Para dead NPCs named "Bandit", veja Bandit (dead). Para other uses, veja Bandit (disambiguation).
Bandits are rogue lawbreakers and one of the most common enemy types in Skyrim. You will typically find them in camps, some of which are marked on your map, and some of which are unmarked. Of the marked locations, bandits often inhabit both the interiors and exteriors of fort-type and other structures.
Although most bandits will attack you on sight, some may attack only when you get too close. Still others will demand that you pay them and attack if you refuse. Bandits can be members of any race (except Altmer), and may be spellcasters, archers, one-handed melee fighters, or two-handed melee fighters.
Bandit Types
While the stronger bandit types will not appear until after you've reached the levels shown, you will continue to meet low-level versions even at high levels. Boss-level bandits will always be at the highest possible level, and will normally be identified as "Bandit Chief". Bandits of each type may vary in the combat equipment and style they use.
Normal Bandits are generally fairly easy to kill, while Bandit Chiefs and Marauders are tougher. Unlike other Bandit Marauders, Bandit Marauder mages (bandits with the Bandit Wizard class) begin appearing at level 24.
   
One-Handed MeleeThese bandits wield one-handed melee weapons and shields in battle. They carry one of the following weapons, depending on your level:
All bandits also carry a random assortment of items, which include beverages, lockpicks, food, jewelry, gems, tools, ingots, and a small amount of gold. Bandit Plunderers and Marauders carry more gold and may carry additional lockpicks. Light ArmorIn addition to the weapons listed above, these bandits wear a set of leveled light armor:
Heavy ArmorThese bandits wield one-handed melee weapons and shields in battle. They carry the same weapons and miscellaneous items as their light armor counterparts, and wear a set of leveled heavy armor:
Two-Handed MeleeThese bandits carry large, two-handed melee weapons into the fray. They wear the same leveled armor as their one-handed light armored counterparts (without the shield), and also carry one of the following weapons, depending on your level:
Two-handed melee bandits also carry a small amount of gold and have a chance to carry a few lockpicks. Bandit Plunderers and Marauders carry an orcish dagger and have no lockpicks.
ArchersArcher bandits prefer to keep their distance, using a bow and arrows to attack. These bandits have the Bandit Archer class. They wear the same leveled armor as melee bandits, and also one of each of the following weapon types, depending on your level:
Archers carry the same miscellaneous loot as their one-handed counterparts, and also have a small chance of carrying additional arrows of any type (including glass, ebony, and Daedric). Archer Bandit Plunderers and Marauders carry more gold than those at lower levels.
MagesBandit mages rely primarily on spellcasting in battle. They wear the following leveled armor:
Bandit and Bandit Outlaw mages carry an iron dagger, while Bandit Thug mages carry a steel dagger. Bandit Highwayman, Bandit Plunderer, and Bandit Marauder mages carry a leveled dagger (iron, steel, orcish, dwarven, or elven). In addition to their gear, bandit mages carry a random assortment of items, including lockpicks, food, jewelry, soul gems, ingredients, books, spell tomes, a leveled Conjuration or Destruction staff, and a small amount of gold. Bandit Plunderers and Marauders carry more gold and have a chance to carry additional lockpicks than lower-level mages.
One-Handed Melee Bandit ChiefsBandit Chiefs use the same fighting style as other melee bandits, but are a higher level, which means they have more health, more stamina, and more perks. All Bandit Chiefs carry a leveled dagger (steel, orcish, or elven) in addition to one of the following weapons:
The enchanted weapons listed above will have either fire damage, frost damage, shock damage, magicka damage, or stamina damage enchantments. The strength of the enchantment will vary depending on the level of the item. Bandit Chiefs wear the following leveled heavy armor:
In addition to the equipment listed above, all Bandit Chiefs carry a leveled amount of gold.
