No fantasy RPG would be complete without a wide variety of weapons for players to use. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim understands this and has a wide range of weapon types for players to use ranging from daggers to greatswords.

Daggers are meant to compliment stealthy characters since they deal great sneak damage, but these weapons can also be fantastic for aggressive builds when dual-wielded. With 11 unique daggers to find in Skyrim, there’s a solid amount of variety that can complement most playstyles.

More details about each dagger’s base damage and exact location have been added to make finding them easier for players. While they’re not bows, daggers are still among the most powerful weapons in Skyrim.

11 Alessandra’s Dagger

  • Base Damage
  • : 5
  • How To Get
  • : The dagger is acquired during the quest Pilgrimage in Riften

Alessandra is a priestess that works in Riften. She originally used her father’s dagger until she was given her own after becoming a priestess, hence why she wishes to return it to her father.

Alessandra’s Dagger is a quest item that deals as much damage as a Steel Dagger, but that’s all it has going for it. No enchantments or special properties make this weapon unique. Its most unique trait is being stuck in a player’s inventory permanently until they bring it to Alessandra’s father. It’s not possible to keep this item after the quest is completed, but there’s no real use for it either.

10 Rundi’s Dagger

  • Base Damage
  • : 5
  • How To Get
  • : At the shrine outside of Winterhold

Found at a shrine to the southeast of Winterhold, Rundi’s Dagger is a standard Steel Dagger that can be enchanted. It has no unique properties except its name. Originally, this item was supposed to be part of “The Missing Apprentices” quest but the quest was never finished before the game was released.

The only truly unique aspect of this dagger is its name, but it remains otherwise unexceptional.

9 Kahvozein’s Fang

  • Base Damage
  • : 6
  • How To Get
  • : In a random, radiant location, usually a Nordic ruin where a Dragon Priest is located

Kahvozein’s Fang is a unique Dragon Priest Dagger that can harvest heartscales from dragon corpses, which is required to complete the “Alteration Ritual Spell” quest. Besides this small niche, Kahvozein’s Fang is a standard Dragon Priest Dagger that deals six damage per swing and weighs 5 units.

The best way to get it is to start the Alteration Ritual Spell quest, which requires the players to have level 90 Alteration. After chatting with Tolfdir, players will need to go to a random location where the dagger can be found.

8 Nettlebane

  • Base Damage
  • : 6
  • How To Get
  • : Acquired at Orphan Rock from a hagraven

Attainable at the start of Skyrim from a side quest in Whiterun, Nettlebane is comparable to an Orcish Dagger in terms of its damage output of six a swing. To begin the related quest, head over to Danica Pure-Spring at the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun.

While it weighs a whopping ten units, it does have reasonable damage considering when players can obtain this weapon. Nettlebane is essential for completing “The Blessings of Nature” quest, but it can be kept afterward.

7 Valdr’s Lucky Dagger

  • Base Damage
  • : 5
  • How To Get
  • : After completing the quest Hunter and Hunter at Moss Mother Cavern

Assisting Valdr with clearing out Moss Mother Cavern will grant Valdr’s Lucky Dagger, a Steel Dagger that has an innate 25% critical hit chance. Critical hits in Skyrim multiply the base damage by 1.5x, increasing Valdr’s damage from 5 to 7.5 when it critically hits. That’s why it ranks higher than other daggers that have higher base damage, due to its special enchantment that buffs its damage output.

It’s not bad for how early players can earn it, but obtaining Sneak perks and either the Shrouded Hand Wraps or Ancient Shrouded Gloves allows Valdr’s Dagger to deal hundreds of damage in a single sneak attack. As such, it only really reaches its full potential towards mid to late-game.

6 Borvir’s Dagger

  • Base Damage
  • : 8
  • How To Get
  • : In Journeyman’s Nook, southeast from Winterhold, next to Borvir’s corpse

Borvir’s Dagger has suffered the same fate as Rundi’s Dagger. This dagger is also tied to the broken “The Missing Apprentices” quest that was never finished, meaning that few players will stumble across it.

It can be found near Borvir’s corpse in Journeyman’s Nook. As for stats, Borvir’s Dagger is the same as an Elven Dagger, making this a much better early-game dagger to hunt down than Rundi’s Dagger.

5 Blade Of Sacrifice

  • Base Damage
  • : 10
  • How To Get
  • : The Daedric quest Boethiah’s Calling

Boethiah followers have the Blade of Sacrifice, a named variant of an Ebony Dagger. It can instantly kill any follower during the “Boethiah’s Calling” questline, but it otherwise functions the same as an Ebony Dagger.

It does ten damage per swing and can be upgraded at a grindstone, although the Blade of Sacrifice can not be enchanted.

4 Keening

  • Base Damage
  • : 8
  • How To Get
  • : Complete Arniel’s Endeavor, the dagger is in a random, radiant location

Keening was a mythical weapon in Morrowind responsible for slaying Dagoth Ur, and it makes a strange return in Skyrim. Keening in this game is a counterfeit, sadly, as equipping it doesn’t instantly kill the Dragonborn. To get this weapon, players will need to complete Arniel’s Endeavor.

As a dagger, Keening is incredibly strong. It deals eight base damage and has a chance to absorb ten points of Health, Magicka, or Stamina with every swing. Unfortunately, this weapon cannot have its enchantment recharged if it runs out. Using 100% Fortify Destruction enchantments is the only way to keep Keening’s enchantment always active.

3 Bloodthorn

  • Base Damage
  • : 8
  • How To Get
  • : The Hag’s End dungeon southwest of Solitude

Bloodthorn is criminally underrated, due in part to the description for this weapon being incomplete. Obtained from Hag’s End, this dagger deals five base damage and can trap a target’s soul into a soul gem. This makes it a fantastic weapon for players who specialize in enchanting.

While this might otherwise sound underwhelming, Bloodthorn also has a ten-point Health absorption enchantment not listed in its description. Since it absorbs souls reliably, Bloothtorn can also sustain its own enchantment with ease. Dealing 15 damage a swing for such an early-game dagger is nothing to scoff at, though players will have to fight through the Hag’s End dungeon to get their hands on it.

2 Blade Of Woe

  • Base Damage
  • : 12
  • How To Get
  • : Complete the Dark Brotherhood questline until the attack on Falkreath Sanctuary

The Blade of Woe is very similar to Bloodthorn, dealing 12 base damage while absorbing 10 points of Health with every attack. Its damage output is comparable to a Dragonbone Dagger, the highest tier of daggers in Skyrim.

Players will need to join the Dark Brotherhood to even get a chance of getting it. It’s obtained from the “Death Incarnate” questline, shortly after the Falkreath Sanctuary is attacked.

1 Mehrunes’ Razor

  • Base Damage
  • : 11
  • How To Get
  • : Complete
  • the Daedric quest Pieces of the Past
  • and gather all three dagger pieces from around Skyrim

Statistically, Mehrunes’ Razor is a good dagger that deals 11 base damage. It is much stronger than this, however, as it has a small percent chance of instantly killing a target when it hits them. This chance is around 2% per swing, but this is much more frequent than it sounds due to how fast daggers swing in Skyrim.

Pairing this dagger with the Elemental Fury Shout can turn this weapon into an instant-killing machine against tougher foes. However, before players can go wild with it, they’ll have to gather its pieces from three different locations in Skyrim during its dedicated Daedric quest.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim was released on November 11, 2011, and is available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.