The Elder Scrolls 6is very likely one of the most anticipated games of all time, considering it’s been around three years since it was first announced, and because it’s following up afterSkyrim. There is a lot of pressure about how goodThe Elder Scrolls 6has to be, both because ofSkyrim’s legacy, and the fact that Obsidian Entertainment’sAvowedwill supposedly be coming in 2022 as well. Also, considering howStarfieldmay impact the production ofThe Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda has to ensure the game lives up to their standard by launch.
Considering how tense things must be because of all the expectations forThe Elder Scrollsseries' next entry, Bethesda could seize this opportunity to let one ofOblivion’s classic features come back forThe Elder Scrolls6.Oblivionwas a pretty grim game right from the start, with the fall of Kvatch and the Daedra invading Tamriel, but it had its uplifting moments thanks to some side quests and, more specifically because of the hilarious figure the Adoring Fan. This NPC became extremely popular in the community ofThe Elder Scrollsgames, but not limited to it, making the Adoring Fan one of the most iconic characters in the series and beyond.
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Who The Adoring Fan is in Oblivion
Players first meet the Adoring Fan in the Imperial City’s Arena District, right after they become the new Grand Champion. As a part of the storyline for the Arena,Oblivionplayersget to have a follower that helps them on their journey across the land, and that companion is the Adoring Fan. This young Bosmer is a commoner with no special abilities nor combat abilities of any sort. He’s an expert at carrying a torch and being cheerful, or depending on the players' perspective, extremely annoying.
This character became a sort of meme, with players killing him in creative ways, leaving him to wait in very dangerous (and potentially lethal) places, and pushing him off of high places to see him fall to his death. However, despite the gamers' sadistic practices towards the poor Adoring Fan, the Bosmer would always respawn at the Arena if he ended up killed or was dismissed by the main character, perpetuating an endless cycle of fun.
Regardless of the fact that all the Adoring Fan ever meant to do was to help, his main purpose became that of being a training dummy or end up on YouTube compilations. Players even made theirstarting character inOblivionlook exactly like the Adoring Fan, so as to have a look-alike follower when completing the Arena quests and add an extra layer to the meme.
The Legacy Of The Adoring Fan In Other The Elder Scrolls Games And More
The legacy of the Adoring Fan is not lost withOblivion— or, to oblivion, rather — but it lives on in several ways. The Adoring Fan was added toSkyrimby passionate modderswho even went to great lengths to have the annoying Bosmer have his own lines and interact with players. This, of course, meant that even more players got to know this iconic character if they hadn’t played the previous chapter inThe Elder Scrollssaga. That’s not all, though; by reading ’s lore, players encountered an entry in Cicero’s journal that seems to imply he was posing as the Adoring Fan inOblivion. However, this is likely just a reference, not a new implication.
The Elder Scrolls Online, too, was not immune to the inclusion of references toOblivion’s most notorious character. The game features an arena, called the Hammerdeath Arena in the area of Stormhaven, where a ghost NPC can be found observing the matches and cheering for fighters. This character is a Bosmer, too, and he is one of the two references to the Adoring Fan inThe Elder Scrolls Online. The second one is a furnishing item that can be used to decorate a player’s house, and being an ornamental fan, it’s called “An Adoring Fan.”
Oblivion’s Adoring Fan is also part ofThe Elder Scrolls:Legends, a card gameinspired by the characters, locations, lore, and enemies ofThe Elder Scrollsseries, developed as a spin-off title by Bethesda. InThe Elder Scrolls:Legends, gamers can select a mode called Arena, which allows them to make a deck to play with. Upon defeating an Arena boss for the first time, they are awarded the Adoring Fan’s own card. Very much like inOblivion, inLegendsthe Bosmer cannot be Silenced, albeit in a different way.
Lastly, the Adoring Fan has made a comeback in many other shapes and forms, and in other games as well. Players have been known to make the Adoring Fan out of everything, including inHeroForge, and as aGuardian inDestiny 2, thanks to the transmog system.
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Why Oblivion’s The Adoring Fan Should Come Back To The Elder Scrolls 6
Oblivionplayersare clearly not over the Adoring Fan just yet, despite it being 15 years since the game first came out. As such, this reason alone would be enough to warrant the Bosmer’s return in the new chapter ofThe Elder Scrollssaga. Another reason is, of course, the sheer amount of references that the Wood Elf got over the years, and howThe Elder Scrolls 6should have something as fun as the Adoring Fun was inOblivion.
Features like this are what make players come back to a game, even years later. Adoring Fan making a comeback inThe Elder Scrolls 6could be the perfect injecting of levity into the game’s story. Interactions with unique items, special magic spells, and more would make the Adoring Fan even funnier now, depending on how his return is contextualized. WhetherThe Elder Scrolls 6will indeed have room for the Adoring Fan’s comeback is mere speculation, but pretty much everything else about the game is based on assumptions due to the lack of official information about it. Here’s to hoping theAdoring Fan will return inThe Elder Scrolls 6, though. He’s a homie.
The Elder Scrolls 6is in development.
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