#savior's hide

Azura’s Star

"Ah, Azura's Star .. as beautiful as all the tales tell."

Goldbrand

"This blade has slain many a hero over the years. Tamriel will be better off without it for a while."

Masque of Clavicus Vile 

"Ah, the Masque of Clavicus Vile. You are wise not to let yourself get further enmeshed in his plots."

Savior's Hide

"There is no disguising the bestial nature of some of the daedric Princes."

Volendrung 

"Who now knows the tale of how this Dwemer hammer came to embody the power of one of their most bitter foes?"

Ring of Khajiiti 

"Thieves everywhere will curse us both for the loss of this ring, my friend. So be it."

Mace of Molag Bal 

"A fearsome weapon, and steeped in the ancient evil of its master. May its deadly power turn good, for once."

Ring of Namira 

"I'll sleep better once this keepsake of Namira is gone from my possession. A good choice for our purpose, though."

Skeleton Key

"The merchants of Cyrodiil would sleep more soundly, knowing this Key is gone from the world. But why tell them?"

Spellbreaker 

"Not many people would give up Spellbreaker for destruction, my friend. Your sacrifice honors me."

Sanguine Rose 

"I never thought to see this again. I once possessed it, briefly ... a lifetime ago, it seems now ... To obtain it, and then give it up ... I honor your dedication to our cause."

Wabbajack 

"Good riddance to this tool of mischief."

Skull of Corruption 

"The world will be better off with this foul thing gone from it."

Oghma Infinium 

"Not many could resist the temptation of the Oghma Infinium. Now it is my turn to be put to the test!"

Ebony Blade 

17. Skull of Corruption

Vaermina seems to be incapable of catching a break on these lists. Not only was she last place in the Favorite Daedric Prince poll, but her favorite artifact is your most hated one. The Skull of Corruption creates a copy of the person it’s used on, too bad for Vaermina that it doesn’t create votes.

16. Sword of Jyggalag

The Sword of Jyggalag is rightfully near the bottom of this list. For all practical purposes, this Sword is a regular claymore, as it doesn’t even come with an enchantment. With that issue, you would think it would at least be the best possible generic two-handed sword you could acquire, but it isn’t in either of the games it was usable. Maybe Jyggalag hasn’t returned yet because he’s trying to create a better artifact to offer adventurers.

15. Volendrung

Malacath’s nature as a pariah has spread to his artifact. Volendrung was originally created by the Dwarf Rourken clan, is the namesake of the province of Hammerfell, and was even stolen by Sheogorath for shenanigans, but it wasn’t enough to raise its ranking.

14. Ring of Namira

The Ring of Namira began as a fairly simple ring that would reflect damage its wearer would receive. It would be redesigned to allow its wearer to receive benefits from engaging in cannibalism. Neither version seems to have sparked the admiration of the community, and the ring rests at the bottom of our listings.

13. Savior's Hide

Savior’s Hide may be suffering just like Volendrung. While this is normally an artifact associated with Hircine, there has been at least one origin story claiming it was Malacath’s instead. Originally a full set of armor, only the cuirass has seen use in recent games. Overall decent, but not enough to earn much love sadly.

12. Mace of Molag Bal

A mace created by an involuntary orcish artisan, the Vampire’s Mace was originally noted to drain an opponent to benefit the wielder. The Fourth Era would see its enchantment change to be more purely offensive, while picking up Soul Trapping. Much like the Ring of Namira, it seems that neither version earned much love, however.

11. Sanguine Rose

The Sanguine Rose sadly only rests in the middle of this list. With its ability to summon an uncontrolled Daedra, it is a useful, albeit somewhat chaotic tool. It seems Sanguine will have to grow a better one if he wants a higher rank.

10. Spellbreaker

Spellbreaker is the most famous artifact that Peryite provides, unless you consider illnesses to be artifacts. Dwarven in design, Spellbreaker has a long-fabled history stretching from its creation by King Rourken for a battle against Shalidor, to our own adventures. Spellbreaker’s magical defenses saved it from a lower ranking, but didn’t earn enough love to go any higher than 10.

9. Umbra

The infamous artifact that Clavicus Vile desperately wants back has been causing problems in Tamriel since its introduction. Between its ability to possess people, steal souls, and steal the power of Daedric Princes, what’s not to like?

8. Goldbrand

Helped by its upgraded form Eltonbrand, Goldbrand broke into the top half our list. Goldbrand’s path has taken it from the Nerevarine, to the Champion of Cyrodiil, to the Emperor’s personal armory, and into our heart.

7. Ebony Blade

With a sword like this, who needs friends?

6. Mehrunes' Razor

A somewhat surprising result, Mehrunes’ Razor was a favorite to win this. The Razor’s most famous ability is certainly its random chance to kill any enemy, providing at least some chance to anyone who wields it against anyone they may face. Perhaps the randomness of the artifact made it somewhat less appealing, but that doesn’t explain your fifth choice...

5. Wabbajack

Wabbajack. Wabbajack. Wabbajack.

Wabbajack.

Wabbajack. Wabbajack. Wabbajack. Wabbajack. Wabbajack. Wabbajack.

Wabbajack.

Wabbajack. Wabbajack. Wabbajack.

4. Dawnbreaker

Not what I was expecting, but Dawnbreaker made it to fourth place. The Dawnbreaker is a fairly new artifact to the setting, but its shining appearance has clearly made it a memorable one. Nocturnal once briefly took ownership of this artifact from Meridia, reforging it into Duskbringer, a very cool concept that will hopefully return in future appearances.

3. Oghma Infinium

An interesting note on all of the podium artifacts is that they are all “utility” artifacts. No armor or weapon, but things like Oghma Infinium. The Oghma Infinium is a book that once read will provide boosts to your character’s various stats. It may contain secret knowledge, but it’s no secret that it is a fan favorite.

2. Skeleton Key

Our Mistress of Mystery‘s most iconic artifact has gone from a simple perfect lockpick to one of the most grand artifacts you can obtain. While it may have earned our affection by being able to defeat any lock, the Skeleton Key would be at the center of a large sub-plot in Skyrim, showing the key’s true abilities. The Skeleton Key can open any lock, whether physical, magical, or mental, allowing its user to access amazing abilities. Sadly, the Skeleton Key could not unlock the secret to winning this contest.

1. Azura’s Star

Which Daedric Artifact is best? Help us settle this long-running fan debate with our poll: https://youpoll.me/31213/