Skyrim players agree only heartless monsters kill Paarthurnax

It feels like every few weeks I’m writing about how monstrous some Skyrim players can be, so it’s nice to know that, despite all the killings of NPCs, there are players who value life over death.

I’m, of course, talking about the players who spare the life of Paarthurnax, a noble and old dragon who, quite frankly, shouldn’t even be a kill option in my humble opinion. Much like those who maimed and killed Miriel in Elden Ring, we never forget when such legendary blood is spilt.

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To be clear, you don’t have to kill Paarthurnax, it’s only optional. However, depending on the faction you want to befriend, it will slightly alter the course your character takes. Sadly, not all players were aware of this when they first played Skyrim, as one sorry gamer lamented, “In my first playthrough, I didn't know it was optional, so I killed him, then I got a glitch where his skeleton would spawn in every time I fast travelled to the Rift. Essentially, he began haunting me.”

Look, if you kill a majestic creature, you have to live with being haunted. That’s the price you pay when you’re a monster in disguise, however accidentally that may be. I’m fine with you randomly killing 5,000 NPCs that offer nothing other than a coin or two, but a dragon is taking it too far.

More shockingly, there are those amongst us who actually choose to kill Paarthurnax every time. “Honestly, I pretty much always kill him. If I make it through the main quest then I’m a blade,” revealed one Redditor.

And before anyone uses the reasoning, “Would your character do it? If yes, then go for it”, as asked by one so-called fan, that’s unacceptable. Regardless of your character’s arc, they shouldn’t slay a dragon who is as wise as Paarthurnax. This is a hill I will die on.

In all seriousness, how you play the Skyrim is up to you. Just know that killing a beautiful creature when it’s avoidable is enough to get your gamer badge revoked.