Elder Scrolls 6's Protagonist Should Follow DA: The Veilguard's Rook's Lead

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The Elder Scrolls 6 is probably still a few years away and nothing is known about its protagonist yet. His protagonist The Elder Scrolls games is, by tradition, usually a prisoner, who either escapes or is released during the game's prologue. However, instead of remaining an anonymous figure and gaining fame from their deeds alone, the main story of The Elder Scrolls games usually involve the player character at the center of a prophecy, as was the case in Morrow, Oblivionand Skyrim.




While this works well as a storytelling device, The Elder Scrolls 6 has a chance to break that cycle and really lean into the narrative of a character overcoming adversity and making a name for themselves through their actions alone, rather than their role in a prophecy. Dragon Age: The VeilguardHis protagonist, Rook, took up the mantle of leadership because he had to step up and make a path on his own merits. The power of this type of storytelling is that it can lead to unpredictable places while building an empowering narrative.

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One of the draws of Dragon Age: The Veilguard was that the player character, Rook, would be antithetical to the protagonist Dragon Age: Inquisitionwho was considered by many in the game to be the Herald of Andraste and a holy figure. Rather than being magically marked for greatness, it was a force of personality and skill that set Rook apart and made him the leader and protagonist Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

His protagonists The Elder Scrolls all start out as empty characters, but all are destined for greatness. His protagonist Morrow is the Nerevarin, the protagonist Oblivion was seen in a prophetic dream by the emperor shortly before his death and the protagonist Skyrim is the Last Dragonborn of legend. The Elder Scrolls 6 has a chance to break that mold and feature a protagonist who starts out as a prisoner and becomes great because of their skills, bravery, and actions, rather than being led along the main quest because that was their destiny.


Approaching the protagonist The Elder Scrolls 6 as a prisoner without giving the player hints of a greater destiny encourages the writing to be more creative as it needs the story to give the player reasons to follow the main story in addition to the need to fulfill a prophecy that supersedes the player's agency. Creating a compelling reason for the player to follow the main story is important in any RPG, but it's especially important in a sandbox series like The Elder Scrollswhere players are free to ignore the main story as long as they want.

Instead of being a predestined character, building a name out of nothing and for no reason other than hard work, grit, and strength of character would be a change of pace from previous games in The Elder Scrollsand can be more rewarding than the “hero” status afforded to the player character. Their role as a figure in Tamriel's history could be defined by their actions and choices rather than the prophecies made about them.

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