For other uses, see Essential Characters.

Essential characters are persons that, at some point during in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, cannot be killed in any way whatsoever. If their health is depleted, they fall to one knee, shortly recovering completely. In addition, essential characters are unable to be pickpocketed of some equipped weapons, and all equipped items.

There are many characters vital to the progression of quests, and if killed, would effectively render large portions of the game completely broken. To safeguard against this, certain characters are marked as "essential" by the game. Some characters lose this essential flag after their crucial role is fulfilled; these actors then become "unessential" and can be killed.

Contents 1 Compass rose 2 Cities 2.1 Whiterun 2.2 Solitude 2.3 Riften 2.4 Windhelm 2.5 Markarth 2.6 Falkreath 2.7 Dawnstar 2.8 Morthal 2.9 Winterhold 3 The College of Winterhold 4 Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary 5 Imperial Legion 6 Stormcloaks 7 Other Locations 8 Dawnguard 8.1 Castle Volkihar 8.2 Fort Dawnguard 8.3 Other locations 9 Trivia

Compass roseEdit

Yes	This character temporarily cannot be killed.
No	This character can be killed at any time.
Always	This character can never be killed.

CitiesEdit

WhiterunEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Aela the Huntress	End of Totems of Hircine	Yes
Alik'r Prisoner
Amaund Motierre	End of To Kill An Empire.
Avulstein Gray-Mane
Balgruuf the Greater
Commander Caius
Farkas	If his Purity quest has been completed.	Yes
Hrongar
Irileth
Kodlak Whitemane	During Blood's Honor.
Mallus Maccius
Olava the Feeble
Olfrid Battle-Born
Proventus Avenicci
Skjor	During The Silver Hand.
Sabjorn
Sinmir
Vignar Gray-Mane
Vilkas	If married to the player.	Yes
Ysolda	End of A Night to Remember*

SolitudeEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Ahtar	After Roggvir's execution.	Yes
Adventus Caesennius
Beirand
Bolgeir Bearclaw
Bryling	After Bound Until Death
Captain Aldis	After Roggvir's execution
Dervenin
Dorian
Elisif the Fair
Erikur	After the Civil War quest line
Falk Firebeard
General Tullius	During Battle for Solitude.	Temporary
Gianna
Gisli
Gulum-Ei	During Scoundrel's Folly
Jaree-Ra	During Lights Out!
Legate Rikke	During Battle for Solitude.	Temporary
Noster Eagle-Eye
Sabine Nytte
Varnius Junius
Viarmo
Vittoria Vici	During Bound Until Death.

RiftenEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Anuriel
Asgeir Snow-Shod	During Bound Until Death.
Bersi Honey-Hand
Brynjolf	After Under New Management	Temporary
Delvin Mallory
Esbern		Temporary
Haelga	After collecting her debt first.
Hemming Black-Briar
Keerava	After collecting her debt first.
Laila Law-Giver
Louis Letrush	After Promises to Keep, but currently bugged.
Maramal
Maul
Mercer Frey	During Blindsighted.	Temporary
Mjoll the Lioness		Always
Maven Black-Briar
Talen-Jei	After collecting his debt first.
Tonilia
Unmid Snow-Shod
Vekel the Man
Vex

WindhelmEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Aventus Aretino
Brunwulf Free-Winter
Calixto Corrium	End of Blood on the Ice.
Galmar Stone-Fist	End of Battle for Windhelm.	Temporary
Jorleif
Niranye	During Summerset Shadows.
Rolff Stone-Fist
Torsten Cruel-Sea
Tova Shatter-Shield	After Mourning Never Comes, only if Nilsine is killed.
Ulfric Stormcloak	End of Battle for Windhelm.	Temporary

MarkarthEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Anton Virane	During Recipe for Disaster.
Brother Verulus	During The Taste of Death.	Yes
Calcelmo
Eltrys	End of The Forsworn Conspiracy
Endon
Faleen
Jarl Igmund
Muiri	After Mourning Never Comes.
Nepos the Nose	During The Forsworn Conspiracy.
Raerek
Reburrus Quintilius
Thonar Silver-Blood	After No One Escapes Cidhna Mine.
Thongvor Silver-Blood
Vigilant Tyranus	During House of Horrors.
Yngvar the Singer

FalkreathEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Dengeir of Stuhn
Jarl Siddgeir
Legate Skulnar
Nenya
Sinding	During Ill Met By Moonlight.
Tekla
Zaria

DawnstarEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Brina Merilis
Erandur	During Waking Nightmare.	Yes
Frorkmar Banner-Torn
Horik Halfhand
Jod
Skald the Elder

MorthalEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Aslfur
Falion
Idgrod Ravencrone
Idgrod the Younger
Joric
Legate Taurinus Duilis
Sorli the Builder
Thonnir

WinterholdEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Korir
Kraldar
Malur Seloth
Nelacar
Thaena
Thonjolf

The College of WinterholdEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Ancano	During The Eye of Magnus.
Arniel Gane
Augur of Dunlain
Colette Marence
Drevis Neloren
Enthir
Faralda
Mirabelle Ervine
Phinis Gestor
Savos Aren	During The Eye of Magnus.
Tolfdir		Temporary
Urag gro-Shub

Dark Brotherhood SanctuaryEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Arnbjorn	During Death Incarnate or Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!
Astrid	During With Friends Like These... or Death Incarnate.
Babette
Cicero	During The Cure for Madness.	Yes
Festus Krex	During Death Incarnate or Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!
Nazir	During Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!
Veezara	During Death Incarnate or Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!

Imperial LegionEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Hadvar		Temporary
Legate Emmanuel Admand
Legate Fasendil
Legate Hrollod
Legate Quentin Cipius
Legate Sevan Telendas

StormcloaksEdit

Name	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Arrald Frozen-Heart
Gonnar Oath-Giver
Kottir Red-Shoal
Ralof		Temporary
Thorygg Sun-Killer
Yrsarald Thrice-Pierced

Other LocationsEdit

Name	Location	Marked as unessential (if applicable)	Can be follower
Arngeir	High Hrothgar
Avrusa Sarethi	Sarethi Farm
Balagog gro-Nolob	Nightgate Inn	During Recipe for Disaster
Barbas	Outside Falkreath	End of A Daedra's Best Friend	Temporary
Borri	High Hrothgar
Chief Yamarz	Largashbur	End of The Cursed Tribe	Temporary
Commander Maro	Dragon Bridge	During Hail Sithis!
Curwe	Loreius Farm	After Delayed Burial
Deeja	Red Wave	During Lights Out!
Delphine	Riverwood		Temporary
Derkeethus		Bethesda forgot to remove his essential status	always(bug)
Einarth	High Hrothgar
Elenwen	Thalmor Embassy	After Diplomatic Immunity or Season Unending
Felldir the Old	Sovngarde		Temporary
Gelebros	College of Winterhold
Gormlaith Golden-Hilt	Sovngarde		Temporary
Hakon One-Eye	Sovngarde		Temporary
Karliah	Snow Veil Sanctum		Temporary
M'aiq the Liar	Random locations
Nerien	Mzulft
Odahviing	Anywhere outdoors
Paarthurnax	The Throat of the World	During Paarthurnax
Pactur	Stonehills
Quaranir	College of Winterhold
Razelan	Thalmor Embassy
Ri'saad	Various locations
Sabine Nytte	Red Wave
Sam Guevenne	Various locations
Sanguine	Morvunskar
Sheogorath	Blue Palace
Tandil	College of Winterhold
Teeba-Ei	Rockwallow Mine
Torygg	Sovngarde
Tsun	Sovngarde
Vantus Loreius	Loreius Farm	After Delayed Burial
Wilhelm	Ivarstead
Wulfgar	High Hrothgar

• Only becomes unessential if Update 1.4 or lower is installed.

DawnguardEdit

Castle VolkiharEdit

This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it.

Serana

Fort DawnguardEdit

This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it.

Other locationsEdit

This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it.

TriviaEdit

• Although Derkeethus is unable to die, he is not necessarily an essential character; he is glitched so he is unable to die.

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