Alduin (Skyrim)

Alduin (Dovahzul: ), the World Eater, also considered an alternative name of Akatosh by some of Tamriel, is a dragon and the primary antagonist of 's Main Quest. He is considered the "wellspring" of the Nordic pantheon, as well as the harbinger of the apocalypse. He is also described as the "creator of dragon civilization" in one particular text.

Unbound
During the executions, Alduin will be flying above Helgen, and his roars can be faintly heard. Once the Last Dragonborn is placed on the chopping block, he will land on top of the tower above and use the shout Meteor Storm to cause havoc and destruction in the settlement. During the Dragonborn's escape from the village and into Helgen Keep, he will be seen fighting a number of Imperial soldiers, and may land and attack the Dragonborn in front of the keep if the Dragonborn does not escape quickly enough. Once the keep is escaped through the cave, he will be seen flying above, and will fly away to the east.

A Blade in the Dark
After travelling to the Kynesgrove Dragon Mound with Delphine, Alduin will appear and resurrect Sahloknir. He will leave him to kill the Dragonborn and Delphine, then fly away.

Alduin's Bane
In the vision of the past seen through the Time Wound, Felldir the Old will use an Elder Scroll to banish Alduin further in time. After witnessing the vision, Alduin will appear and attack the Dragonborn and Paarthurnax. Upon his defeat, he will not be killed, and flies away.

Dragonslayer
With Felldir, Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, and Hakon One-Eye in Sovngarde, the Dragonborn must defeat Alduin and fulfill the prophecy. Once he is killed, he will burst into pieces and dissolve in a painful blaze.

Identity
Scholars speculate that Alduin is the Nordic name attributed to Akatosh. One source states that Alduin and Akatosh are different deities entirely. Alduin calls himself the "First-Born of Akatosh!" Exactly what the "firstborn of Akatosh" means is unclear, although some sources suggest he was split from Akatosh at some point in the past. According to Paarthurnax, Alduin's peers considered him the most acclaimed creation of Akatosh.

History
Nordic myth asserts that Alduin destroyed the last world to begin this one. As a result, he is both creator and destroyer, as well as predating the creation of Nirn itself. There are legends of his battles with Shor during this time.

During the Merethic Era, the people of Atmora and Skyrim worshiped dragons, possibly at the urging of Alduin. He also conspired with Orkey to reduce all the Nords to children, until he was again defeated by Shor. Some consider that Alduin's rule during this period was foresaking his proper role as the World-Eater. Ultimately, the humans for Skyrim rebelled against the dragons' rule, and during the ensuing Dragon War, Alduin served as a leader of the dragons. He was ultimately sent forward in time through the actions of three Nordic heroes, who created a new Shout to subdue him, and used an Elder Scroll to send Alduin forward in time.

Prophecy
A prophecy foretelling Alduin's return is on Alduin's Wall, located at Sky Haven Temple, built in the First Era and recounted in the Book of the Dragonborn, and possibly on Elder Scroll. It tells that the World-Eater will return after various tumultuous events have occurred, retelling events have led up to this point, and claiming that the Last Dragonborn will come forth at that time.

Trivia

 * The name "Alduin" translates to "Destroy-Devour-Master".
 * Alduin is voiced by Daniel Riordan.
 * Alduin is the only main antagonist in the Elder Scrolls that appears in the very beginning of the story.
 * He (indirectly and ironically) saves the life of the Dragonborn.
 * When defeated in Sovngarde, unlike other Dragons, Alduin's soul cannot be absorbed. When Arngeir is questioned about the anomaly, he theorizes that Alduin is not permanently dead and will eventually return to fulfill the prophecy of the Elder Scrolls.
 * Alduin's body dissolves completely upon death and does not leave a skeleton, unlike other dragons.
 * He can be seen near any of the burial mounds of Dragons just before they're resurrected. Also, he may mention the dragon's name.
 * Alduin only refers to the Dovahkiin by name when he attacks Helgen and immediately after the "Alduin's Bane" quest.
 * Alduin is possibly inspired or a reference to the Dragon called Níðhöggur (pronounced Neeth-Hökk-uhr) in Norse Mythology. Níðhöggur was a dragon in Niflheim near Hel, he did almost nothing but feasting on the dead, biting the roots of the tree Yggdrasil and killing for his own amusement. Níðhöggur was a symbol of death and destruction, much like Alduin.
 * When using the Dragonrend shout, Alduin may say, "You may have picked up the weapons of my ancient foes, but you are not their equal!"
 * Killcams in the game do not activate for Alduin as they would for any other dragons.

Bugs

 * During the initial Helgen attack, when the player climbs up the stairs of the tower, Alduin will sometimes sit on the side of the tower without reaction instead of breathing fire through the gap. This can be fixed by reloading the game.
 * Occasionally during the quest "Alduin's Bane", when fighting Alduin at the Throat of the World he may be completely invincible to all attacks. This can be fixed by reloading to a previous save.
 * This bug may be avoided by not directly attacking Alduin prior to him becoming hostile.

Appearances




Alduin der Weltenfresser Alduin Алдуин (Skyrim) Alduin Alduin Alduin Alduin Алдуїн