Summary
From Riften to Solitude,Skyrimis rife with opportunities to make new friends and forge connections. Assassin’s guilds, armies, institutes of learning — the game has them all. As players make their way through the world, they must decide which factions will be most useful and best suit the character they’re roleplaying.
Some of these factions and guilds provide the Dragonborn with huge advantages and have compelling storylines that immerse the player in the world. Others, meanwhile, feel bland and boring — or have core philosophies that just don’t sit right. Here’s a list of every faction the player can join, ranked from worst to best.
Updated on July 08, 2025, by Chris Harkin:Skyrim may have been released almost fifteen years ago, but that doesn’t stop it from still being wildly popular today. Part of the reason such a high level of popularity has been retained is down to the game having so many role-playing options. Players can customize their experience to their character, and fit them into a perfect mold of what they imagined that run to be. What’s more, there is always plenty of room for another playthrough after the first that involves little crossover in quests. Players may never tire of Skyrim, and with such a huge list of options regarding different factions and options that can be taken in the game, there doesn’t need to be.
Some guilds are more interesting than others, some have more gameplay relevance, and an unfortunate few have neither. However, whether for practicality or simply roleplaying, a player may have a reason to join any one of them. With that in mind, this updated ranking ofSkyrim’s guilds includes all the reasons players might (or might not) consider joining up, as well as the steps the Dragonborn must take to be accepted into the fold.
13The Bards' College
An Interesting Concept with Wasted Potential
Skyrim’sBards' College storyline (if it can even be called a storyline) feels like wasted potential. A few errand quests here and there, a brief festival event, and that’s it. There’s none of the wild romp that players expected from this guild.
Even though the player is technically considered a bard after joining this faction, they gain no new skills to demonstrate this. Bard Dragonborns can’t play instruments, nor sing to a tavern. An entertainment-based Power would have been a great reward for the main Bards' College quest; alas, none exists.
How To Join
Players can join the Bards' College by completing the quest"Tending the Flames.“First, speak to Viarmo at the Bard’s College in Solitude, and accept his request to find King Olaf’s verse. Return to Viarmo and help him “reconstruct” the missing parts of the verse, and accompany him to present it to Elisif. The choices that the player makes in reconstructing the verse will not affect the outcome. Finally, attend the Burning of King Olaf festival event to become a member of the College.
Benefits of Joining
Another reason for the Bards' College’s low ranking is the lack of interesting perks they offer. Giraud Gemaneoffers Master-level Speech training, but that’s about it.
Quests
The Bards' College offers only its initial quest, followed by a few fetch quests:
12The Blades
Stubborn and Self-Righteous, with Limited Gameplay Relevance
Delphine and Esbern have noble goals, but they’re shortsighted and militant. Furthermore, fullyjoining the Bladesrequires killing Paarthunax, the wise, kind old dragon who leads the Greybeards. After the quest “Season Unending,” Delphine will refuse any service to the Dragonborn until this deed is done.
Though she provides helpful guidance in the first few main quests, Delphine’s self-righteous attitude starts to grate on many players — especiallywhen she demands Paarthunax’s death. Considering the Blades don’t do too much for the player anyway, most don’t consider this a worthy sacrifice.
Follow the main questline throughSeason Unending.These quests will take the Dragonborn to Sky Haven Temple, where Delphine will introduce the Blades. After Season Unending, Delphine will ask the player to kill Paarthunax. Complete this task, and report back to Delphine.
As a member of the Blades, players get access to all the gear and items in Sky Haven Temple, including the unique sword Dragonbane. However, unlike the higher-ranking factions on this list, there are no unique skill trainers orfollowers associated with them.
Several quests in Skyrim’s main storyline involve the Blades:
If the player chooses to side with the Blades from this point on, further quests include:
11The Coven Of Namira
The Least Admirable Of Groups
There are many different quests inSkyrim, but few lead to such despicable things as the Daedric quests often seem to contain. Perhaps the least appetizing of all is Namira’s mission, The Taste of Death. While this is just a singular mission, it doesn’t simply lead to the Dragonborn becoming a champion of a Daedric God, it leads to them becoming a member of a coven.
