Within the world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, there are several different guilds the player can belong to. One of the more interesting choices is no doubt the Dark Brotherhood, a faction of assassins working under the Five Tenets, dictated by the mysterious and cunning Night Mother. Elusive and secretive, this is the most exclusive club in all of Skyrim.
The Falkreath sanctuary is one of the last surviving headquarters of the Brotherhood, led by a woman known as Astrid. She’s the one who will recruit the Dragonborn, and also ultimately betray them in a struggle for control and power over the Brotherhood’s leadership. Here’s what fans may not know about her character.
10 She’s An Abuse Survivor
Not much is known about Astrid in general. When asked how she got into the Brotherhood, she gives a brief but somewhat vague description of what got her into killing people in the first place. It turns out she had a very difficult past.
According to Astrid, her uncle made unwanted advances towards her, which inspired her to end his life in revenge. Through her actions she realized she enjoyed killing, and continued down the same path until she was recruited.
9 Two Occasions To Kill Her
During the events of Skyrim, Astrid is an essential character for the majority of the time. That being said, there are two occasions where it’s possible for the Dragonborn to kill her. The second one is more obvious as it’s at the very end of the Brotherhood questline once Astrid has revealed her true intentions.
The first actual chance to kill her is when the player is first brought into the Abandoned Shack. They can either obey her and kill one or all of the prisoners, or turn and kill her instead. If they choose the latter, her final words will be “well done”.
8 She’s Immune To Paralysis
Since Astrid is an essential character, killing her is a bit complicated. However, on top of being pretty much immortal for most of the duration of the Brotherhood questline, she also has some interesting immunities.
Paralysis is one of the status effects that can’t be applied on her, and this even goes for modded content such as the Creation Kit.
7 She’s A Nord
Yes, it might be difficult to believe it, but Astrid is in fact a Nord. This is only really evident in her appearance, since nothing else about her alludes to the fact that she’s a native of Skyrim. Most Nords are characterized by a specific accent, but Astrid has a unique way of speaking.
Moreover, Astrid never once shows any type of typical Nordic pride towards her roots or towards Skyrim. She even conspires with the Imperials for her own gain.
6 She Knows She Broke The Rules
Although Astrid comes across as incredibly self-confident, her character changes very quickly when she’s outmaneuvered by the Dragonborn and the remaining bunch of Brotherhood members. In her final words, she acknowledges she acted without respect towards Sithis.
While Astrid believes she’ll be punished by Sithis within the Void, the Night Mother states that she’ll most likely find redemption there. This is a surprisingly peaceful and just approach for someone like the Night Mother.
5 She Married An Exiled Companion
Another defining feature of Astrid’s is her husband, Arnbjorn, a rather rude and rough-around-the-edges member of the Brotherhood. He turns out to be a werewolf, which in turn gives away the fact that he was once associated with the Companions.
Arnbjorn was no doubt exiled from the ranks of the Companions due to his taste for death and pain. In that sense, he’s an exceptional Nord just like Astrid, which makes them a perfect pair.
4 She Can Be Used For Leveling
As mentioned, Astrid cannot die aside from the two occasions during which she’s marked as non-essential. If she’s spared during the main events of the Brotherhood’s questline, she becomes a essential and cannot die.
This makes her an ideal character to use for leveling up quickly. Astrid will always be marked several levels above the Dragonborn themselves, which is why it’s a great strategy to whack at her to level up.
3 A Strange Bug
Skyrim is a game that’s infamous for having several hilarious bugs, and there’s one in particular that concerns Astrid. When the Dragonborn finds her burned corpse at the brink of death at the end of the Brotherhood questline, she can actually come back to life for a brief moment.
If the Dragonborn tries to pickpocket her, Astrid might jump up and try to attack them, which in turn might inspire Nazir to attack her back. It’s a rare yet fun bug.
2 She Cares More About Power Than Tradition
Astrid’s entire character arc is based around getting more and more power. Although she knows very well that the Brotherhood is founded upon the Five Tenets, she flat-out rejects them and states that such outdated and strict principles would be the undoing of the faction.
In reality, it’s likely that Astrid’s just obsessed with being a leader at the center of the power. She’s scared of having that position questioned, especially during a time when a Listener of the Night Mother hasn’t come forward — and then suddenly does, in the form of the Dragonborn.
1 She’s Amy Rose
Astrid is one of the characters within the game that has a unique voice actress, which is why she sounds so different compared to most other NPCs. Her voice actress is Cindy Robinson, who’s best known for voicing multiple characters in various anime TV shows, such as Sailor Moon and Bleach.
However, perhaps the most iconic role Robinson has played is as Sonic the Hedgehog’s Amy Rose. Hard to believe Astrid and Amy Rose are the very same voice!
NEXT: The 10 Weakest Enemies In Skyrim
