Summary
- Sparing Cicero may be more moral than killing him due to Astrid's betrayal of the Dark Brotherhood.
- Cicero follows the old laws of the Dark Brotherhood, making him a devoted member despite his unstable nature.
- Choosing to let Cicero live honors the Night Mother's wishes and brings a skilled assassin and unique companion to the team.
Cicero is a prominent character in Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood questline, and choosing whether to kill him is a decision players will have to make. While killing him may seem like the logical thing to do in Skyrim based on the crimes he has committed, sparing Cicero may actually be the more moral option, according to Dark Brotherhood law.
During the Dark Brotherhood questline, it is revealed that the Dragonborn is the Night Mother's new Listener, a role that Cicero was hoping to fulfill. Astrid accuses him of conspiring against the Brotherhood, and Cicero becomes hostile against his leader for questioning the Night Mother. While the Dragonborn is away on some assassination missions, Cicero attacks Astrid and wounds other members of the group, and then he flees to the old Dawnstar Brotherhood sanctuary, where the Dragonborn must decide to kill or spare him.
Why Should You Spare Cicero?
While Skyrim may paint this series of events as Cicero's fault, there's a lot more information to read in between the lines. First, and possibly most importantly, Astrid betrays the Dark Brotherhood and the Dragonborn, and everyone inside the sanctuary is killed except for Nazir and Babette as a result. It's possible Astrid's motivation for doing this was simply that she didn't want her authority questioned or otherwise undermined by the Listener, who is meant to hold the highest rank in the Brotherhood. This would make sense because Astrid accuses Cicero of plotting against the Brotherhood without reason or justification.
In fact, Cicero may just be the only truly devoted member of the Dark Brotherhood. Though the tenets have been officially abandoned in Skyrim lore, a list of the Five Tenets is still on display in the Dark Brotherhood's sanctuary. By spying on Cicero, going against the Night Mother's wishes, and betraying the Dark Brotherhood, Astrid violates all five of these rules. It's Astrid's megalomania that ultimately causes the overall downfall of the Brotherhood.
Bonus Benefits To Sparing Cicero
So, although Cicero might seem like nothing but an insane, homicidal jester, he's simply following the old laws of the Dark Brotherhood by listening to the Night Mother's commands. If the Dragonborn chooses to let Cicero live, not only are they following the wishes of the Night Mother, but they would be honoring the core beliefs of the Brotherhood by bringing them along as a follower.
As far as followers go, Skyrim isn't known for having effective companions, but Cicero is one of the best in the game. He's an assassin with high stats, but he also has a more developed personality than most companions in Skyrim, despite how annoying he might be to keep around.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- November 11, 2011
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
WHERE TO PLAY
Winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim celebrates 10 years of adventuring in stunning detail. The Anniversary Edition includes a decade worth of content: the critically acclaimed core game and add-ons of Skyrim Special Edition, plus Creation Club content released on or prior to November 11, 2021.
EPIC FANTASY REBORN
Skyrim reimagines and revolutionizes the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose.
LIVE ANOTHER LIFE, IN ANOTHER WORLD
Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of The Elder Scrolls is realized like never before.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU PLAY
Choose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities. The new character system allows you to play any way you want and define yourself through your actions.
BATTLE DRAGONS
Battle ancient dragons like you’ve never seen. As Dragonborn, learn their secrets and harness their power for yourself.
- Engine
- Creation Engine
- Cross-Platform Play
- no
- Cross Save
- no
- Expansions
- Skyrim: Dragonborn, Skyrim: Hearthfire, Skyrim: Dawnguard
- Franchise
- The Elder Scrolls
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 35 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium (Special Edition)
- File Size Xbox Series
- 29 GB (DECEMBER 2023)
