- "I am pleased, mortal. I will give you my Razor. Use it to wreak havoc on Tamriel."
- ―Mehrunes Dagon[src]
Mehrunes' Razor, also known as The Dagger of the Final Wounds, Bane of the Righteous and Kingslayer [1], is a Daedric artifact found in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It is a small black and silver dagger with the Daedric character for the letter "O", 
, engraved halfway along the scabbard.
Enchantment
The unique enchantment grants the bearer a 1.98% [note 1] chance to instantly kill any opponent. The Razor has infinite charges, meaning it will never require recharging with a soul gem.
Two individuals are completely immune to the instant kill effect however, they are Miraak and Karstaag - both part of the Dragonborn add-on.[note 2]
Acquisition
Mehrunes' Razor is obtained upon completion of Pieces of the Past. It will only be awarded if the Dragonborn chooses to kill Silus Vesuius. Otherwise, a grateful Silus will head safely back to his museum and place the Razor's fragments into a sealed display case which can't be interacted with.
The Razor itself is comprised of the following pieces:
- Pommel Stone of Mehrunes' Razor - Held by Drascua in Dead Crone Rock.
- Hilt of Mehrunes' Razor - Located in Jorgen and Lami's House in Morthal.
- Shards of Mehrunes' Razor - Kept by Ghunzul in Cracked Tusk Keep.
- Scabbard of Mehrunes' Razor - Kept by Silus Vesuius in the Mythic Dawn Museum.
Smithing
The Razor can be upgraded with an Ebony Ingot and the Arcane Blacksmith perk, however it does not benefit from any smithing perks. This means that the weapon cannot be improved past flawless quality without boosting the Smithing skill over 100. This can be achieved by using enchanted items and/or blacksmithing potions to Fortify Smithing.
Usefulness
Its lightweight quality and 1.98% chance to instantly kill any opponent makes the Razor a useful weapon for all classes or styles of play. It is more effective when equipped on the left hand while dual wielding blades, because, during a power attack, the left arm swings twice and the right arm swings once.
Trivia
- According to legend, it is believed that the Dark Brotherhood was once decimated by a vicious internal power struggle that involved the Razor.[2]
- Approaching a guard with the Razor will prompt them to whistle and respond "Who did you have to kill to get that blade?"
- Along with the Skull of Corruption, it is possible miss out on the Razor if the Dragonborn refuses Dagon's request to kill Silus. Therefore, it is possible to miss the Oblivion Walker achievement/trophy if another Daedric Artifact has been missed.
Gallery
Bugs
- PC 360 PS3 Casting a Fire Storm or Voice of the Emperor while facing the display case will sometimes cause the item to glitch out of the case.
- PC 360 PS3 Storing Mehrunes' Razor, (or any dagger), inside the dagger cases in the bedroom of Hjerim makes it impossible to retrieve it without console commands.
- As with all daggers, fortify one handed enchantments do not increase the damage.
Footnotes
- ↑ Dialogue with Silus Vesuius
- ↑ Tamrielic Lore
- ↑ The DA07MehrunesRazorMagicEffectScript script reveals the enchantment grants a 1 percent chance to kill the target. However it uses the RandomInt() that generates a number between 0 and 100 and if the number is <=1 it kills the target, hence the % to kill is 1.98%.
- ↑ Game data shows both are part of the "NPCs Immune to Mehrunes Razor" faction.