You’ve spent hundreds of hours in the Tundra. You know every inch of Whiterun. But then you step off that boat at Raven Rock, and suddenly, Skyrim isn't Skyrim anymore. It’s something weirder. Darker. Honestly, the Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Dragonborn DLC is the only reason I still find myself reinstalling this game every couple of years. It’s not just an expansion; it’s a love letter to the people who grew up playing Morrowind while simultaneously giving the Last Dragonborn a proper rival in Miraak.
Most people treat DLC as a side dish. A little extra flavor after the main quest is done. With Dragonborn, Bethesda basically handed us a whole different menu.
That First Trip to Solstheim
The moment those cultists approach you in a city—usually while you’re just trying to sell some dragon bones to Belethor—everything changes. They ask if you’re the "True Dragonborn." You say yes. They try to kill you. It’s a classic Bethesda greeting. But when you finally track them back to the docks of Windhelm and pay Gjalund Salt-Sage to take you to Solstheim, the atmosphere shifts.
The music changes. Jeremy Soule’s score starts leaning into those low, haunting woodwinds that define the ash-covered landscape of the south. You see the Red Mountain smoking in the distance. It’s nostalgic, sure, but it’s also incredibly oppressive.
💡 You might also like: The Wolf Among Us: Why Fabletown Still Hits Different a Decade Later
Why Raven Rock Hits Different
Raven Rock isn't a cozy Nord village. It's a struggling Dunmer colony built on grit and ebony mining. You’ve got House Redoran guards everywhere in their chitin armor, looking completely unimpressed by your status as a hero. I love that. In Skyrim, everyone treats you like a god after a few levels. In Solstheim, you’re just another "outlander" until you prove otherwise.
The architecture is the first big shock. You go from the wooden longhouses of the mainland to these massive, hollowed-out shells and curved stone buildings. It feels alien. It feels like the developers were finally allowed to get weird again, stepping away from the "Viking-lite" aesthetic of the base game.
Miraak and the Burden of the First Dragonborn
Let’s talk about Miraak. He is, objectively, a better villain than Alduin. Alduin is a big scary lizard who wants to eat the world because... well, he’s a dragon. It’s his job. It’s a bit one-dimensional.
Miraak is different. He’s a mirror.
He was the first human to ever bear the soul of a dragon, and instead of saving the world, he decided he’d rather rule it. He’s arrogant, he’s powerful, and he actually interacts with you. There is nothing more infuriating than killing a dragon in the wild, standing there ready to absorb its soul, only for Miraak to phase in, steal the soul right from under your nose, and tell you you're "too slow."
It creates a genuine, personal rivalry. You don't want to kill him just because the prophecy says so; you want to kill him because he's a thief who keeps stealing your loot.
The Black Books and Hermaeus Mora
The way you reach Miraak is through Apocrypha. This is where Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Dragonborn really shines in its level design. Entering a Black Book isn't just a loading screen; it's a descent into a Lovecraftian nightmare. You’re navigating towers made of infinite books, dodging writhing tentacles in green acid, and dealing with Seekers—those floating, multi-limbed librarians that are genuinely creepy.
Hermaeus Mora is the real star here. His voice acting is intentionally slow and agonizing. He sounds like ancient molasses. He doesn't care about good or evil; he just wants secrets. The deals you have to strike with him make the player feel complicit in something dark. It's not the hero's journey; it's a scholar's descent into madness.
Mechanics That Actually Mattered
Bethesda used this DLC to fix some of the gripes players had with the base game. Remember how annoying it was to realize you spent twenty perk points in Lockpicking only to realize it was a waste? Dragonborn gave us the "Waking Dreams" book. Once you beat Miraak, you can spend a dragon soul to reset a skill tree.
It was a game-changer.
It allowed for "mid-life crises" for your character. You could go from a heavy-armor tank to a stealthy illusionist without starting a 50-hour save file over from scratch.
Dragon Riding: The Great Letdown?
Okay, we have to be honest here. Dragon Riding was the "back of the box" feature everyone hyped up. Is it cool? Yeah, the first time. Is it actually useful? Sort of.
The "Bend Will" shout is incredible for combat, but actually sitting on a dragon feels a bit like being a passenger in a buggy taxi. You can't fully control where it flies; you just give it general suggestions. It was a technical limitation of the engine at the time, but compared to the freedom of the rest of the game, it felt a little stiff. However, using a dragon to rain fire down on a Giant's camp still feels undeniably cool.
The Weird Side Quests of Solstheim
If you ignore the main quest and just wander north, the game gets even better. You run into Neloth.
Neloth is arguably the best NPC Bethesda has ever written. He’s a Telvanni wizard who lives in a giant mushroom, treats his assistants like disposable trash, and is so incredibly pompous that it becomes hilarious. Helping him with his experiments—which usually involve you almost dying—is a highlight. One minute you’re searching for a misplaced staff, the next you’re investigating a briarheart warrior heart surgery gone wrong.
Then there’s the Karstaag fight.
Most players stumble into this by accident. You find a skull, you put it on a throne in a frozen cave, and then a ghost giant proceeds to one-shot you. Karstaag is the unofficial "super-boss" of Skyrim. He is significantly harder than the Ebony Warrior or Miraak. Beating him requires actual strategy, potions, and probably a few prayers to Akatosh.
How to Get the Most Out of Solstheim Today
If you're jumping back into Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Dragonborn in 2026, don't rush it. The island is meant to be explored slowly.
- Wait until Level 30. You can go earlier, but the enemies on Solstheim (like Burnt Spriggans and Ash Spawn) scale aggressively. You'll have a much better time if you have a solid build first.
- Collect the Deathbrand Armor. It’s arguably the best light armor set in the entire game. You have to find maps and hunt down chests across the island. It’s a great way to see the sights while getting incredibly overpowered gear.
- Do the "Unearthed" quest. Go to Kolbjorn Barrow and talk to Ralis Sedarys. It requires you to invest gold over several days to fund an archaeological dig. It’s one of the few quests that feels like it has a real timeline, and the reward—Ahzidal’s armor—is essential for any magic-focused build.
- Actually read the Black Books. Don't just run to the end for the power-up. The lore inside explains the history of the Dragon Priests and the nature of the Daedra in ways the base game barely touches.
The beauty of this DLC is that it feels like a complete ecosystem. You have the Skaal in the north, who live in harmony with nature and provide a grounded, human element to all the cosmic horror. You have the Riekling tribes—little blue goblins that you can actually side with to take over a mead hall. It’s weird, it’s dense, and it’s arguably the peak of Bethesda’s world-building in the fifth era.
Solstheim isn't just a map expansion; it's a reminder of why we fell in love with Tamriel in the first place. It's dangerous, it's strange, and it doesn't hold your hand. Whether you're there for the loot, the lore, or just to hear Neloth insult your intelligence one more time, it remains the gold standard for what a fantasy expansion should be.