Bethesda Game Studios, best known for their Elder Scrolls series and as the developers of Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, has ushered in some absolute gems of characters to the gaming world. From anthropomorphic cat people to robotic detectives, let’s take a look at some of the best of Bethesda’s characters.
M’aiq the Liar
Since his introduction in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, M’aiq has remained a fan favourite from Bethesda’s fantasy series. Acting as a fourth-wall breaking self-insert for the developers, M’aiq is there to comment on various parts of the Elder Scrolls universe. Everything from the existence of dragons, Nord’s obsession with beards, and names of elves fall under his purview
In the wake of his debut in Morrowind, he has appeared in four Elder Scrolls titles, with various versions of M’aiq showing up in Oblivion, Skyrim, Online, and a cut cameo in Legends. M’aiq knows many things others do not, as he likes to say.
Gary!
Haha! Gary!
From allowing the player character to assist slavers to having you be continually insulted by a 12 year old kid, the world of Fallout 3 is immensely filled with character and bizarre situations — but Gary gets our pick here.
Found in Vault 108 in the Capitol Wasteland, Gary is not just one character, but rather many. A cloning experiment gone awry, many Garys populate the mostly abandoned vault. Capable of only saying “Gary” and laughing, they’re very much akin to the people who comment ratio on Twitter all the time.
Nazeem
“Do you get to the Cloud District very often? Oh, what am I saying, of course you don’t.”
Nazeem (Skyrim)
A fan favorite to be killed by a stealth archer, Nazeem haunts Skyrim’s city of Whiterun in a repetitive search to find someone more annoying than himself. The search has yet to end however, as it is truly impossible to write a character as annoying as he.
Nazeem’s purpose in the game seems to be entirely to teach players that they can murder almost anyone in the game. Love him or loathe him, he’s accomplished his very goal of existing — to be killed and mocked.
Fargoth
The first side quest most players will pick up when they play Morrowind, Fargoth requests you find his enchanted ring which has been misplaced. The player character can choose to either return his ring to him, or persist in the doomed world you have created.
His inclusion on this list is far more due to how essential he is to setting up Morrowind’s RPG elements, and also as he is heavily memed by fans.
Nick Valentine
A real triumph of Fallout 4, alongside its fun settlement system and astonishing gunplay, is the various companions who make up its cast. Nick Valentine, the synth detective from Diamond City, is a go-to companion for players after he is rescued in the first act of Fallout 4’s main story.
His mysterious backstory, which players learn more about both in the base game and in the DLC Far Harbor, hints at a tortured man who still cannot decide where he belongs amongst the living. Is he truly just a synth like any other? Or has he evolved past that, and become more than technology?
Hermaeus Mora
The Daedric Prince of forbidden knowledge, with its Lovecraftian tentacles, is one of the most interesting deities in the Elder Scrolls universe. This abomination instantly oozes into your memory, and his slimy and obscure voice work from frequent Bethesda collaborator Wes Johnson makes him unforgettable.
The concept of forbidden knowledge and his realm of Oblivion called Apocrypha remain a fan-favourite section of the Elder Scrolls universe, and it’s easy to see why. Extra appealing for those with mass-of-eyes fetish or tentacle fetish.
DiMA
A deeply complex character with so much weight to his every movement, DiMA is very much the star of Far Harbor. His role as an almost all-knowing synth who runs a safe haven for others brings back immediate imagery of the Underground Railroad who helped escaped slaves find new lives.
The greatest thing about DiMA is that you still never truly trust him. He’s got serious skeletons in his closet, but as you learn more, you’re left to ponder deeply what he’s experienced. DiMA is undoubtedly one of Bethesda’s triumphs during their tenure with the Fallout franchise.
Dave
Ah, the Republic of Dave. A glorious republic — home to some of the finest minds in the Capitol Wasteland. Their brave president Dave is a great gag character from Fallout 3. The entirely believable idea that, in the post-apocalypse, people just claim land and espouse it as a country just hits for me. I mean, wouldn’t you do it?
Dave comes from a line of self-titled presidents on that plot of land and seems to also have a history with the “rich” members of the wasteland, such as Alistair Tenpenny.
Serana
Your vampiric guide to the dark heart of Skyrim, Serana has proven to be a fan favorite since her debut in the Dawnguard expansion for Skyrim. A witty, smart, and deeply troubled character with serious mummy and daddy issues, Serana has become a poster girl of sorts for Skyrim.
Sheogorath
The prince of madness, ruler of the Shivering Isles, and a lover of cheese, Sheogorath is the Daedric Prince of insanity and madness. Representing the most lovely and most horrifying sides of the brain, he’s one of the most iconic characters in the Elder Scrolls.
He steals the show whenever he appears, whether it be a side-quest in Skyrim, an entire DLC like Oblivion, or as a cat in Elder Scrolls Online.