One of the most significant events in Skyrim happens months before players waking up in their cart ride to Helgen Keep and is only explored through dialogue shared with NPCs throughout the game. The death of Skyrim’s High King Torygg at the hands (or Shouts) of Ulfric Stormcloak sets the scene for Skyrim's Civil War. Despite his appearance limited to Sovngarde, High King Torygg is perhaps one of the most important figures in Skyrim's recent history. It is Torygg's death that emboldens the Stormcloak rebellion, giving them the courage they need to rebel through open combat. Despite the apparent advantages Torygg’s death gave Ulfric Stormcloak, it may have been his greatest mistake.
The Skyrim Civil War is one of the most hotly debated subjects in the community, with supporters of both sides making logical arguments for and against the Imperials and Stormcloaks. It remains one of the highlights of Skyrim's in-game world and is one of the most destructive series of missions available throughout Skyrim’s many quests. However, the Civil War could have been avoided entirely if Ulfric had left High King Torygg alive.
While completing Skyrim’s primary questline, the Dragonborn can call a Peace Council with leaders from each side of the Civil War at High Hrothgar. During this council, Ulfric’s biggest demand is the restoration of Talos’ divinity in Skyrim’s pantheon. The White-Gold Concordat was a peace treaty signed between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion, which banned the worship of Talos, disbanded the Blades, and allowed the Thalmor to move into Skyrim’s borders to assert Aldmeri control in the troubled nation. Torygg was forced to sign the Concordat to keep Skyrim aligned with the Empire, though evidence shows that this was done with a (figurative) knife at his throat. Following Torygg’s death, players can be tasked by Torygg’s wife, Elisif, to deliver his war horn to a hidden shrine of Talos. This post-mortem ritual confirms Torygg’s worship of Talos, and proves his hidden dedication to his god, despite the signing of the Concordant.
Skyrim Would've Been Different If Ulfric Had Asked Torygg To Secede
One of the best sources of information about High King Torygg comes from Sybille Stentor, the Court Wizard in Solitude. As an eye-witness to Torygg's death, she offers her account of the events leading up to Ulfric's duel and Torygg's convictions as a ruler. When prompted, Sybille says that Torygg would have seceded from the Empire had Ulfric just asked him, and that Torygg respected Ulfric's thoughts towards Skyrim independence. While conflicts between Torygg and Ulfric began long before the events of Skyrim, it seems that politics was all that stood between Torygg and Ulfric. Furthermore, with Torygg's status as a worshipper of Talos, the hero-god's divinity could have been restored without the Civil War taking place at all.
Ultimately, Ulfric Stormcloak’s plan was never to secure Skyrim’s independence peacefully, as shown through dialogue shared in Windhelm's Palace of Kings by Ulfric Stormcloak and Galmar Stone-Fist. While discussing tactics to bring Whiterun to the Stormcloaks’ side, Ulfric reveals the reasoning behind killing High King Torygg. The duel between Ulfric and Torygg was to intimidate the other Jarls to seize power quicker. By killing Torygg, Ulfric gave the Stormcloaks a figure to hate but inadvertently gave the Imperials a figure to fight for. This resulted in Ulfric’s greatest barrier to the throne becoming emboldened to avenge their King’s death. Dialogue in Skyrim’s various Holds shows that while Torygg was young, he was not hated. The Imperial Legion, led by an Empire which Torygg spoke in favor of, could then only seek to avenge their deceased ruler by claiming victory in the Skyrim Civil War.
Ultimately, there is no way to save Torygg. The High King earns his way into Sovngarde and disapproves of Ulfric's dishonorable duel. The Dragonborn ultimately decides who wins the Skyrim Civil War, though there ultimately should not have been one given all that Torygg and Ulfric agreed upon. Ulfric’s need for a symbol for Stormcloaks to rebel against is what ultimately inspired the Imperial Legion to fight as hard as they did against his army. Had Ulfric not killed High King Torygg, Skyrim's world would have been much different.