Mastering Skyrim: The Ultimate Guide to Legendary Skills

In the original release of Skyrim, players were only able to reach a maximum level of 81 due to the limitations of the skill progression system. However, with subsequent updates and the release of Skyrim Special Edition, this level cap was removed through the implementation of the Legendary Skill system.

The Legendary Skills in Skyrim are not exclusive abilities that become available later in the game, nor are they enhancements to existing skills or abilities within each skill line. Instead, the Legendary Skills are an integral component of the system that allows characters to continuously progress and level up without any restrictions.

Updated June 29, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: Before turning a skill into a Legendary one in Skyrim, players must first reach Level 100 to fully max out the skill tree. Once that milestone is achieved, the process itself is relatively straightforward, although the difficulty lies in making a decision. Transforming a skill into a Legendary one not only grants players extra power gradually but also allows for endless gameplay with continuous progression. However, it is important to note that this process comes with both advantages and disadvantages. The sudden decrease in power resulting from resetting a skill tree may discourage some players from utilizing the Legendary Skill system altogether. Players should be well aware of this trade-off, as it requires a significant sacrifice in exchange for long-term benefits.

What Does Making A Skill Legendary Do?

The Legendary Skills system functions as a Prestige system, resetting a skill entirely and returning all previously spent skill points in its related skill tree. Legendary Skills begin anew at Level 15, allowing players to continuously advance that skill (as well as their overall player level) virtually without limit.

Resetting a skill doesn't result in the loss of perk points, which can be utilized again to enhance other Skill Trees. As players level up, they will acquire additional Perk Points, similar to regular progression, to invest in their reset skill tree.

Are Legendary Skills Worth It?

Initially, this may seem unfavorable – transitioning from a Lvl 100 Destruction to a Lvl 15 Destruction in the end game can impede the ability to vanquish adversaries. However, due to the refund of every Perk Point, making skills Legendary will amplify the number of Perks that impact the player over time. Moreover, as these abilities commence at a lower level, they can easily be enhanced through confronting more formidable challenges in the later stages of the game.

The Legendary Skills system in Skyrim offers both advantages and drawbacks. On one hand, it allows for almost endless gameplay due to the game's Radiant quest system. On the other hand, it can hinder certain character builds by causing the loss of valuable perks. For instance, the Stealth Archer heavily relies on the Eagle Eye perk.

Pros of Legendary Skills

If you are interested in experiencing all the content that the game has to offer with a single character, then resetting through the Legendary Skill system can be a beneficial choice. However, if you are open to the idea of exploring diverse races and playstyles instead of sticking to just one character, then going through the lengthy introductory sections in Helgen and Whiterun can add an additional layer of enjoyment to your gaming experience.

No level cap - skills can be reset infinitely

Skill points are refunded upon making a skill legendary

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Players can hone their skills by focusing on a select few, rather than all of them.

The primary advantage of utilizing Legendary Skills is the removal of the level cap, permitting players to potentially accumulate unlimited Perk Points. Moreover, it grants the freedom for players to concentrate on a chosen few skills, rather than being compelled to master every skill in the game. In Skyrim, this allows players to continually level up, even if it involves completely resetting their progress.

Make a skill Legendary if you want to experience everything in the game on a single character, but keep in mind that you lose access to all unlocked Perks in that skill tree.

Cons of Legendary Skills

Enforces a narrow playstyle without branching away from a handful of skills

Racial bonuses don't apply on reset, and Skill Books that have been read are unusable

Lowering Level 100 skills to Level 15 can increase the challenge in combat, such as with Destruction or a melee skill like One-Handed.

However, there are drawbacks to using Legendary Skills. While players can focus on leveling only a select few skills, this approach restricts them from exploring and experiencing all the different aspects of Skyrim. Moreover, resetting skills does not take racial bonuses into account. For instance, if a Dunmer resets, their Destruction skill will be set to Level 15 even though they have a racial passive bonus of +10 to Destruction.

Other instances of this phenomenon include the Conjuration Perk, known as dual-summon, and the Archery Perk, called Eagle Eye. Removing these Perks can fundamentally alter your spellcasting and Ranged builds, respectively. It is advisable to refrain from making a skill Legendary if your playstyle heavily relies on such defining Perks.

How To Make A Skill Legendary in Skyrim

To make a skill Legendary in Skyrim, the player must first reach Level 100 in that skill. Once this milestone is achieved, the option to make the skill Legendary will appear in the Skills screen. This feature is exclusively available for skills that have been fully progressed to Level 100. To reset a skill, simply navigate to the desired skill and confirm the choice.

As soon as the skill is reset, it will return to its initial default level, which can then be enhanced with Racials and other passive effects. Additionally, all the Perk Points previously spent in that skill tree will be instantly refunded, allowing the player to allocate them elsewhere.

Continuing to level up the skill will enhance the player's overall level, but without retaining any previously acquired Perks or access to higher-level abilities and spells. These can only be obtained by leveling up the skill once again. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is available on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, as well as Xbox One and Series X|S.