Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-79.160.190.167-20130802230901/@comment-25074378-20140619112820

But you don't HAVE to fight the Imperials. In fact, you can JOIN the Imperials. The Dragonborn's role in the universe is to put a stop to Alduin, not participate in a civil war. There is also nothing indicating that you don't remember your past (there are even conversations where you are given dialogue options to mention your family breifly), there is just no reason to delve into it.