Fighting dragons is one the most fun experiences that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has to offer. But if you ask me, it can be a lot more enjoyable. How? The answer is mods.
Whether you only want dragons that look better. Or you want a wider variety of dragons. Maybe you want to overhaul the combat behaviors to enhance the fighting experience. In this list of 15 mods, I will cover them all.
15. Bellyaches 16K Dragon Replacer Pack
Now, you might be thinking that 16K is a little overkill. I had that same opinion at first. But once I tried it out in-game, I was converted. You can really see the difference. But if that’s too much for your system, the mod offers 2K resolutions as well.
On another note, this mod touches the textures of dragon’s corpse as well. But I recommend a different mod for that down the line.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
14. The Decayed Dragon - Durnehviir Retex
But when I see his awful low-res textures, I think the ones who really did him dirty was Bethesda. Thankfully, we have The Decayed Dragon. Not only does it give our favorite dragon beautiful textures, it does so without ruining his decayed aesthetics.
This one isn’t available for Special Edition users, unfortunately. But for all you Durnehviir lovers, I have an alternative below.
Download Mod: Legendary
13. Durnehviir Resurrected
We can all agree that Durnehviir got the short end of the stick. Sure, you can let him come back to Tamriel every once in a while. But that’s the extent of your actions. As RPG gamers, we sometimes want our actions to have a greater impact.
With this mod, your actions will mean more and you will be able to see it. Durneviir will regain some of his flesh every time you summon him. It doesn’t just swap his model with a fresh one, that would have been unsatisfactory. It does so in stages, so that you can actually see the difference.
Dawnguard gives us a miserable and undead dragon. Thanks to this mod, we can end up with a majestic one, although still-undead.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
12. Rustic Dragon Corpse
You defeat a fearsome dragon after a tense fight. You absorb its soul, melting the flesh away. You’re then left with a heap of… clean bones? Too clean. I don’t want to nitpick, but who’s washing these bones and taking away my dragonslayer moment?
A mod like ‘Rustic Dragon Corpse’ might seem unnecessary, but trust me when I say that you need this. The textures have been remade, giving the bones that gory and bloodied look. Now when you slay a dragon and absorb its soul, you’ll feel like an epic warrior.
Not only are the textures incredibly well made, they’re available in 4K quality. But if you want a lower resolution, rest assured! You can download the mod at 2K resolution as well.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
11. Splendor - Dragon Variants
Installing high quality texture mods sure make dragons look nice. But they can’t change the fact that the dragon variety is limited. Bethesda only designed 14 dragons. That means after a while, you’ve seen them all.
This mod offers an easy and magical fix to that problem. It uses existing textures to create new ones and apply them to your dragons. According to the mod author, you’ll have 784 unique looking dragons! You could play the game for years and still never see them all! I know I haven’t.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
10. Immersive Dragons Resized
This mod makes slight edits to the dragon’s model. First, it increases the size of the wings. You might think that it’s a minor edit, but trust me when I say it’s very noticeable in game. Thanks to this mod, dragons have a much more imposing presence.
Also, when it comes to dragon riding, it shifts the player’s position from the dragon’s neck to its back. So now you’ll sit on its back. With class. One thing to note though. Because of the larger wing-span, you might experience some unpleasant clippings.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
9. Dragon Animation Replace
Before and after your chiropractor visit
Let’s talk about animations. Dragon’s in Skyrim look like they have a very stiff neck. Sorry, there’s no pleasant way of putting it. As much as I love Bethesda, their animations have always been lacking. And that’s me being generous.
I know you’ve snuck around in Skyrim (we all play as stealth archers anyway). You've had a chance to see the dragon's idle animation, for sure. And while I don’t usually care about that stuff, I have to ask. Who is going around giving every dragon a neck cramp? The same person who’s shooting people in the knees?
