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The best Skyrim Special Edition mods
Several years into its life, the best Skyrim Special Edition mods defenseless up to the best in Oldrim modding. Many of our favorites from the original have been ported across, then you lot may recognize some of those on this listing.
Oldrim Modding
Looking for mods for the original version of Skyrim? Nosotros've selected over 100 of the best mods for improved visuals and optimization, new quests and locations, roleplaying and immersion, creatures and NPCs, and much more. These are the best Skyrim mods.
Only in that location are enough of newer mods too—a decade into its life, both original Skyrim and the Special Edition yous tin can safely alt-tab out of are still fertile ground for new creations. Skyrim modding all the same hasn't slowed downward with new additions every week.
Skyrim Script Extender has been updated for the Anniversary Edition, and many of the mods that were broken during the changeover are working once more now. Still, once SKSE is installed, you should get into Skyrim Special Edition's backdrop in Steam and gear up it to "Only update this game when I launch it" and launch Skyrim with skse64_loader.exe, as otherwise any new updates will break the Script Extender and yous'll have to download a new version of it.
Some of the following Skyrim Special Edition mods tin exist constitute on Bethesda's site, but the links we'll post usually point to our get-to sites, NexusMods or AFK Mods. Mods added in contempo updates of this listing have been marked with a ⭐. And if you're looking to have even more fun in Skyrim, cheque out our list of Skyrim console commands.
The best Skyrim Special Edition mods
Modernistic managing
It's easy to get carried away modding Skyrim Special Edition. To assistance y'all go on track of all your various additions, be sure to employ a mod managing director of some sort. Here are the ones nosotros advise you try out.
Vortex
For downloading, installing, and managing Skyrim Special Edition mods, we recommend Vortex. It's simple to use, and information technology works with a number of other games like the Fallout serial, the Witcher series, Darks Souls, XCOM 2, and lots more. Make certain to download the version that lets you pick a custom install installation if y'all don't accept Skyrim on your C drive.
Modern Organizer 2
As an alternative to Vortex, Mod Organizer 2 is meant for modders who plan to do a lot of experimenting, keeping separate profiles and installing then uninstalling various mods. If you really care almost how neat your folders expect, Mod Organizer ii is probably for you. Ane downside to Modernistic Organizer 2 is that if yous plan to mod multiple dissimilar games with it, switching between them can be a hassle. The easiest way to exercise that is to install it separately for every single game you want to modern.
Patches, UI, and cheats
We all know the reputation Bethesda'southward games have. Enough of fans have taken information technology upon themselves to fix bugs, optimize systems, and make user interface more to their liking.
SkyUI
The heavens parted, golden saints sang, and SkyUI was supported by Skyrim Special Edition. This interface replacer makes Skyrim experience similar it was designed for mouse controls, and lets you filter and sort inventory based on weight, value, damage and the like. Also adds an in-game mod configuration menu several other mods rely on. It's essential.
Amend MessageBox Controls
Increases the clickable areas of card items and then they're the bodily width of the item rather than just an cool little square in the middle of it. You have no idea how much better this tiny quality-of-life tweak makes things. Information technology also improves the keyboard controls in a few ways. For instance, tab will always take you back a stage and enter will let you select an option even when you lot're crafting and would normally have to mouse back over it.
A Quality World Map
Skyrim's map is functional just dull. A Quality Earth Map offers multiple ways to fix information technology. Information technology can replace the map with a much more detailed world texture, with colors that assist delineate the separate areas much more manifestly, but in that location'southward also an option to have a newspaper map, with a more Oblivion expect, if that's your matter.
Achievements Modern Enabler
But because y'all're modding doesn't hateful you're adulterous (necessarily). And so why does the SSE disable achievements if you've got mods running? Stick information technology to 'em by using this plugin from xSHADOWMANx that lets you earn achievements even while using mods.
⭐ Proteus
While you could switch to another savegame to play your Khajiit archer for a while, Proteus lets you import your characters into an existing world country—meaning you tin can switch to a grapheme with their own items, skills, and spells, but keep your current quest progression. NPCs who have died remain dead, items left in storage tin be retrieved, and so on. It too lets you edit NPCs and items, even the conditions. Some of what Proteus makes possible is already doable with Skyrim'south console commands and existing mods, merely this brings it all together in a unmarried pop-upwards menu.