Namira’s coven are cannibals and are initially encountered in the catacombs beneath Markarth, but the Dragonborn is later tasked with luring someone to the entire coven to be eaten. Even more shocking, the people of the coven are regular members of society in Markarth, and the Dragonborn can have new interactions with them based on seeing them there later in the game. While it isn’t the most glamorous group and there are no further missions, this is an interesting faction to join or destroy.
Complete The Taste of Death, Namira’s Daedric quest, started by hearing a rumor in Markarth and asking Brother Verulus about the Hall of the Dead.
The Ring of Namira item boosts health when the Dragonborn feasts on dead bodies.
10The Greybeards
High-Minded Scholars Who Refuse to Act
Even though killing Paarthunax leaves a bad taste in some players' mouths,the Greybeardsaren’t much more useful even if he’s left alive. They’re the opposite extreme from the Blades, refusing to take action even when they could save lives.
Remaining loyal to the Greybeards allows the Dragonborn to visit Paarthunax and meditate on Words of Power, making their shouts more powerful. However, they’re not a very interesting bunch. They don’t have quests or side stories associated with them like other factions do, making these old monks a bit dull.
Complete"The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller"as part of the main questline, and the Greybeards will accept the Dragonborn into their fold. After that, simply complete the main questline without killing Paarthunax. As long as the old dragon remains alive, players will be welcome at High Hrothgar.
With Paarthunaxe alive, the player can meditate on certain Words of Power, making their shouts more powerful. However, there are only three options, affecting the Unrelenting Force, Become Ethereal, and Fire Breath shouts. What’s more, the Dragonborn doesn’t gain access to any special items, trainers, or unique services, as with some other guilds.
The Dragonborn does not exactly do quests for the Greybeards; however, they are involved in several main story quests:
9Tribal Orcs
The Most Stubborn Group In The Game
Although there aren’t many advantages to joining them, the Tribal Orcs are better to have as friends than enemies. There are several orc strongholds aroundSkyrim, cut off from the rest of society, and it is rare to see any orcs outside these locations. The player will not be initially welcome in the strongholds unless they are playing as an orc but can be welcomed as “a friend to all orcs” if they endear themselves somehow.
Players can become welcome in the strongholds in many different ways, some are even surprisingly easy. If they clear out Kolskreggr Mine and talk to the Orcish miner, or find a Daedric heart for the blacksmith Moth gro-Bagol in Markarth, they can become welcome in the strongholds. There are also more complicated methods, and quests involved, but the Tribal Orcs are a fun, mysterious aspect of the game worth exploring.
By playing as an orc, or by fulfilling one of the entry requirements such as The Forgemaster’s Fingers, A New Order, or The Cursed Tribe for example.
Benefits Of Joining
Ability to enter the various Orc strongholds aroundSkyrim, new followers that are orcs, and being able to trade with orcs at the strongholds.
8The Stormcloaks
Conflicting Ideals and Repetitive Quests
Though the Stormcloaks are fighting to preserve their way of life, they also have a nasty tendency towards racist nationalism. Some Stormcloak supporters simply want the freedom to worship Talos in peace. Others, however, want to see all non-Nords violently driven from their land.
Joiningthe Stormcloak armymay be an important roleplaying choice for some. However, the quests tend to be a bit dull compared to other factions: Go to a location, kill several enemies, and repeat. It’s a good way to level up combat skills, but narratively underwhelming, which ranks them low among the game’s factions.
Speak to Ulfric Stormcloak in Windhelm about joining the Stormcloak Army. He will ask them to complete a test of strength by traveling to the island near the Serpent Stone in Winterhold andslaying an ice wraith.Once this is finished, complete the ensuing quest"The Jagged Crown,“and deliver the item to Ulfric.
There aren’t really any benefits to joining the Stormcloak army, aside from getting to participate in the quests themselves. There are no faction-specific trainers, and players don’t get treated any differently for their involvement in the war.