Alright, none of those questions are actually important. What matters is that this mod changes their neck animation from tense to a much more relaxed one. Like a graceful swan rather than a weird stick.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
8. Wyrm - Dragons Sounds Rework
The fearsome wingbeat of a dragon. Audio samples available on mod page.
Audio makes a huge difference! Personally, Skyrim’s dragons sounded just fine to me. That is, until I tried out this mod. It reworks every single sound, from a dragon’s wingbeat to its roar. They've been given a heavier and impactful feel.
But don’t just take my word for it. You can head over to the mod-page and check out the sound samples yourself. I guarantee that you’ll feel the shivvers. While the file hosted is for Special Edition, it works fine with Legendary Edition.
Download Mod: Legendary/Special
7. Enigma Series -Dragons Voice Rework
From the maker of Wyrm, I present to you another audio mod. While the previous mod touches the sounds of the dragons, this one overhauls their voices. And this includes the dialogues.
Dragons Voice Rework takes all the voiced dragon lines and tweaks them. The end result is a much more mysterious and alien experience. I must say, ‘Enigma’ in the title is fitting. You can check out voice samples on the mod page.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
6. Talkative Dragons
Dragons aren't that different from other creatures in vanilla Skyrim. They fly, shout, and then die when you kill them. It's strange, considering these winged beasts are intelligent and proud creatures who once ruled Tamriel.
This mod makes every dragon more talkative. Just like Alduin, your regular dragon will now taunt and threaten you. They’ve been given a wide range of lines that you can hear during combat. Given how arrogant dragons are, this fits in perfectly with the lore.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
5. Dragon Stalking Fix
You slay a dragon, then leave. Hours later, you enter a city and what do you see? That’s right! The dragon you just killed a while ago. Stalking is not cool, but clearly someone didn’t get the memo.
It’s funny for a bit, but then it starts getting on your nerves. If you’re experiencing this, this mod will make it go away.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
4. Dragon Combat Overhaul
Remember the first time you fought a dragon? It was so epic! But then you became overpowered, and most dragon encounters became a piece of mooncake. ‘Dragon Combat Overhaul’ buffs the dragons’ stats and makes their behaviors much more aggressive. Now every encounter will be an intense fight to the death, and you will have to run and regroup if you’re not too careful.
Dragons are large, forceful creatures and you will be knocked away when they land. Sometimes they’ll come swooping in and grab NPCs. And worst of all, injured dragons might even call for reinforcement! It also adds dragon varieties with unique aesthetics and breath attacks.
As far as the ultimate dragon experience goes, this mod covers every aspect. And still it manages to be compatible with the other mods I have listed below.
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
3. Diverse Dragons Collection 3
They say variety is the spice of life, and I agree when it comes to dragons. Whether you want more dragon types on top of the previous mod, or you just want variety without the fluff. This mod has you covered.
This mod adds 28 new dragons. Not only do they have unique and exotic appearances, but they also have new breath attacks. They’re well integrated in the game, meaning you will encounter these new dragons as you go around exploring. Prepare to fight off against newer and deadlier foes!
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
2. Deadly Dragons
If you still haven’t had your fill of difficulty and variety, there’s still more! Deadly Dragons is probably one of the older ones. But there’s a reason it’s still relevant. First, it’s that good. Second, the mod author has kept it up to date.
The increased stats of the dragons make fights more lethal. If the previous two mods weren't enough, this also one adds newer dragon varieties. Best of all, Dragon Combat Overhaul, Diverse Dragons Collection, and Deadly Dragons are all fully compatible with one another!
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
1. Intuitive Dragon Ride Control
This mod is the newest one in this list, and I’m very excited to talk about it. All my dragon riding dreams have been fulfilled! Want to fly from Markarth to Riften? No problem, just hop on the back of your dragon and fly away! Whether you want to manually steer your dragon or use the map to fast travel in real time is up to you.
The mod page has a short video explaining how the mechanisms work. The controls are very easy to understand. Ride-sharing has nothing on this!
Download Mod: Legendary | Special
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