If there's anything Skyrim teaches people about themselves, it's that there's a little hoarder hiding in everyone. There's something about its ridiculously extensive catalog of obtainable items that obsessively compels us to collect them. Some of these acquisitions make perfect sense, like a legendary weapon, or a powerful Daedric artifact. Although it can be a little more difficult to justify assembling three-hundred pieces of every available variety of cheese, we know we're going to do it anyway.
Which items are the choicest bits for the discerning pack rat? Which conversation pieces are sure to yield maximum bragging rights? If you find either of those questions weighing heavily on your mind as you rummage through your own absurd Skyrim item hoards, you're in luck. Keep scrolling to check out ten of the rarest items to be found in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Updated on February 21st, 2022 by Talha Bin Rizwan: Skyrim has a plethora of items that players will wield, use, or just hoard during their journey. Some items have great utility and aid players while others leave a lot to be desired. While most of the clutter will not aid players other than being dead weight, certain pieces may attract the attention of players who may wish to collect odd and unique items. These items are counted among the hardest to find in the game and will require players to keep an eye out if they want to get their hands on them. A few more of the rarest items in Skyrim have been added to this article.
18 Cyrodilic Brandy
Booze is a big part of being a Nord. There's even an entire Daedric quest centered around drinking and having a good time. With that, it's no surprise Bethesda included some very rare drinks in the game that only the most resourceful players would be able to find. The rare Cyrodilic Brandy is one of them, and is a great reference to past Elder Scrolls games as well.
Players without the Dragonborn DLC will find this item particularly difficult to find. It can only be looted off of Plautius Carvain after he's dead, whenever he's encountered in the wild with his wife, traveling to the wedding in Solitude. Otherwise, Fort Frostmoth on Solstheim will have a few bottles of it behind a Master-level locked door.
17 Torture Tools
Clutter is a major issue and feature of Skyrim. It helps to bring in immersion in its many dungeons, and this macabre set of torture tools which luckily (or unfortunately, depending on how you see it) can't be interacted with. There's only a total of four of them in the entire game, making it a very rare piece of clutter.
The easiest way to find one is to play through the Companion quest line which will eventually bring the player to Gallows Rock, where one can be found next to a dead werewolf. There are also two found in the Dawnstar Sanctuary of the Dark Brotherhood at the end of its quest line, as well as one in Fort Dawnguard.
16 Revyn Sadri's Circlet
Circlets are nothing tremendously rare or uncommon in Skyrim. However, there's one type of circlet in particular that appears so rarely that it's actually considered a bug on the official Elder Scrolls wiki page. If you're lucky, you might be able to get your hands on it.
Head to Windhelm's Gray Quarters and speak to Revyn Sadri. There's a slight chance that he'll be selling something called Revyn Sadri's Copper and Onyx Circlet. There's nothing special to this circlet, no enchantment or particularly high value. It simply has an interesting and unique name, making it one of a kind.
15 Double-Distilled Skooma
Skooma is already somewhat uncommon in the game, but not impossible to find in certain bandit dens or by speaking with Khajiit traders. However, the rare double-distilled skooma is absolutely one of a kind in the game, so much so that there's only one of it which can be found during a quest.
Go to Windhelm and speak with Stands-In-Shallows, who will ask you to fetch him some very strong skooma for his urgent needs. The bottle he asks for is inside the New Gnisis Cornerclub located in the Gray Quarter. This specific type of skooma restores 50 points of stamina.
14 Windshear
Unique weapons are some of the best parts about wandering around Skyrim and adventuring. Coming across one is always a joy, but some of them are so well hidden that it's a miracle anyone ever found them in the first place. Such is the case with the legendary Windshear.
At the final stage of the Dark Brotherhood quest, rather than immediately escaping the Katariah, head to its main deck and walk up the main front mast to find this rare and unique scimitar lodged into the wood. It's not an amazingly good weapon, but it has the chance of knocking some enemies down when bashed with.
13 Notched Pickaxe
The Notched Pickaxe is likely the most well-known item on this list, on account of its status as an Easter egg. Its name is widely accepted as a nod to Markus Persson, or "Notch," the creator of the timeless and ever-popular sandbox game, Minecraft.
It is stashed away in a hard-to-reach location at the very top of the Throat of the World, near the highest climbable point in the game. It actually has some limited application to boot, as it boosts the wielder's Smithing skill by five points.
12 Fur-Trimmed Cloak
You'll be the envy of every Jarl at the party when you strut in wearing this absurdly rare Nordic ensemble. The Fur-Trimmed Cloak is only worn by two select Jarls in the entirety of the game, namely Korir in Winterhold, and Idgrod Ravencrone of Morthal. A third is worn by Bryling, a Thane in service to Elisif in Solitude.
As (bad) luck would have it, all of these NPCs are marked as essential, meaning they cannot be killed for their swanky duds. Bryling, however, loses her essential flag after the Dark Brotherhood quest "Bound Until Death," and we're not responsible for what you decide to do with that information.
11 Auriel's Shield
In addition to being rare, Auriel's Shield is one of the strongest and unique shields in the game. Its enchantment allows it store the energy of blocked attacks. When the player executes a Power Bash with it, this energy is unleashed to devastating effect.
Added with the Dawnguard DLC, it's tucked away within a hidden sublocation inside the Forgotten Vale, known as the Forgotten Vale Forest. Getting there can be a little tricky, as the Dragonborn will have to track down the Ruby Paragon first. Once inside, just scout out the nearby ruins to locate the Falmer that drops this beautiful piece of defensive equipment.
10 Woodsman's Friend
This unique two-handed weapon can actually be scooped up just after the Dragonborn leaves Helgen for the first time, provided they know where to look for it. It can be a little difficult to spot, but sufficient stomping between Pinewatch and the nearby lake should yield it eventually: just keep an eye out for its fallen former owner.
At a glance, the Woodsman's Friend actually does a bit more damage than your standard iron battleaxe. However, what goes unmentioned is the fact that it also swings a bit slower than its plain counterparts, actually causing it to do less damage over time. This one is best picked up before diving into the Hearthfire content, as building the Lakeview Manor house can cause it to disappear.
9 Flag
It's absolutely and completely useless. It seems to ignore the laws of physics, as when dropped, it'll simply float in mid-air. In all likelihood, it's the result of a coding oversight or an outright mistake by a developer that stayed up coding way too late one night. It's... Well, it's a flag. A red one, to be precise.
Similar flags can be seen denoting Imperial holdings in the various homes and castles of Skyrim's Jarls. In order to get your hands on it, you'll need to purchase Proudspire Manor in Solitude, which doesn't come cheap. After that, just have a children's bedroom built onto it, and you'll be able to pluck your prize right off of the map contained therein.