Summary
Skyrimis more than ten years old now. Sometimes it’s hard to believe this open-world classic has been around so long as it still has so much to offer. With countless mods and a mind-blowing amount of quests, it’s hard not to find something fun to do in the game, even after all this time. Even now, after all these years, players can jump into a playthrough ofSkyrimand get completely immersed in Bethesda’s magnum opus, with unique discoveries awaiting them at every corner.
An assassin wielding a deadly dagger is such a common trope thatit has almost become cliché. Still, for players who like to sneak around inSkyrim, it’s imperative to find thebest daggers inSkyrim. Not all blades are made alike, and while players can smith some of their own, there are a few that are a step above the rest. Regardless, players who understand how useful this small blade is can have a great time sneaking out and taking out enemies with one well-placed sneak attack from the shadows.
Updated on July 11, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:Skyrim has a wide variety of weapons for all sorts of builds, including Warrior, Mage, and even Thief, which is where daggers come in handy. Daggers are typically very convenient, as they can be concealed almost anywhere and have a very light weight, which makes them ideal for carrying around, especially when the carry weight for the Dragonborn has not been upgraded.There are all sorts of daggers in Skyrim. Some are outstanding and others not so much. However, players will discover this on their own depending on their preferences. Here are some of the best in the game, so players can make an informed decision when building their character.
26Shiv
Found In Various Locations
It’s a stretch to call theshivone of thebest daggers inSkyrim. It can be easy to write off this weapon as nothing more than a blade that players use only when they’re desperate, but there’s more to the shiv than what meets the eye. For starters, it’s a weapon that players must rely on if they wish to escape Cidhna Mine since there aren’t a lot of options that the Dragonborn can rely on otherwise.
If players are in the early game and have spent some points in Enchanting, then it’s possible to add a magical enchantment to a shiv and make it more valuable in a combat scenario. Still, there’s no denying that most players would prefer to use a better dagger once they gain a few levels and loot diligently.
25Iron Dagger
A Decent Dagger That’s Useful Early On
TheIron Daggeris as basic as it gets and players can get it quite early on in the game, which makes it great for that stage, but loses efficiency and power as they progress. Throughout the land of Skyrim, players will be able to find both enchanted and unenchanted daggers from level 1. During the quest “Unbound”, an Iron Dagger can be obtained from the first two Imperials that players encounter while they follow Ralof. Iron Daggers can also be found as random loot in chests and every other corner of the land of Skyrim, which makes them really common overall.
It’s also possible to craft Iron Daggers at any blacksmith’s forge by using 1x Iron Ingot and 1 Leather Strip and no Smithing perks are required to do so. Alvor in Riverwood can give players a free Iron Dagger when they offer to work for him at his forge, which can be a great way to get one—especially early on, as players will likely have very little Gold. As a fun piece of information, Iron Daggers can also usually be found lying around on tables next to food, which suggests that many of the inhabitants of Skyrim use them to cut whatever they’re having for supper.
24Imperial Dagger
Randomly Found Throughout Skyrim
The Imperial Dagger is not as common as the Iron Dagger. However, it can also be randomly found in chests or sold by vendors. Players can also loot them from the bodies of dead Imperial soldiers or pickpocket them if their sneaking skills are on point.
Should players choose to craft the Imperial Dagger instead of looting it from a chest or or stealing it from an Imperial Soldier, all they need is 1 Steel Ingot and 1 Leather Strip at any blacksmith’s forge. All in all, while the Imperial Dagger is far from being the best dagger in the game, it can be quite useful early on and give players an edge against weaker enemies.
23Steel Dagger
A Common Weapon Found Early On
During the early game, it’s not a stretch to say that this steel blade can position itself as one of thebest daggers inSkyrim. Players will find this blade early on and can rely on it for a few hours as they sneak from the shadows and backstab their opponents. It may not boast the highest damage of all the daggers players can find in the game, but that shouldn’t be an issue as long as players make the most of this weapon’s swift swings.
TheSteel Daggeris a common find, and players are bound to findbetter variants of this weaponas they gain levels. However, this particular blade will occupy a soft spot in the hearts of players who grow attached to this weapon during the short time that it’s viable. Enchanting this weapon further increases its effectiveness in battle and lets players down foes with a single swing if their backstab damage bonus is through the roof.
22Alessandra’s Dagger
Obtained During The Quest Pilgrimage
The best part about weapons attached to a quest is that they can never be taken away from the player, even if players are arrested and have their items confiscated. This means that the Dragonborn can stage a jailbreak with such weapons, withAlessandra’s Daggerbeing a great example of the same. It may not be thebest dagger inSkyrimper se, but that should take nothing away from the allure of this weapon.
Players who explore the city of Riften will find a person who owns this dagger and tasks the Dragonborn with delivering this ceremonial dagger to the Hall of the Dead in Whiterun. Until players accomplish this task, they can equip this dagger and use it to stab and slice their opponents until they’re down for the count. As players progress through the game, this dagger will become less useful in non-prison situations, especially when glass or dwarven daggers become more readily available and the Dragonborn unlocks new weapon upgrading capabilities.
