Vilkas

Vilkas
Basic Info
Race	Nord Werewolf
Level	PCx1 (8-50)
Class	Warrior
Skills	Two-Handed
Faction	The Companions The Circle
Rank	Master Skill Trainer
Services	Skill Trainer (Two-Handed) Follower Spouse Steward Joining the Blades
Essential	Before the Companions questline is completed.
Ref ID	0001A695
Base ID	0001A694

Not to be confused with Vilgis.

"Come to me with questions. I know our history almost as well as Vignar by now. [chuckle] Except I can remember it."

―Vilkas

Vilkas is a Nord werewolf resident of Whiterun, and the twin brother of Farkas. He is a member of the Companions and the Circle, the secret order within the Companions. He serves as the Dragonborn's shield-brother in several of the Companions' quests. As with all Companions, he is usually found within Jorrvaskr, located in the Wind District of Whiterun.

Interactions

• Take Up Arms – Prove that you're worthy to join the Companions.
• Purity of Revenge – Retrieve the Fragments of Wuuthrad and wipe out the Silver Hand.
• Glory of the Dead – Cure Kodlak Whitemane's spirit and prove to be a true Companion.
• Purity – Help a member of The Circle give up their beast blood.
• Escaped Criminal – Track down and kill an escaped prisoner.
• Rescue Mission – Rescue a kidnapped citizen and escort them to their home.
• Dragon Seekers – Defeat a dragon with Vilkas or Farkas.

Background

Vilkas and his brother, Farkas, were both raised in Jorrvaskr. Their father, Jergen, left them there while he went to fight in the Great War and never returned. Eventually, Vilkas and Farkas both officially joined the Companions. They were said to be the youngest members to ever join, though this may be a play on words by Vignar Gray-Mane, referring to the twins' young age during their residence at Jorrvaskr rather than the age at which their membership became official.

Personality

At first, Vilkas seems to think the Dragonborn isn't worthy of being a Companion, but he eventually warms up to the idea after the completion of "Glory of the Dead." Vilkas is well-spoken, and considered to be an intelligent man by the other Companions, the counterpart to his brother's physical prowess. Vilkas, along with his brother and Kodlak, resists the call of the beast-blood, choosing instead to refrain from transformations. However, he struggles with the side-effects more harshly than the others.

Vilkas is also thought of as a hot-tempered man. For example, during "Purity of Revenge," he does not hesitate to avenge Kodlak's death. However, he does later show remorse for his rash actions, as seen in "Glory of the Dead," during which he refuses to enter the rest of Ysgramor's Tomb, feeling himself unworthy.

After the Companions' main questline is completed, Vilkas will eventually give the quest "Purity." In this quest, he will ask the Dragonborn to cure him of beast blood. He is available as a follower, a skill trainer in Two-Handed combat and can also be selected to act as Steward for the Dragonborn if the Hearthfire DLC has been installed. Vilkas is also eligible for marriage after completion of the Companions' questline, if an Amulet of Mara is worn when talking to him:

"An Amulet of Mara? You're not married? [surprised chuckle] Surprising."

Interested in me, are you? "I am. I'd be glad to stand by your side until the Divines take us, i..if you'll have me."

I will. Together, then. "Together."

I'm sorry. I'm not interested. "[dejected sigh] I see."

Combat skills

• Two-Handed
• Heavy Armor
• Block
• Archery
• One-Handed

Conversations

Comparing Weapons

Ria: "It just feels so slow."
Vilkas: "It will feel that way for a while. But eventually you'll get used to it, and then you'll get faster with it. After that, the shortsword will feel like a knitting needle when you pick it up again."
Ria: "I've never held a knitting needle."
Vilkas: "Of course not. My mistake."

Fencing lesson

Ria: "Should I be holding the blade further away than a smaller one?"
Vilkas: "If you keep it in close, you'll have more control, but it can be harder to balance a strike."
Ria: "I guess that comes down to footwork, then."
Vilkas: "Exactly. When you have a big, heavy weight swinging around your upper body, your lower body has to compensate, or you'll fall right over."