Proteus replaces an older version called Project Proteus. The new version runs faster, and when swapping between characters you lot at present switch to their location rather than them being summoned to you, making for a more than GTA 5 kind of experience. There are a agglomeration of other tweaks likewise. If y'all've got Projection Proteus installed, uninstall and supercede it with Proteus instead.
An improved grapheme creation menu with numeric displays for all sliders and the power to choose any color for your hair, skin, or other tints rather than existence limited based on race. There's a sculpt style if you want to get correct into messing with the geometry of your caput, and you can turn the lite illuminating your confront on and off to run across how your features volition look in different situations, which is a blessing. (Annotation that an update to this mod made it compatible with the Anniversary Edition after a long menstruation of not working.)
⭐ Downgrade Patcher
If the Ceremony Edition update is causing your favorite mods grief (we're talking virtually Simply Knock here), this volition scroll y'all back to Special Edition version i.5.97. There are 2 versions to download, and the Best of Both Worlds version lets y'all continue all the Creation Club content added by the Anniversary Edition.
Unofficial Skyrim Patch
This mod is a compendium of hundreds of fixes for bugs, text, objects, items, quests, and gameplay elements assembled past prolific modder Arthmoor. The patch is designed to exist as compatible every bit possible with other mods. If you lot've got a few hours, you tin can read through the patch notes.
Binaural 3D Environment Sound for Headphones - HRTF
"HRTF (Caput Related Transfer Functions) refers to the way that the curvature of one's ears are used to localize sound in 3D infinite." I don't know exactly what that kickoff sentence ways, simply I understand the second 1. Make SSE more realistic for your ears with this modernistic, though note information technology only works if you play exclusively in first-person. Y'all may also desire to check out Immersive Sounds for a huge overhaul of Skyrim'due south audio effects.
Quests and locations
Skyrim may be a huge identify, only modders are always finding ways to make it bigger. We've collected some really impressive location overhauls to expand your Skyrim experience along with some huge quest mods to accept you lot on new adventures.
The Forgotten City
Skyrim's got lots of risk, but here's about 10 hours more than courtesy of writer and programmer Nick Pearce. Play detective and solve a murder mystery while exploring a massive, aboriginal city. It's got excellent, honour-winning writing, a not-linear story, fantastic voice acting by a large cast, an enjoyable original soundtrack, and fifty-fifty a touch of time travel. Here'southward our write-upwards of the Forgotten Metropolis Skyrim modern. It'south too been adjusted into a standalone game ready in ancient Rome.
Legacy of the Dragonborn
Adds a gallery you lot tin can fill with unique items, a museum to your achievements that is besides a library, a storage facility, a questline of its own, and a place to learn archeology complete with its own perks. While in that location is a version of Legacy of the Dragonborn for Oldrim, the v5 update specifically for Special Edition remaps the building to make it larger and more like a real museum.
Enderal: Forgotten Stories (Special Edition)
This total conversion creates an entirely new earth, very nearly the size of Skyrim itself, and populates it with new dungeons, quests, monsters, and fully voiced NPCs. Some of Skyrim's systems have besides been tweaked, there's a new custom story to savor, and a good 50+ hours of new adventures to be difficult. You tin can read about the opening hours of Enderal hither.
Vigilant SE
Vigilant is a four-part quest mod that adds some Dark Souls flair to Tamriel. Later getting stuck in Oblivion, you'll face up off against otherworldly monsters and big, Souls-style bosses while exploring areas filled with special items and keys. Beyond that, the 'Anvil of Zenithar' allows players to craft their own wares after finishing objectives, besting bosses and reaching new areas. Vigilant Voiced adds voice-acting.
You can also snag the same modder'south Bloodborne-themed take a chance called Glenmoril.
Moonpath to Elsweyr
Moonpath to Elsweyr was one of the first quest mods for Oldrim back in the day. It's made its way to SSE now with its two new regions and custom quests. In Jody's Moonpath spotlight he talks to its original creator.
Helgen Reborn
Who'due south going to rebuild Helgen after it got toasted by a dragon at the beginning of the game? You lot are, of course. Information technology'south a huge, fully voiced quest mod where you'll restore the town, cull a faction, and fight in the new arena. Chris wrote almost Helgen Reborn years ago for Oldrim, then nosotros're psyched to replay it in SSE.
Cutting Room Floor
Another big modernistic from Arthmoor restores loads of content that exists in SSE's information files only wasn't implemented in the game. Numerous locations, NPCs, dialogue, quests, and items have been brought dorsum into the calorie-free, and Skyrim is richer for it.
