A unique series of items can be found in Skyrim that are known collectively as Daedric Artifacts - tools associated with the powerful and at times chaotic Daedric Princes that rule over the realms of Oblivion. Although there are over a dozen to be found in the game, not all of them are as useful as others might be. So, which of Skyrim's Daedric Artifacts are the most helpful?
The Daedric Princes have appeared in most games of the series, and at this point have seemingly become staples of the Elder Scrolls franchise. Their direct involvement in various events throughout the Elder Scrolls timeline, as well as their heavy presence in the lore of the games, makes them among the more easily recognizable characters in Skyrim - and arguably the most likely to return in the eventual release of The Elder Scrolls 6.
The Daedric Artifacts are among the most poweful weapons in Skyrim, and can be acquired by completing quests for the 16 Daedric Princes present in the game. Each one provides the player with a different unique effect, and collecting 15 Artifacts also allows them to receive the Oblivion Walker achievement. For those who aren't achievement-hunting, however, it may not be worthwhile to seek out every Daedric Artifact in Skyrim. To that end, some may want to prioritize finding the most useful Artifacts first.
Skyrim's Best Daedric Artifacts - The Black Star
The Black Star is a corrupted version of Azura's Star, and functions as an endless soul gem, allowing players to capture the souls of any creature they kill to use in enchanting. While regular soul gems are common throughout Skyrim, black soul gems - a variant of the item that allows players to capture the souls of humanoid beings rather than just animals - are much harder to come by, making the Black Star version of Azura's Artifact the more valuable one by far.
Skyrim's Best Daedric Artifacts - Wabbajack
Although the Daedric Princes are all reoccurring characters within the Elder Scrolls series, few spend as much time in the spotlight as the fan-favorite Daedric Prince of Madness, Sheogorath. His trademark Daedric Artifact is equally iconic, appearing in the form of a staff named Wabbajack. When used, the weapon fires off a random spell with effects that range from disintegrating a target to turning it into a Sweetroll. One way or another, it has the potential to entirely alter the course of a battle.
Skyrim's Best Daedric Artifacts - The Skeleton Key
The Skeleton Key is an Artifact of Nocturnal, and can only be collected by playing through Skyrim's Thieves Guild questline. However, fully completing the questline requires that the Skeleton Key be returned to the Daedric Prince - so players who want to keep it will have to abandon the remainder of the Thieves Guild quests in order to do so. Many consider it a worthwhile tradeoff, however, as the Skeleton Key can function as an unbreakable lockpick.
Skyrim's Best Daedric Artifacts - Oghma Infinium
The Oghma Infinium, when read, offers players three paths to choose from - the Path of Might, Shadow, or Magic. These paths each correspond to six skills, which happen to be the same set of skills effected by each of Skyrim's Guardian Stones. Upon selecting a path, five skill points are added to each of the skills in that category. Although the Oghma Infinium can only be used once as opposed to many of the other Daedric Artifacts, it provides a rare and helpful opportunity to get ahead in the harsh environment of Skyrim.