The first few quests in the Civil War questline are the same no matter what side the Dragonborn chooses:
From here, if the player sided with the Stormcloaks, their Civil War quest is labeled as “The Liberation of Skyrim.” Its quest line is as follows:
7The Imperial Legion
Different Conflicting Ideals, and More Repetitive Quests
There’s really no good side to pickin the Civil War. Though they claim to want unity, the Imperial Legion fights to stamp out religious freedom and Nordic traditions. As with the Stormcloak rebellion, some players may join the Legion as a roleplaying choice but find themselves bored with the story.
The Legion doesn’t seem to realize that they’re nothing more than Thalmor puppets. Furthermore, just like fighting for the other side, the storyline isn’t particularly engaging. The quests are more or less the same between the two sides.
Speak with Legate Rikke in Castle Dour in Solitude. After asking to join the army, accept Rikke’s quest andclear Fort Hraggstad of bandits. Finally, complete “The Jagged Crown,“delivering the spoils to Tullius.
As with the Stormcloaks, there are no real benefits to joining the Imperial Legion. The player doesn’t get any special treatment, nor unlock access to any skill trainers or services.
After completing the first four quests (which are the same as they are for the Stormcloaks), complete “The Reunification of Skyrim,” which consists of:
House Telvanni
A Throwback To Morrowind Without Much To It
The Dragonborn DLC allows players to leave Skyrim itself and head off to Solstheim, an island mostly inhabited by the Dunmer people who fled towards Skyrim when the Red Mountain erupted. Neloth is one of the grand wizards of House Telvanni and he makes sure their presence is felt on Solstheim, where the Dragonborn runs into him several times.
If the Dragonborn chooses, they can visit Neloth and engage with him in a variety of quests and miscellaneous missions that lead him to naming the Dragonborn a member of House Telvanni. This honorary position doesn’t mean much, but if players are looking for more action on Solstheim, these quests vary greatly and some are quite fun.
The Dragonborn must complete a variety of quests for Neloth after first meeting him at the Earth Stone during the main Dragonborn DLC questline. He can be found at his tower, Tel Mithryn, and after finishing The Path of Knowledge, Heart Stones, Telvanni Research, Reluctant Steward, Experimental Subject, and Briarheart Necropsy, Neloth will give the player the quest Old Friends which results in the Dragonborn being made a member of House Telvanni officially.
Technically, as Neloth admits himself when the player joins, there are currently no benefits to being made a member. When Neloth returns to Vvardenfell, he tells the Dragonborn they will be made Morrowind royalty, but until then he will simply keep a bed and chest for the player in Tel Mithryn (which is a lie). Fortunately, being friendly with the members of Tel Mithryn has its own benefits like staff enchanting.
6The Companions
Fight as a Werewolf Through a Slightly Rushed Storyline
The Companions guildis a good way to build combat skills as a low-level player, with more narrative interest than the Civil War. However, at higher levels, the large number of radiant quests become tedious and dull.
Beast Form is an interesting power, and for some players, joining this guild is worth the werewolf transformation alone. Despite this, the questline leaves something to be desired. The story had the potential for emotional impact, but it felt a bit rushed, making it one of the weaker subplots in the game.
Speak with Kodlak White-Mane in Jorrvaskr in Whiterun. This initiates the quest"Take Up Arms.“For their first task, Kodlak will tell the player to train outside with Vilkas. Vilkas will then ask the player to take a sword to Eorlund Gray-Mane, who in turn asks the Dragonborn to deliver a shield to Aela the Huntress. After completing these errand quests, the player will receive one more radiant quest, which can be anything from eliminating a dangerous animal to brawling with a random NPC. Upon completion, return to Jorrvaskr for the initiation ceremony.
The most obvious perk of joining the Companions isthe Beast Form ability, gained after being transformed into a werewolf. In this form, players can maul their enemies to death and feast on kills to increase their strength. The player also gains access to seven followers: Aela, Athis, Farkas, Njada, Ria, Torvar, and Vilkas, all of whom are capable warriors as well as potential marriage candidates.
Finally, the following trainers will offer their services to members of the Companions:
The main questline of the Companions' Guild proceeds as follows:
The Companions' Guild also offers a wide range of radiant quests. Players must complete a certain number of these as prerequisites for some of the main story quests listed above, but they can also be repeated infinitely for gold and experience.
After completing “The Silver Hand,” a few new radiant quests become available, relating to defeating the Silver Hand organization. The player must complete two of the following in order to progress the main story:
5The Volkihar Clan
Aid the Sinister Vampire Clan’s Rise to Power
TheDawnguardDLC allows the player to pick sides in a war between mortals and vampires. If the Dragonborn sides with the latter faction, they join the Volkihar Clan, led by the abusive and overbearing Harkon.
Clan Volkihar’s members are kind of one-note. They’re all fairly bloodthirsty, believe they’re above others and are bored with the politics of Harkon’s court (except those who want his throne). While playing throughDawnguardfroma vampire’s point of viewis fascinating, the Volkihar Clan often feels stifling and creepy, leading to a slightly lower ranking.
Speak to Isran at Fort Dawnguard, who will ask the Dragonborn to retrieve a “vampire artifact” from Dimhollow Crypt. This begins the quest"Awakening.“This “artifact” turns out to be Serana, a member of the Volkihar clan. Upon returning Serana to her home at Castle Volkihar, accept Lord Harkon’s offer to transform the Dragonborn into a Vampire Lord.
The main reason to join the Volkihar Clan is, essentially, to become a Vampire Lord. Players gain access to a slew of new abilities, and a whole new style of gameplay along with it. The Dragonborn can alsouse Death Hounds as followers, but none of the clan’s members are available to join the player on adventures. Finally, the player gains access to the following trainers:
As one of the factions available for theDawnguardstoryline, the Volkihar clan is involved in everyDawnguardmain story quest. The perspectives and goals differ if the Dragonborn chooses Volkihar over the Dawnguard, but the story plays out in a similar way.
The Volkihar Clan also has several faction-specific side quests. Most of these involve turning others into vampires, gathering magical relics, or destroying enemies. These are radiant quests, which can have a range of targets and can be repeated multiple times.
4The College of Winterhold
Learn Magic and Uncover Buried Secrets
Most players wind up here in their hunt for an Elder Scroll but get caught up in the story. With ancient artifacts, dragon priests, Thalmor spies, and a long-gone magical order, who could resist the intrigue?
Furthermore, the College is an incredible resource for mages. Not only is this guildhome to powerful followersand trainers, but it also possesses a multitude of tools. The Atronach Forge, the Arcaneum’s library, and the items in the Arch-Mage’s quarters turn the Dragonborn into an incomparable wizard.
Speak to Faralda, gatekeeper at the College, to begin the quest"First Lessons.“She will ask the Dragonborn to cast a spell of her choosing to prove their worth. If the player does not know the requested spell, Faralda will sell it for a low price. Cast it, and she will admit the player.
Alternatively, during the quest"Elder Knowledge,“the player can reveal their identity as Dragonborn. Faralda will then ask them to demonstrate the Thu’um, upon which she will admit them to the College.
The College of Winterhold is home to a professor in each of the schools of magic. Each professor can train the Dragonborn in their respective school at the Master level, as well as sell that school’s spells. They also offer “Ritual Spell” quests for each of their respective schools, which are the only way that the Dragonborn can gain access to Master-level spells in a given school. These trainers include:
Finally, the Dragonborn gains access to three potential followers at the College. After completing each of their personal quests, fellow apprentices Brelyna Maryon, Onmund, and J’zargo will all be available to recruit as followers. Onmund and Brelyna are potential marriage candidates as well.
The College of Winterhold plays a role in the main storyline quest “Elder Knowledge.” It also has its own intriguing storyline, comprised of the following quests:
Various faculty members will also give the Dragonborn a few side quests:
Each of the apprentices has a personal quest that the player can complete to recruit them as a follower:
