You're standing at the forge in Whiterun. You’ve got the Ebony Ingots. You’ve got the Smithing level. But you’re missing the one thing that actually makes the armor "Daedric." Honestly, figuring out where to get a daedra heart is the biggest bottleneck in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It’s annoying. You need them for the best heavy armor in the game, and if you're into Alchemy, they're basically the holy grail for Restore Health potions.
The problem is that Daedra don't exactly roam the tundra like mudcrabs. You can't just stumble into a field of Dremora. Well, unless you know exactly which basements to break into or which shrines to desecrate.
Most players waste hours checking every single apothecary shop in Skyrim hoping for a lucky restock. That's a sucker's game. If you want a full set of legendary gear, you need a reliable, repeatable strategy.
The Most Reliable Way to Farm Daedra Hearts
If you want a guaranteed source that resets, you have to head to the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon. You probably remember this spot from the "Pieces of the Past" quest. Once you've completed that quest—which involves reforging the Mehrunes' Razor—the shrine becomes a gold mine.
Inside and outside the shrine, four Dremora Kynreeves will spawn.
Kill them. Take their hearts. It’s that simple.
The best part? These NPCs respawn every few in-game days. If you're impatient, just fast travel to a different hold, wait for about 48 to 72 hours, and head back. You’ll find another batch of Dremora waiting to be harvested. It’s the closest thing Skyrim has to an infinite loop for high-tier crafting materials. Just be ready for a fight, because they hit hard if you're at a lower level.
The College of Winterhold’s Shady Dealer
Not everyone wants to climb a mountain and fight literal demons every time they need a heart. If you have some gold burning a hole in your pocket, go to the College of Winterhold. Look for a guy named Enthir.
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He’s usually hanging out in the Hall of Attainment.
Enthir is "the guy" for things the College doesn't officially approve of. He almost always has two Daedra Hearts in his inventory. They aren't cheap, mind you. You'll be paying a premium for the convenience. But if you’re trying to finish a chest piece and just need one more component, Enthir is your most consistent vendor. Just remember he only sells to you once you’ve progressed far enough in the College questline to be considered a trusted member.
Secrets of the Jorrvaskr Basement
You don’t even have to leave Whiterun for your first heart. Most people miss this because they're too busy fetching ale for Farkas or worrying about their "honor."
Go into Jorrvaskr, the headquarters of the Companions. Head downstairs to the Living Quarters. In Kodlak Whitemane’s room—the one at the very end of the hall—there is a Daedra Heart sitting right on a plate near his desk.
It’s sitting there. Just waiting.
Since it belongs to the Companions, you'll technically be stealing it unless you’ve already become the Harbinger or progressed significantly through their questline. If you aren't the boss yet, just crouch, make sure the "hidden" eye is closed, and snag it. It’s a freebie. It also respawns eventually, though it takes much longer than the Dremora at the Shrine.
Where to Get a Daedra Heart Without Fighting Dremora
Sometimes the game just hands them to you if you know where to look. Alchemy shops are the obvious choice, but the spawn rate is abysmal. Arcadia’s Cauldron in Whiterun or Babalette’s in Solitude can stock them, but it’s a gamble.
If you’re desperate, try these specific locations:
- Hall of the Vigilant: Before it gets destroyed by vampires (if you have the Dawnguard DLC), there’s a heart inside on a table.
- Valerica’s Study: If you are playing through the Dawnguard questline, look around the Soul Cairn laboratory.
- Blackreach: In the Silent Ruin, there’s often one sitting on a masonry table. Blackreach is a nightmare to navigate, so I wouldn't go there just for the heart, but keep your eyes peeled if you're already down there doing the Main Quest.
The Aretino Residence
This is a weird one. In Windhelm, when you go to start the Dark Brotherhood questline by visiting Aventus Aretino, take a second to look around his house. People are so focused on the kid performing the Black Sacrament that they ignore the shelves. There’s a heart tucked away in there. It feels a bit dark taking it from an orphan, but hey, you need that armor.
Using the Atronach Forge
If you’re playing a mage or just have a high Conjuration skill, the Atronach Forge under the College of Winterhold (the Midden) is a game-changer. You can actually craft Daedra Hearts here.
To do this, you need:
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- A Sigil Stone (requires level 90 Conjuration and the Master Ritual quest).
- A Human Heart.
- A Black Soul Gem (empty or filled, doesn't matter).
Combine these in the offering box, pull the lever, and boom—Daedra Heart. Human hearts are arguably harder to find than Daedra hearts sometimes, but if you’re a fan of raiding necromancer dens, you probably have a few sitting in a chest somewhere. This is the "high-level" way to do it. It feels very scholarly and appropriately sinister.
Why You Shouldn't Just Buy Them
Economics in Skyrim is weird. As your level increases, the price of rare ingredients like Daedra Hearts skyrockets. By the time you’re level 50, a single heart might cost you 800 to 1,000 gold depending on your Speech skill.
That's a rip-off.
Especially when you consider that a full set of Daedra armor requires five hearts (six if you want the shield, and more if you want the weapons). You’re looking at a 5,000-gold investment just for the raw materials. Compare that to the "Mehrunes Dagon" method, which costs you exactly zero gold and about five minutes of combat.
Actionable Strategy for Crafting Daedric Gear
If your goal is to walk around looking like a literal demon prince, follow this workflow to maximize your efficiency:
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- Hit Level 20: This is the minimum level required to start "Pieces of the Past." You get the quest via a courier invite to a museum in Dawnstar.
- Clear the Shrine: Once the quest ends, kill the four Dremora. That’s 4 hearts instantly.
- Visit Enthir: Fast travel to Winterhold and buy his 2 hearts. You’re now at 6.
- The Wait: Fast travel to the other side of the map (Markarth or Riften). Sleep for 48 hours.
- Repeat: Go back to the Shrine. The Dremora will have respawned.
By following this loop, you can gather enough materials for a full set of armor and a matching Greatsword in less than thirty minutes of real-world time. Don't forget that you also need Ebony Ingots. If you're looking for those, head to Gloombound Mine southeast of Windhelm. It's the densest source of Ebony in the province.
Combine the ore from the mine with the hearts from the Shrine, and you'll have the highest armor rating possible in the game before the sun sets in Riften. Just make sure you actually have the Daedric Smithing perk unlocked; otherwise, all those hearts are just taking up weight in your inventory.
Getting your hands on these isn't about luck. It's about knowing the map. Stop checking every apothecary in the game and start targeting the Dremora spawns directly. It saves time, saves gold, and honestly, it’s a lot more fun than menu-diving in a shop.