JK's Skyrim
This large structure overhaul mod redesigns all of Skyrim's major cities and some settlements likewise. Every city has been reimagined to more distinctly fit its own theme with new buildings and vendors. It doubles as an immersion mod every bit well, with local banners and guards changing fidelity as Skyrim's civil state of war develops.
The Asteria Dwemer Airship
There are player abode mods to suit all tastes, merely the Asteria is a especially overnice ane—a flying transport with all mod cons, past which I mean storage infinite and crafting tables. It's permanently docked, however, and can't be moved around, though it does have a teleporter for a more immersive alternative to fast-travel. If you want a flyable skyship, try the Dev Aveza.
Visual mods
Even with Skyrim Special Edition, in that location's still plenty of room to make Tamriel prettier. Modders accept updated how characters await and added higher resolution textures, among other things, to put a new shine on the game.
Climates of Tamriel
Climates of Tamriel is a huge overhaul adding new conditions types, new lighting, and clouds. It can brand night-time darker also for a more immersive adventuring experience. There's even a winter version that covers even more of Skyrim in snow.
Realistic Water Two
Realistic Water Two, drawing and expanding on the work of some before water mods, adds meliorate ripples, larger splashes, re-textured foam and faster water flow in streams, bobbing chunks of ice, and even murky, stagnant-looking h2o in dungeons. For all your extremely realistic screenshot-taking needs.
Total Character Makeover
Skyrim's NPCs already looked dated when the game was first released, and they certainly haven't anile well. The SSE might ameliorate the looks of the world, but information technology doesn't bear on its citizens, so this mod from Scaria should exist on your list. It gives everyone in the game (including your avatar) a facelift with more detailed textures that won't kneecap your framerate, without making characters look out of place.
Vanilla Hair Replacer
We can all agree Bethesda's RPGs aren't frequently stunners in the hair department. So many hair mods get carried away turning characters into models, though. Vanilla Hair Replacer aims for more lore-friendly changes for Skyrim's default hair choices so NPCs look a less scraggly only still similar they hail from Skyrim. Exist sure to bank check the "recommended mods" section of the page to get your characters looking exactly like the ones in the screenshots.
Static Mesh Improvements
While Skyrim Special Edition adds plenty of enhanced visuals, it doesn't do a thing to better the original game'south depression-poly meshes. This mod edits hundreds of 3D models placed in thousands of different locations for items like furniture, ataxia, architectural elements, and landscape objects to make them expect nicer and more than realistic.
⭐ Security Overhaul SKSE - Lock Variations
The Security Overhaul Lock Variants and supplemental Security Overhaul Add-Ons mods add a whole agglomeration of new lock designs for yous to peer at while yous're heroically robbing Skyrim of its every last septim. The locks range from startlingly beautiful to mystically eerie to adequately disgusting, just they're all lore-friendly and wonderfully animated. There are even new sound effects to back-trail some of the weirder designs.
Glorious Doors of Skyrim
Hear me out. Bated from NPC's faces, what are yous going to take your olfactory organ up confronting in Skyrim most ofttimes? Well yeah, enemies, but also doors! Modder "Hype1" has created lots of new door meshes with glorious 4k textures so you lot'll never be stuck picking the lock on a depression-res door again. While you're at it, Volume Covers is a mod that will make books as beautiful as they deserve to exist.
Companions and creatures
Skyrim is an even more beautiful identify cheers to the visual mods and new locations on this list, but you'll want to populate it with interesting people too. These mods add some of our favorite companion characters, and some absurd creatures for them to fight as well.
Shirley
This companion modernistic is a specially sweet one, based on pop octogenarian YouTuber Shirley Curry, otherwise known as the "Skyrim Grandma". Created past fans and voiced by Curry herself, the Shirley companion shares Curry's likeness. Tamriel's Shirley has her own lore-appropriate backstory too. After you lot've completed her recruitment quest, Shirley volition join you lot, fighting aslope y'all equally a barbarian warrior—Curry's preferred combat style. Back-scratch has already started playing with the mod herself, which you can catch the beginning of in her video series.
Inigo
Maybe you don't think a blueish Khajiit who follows you around commenting on everything and existence sarcastic about Lydia is what Skyrim needs, only trust u.s.a. on this. Inigo has tons of dialogue, some tied to his ain questline and more that crops upwards at appropriate times depending on the location y'all're at. He tin can exist told where to go and what to practise by whistling, and will follow you even if you lot've got an existing companion, chatting away with them thanks to skilfully repurposed voice lines.
