Bandits are one of the most common enemies in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. They wield an extensive variety of weapons, ranging from bows to both one- and two-handed melee weapons, and the odd Bandit can even cast spells. Their apparel varies as well: it can be light or heavy, and always consists of a cuirass and boots, sometimes including gauntlets, a helmet, or a shield.

Although most Bandits are Nords in Skyrim, they can be any race. They can be found virtually anywhere in Skyrim, but most often lurk in and around fort ruins and caves. They also can be encountered traveling along the road on uncommon occasions. Bandits almost always appear in groups—usually only in threes or fours, but sometimes numbering near a dozen at well-fortified locations. If sprinted into, they will sometimes utter lines such as "Hey, watch it!", even when you are in Beast Form. Also sneaking on a Bandit is quite easy, mostly because they are spread out and can forget about you even if you injure them. If you have Hearthfire downloaded, some bandits may have a  Jug of Milk which may refer to them being milk drinkers. Bandits can also be mages as well as soldiers. Their Solstheim counterparts are the Reavers.

SubtypesEdit

Name	Level			Stamina	Drop
Bandit	1	35	25	70	Melee weapon or bow and arrows, (dagger), (shield), armor, boots, (gauntlets), (helmet), gold, (lockpick)
Bandit Outlaw	5	110	25	85	Melee weapon or bow and arrows, (dagger), (shield), cuirass, boots, (gauntlets), (helmet), gold, (lockpick)
Bandit Thug	9	235	25	105	Melee weapon or bow and arrows, (dagger), (shield), cuirass, boots, (gauntlets), (helmet), gold, (lockpick)
Bandit Highwayman	14	320	24	120	Melee weapon or bow and arrows, (dagger), (shield), cuirass, boots, (gauntlets), (helmet), gold, (lockpick)
Bandit Plunderer	19	400	25	170	Melee weapon or bow and arrows, (dagger), (shield), cuirass, boots, (gauntlets), (helmet), gold, (lockpick)
Bandit Marauder	25	490	25	245	Melee weapon or bow and arrows, (dagger), (shield), cuirass, boots, (gauntlets), (helmet), gold, (lockpick)
Bandit Chief	28	500	25	260	Melee weapon, (dagger), (shield), heavy cuirass, heavy boots, (heavy gauntlets), (heavy helmet), gold, (lockpick)

Known locationsEdit

• Bleak Falls Barrow
• Cragslane Cavern
• Knifepoint Ridge
• Fort Greymoor
• Fort Dunstad
• Fort Hraggstad
• Halted Stream Camp
• Helgen
• Mistwatch
• Redoran's Retreat
• Robber's Gorge
• Silent Moons Camp
• Swindler's Den
• Valtheim Towers
• White River Watch
• Uttering Hills Cave
• Frostmere Crypt
• Bilegulch Mine
• Ravenscar Hollow
• Faldar's Tooth
• Lost Knife Cave, Lost Knife Hideout
• Wreck of the Winter War & Wreck of The Pride of Tel Vos
• Embershard Mine
• Irkngthand
• Mzinchaleft
• Raldbthar
• Riverwood Folly
• Randomly Spawn on roads throughout Skyrim
• North of Winterhold in the glaciers
• On the side of Winterhold

QuotesEdit

• "You picked a bad time to get lost, friend."
• "Just die already so I can take your stuff!"
• "It'll be so much easier to rob you when you're dead!"
• "Can't wait to count out your coin!"
• "Gonna slit your belly like an old woman's purse!"
• "Ha, I think you're bleeding!"
• "Never should have come here!"
• "Son of a..."
• "I'm gonna wear that tail as a belt!" (If player is an Argonian)
• "Tell you what. You start running so I can stab you in the back."
• "I'm going to gut you like a horker!" (only by bandits in Eastmarch /Winterhold)
• "Die, damn you!"
• "Die, Orc filth!" (If player is Orc)
• "I'm warning you, back off!"
• "You remind me of my cousin's cat, killed that one too!" (If player is a Khajiit)
• "I'll mount your head on my wall!"
• "You're dead! Dead!"
• "I'll have your head!"
• "That all you've got?"
• "Prepare to die!"
• "You won't leave here alive!"
• "You'll make a fine rug, cat!" (If player is a Khajiit)
• "You should have stayed in your precious forests, elf!" (If player is a Bosmer)
• "Hurry up and die already, so I can take your stuff!" (This might have something to do with the effectiveness of the armour the player is wearing.)
• "Maybe I was just hearing things." (If Dragonborn is in sneak mode and hidden)
• "What was that?" (when a player is detected while in sneak mode)
• "Did you hear something?"(when a player is detected in sneak mode)
• "Skyrim belongs to the Nords!" (sometimes said even when the player is a Nord)
• "You call yourself a Nord?" (if the player is a Nord)
• "Time to die hero!"
• "You're a disgrace to your own kind!" '(if the player is a Nord)
• "Burn it! Burn the Vampire!" (if the player is a Vampire)
• "Kill it! Kill the monster!" (if the player is in Beast Form)
• "Victory or Sovngarde!"
• "Well ain't this a suprise!"
• "Time to end this little game."
• "Might pay off my bounty this time walk in to the city a free man" (only heard when bandits are not alerted to the Dragonborn's presence)
• Should of known she was lying she said she would wait
• Rather die than go back to that stinking jail
• Just need one more good haul

TriviaEdit

• Bandits might sometimes say, "Go to college, da said.. Use your smarts, he said.." If the player isn't seen. This is probably a reference to Warcraft II's 'Join the army,' they said.  'See the world,' they said."
• A small group of bandits can be found in the wilderness, disguised as Imperial soldiers. They will try to extort a "fine" from the player. They can be found in some Random Encounters locations.
• Bandits may say "Skyrim belongs to the Nords!" even if the Dragonborn is a Nord, or if the Bandit that said it is not a Nord.
• Bandits may utter generic NPC Greetings if the player is successfully defeated.

BugsEdit

• Bandits may sometimes say things like "Hey, watch it!" or "What is it?" when the player is killed.
• If a player is killed, while he or she is a werewolf, the bandits will comment on the player being naked.
• In rare instances, bandits may respond to the player with neutrality, even when approached, yet they will not engage in dialogue, and if "activated" too many times, will draw their weapons and attack.
• Bandits can send hired thugs after you, even if they're dead.