Training partners

Ria: "Why can't I train with Aela?"
Vilkas: "Because, you wanted to learn the longer blades. Aela's never used anything bigger than a dagger."
Ria: "It's just...I think our fighting styles are similar."
Vilkas: "Well, you can either get better with a bow or try to learn from me."

Quotes

General quotes

• "Come to me with questions. I know our history almost as well as Vignar by now. [chuckle] Except I can remember it."
• "What brings you to me? Find some strange creature in your travels?"
• "I think by now I've killed one of every living thing in Skyrim. Maybe time for a trip to Morrowind."
• "What is it now?"
• "I suppose you have another question."
• "You're a talkative one, aren't you?"
• "I love my brother, but his brains aren't his strong suit."
• "If you had told me a few months ago that some newcomer that I'd never heard of would be the next Harbinger, I might have slit your throat. But...I've seen what you can do, and heard of the love that Kodlak had for you. The trust." - After curing Kodlak's soul of Lycanthropy
• "I would have not expected you to be the new Harbinger, but Kodlak trusted your judgement, and so will I." - After "Glory of the Dead"
• "I...Its like waking up out of a dream. I can breathe more deeply now. I can't smell your heart beating the way I used to. But my mind is... clear." - Talked to after curing his Lycanthropy
• "You've done me a great service, Harbinger. I will not soon forget it. Now... I'd like to spend some time communing with Ysgramor. My soul is clean now. Perhaps he'll still welcome me when my time comes." - When talked to after curing his Lycanthropy

Marriage quotes

• "Ha ha! This is a fine wedding. And to think, it's for us!" - If spoken to just before the ceremony
• "I guess we have our entire lives together, now. Where should we live? You could always stay with me...." - After the ceremony, before choosing a residence.
• "Then I'll see you at home!" - After choosing a residence
• "You have quite a house. I'm thinking of setting up a small store here. Sell odds and ends." - First time greeted in home
• "We've made a bit of gold. Here, love, this is your share." - Asked for store's profits
• "Here. Wouldn't want you going into a fight on an empty stomach. I'll have another meal ready tomorrow." - When asked to cook a meal
• "Bye, love." - Exiting conversation
• "Ah it's good to see you again, dear." - Passing comment
• "Do you need anything, my love?" - Passing comment
• "Uh [nervous chuckle]...where were you thinking?" - When told to move to a different home

Combat quotes

• "I'll rip your heart out!"
• "I'll carve you into pieces!"
• "By the Gods, you'll pay for that!"
• "Shor have mercy on you!"
• "Ysmir...curse you!"
• "Victory, or Sovngarde!"

Follower quotes

• "We've stopped, what is it?"
• "Lead on then!"
• "Got a feeling there's trouble ahead." - Place with lots of enemies, or "boss" room
• "There's a cave. Animals or bandits inside, no doubt." - In front of a cave
• "Suddenly I... feel much better!" - Healing spell
• "By Ysmir, I feel...invincible!" - Courage
• "Look at these stones. Our ancestors knew how to build, no doubt." - Outside a Nordic tomb
• "Get nervous around Dwarven stonework. Legends say that these cities are haunted." - In front of a Dwarven ruin
• "I'm heading home, if you need me." - When dismissed as a follower.

If the Dragonborn activates a Black Book whilst Vilkas is a follower:

• "That isn't right."
• "That can't be good for you."