Vilja in Skyrim
A sequel to a much-loved Oblivion mod (which Terry Pratchett contributed to), Vilja in Skyrim adds the smashing-granddaughter of the original Vilja as a follower. She'southward an alchemist with her ain questline to follow and a unique organization to give her orders—essentially spells bound to hotkeys that can be used to co-ordinate attacks. Like Inigo she doesn't count toward your follower limit, and if introduced to each other Inigo and Vilja will even chat amongst themselves.
Yennefer of Vengerberg
Will we ever tire of crossovers between our favorite large RPGs? No, nosotros definitely volition non. This follower mod adds a custom-made Yennefer that re-purposes her lines of dialogue from The Witcher 3. She dual wields magic, of course. Sadly, she isn't eligible for matrimony. The same modder has too fabricated a Ciri follower modern and contributed to mods for Geralt and Triss followers all based on their Wild Hunt selves.
Amazing Follower Tweaks
This extremely popular mod for Oldrim is ane you'll want to catch the Special Edition version of too. It lets you micromanage a lot of details about your companions like their gear, how to fight, and which of your many houses to live in.
Convenient Horses
This mod makes having a horse much less of a headache. You tin can have conversations from horseback. You lot can loot and gather herbs while mounted. Your followers can even buy and ride their own horses instead of sprinting helplessly behind y'all.
Diverse Dragons Collection
Despite the Special Edition's visual overhaul, its dragons are still a bit ho-hum. This modern, contributed to by a large drove of modders, adds 28 new and unique dragons with dissimilar models and textures, and capable of over a dozen new jiff attacks and abilities. The dragons come in different ranks as well, to ensure you lot have a challenge no thing what your level.
Strigoi - Enhanced Vampire Encounters
With Strigoi installed, whenever vampires spawn there'due south a chance to meet some of its new varieties of bloodsucker. These powered-upward undead might plow into bats, throw you effectually, or just generally exist a lot tougher than regular vampires.
Insects Begone
Why is it e'er spiders in RPGs? Well, it doesn't have to be. Insects Begone replaces all the spiders and chaurus insects with bears and skeevers instead. Information technology also removes decorative spiderwebs and other spider-related decor. If you tin can't deal with all the behemothic spiders plaguing Skyrim, this modernistic will squash them.
Magic, gainsay, and skills
If being the Dragonborn isn't enough, these mods give you new abilities to tinker with. Some are mundane skills like boosted crafting abilities, others are new shouts and spells to play with.
Arcanum: A New Historic period of Magic
Arcanum is a huge add-on to Skyrim's magic system. It lets you summon tornados and meteors among many other feats. It doesn't only throw all these new skills at you as presently equally it's installed, though. Arcanum is great for starting a new playthrough of Skyrim with because unlocking spells is a more lore-friendly journeying of custom quests, crafting, and adventuring.
Combat Gameplay Overhaul
CGO strikes a not bad balance for those wanting a bit more out of Skyrim's combat without turning it into likewise much of a fast-paced action game. It adds the power to dodge scroll, which surprisingly looks pretty decent in starting time-person. There's also the ability to switch between ane- and two-handed grips to change how attacks state. Oh, and you tin can attack in midair, along with lots of other smaller tweaks.
Modder "DServant" also created the Archery Gameplay Overhaul which takes a similarly even-handed approach to improving bow apply.
Wildcat - Combat of Skyrim
Mutiny is a much heavier gainsay overhaul, and an extremely popular one. It makes combat more mortiferous with increased damage and stamina utilise, but that's non all. Information technology also adds an injury system where taking enough damage has a chance to requite you a serious injury that could knock y'all down, unequip your weapon, or give you other dangerous effects. It rewards yous for properly timed blocks and for attacks of opportunity while enemies are performing other actions too.
For the Thieves Gild and Dark Brotherhood members among us, Sneak Tools adds extra functionality to being good at hiding. Instead of only a impairment bonus, you tin can kill NPCs from backside with daggers, knock them out with fists, and assassinate them while they're sleeping. Y'all tin douse torches and arrows to ameliorate sneak through the shadows and use a bunch of new pointer types with sneaky benefits.
