Dragons aside, another central story of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the brewing civil war in Skyrim, between the Stormcloak Rebellion and the Imperial Legion. In the aftermath of Ulfric Stormcloak murdering the High King with the power of Thu’um, the province has been split in half.
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Ulfric, the Jarl of Windhelm and leader of the rebellion, is easily the most debated and controversial character in the entire game. While some fans believe he’s nothing but another villain furthering the cause of the Thalmor, others argue that his main motivation continues to be the freedom and independence of Skyrim from an oppressive Empire.
10 Villain: Thalmor Puppet
Although Ulfric despises the Thalmor, in many ways it could be said that his behavior and actions are helping the Thalmors achieve what they want in Skyrim. If the province became independent from the Empire, it would be easier for the Aldmeri Dominion to conquer it.
Ulfric seems completely blind to this, yet it’s even hinted in the game that the Thalmor are using him to their advantage. After he was held prisoner in the aftermath of the Great War, he was interrogated and then potentially released on purpose, due to the Thalmor considering him an asset for their cause.
9 Hero: Served During The Great War
Prior to the Great War, Ulfric was training on High Hrothgar with Arngeir and learning about the way of the voice. However, as soon as the war broke out, he felt compelled to join in the fighting in order to ensure the safety of his people against the Aldmeri Dominion.
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Ulfric actually enlisted in the Imperial forces at the time, something which would be absolutely unthinkable for him today. Still, he fought with all he had against the threat that loomed over not just Skyrim, but the entire Empire as well.
8 Villain: Pursues Power For Power’s Sake
While Ulfric claims that he wants independence for Skyrim, some of his actions seem to imply that’s not all there is to it. He’s so confident and full of himself that he believes he can become the High King himself simply by killing Torygg.
Ulfric doesn’t actually need to be High King to further his own cause and beliefs. Plus, by forcing himself into that position, he’s made himself quite a few enemies in the province, who believe he acted out of line and far too hastily.
7 Hero: Despises Thalmor
Just like most people in Skyrim, Ulfric absolutely despises the Thalmor. He understands, more than anyone, just how damaging the presence of these people is to the well-being of Skyrim. While his actions are not exactly reflective of that, there’s no question about his beliefs.
Ulfric’s main motivation for his rebellion was in fact the peace the Empire signed with the Aldmeri Dominion. He considered it a shameful agreement, given how much blood had been spilled in the Great War.
6 Villain: Neglects His Citizens
Although Ulfric’s dedication to his cause is admirable, he often gets too distracted by it to pay attention to some of the more pressing issues in his direct line of influence. As the Jarl of Windhelm, he’s allowed a lot of things to go wrong within the city.
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For one, there’s a murderer running around killing people, Dunmer are living in poor living conditions, and then are beggars on the streets. His excuse? He doesn’t have time to worry about the citizens, the very people he claims to be defending all the time.
5 Hero: Wants To Protect Skyrim
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Ulfric is the one person who cares about Skyrim the most. In fact, he cares about Skyrim more than he cares about Windhelm, even though he has no real authority over the entire province.
He desperately wants to preserve what is true and native to Skyrim, including the Nordic traditions and the worship of Talos, which he considers to be a cornerstone of Skyrim’s cultural background and history. No one cares as much as he does, but it ends up being his Achilles’ heel, too.
4 Villain: Drove Off The Forsworn
Forsworn are the native men and women who live in the Reach. Once upon a time, they controlled these lands and could roam freely, but as a result of Ulfric’s actions and the local Jarl, they’ve been forced back into the wilds as fugitives.
One would think Ulfric, who does so much to protect Skyrim’s natives and native culture, would understand how the Forsworn feel. And yet, he was so ready to drive them out of Markarth and massacre anyone in the process. It’s a great testament to his hypocrisy.
3 Hero: Mourns Those Lost In The War
Compared to the Imperial Legion who seems to treat its men as nothing but cannon fodder, the Stormcloaks seem to have a much higher regard for their brothers and sisters. This is because the bond that Stormcloaks have is something much stronger than the professional, passive, and military nature of the Imperial Legion.
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Ulfric reflects on those who have fallen for his cause with sorrow and great respect. He often talks about how much he regrets putting his soldiers through a civil war, and he wants to ensure it isn’t all in vain.
2 Villain: Misused The Thu’um
Long before Ulfric was a Jarl or a soldier or even a believer in the Nords’ cause, Ulfric was actually training to become a Greybeard himself. On the peaks of High Hrothgar, he used to train under Arngeir’s guidance in order to master the use Thu’um.
However, he ended up misusing his powers. Although Arngeir states that Thu’um should not be used for bloodshed, Ulfric enlisted in the Great War and later used the Thu’um to get what he wanted by murdering High King Torygg with it. In other words, he betrayed the Greybeards and their teachings.
1 Hero: Allows Other Races To Thrive
First of all, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Ulfric does in fact inherently have quite racist beliefs, as do many Nords in Skyrim. They especially dislike elves, and Dunmer, who have come to seek refuge after the disaster in Morrowind.
Still, there’s also proof that maybe he’s not as monstrous towards elves as one would think. After all, the Dragonborn can join the Stormcloak cause no matter their race. Moreover, many Dunmer in the city are allowed to run businesses freely, which shows he’s not as tyrannical as one would imagine.