21Nordic Dagger
Added In The Dragonborn DLC
It’s only a given that theDragonbornDLC would add stronger variants of certain weapons to the game, given how players would tackle this content after gaining a few levels of their own. TheNordic Daggeris one such regular weapon added to the game that spawns in the game world after players reach upwards of Level 25.
This dagger’s regular variant is already quite damaging as is, and players can use certain enchantments to enhance the damage dealt by this underrated weapon. It’s one of the better daggers that players can use to slice and dice through their enemies in the game. One surefire way to get this weapon is by looking next to the body of Bjornolfr right behind the secret passage in Hrodulf’s House. Alternatively, players can create this dagger at a blacksmith’s forge when they have the Advanced Armors perk. To do so, they’ll need: 1x Steel Ingot, 1x Leather Strip, and 1x Quicksilver Ingot. Compared to the Iron Dagger or the Imperial Dagger, the Nordic Dagger is quite heavy, as it weighs 3.5. Granted, this weight pales in comparison to that of other heavier weapons, such as Greatswords or Battleaxes, which can dip into the double digits. But if players are pursuing a light Thief build, the 40-58% weight increase in comparison to Iron or Imperial Daggers matters, and it matters a lot.
20Orcish Dagger
A Decent Dagger Found As Random Loot In The Game World
Orcish equipment in the game looks awesome, and it’s a shame that this armor is outmatched by other higher-level pieces of equipment as the game progresses. Still, any form of Orcish weapons or armor can suit players quite a bit in the early to mid-game, withtheOrcish Daggerbeing a standout weaponthat both looks good and is quite effective in battle.
This weapon has decent damage and can be buffed with enchantments to make it even more viable in combat. While it may be outpaced by equipment that players can find at later levels, there’s no denying that the Orcish Dagger is still a lot of fun to use and deserves more credit than it’s given. The Orcish Dagger can often be looted from the bodies of Bandit mages, standard mages, Forsworn archers, Forsworn and mages. There are also some fixed locations where players can find this neat-looking weapon. Marcurio in Riften will have one in the Bee and Bard if players are level 10 or below, and there’s also another one stabbed into a headless skeleton in the Bromjunaar Sanctuary in the Labyrinthian area.
19Rundi’s Dagger
Found At Rundi’s Altar Near The College Of Winterhold
Rundi’s Daggeris an item that could’ve held a lot of significance in the game had it been used properly. As things stand, there’s nothing differentiating it from a regular Steel Dagger aside from its unique weapon and the fact that it’s a part of a scrapped quest. Still, this doesn’t mean that Rundi’s Dagger doesn’t have its uses as long as players enchant it to make it more viable in combat.
It’s a weapon that most players are bound to discard as more powerful pieces of equipment become available, but that shouldn’t take away anything from the inherent usefulness of this weapon if obtained at an early level. If players explore the College of Winterhold and its surroundings early on in their playthrough, they’ll find Rundi’s Dagger to be a decent addition to their arsenal.
18Glass Dagger
A Beautiful Dagger That’s Pretty Effective In Battle Too
The idea of wielding a weapon made from glass may sound stupid, but players should remember that Skyrim is a fantasy world where a lot of impossibilities don’t exist. If players can accept the idea that magic is prevalent in this game, then the idea of special glass being used to make weapons and armor shouldn’t be a huge stretch in the slightest.
It helps that glass equipment looks pretty cool too, with theGlass Daggerhaving a personality of its own despite being a relatively common weapon. This weapon is found as random loot when players level up and can serve them quite well until more valuable loot comes their way instead. Unenchanted Glass Daggers are known to start appearing when players reach level 20, whereas their enchanted counterparts will start popping up around level 28. The downside of this type of weapon is that it requires a high Smithing level (70) and the Glass Smithing perk to be able to craft it at a blacksmith’s forge, which means that players will have to wait a considerable amount of time before they can make their own. The necessary elements to make it are: 1x Refined Malachite, 1x Refined Moonstone, and 1x Leather Strip.
17Elven Dagger
A Simple And Effective Dagger
TheElven Daggeris a pretty useful and great-looking weapon that feels great to use when players get their hands on it. A few levels are all it takes for Elven Daggers to start reliably spawning around the world, augmenting the Dragonborn’s arsenal quite a bit.
It may not be the most powerful dagger in the game but is quite valuable at lower levels when the Dragonborn doesn’t have too many options to choose from anyway. It’s a serviceable blade that will help players out quite a bit until they move on to bigger and better weaponry. Unenchanted Elven Daggers will start to appear in the world at level 19, and their enchanted counterparts can be found from level 20 and on, which makes them a great option for mid-game combat in situations where players wish to wield a smaller blade.
