Alduin the World Eater is the primary antagonist of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.


In the early Merethic Era of Skyrim, Alduin was among those worshipped in the Nordic Pantheon.[3] In Skyrim, Alduin interrupts the Dragonborn's execution in Helgen. After attacking Helgen, Alduin would visit various dragon burial sites and resurrect the dragons. The Last Dragonborn was the only one capable of defeating the dragons for good, as they could absorb the dragons' souls. Alduin and the Last Dragonborn would have their first fight on the Throat of the World, an enormous mountain range in the Whiterun Hold region. They would later have their final battle in Sovnegarde, the Nordic afterlife. Here, three Nordic heroes of the past help the Dragonborn kill Alduin once and for all.


Title Release Date Console
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim November 11, 2011 PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
The Elder Scrolls: Legends June 29th, 2017* PC
  • Featured in post-release DLC



  • Alduin's title of the World Eater bears a resemblance to Níðhöggr, who gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil in Norse mythology.[4]


  1. Alexandre, Simon (November 11, 2011). The Alduin/Akatosh Dichotomy. The Imperial Library.
  2. Alduin Voice. Behind the Voice Actors.
  3. Kirkbride, Michael (September 7th, 2015). The Nords' Totemic Religion. Tumblr. “Alduin is venerated on the winter solstice by ceremonies at ancient Dragon Cult temples, where offerings are made to keep him asleep for one more year. Alduin is also the source of many common superstitious practices before any event of significance.”
  4. Sturluson, Snorri (1220). The Prose Edda. Google Books.