When you're not playing a metallic-plated tank, there'southward less use for smithing. Archers, thieves, and other stealthy characters take no issues finding low-cal armor on their adventures, and so there's never been much reason to brand it themselves. This mod by Arthmoor gives glace sorts reasons to larn smithing by letting them forge arrows, lockpicks, and guild-specific armor, besides as cook down bulkier armor they'd never actually article of clothing into ingots.
Roleplaying, survival, and immersion
Roleplaying and immersion mods are all aimed at making Skyrim Special Edition feel just a bit more real.
No NPC Greetings - Reduced Range Greetings
Ill of NPCs repeating the same catchphrase from across the street every fourth dimension they run across yous? Sick of guards commenting on your best skills, which they somehow know all about but by looking at you—even Sneak? This mod has a few options for fixing the upshot, whether y'all want to reduce the distance these barks trigger at, or get rid of them birthday.
Simply Knock SE
Sometimes y'all don't desire to pause into someone's home and have the local guard subsequently you. Instead of lockpicking, this mod gives you lot the choice to just, y'all know, knock on the door. If someone is habitation they might answer, giving you lot the option to earn entry with your speech abilities. If they don't answer, then get your lockpicks out. (If this modernistic causes crashes after the Ceremony Edition update, check the sticky post at the top of this page for a solution.)
Alternating Starting time - Live Some other Life
If yous're playing Special Edition, y'all're starting from scratch whether you're a newcomer to Skyrim or a veteran. Why not start your new game as someone other than the Dragonborn? Alternating Starting time—over again, by Arthmoor—is a roleplaying mod that gives you choices on how you'd similar to begin your next playthrough. Are you a patron at in inn, a company arriving past boat, a prisoner in a jail cell, or a member of a guild? You can start as a soldier, an outlaw, a hunter, even a vampire. It'due south a peachy way to re-experience Skyrim from a different perspective, and skip the tutorial while you're at information technology.
Open up Cities
Information technology's a picayune immersion-breaking to enter a metropolis through a gate and meet a loading screen. Open Cities aims for more of a Morrowind experience: the cities aren't instances, they're part of the larger globe. Stroll correct in—or ride in on horseback—without a pause in your experience, and these cities will feel more similar existent places than loaded-in maps.
Opening Scene Overhaul
This modernistic, by elderscrolliangamer, changes and enhances Skyrim's opening sequence by restoring dialogue that Bethesda chose to cut, but which is even so present in the game files. With that content restored, you'll acquire more than most the globe y'all're preparing to inhabit by listening in on additional conversations and seeing full sequences that were snipped before release. Best of all, if yous cull to side with the Stormcloaks, you'll actually exist able to escape Helgen with Ulfric himself at your side.
Relationship Dialogue Overhaul
This mod by cloudedtruth adds thousands of lines of voiced dialogue for NPCs to make you feel like you have a closer and more personal relationship with followers and friends. Your spouse will no longer sound similar a random follower, but address you in a more personal fashion, and those you've angered will have a host of new insults to hurl your way.
Frostfall and Campfire
Skyrim Console Commands
There's no demand to play Skyrim as a humble warrior. Go a behemothic, fly, walk through walls, spawn any detail yous want, and even become Santa Claus with Skyrim console commands, and give yourself every item in the game with Skyrim particular codes.
Looking to turn SSE into a survival experience without having to rely on the Creation Club's survival mode? Then parcel upward and look no further. These mods from Chesko make the frosty world of Skyrim more than dangerous more than immersive and enjoyable with a system that makes y'all manage your temperature in the cold climate. Hypothermia is an issue, especially if you lot swim through icy water, and then you lot'll have to dress warmly, and camping ground elements include craftable tents, torches, and other gear. There's even a crafting skill system.
Also, check out Wet and Cold, which adds conditions-dependent visual effects and sounds.
⭐ Survival Control Panel
If you exercise desire to stick with the Creation Club survival mode, perhaps because you lot got it as role of the Anniversary Edition, this control console will let you change how it works. You tin can plow on and off options like whether you need to sleep to level upward, as well as modifying the warmth rating of clothes, including cloaks if you've got a mod that adds those.
Positive Undressed Reactions
What could perhaps exist more immersive than walking effectually in your underclothes and being lavished with compliments past strangers? OK, maybe information technology'southward not that immersive but information technology is a fun one. On acme of that, this mod besides uses a very cool new AI-based vox synthesis tool called SKVA Synth to create some of its voice lines.
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/best-skyrim-special-edition-mods/