User blog comment:Bork-The-Ork/Thalmor or Forsworn: who do you hate more?/@comment-4888821-20120718223538/@comment-4491632-20120722172329

Basically. The Forsworn have some level of humanity to them. They've been torn from their homes and their way of living by the Nords, and while they have indeed made it their goal to slaughter just about everyone who doesn't follow their way of life, they do it because they feel like that have been oppressed by the Nords. It's a rebellion, as Sovereign said. It has a cause, and even though that Forsworn are enemies in all cases (excluding a particular mission in Markarth), they're fighting for what they feel is right, and that's respectable.

The Thalmor on the other hand... Bethesda seem to have put a lot of effort into making the Thalmor hateable, and they've certainly suceeded. There's nothing particularly appealing about them at all. They barely even have a reason for taking over the rest of Tamriel beyond a lust for power, which is incredibly cliche and uninteresting. And then forcing their beliefs onto those that they've conquered? That's not particularly nice.

The Thalmor are my most hated. I'm not going to regret firing an arrow towards a Briarheart, but at least I'll respect his cause.