for helping the Thieves Guild. The Dragonborn must be part of this guild to complete this quest.
While finding the first gem is the easy part, some players may struggle as this quest is one of the tedious and longest ones in the game. With 24 "Unusual Gems" hidden around the map and none of them are marked, this quest is near impossible to complete and may require a guide.
Forbidden Legend
After learning the story about The Gauldur Amulet and how they were separated and scattered around Folgunthur, Geirmund's Hall, and Saarthal, the Dragonborn is tasked with putting it back together. In order to reforge the amulet and actually gain it as a reward, the player must defeat several enemies across different locations.
Part of what makes this quest ridiculously long is that it features some of the most difficult enemies to battle in the game. In each location, players have to defeat one of the three sons of Gauldur, along with a lot of powerful draugr. There are also traps and puzzles to solve along the way, making it even more challenging to complete.
A Return To Your Roots
In the underground caverns of Blackreach, players will find the mysterious plants called crimson nirnroots. In the side quest "Discover The Significance of Crimson Nirnroot," the Dragonborn is tasked with collecting 30 of these plants that make chime sounds when approached.
"A Return To Your Roots" is known among the community for being one of the Skyrim quests that should have been made shorter as it had little impact on the game. Players can end up wasting hours just wandering around the caverns looking for these things. The reward isn't that great either, as, for all that effort, the Dragonborn ends up with a book and a mediocre effect for the Alchemy skill.
The Black Star
After Azura's Star is corrupted by necromancers, the player must work to restore its powers. In order to do that, the Dragonborn has to venture into Ilinalta's Deep and wade through flooded rooms to face mighty conjurers and skeletons.
The high-level conjurers and mages are the main reasons this quest is extremely challenging. Players who employ melee techniques may find it especially difficult to dodge the ranged magical attacks that these enemies can conjure.
The Wolf Queen Awakened
Underneath the city of Solitude hides the Wolf Queen, Potema Septim, who was wrongly believed to be dead and must now be stopped. The Dragonborn has to navigate Potema's Catacombs, which is filled with powerful draugr, before reaching the sanctum to defeat Potema.
Although Potema is not often recognized as one of the most difficult bosses in Skyrim, she definitely deserves a spot. Not only does she make the battle challenging by constantly respawning draugr but her strong lightning attacks can also severely damage the player's health, making this one of the most frustrating encounters in the game.
The Staff Of Magnus
The increasingly unstable Eye of Magnus has become a threat to its surroundings and the Dragonborn must find the Staff of Magnus to control it. The staff can be found somewhere in the Labyrinthian, which can be confusing to traverse.
The long search is not the hardest part of this quest, however, as it is the powerful Dragon Priest, Morokei, who will prove to be a challenge. Morokei's shock spells are nearly impossible to evade, and his mage armor is extremely difficult to penetrate. To make this boss battle even harder, players have to defeat two enthralled wizards before striking the final blow against Morokei.
The World-Eater's Eyrie
In "The World-Eater's Eyrie," the player must capture a dragon reach Alduin's portal to Sovngarde. After flying to Alduin's portal, the player will come face to face with one of the toughest bosses in the game, Nahkriin.
There are a ton of guides online that detail the best ways to defeat Nahkriin, and for good reason. Players may find themselves caught off guard, as this main quest presents a sudden difficulty jump through this boss fight. His ranged attacks and frost magic can easily overwhelm even the most experienced players. In fact, one of the more popular approaches to this quest is to simply use The Shadow Stone to turn invisible and run as quickly as possible to the portal, avoiding Nahkriin altogether.