Hadvar

''"Dragonborn" huh? Was it your ma or your pa that was the dragon? - Hadvar ''

Hadvar is a Nord and a soldier in the Imperial Army.

During the quest "Unbound", a group of prisoners are being taken to Helgen. Upon arrival, he and other guards begin calling the names of suspected Stormcloaks, intending to execute them. Alduin begins attacking Helgen, and, in the confusion, Hadvar spots the Dragonborn (the player character) trying to find cover. He asks the player to follow him, but the player also has the option of regrouping with Ralof, a fellow prisoner, to escape. If the player follows Hadvar through the keep, he will reach freedom and Hadvar will direct the player to his uncle, Alvor. Once the Quest is completed, Hadvar suggests the player travel to Solitude to join the Imperial Legion and serve under General Tullius. If you join, you will encounter Hadvar once more. After you talk to his unlce, Alvor, Hadvar will be living in Alvor's house. If you choose to join Ralof and not Hadvar, Hadvar will be killed by Alduin, as Ralof states 'Looks like we are the only ones who made it.'

It is likely that Hadvar and Ralof knew each other as children. They are from the same small village and their interactions during Unbound seem to imply they are at least familiar with each other.

Appearances

 * The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Tips

 * Hadvar is invincible in the beginning of the game. After you obtain your first weapon, keep attacking Hadvar and you can level up quickly. Also, in the whiterun follow glitch, attack him in the middle of town. No guards will attempt an arrest. Also, his "Quest NPC" downed recovery time is almost instant.
 * The best place to do this is in the Cavern just before the bear. Attack him with 1-h weapons, 2-h weapons, and magic to level up Quickly.
 * Kill him normally, then just after he gets up and has little health, quickly kill him once again. He will then have full health ( best done with swords ).
 * You can also Sneak Attack him to level up "Sneak". Crouch behind in sneak attack mode, and hit him every 5 seconds.
 * During or after the Civil War string of quests (if siding with the Legion), he will be at the Riverwood Inn with the heavy Imperial Armor for the rest of the game.

Quotes

 * "'Dragonborn' huh? Was it your ma or your pa that was the dragon?"
 * "I don't think Rikke even knows my name. Probably because I'm not 'The Dragonborn.'"
 * "Ever get the impression Rikke's not always sure what side she's on? I'm not doubting her loyalty. Just, she seems rather sympathetic to the rebels."
 * "Ever wonder if maybe we should call a truce with the Stormcloaks, join forces for just a little while, and take care of some of these dragons?"

Bugs

 * Some players may experience a bug after taking Windhelm for the Legion, where Hadvar follows them around in Whiterun, seemingly for no reason at all, with his sword drawn. He will occasionally say things, such as, "Ha! You're still alive?" or, "Who do you think killed more rebels? You or me?" Though, if you try to speak with him, he will not initiate a dialogue sequence, but will continue to say these lines over and over again.
 * Solution for the above bug is to get as close to him as possible, save the game, exit to the dashboard/xmb/desktop, and load the game back up. He should put his sword away and walk out of Whiterun. (Confirmed on Xbox, PS3 and PC, both patched and unpatched versions).
 * Hadvar may not appear as the commander for Rescue from Fort Kastav if Markarth was given to the Stormcloaks during the quest Season Unending.
 * After you leave the caves just as you complete Unbound, once you come close to the Guardian Stones he may wander off the path and never initialize the conversation regarding the stones. (Confirmed on PS3, Xbox and PC Unknown)
 * If you follow Ralof in the tutorial, Hadvar seems to disappear from the game. He will not be encountered again even if you join the Imperial Legion (He may reappear during the battle for whiterun). This also goes the other way around with Ralof, if you follow Hadvar but join the Stormcloaks. (Unconfirmed)

Hadvar