Kill Camera

Kill Cameras are a game mechanic and featured in  and that allow players to kill enemies with a final, deadly, and cinematically delivered strike. Kill Cameras can be done on almost every foe in the game. NPCs are capable of performing cinematic kills on the Dragonborn or on other NPCs as well.

Mechanics
While performing a Kill Camera, a short animation is played, making the Dragonborn vulnerable to attack and unable to carry out any other task for a couple of seconds until the animation has played through. Kill Cameras also depend on the position of the enemy in relation to the player, upon attacking. For instance, striking an enemy from the flank or behind produces different finishers than a strike met head-on.

Combat conditions
Kill Cameras will only be performed if killing the enemy will take the player out of the combat mode. This does not mean only the last enemy. Killing an enemy while sneaking and remaining undetected will allow a Kill Camera, even if there are more enemies present.

Weapon conditions
Kill Cameras can be performed with almost all weapons and even bare fists. In addition, Werewolf or Vampire Lord finishers can also be executed. Wielding a One-Handed weapon and a spell does not void one's ability to perform a Kill Camera. Certain One-Handed Kill Cameras cannot be performed while dual-wielding.

One-move finishers
It is possible to use a Kill Camera on a person with full health, but requires the opponent to be vastly outclassed in comparison to the player. A backstab attack with the Assassin's Blade perk will often produce full health finishers.

Activating Kill Cameras
Kill Cameras are random most of the time, but some particular conditions will enable them:
 * The opponent must be the last enemy on the radar.
 * Special One-handed or Two-Handed fight perks must be unlocked.
 * Performing a Power Attack (by pressing the corresponding attack trigger) while the opponent is off-guard or about to attack the player will activate a special Kill Camera. Note that the opponent must have less than half of their life points.
 * While in Vampire Lord form and exclusively on foot, keeping the attack trigger pressed on a weaker enemy will often result in a Power Bite even if there are more opponents on the radar.
 * A strong pressure of the attack trigger while fighting a weaker or almost killed opponent will often activate a Kill Camera.

Controls by Platform

 * To perform a Kill Camera on command is done by tapping RT and moving the left analog stick at the same time in any direction, which will result in different Kill Cameras.
 * Performing a Kill Camera can happen randomly in a fight but can be done on command by tapping R1 and flicking the left analog stick forward. A finisher factors in how strong the player is against its enemy and how the player's character is positioned.
 * To perform a Kill Camera press the forward button (default W) and Mouse button corresponding to the character's weapon-hand when enemy is at low health.

Trivia

 * The 'Leaping Thrust' is very similar to a "Superman Punch" in MMA-style fighting, and a move that Achilles uses in the 2004 movie, Troy.

Bugs

 * Decapitating ghosts colors the head. If the severed head is searched, it disappears.
 * Decapitating Dremora summoned by Sanguine's Rose causes them to appear headless when the staff is used again.
 * Decapitating enemies wearing a Heavy Armor helmet may leave the head still intact, and the body could twitch around a bit.
 * Sometimes sprinting while performing a finishing animation will allow one to sprint for an unlimited time, even after stamina is exhausted.
 * When decapitating an character, the person's body may disappear, though it can still be looted.
 * Sometimes a bow or magic finisher may play, although the intended finishing arrow/magic bolt may miss.
 * A bow finisher may still hit an enemy, but if the shot paralyzes the enemy, either through perks, enchantments, or poison, it will simply do only that and not deal any damage.
 * While sneaking with a bow, the Kill Camera has a tendency to cause arrows to impact the ground in front of the Dragonborn, unless care is taken to move close enough to, if not slightly beyond, the edge of the surface upon which the player is crouching.
 * If the Dragonborn is extremely low on Magicka and is using Flames, Frostbite, etc. and attempts to kill an enemy and the finishing cinematic plays, they may not have enough Magicka to fully kill the enemy, and the cinematic will end after about three seconds.
 * After decapitating enemies wearing a hat the hat may still float above the head as if still being worn and the head will appear invisible although the severed neck texture can still be seen rolling around.
 * When entering the cinematic, a follower may kill the enemy with a spell or arrow, causing the cinematic to play indefinitely, as the enemy cannot be killed by the player.
 * When trying to kill someone who just walks through a door, the cinematic might freeze and will not end.
 * There may be a noticeable wait in between the start of a third-person kill camera and the action taking place.
 * Sometimes for Magic or bow kill cameras, the enemy may not die (this is a case with Giants, as sometimes, the Giant may be merely downed rather than completely killed. The animation does stop, however.
 * Kill cameras may occasionally "glitch up" and show an area below the level when they occur, or may be behind a large obstruction. This is more common in areas that are more compact and small, or if the kill camera is nearby a wall. An example is when a Kill Camera where the throat would be slit is raised, so the person's forehead is cut.
 * Kill cameras for werewolves, especially the "Werewolf Maul" performed with the left hand, in which they bite the target's chest, will make the target sink through the ground and disappear after the cinematic is done.
 * Rarely, in a first-person kill camera, the kill camera will play and the enemy will react to being killed, but the Dragonborn will not move at all.
 * Decapitated corpses will keep their headgear, even after the body has been completely looted.
 * Occasionally, the kill camera will play for projectile spells even if the spell misses or fails to kill the enemy. After this occurs, the Dragonborn may not be able to swing weapons/cast spells for some time (this can typically be negated by using both triggers simultaneously).
 * Sometimes, when using a bow, if the kill cam starts while zooming in or slowing time (by holding down the block button, which drains stamina) upon exiting the cinematic, all stamina will be depleted.
 * It is possible for the kill camera to remain stuck on a dead character for an indefinite amount of time.

Appearances


Animation