Trivia

• "Vilkas" means "wolf" in Lithuanian. His brother's name, "Farkas," also means wolf in Hungarian.
• He claims to have killed every type of creature in Skyrim.
• If Vilkas is a follower, the Two-Handed skill can be trained in for free. Buy training, then check his inventory and take the money back.
• Vilkas usually says that he likes and prefers two-handed weapons, and he always uses them when he is the Dragonborn's follower or when he is in a quest. However, Vilkas uses a one-handed sword and a shield when training against the Dragonborn in the quest "Take Up Arms."
• Vilkas may be randomly encountered out in the wilderness killing a giant or sabre cat along with Ria or other Companions.
• If the Dragonborn marries Farkas, Vilkas may appear in the Temple of Mara as a wedding guest; if addressed, he warmly expresses his happiness for the couple.
• Vilkas was voiced by Michael Gough.
• After the Companions' questline, if the Dragonborn doesn't wear Wolf Armor, Vilkas will be the only member of the Circle to wear the armor.
• Although Vilkas claims to "know the Companions' history as well as Vignar," and to come to him with any questions about their history, there is actually no dialogue option to ask about the Companions' history; the only "history" options are to ask about how he and his brother became Companions.
• Vilkas is not tagged as essential after completing "Glory of the Dead," unlike his brother, who is always essential.
• If a title is earned before joining the Companions, such as being Thane of Whiterun or Arch-Mage of College of Winterhold, Vilkas still says to Kodlak that "I've never even heard of this person." when Kodlak approves the player character to join the Companions.
• Vilkas is the only member of the Circle not to carry a key to Whiterun's gate.
• During Take Up Arms, before he agrees to measure the player character's strength, Vilkas protests Kodlak's decision, "But Master...", to which Kodlak shouts "I am no one's master!"
• Kodlak writes in his journal that Vilkas is "as fierce as a sabre cat" in battle.
• He and Farkas share voice actors with the brothers Majni and Akar, who are also Nord werewolves.

Bugs

This section contains bugs related to Vilkas. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following: Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on. Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.

Click to see the list of bugs encountered

When asking Vilkas for some extra work, he may ask that a kidnapped citizen from the Reach is rescued. If this citizen is Eltrys, and he has already died in the quest "The Forsworn Conspiracy", one may just find his body in the cave. This will not allow the Dragonborn to continue the Companions questline. This can be fixed by asking him to become a follower, so long as the Dragonborn has one already. He will say that he cannot, and then go back to his normal routine, or by going to the city where the bounty is and paying it. Another option is sneaking and invisibility; with a high enough Sneak skill and/or potions/enchanted items one can remain beneath his detection threshold thereby avoiding triggering his conversation script. One more option for the above is to attack him until he is in submission, go to jail, then return.  PC   Another possible way to get out of this bug is to keep doing Farkas' Radiant Quests after he is cured of lycanthropy. Make sure to do the quest where Farkas wants to kill a dragon. Vilkas' "Purity" quest appeared after completing Farkas' dragon quest.  360   If encountered as part of a random encounter, he may remain at the scene of the battle and never return to Jorrvaskr. After being cured of his lycanthropy, Vilkas may unequip every piece of armor he has on and run back to Whiterun in his underwear.  360   After starting "Purity", Vilkas will tell the Dragonborn to meet him at Ysgramor's Tomb, making any current companion leave. Vilkas may then remain in Whiterun and ignore the quest he gave, resulting in the Dragonborn being unable to have a companion.  PC (Fix)   Using the console command setstage cr13 100 to end the quest will help.  360   When Vilkas is a follower in "Purity of Revenge", if the Dragonborn sneaks, he may be stuck in sneaking. Possible solution: transforming into a werewolf.  360   If married, rarely he may walk around in his underwear. The only fix known so far, is by activating him as a follower and taking away apparel from his inventory. That should re-activate any other armor he is wearing.  PC   360   PS3   Sometimes, upon seeing the Dragonborn, he may walk up to them with his weapon drawn, and act like he was talked to. This happens when the Dragonborn has a bounty, because Vilkas, Aela, and Farkas have guard AI packages. As such, it can be fixed by paying the Dragonborn's bounty.  PC   If Vilkas is a follower and the Dragonborn commits a crime which accrues a bounty in his presence, Vilkas may attack the Dragonborn and leave their service when doing so- this is due to having a guard AI package. Vilkas may not give the "Purity" quest.  360   When employed as a steward, he may remain at Jorrvaskr and not at the chosen homestead. If two manors are built by the Dragonborn, he may head to the other manor at night and sleep there instead. Vilkas may attack the Dragonborn if they transform into a werewolf in front of him.  360   Both Farkas and Vilkas suffer from a bug that will sometimes prevent them from entering combat. They will still shout combat dialogue, but will not enter the fight until they are made to yield, after which they will stand back up and enter the fight. Letting hostiles attack the player first will sometimes break the bug, but not always.  PS3  When you pay for training in Two-Handed Weapons, you will pay twice for level 29, i.e. you'll give him 330 gold and use up one of the five times you can train at that level, but you won't advance to level 29 until you pay a second time.

Appearances

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim