No fantasyRPGwould be complete without a wide variety of weapons for players to use.The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimunderstands this and has a wide range of weapon types for players to use ranging from daggers to greatswords.
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Daggers are meant to compliment stealthy characters since they deal great sneak damage, but these weapons can also be fantastic for aggressive builds when dual-wielded. With 11 unique daggers to find inSkyrim, there’s a solid amount of variety that can complement most playstyles.
Updated on Jun 12, 2025, by Anastasia Maillot:Daggers were sadly one of those features in Skyrim that didn’t get any love in the 10th-year anniversary update. This could in part be because of the fact that there are already a fair amount of good daggers in the game, which can be used to nearly insta-kill enemies.
More details about each dagger’s base damage and exact location have been added to make finding them easier for players. While they’re not bows, daggers are still among the most powerful weapons in Skyrim.
11Alessandra’s Dagger
Alessandra is a priestess that works in Riften. She originally used her father’s dagger until she was given her own after becoming a priestess, hence why she wishes toreturn it to her father.
Alessandra’s Dagger is a quest item that deals as much damage as a Steel Dagger, but that’s all it has going for it. No enchantments or special properties make this weapon unique. Its most unique trait is being stuck in a player’s inventory permanently until they bring it to Alessandra’s father. It’s not possible to keep this item after the quest is completed, but there’s no real use for it either.
10Rundi’s Dagger
Found at a shrine to the southeast of Winterhold,Rundi’s Dagger is a standard Steel Dagger that can be enchanted. It has no unique properties except its name. Originally, this item was supposed to be part of “The Missing Apprentices” quest butthe quest was never finishedbefore the game was released.
The only truly unique aspect of this dagger is its name, but it remains otherwise unexceptional.
9Kahvozein’s Fang
Kahvozein’s Fang is a unique Dragon Priest Dagger that can harvest heartscales from dragon corpses, which is required to complete the “Alteration Ritual Spell” quest. Besides this small niche, Kahvozein’s Fang is astandard Dragon PriestDagger that deals six damage per swing and weighs 5 units.
The best way to get it is to start the Alteration Ritual Spell quest, which requires the players to have level 90 Alteration. After chatting with Tolfdir, players will need to go to a random location where the dagger can be found.
8Nettlebane
Attainable at the start ofSkyrimfrom a side quest in Whiterun,Nettlebane is comparable to an Orcish Dagger in terms of its damage output of six a swing. To begin the related quest, head over to Danica Pure-Spring at the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun.
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While it weighs a whopping ten units, it does have reasonable damage considering when players can obtain this weapon. Nettlebane is essential for completing “The Blessings of Nature” quest, but it can be kept afterward.
7Valdr’s Lucky Dagger
Assisting Valdr with clearing out Moss Mother Cavern will grantValdr’s Lucky Dagger, a Steel Dagger that has an innate 25% critical hit chance. Critical hits inSkyrimmultiply the base damage by 1.5x,increasing Valdr’s damage from 5 to 7.5 when it critically hits. That’s why it ranks higher than other daggers that have higher base damage, due to its special enchantment that buffs its damage output.
It’s not bad for how early players can earn it, but obtaining Sneak perks and eitherthe Shrouded Hand Wraps or Ancient Shrouded Glovesallows Valdr’s Dagger to deal hundreds of damage in a single sneak attack. As such, it only really reaches its full potential towards mid to late-game.
6Borvir’s Dagger
Borvir’s Dagger has suffered the same fate as Rundi’s Dagger. This dagger is also tied to the broken “The Missing Apprentices” quest that was never finished, meaning that few players will stumble across it.
It can be found near Borvir’s corpse in Journeyman’s Nook.As for stats, Borvir’s Dagger is the same as an Elven Dagger, making this a much better early-game dagger to hunt down than Rundi’s Dagger.
5Blade Of Sacrifice
Boethiah followers have the Blade of Sacrifice, a named variant of an Ebony Dagger.It can instantly kill any follower during the “Boethiah’s Calling” questline, but it otherwise functions the same as an Ebony Dagger.
It does ten damage per swing and can be upgraded at a grindstone, although the Blade of Sacrifice can not be enchanted.
4Keening
Keening was a mythical weaponinMorrowindresponsible for slaying Dagoth Ur, and it makes a strange return inSkyrim. Keening in this game is a counterfeit, sadly, as equipping it doesn’t instantly kill the Dragonborn. To get this weapon, players will need to complete Arniel’s Endeavor.
As a dagger, Keening is incredibly strong.It deals eight base damage and has a chance to absorb ten points of Health, Magicka, or Stamina with every swing. Unfortunately, this weapon cannot have its enchantment recharged if it runs out.Using 100% Fortify Destruction enchantments is the only way to keep Keening’s enchantment always active.
3Bloodthorn
Bloodthorn is criminally underrated, due in part to the description for this weapon being incomplete. Obtained from Hag’s End, this dagger deals five base damage and can trap a target’s soul into a soul gem. This makes it a fantastic weapon for players who specialize in enchanting.
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While this might otherwise sound underwhelming,Bloodthorn also has a ten-point Health absorption enchantment not listed in its description. Since it absorbs souls reliably, Bloothtorn can also sustain its own enchantment with ease. Dealing 15 damage a swing for such an early-game dagger is nothing to scoff at, though players will have to fightthrough the Hag’s End dungeonto get their hands on it.
2Blade Of Woe
The Blade of Woe is very similar to Bloodthorn,dealing 12 base damage while absorbing 10 points of Health with every attack. Its damage output is comparable to a Dragonbone Dagger, the highest tier of daggers inSkyrim.
Players will need to join the Dark Brotherhood to even get a chance of getting it. It’s obtained from the “Death Incarnate” questline, shortly after the Falkreath Sanctuary is attacked.