Two-Handed Melee Bandit ChiefsThese Bandit Chiefs wear the same heavy armor as their one-handed allies (without the shield). They carry a leveled dagger (steel, orcish, or elven) in addition to one of the following weapons:
The enchanted weapons listed above will have either fire damage, frost damage, shock damage, magicka damage, or stamina damage enchantments. The strength of the enchantment will vary depending on the level of the item. Mistwatch BanditsMistwatch contains a group of bandits called Mistwatch Bandits; these location-specific bandits can be either one-handed melee fighters, two-handed melee fighters, archers, or mages, and have the same stats and perks as their ordinary bandit counterparts. They are all members of the Mistwatch faction, and will no longer be hostile towards the player should the Mistwatch quest be completed in Fjola's favor. |
Related Quests
Some quests that require going into a bandit hideout or dungeon include:
- Infiltration: Help Stalleo take back Treva's Watch.
- Mistwatch: Help Christer locate his kidnapped wife Fjola.
- Silver Lining: Recover a stolen silver mold for a silversmith.
- Supply and Demand: Clear Cragslane Cavern for the Jarl of Riften.
- The Pale Lady: Find out what happened in Frostmere Crypt.
Radiant Quests
- Bounty: Bandit Boss: Eliminate a bandit leader for a bounty reward. (radiant)
- Dungeon Delving: Do a favor by retrieving an item from a bandit hideout. (radiant)
- Harsh Master: Take care of a runaway crew member. (radiant)
- Kill the Bandit Leader: Do a favor by slaying a bandit leader. (radiant)
- Rescue Mission: Fulfill a contract given to the Companions to rescue a kidnapped citizen. (radiant)
- Note: This location is one of many potential targets for one or more of the radiant quests found on this page.
World Interactions
- Animals attacking bandit
- Bandit beat down
- Bandit Killed With Horse Left Behind
- Bandits dressed as Imperial Soldiers
- Bard at rest attacked by bandits
- Dead woman with bandits
- Giants fending off bandits
- Ice Wraiths Fighting Bandits
- Traveling Merchant Attacked by Bandits
- Vampires fighting Bandits DG
- Warlock fighting off bandits
Dialogue
If you speak to a bandit who is leaning against a wall, typically guarding the outside of a hideout, they may give a generic, non-hostile response (such as "You need something?"), although after a few seconds they will draw their weapon and attack. Male bandits will talk to themselves while idle, but they do not talk to each other unless scripted by a certain location [verification needed — verify males only].
Idling
- "...retire some day... get myself an island..."
- "...never enough gold... just need one good haul..."
- "...might pay off my bounty this time... walk into the city a free man..."
- "...told him to just hand over the gold, but did he listen? Oh, no... they always have to fight back..."
- "...he he he... two threes? What was he thinking? Fool never saw me pull that ace out of my boot..."
- "...gonna start keepin' a knife in my boot... tired of gettin' disarmed..."
- "...should have known she was lying... said she'd wait for me... but they never wait..."
- "...lyin' little harlot... that brat ain't mine... could be anyone's... won't get one rusty septim from me..."
- "..."go to the college" da said... "use your smarts" he said... like I'm supposed to figure out which college he meant..."
- "...hmph, wizards... Now that's power... Bet they got that "secret" magic... can turn wood to gold... yeah... Wish I could turn wood to gold..."
- "...mead, mead, mead... kill him to get some beer every now and then? Stupid bees and their stupid honey..."
- "...I'll never do another stinking span in that jail... rather die than give myself up..."
- " [Sighing] ...need me some Skooma... the imported stuff... just one last time..."
- "...kill 'em, he talks to me again like that... get him when he's sleeping... or poison his meat... see how he likes that."
- "...picking pockets, now that's the real art... ...no rough stuff, just take it and go... ...hmph, don't sound like much fun, though..."
- " [Singing] ...once was a woman, as fair as an evenin', of springtime in old Stros M'Kai..."
- " [Singing] ...with three beers down, the Orc did frown, and bid the Elf goodbye... ...for none could know, 'twas not for show, and someone had to die..."
Combat
- "Lookee here. Looks like we got ourselves a hero."
- "You picked a bad time to get lost, friend."
- "Now ain't this a surprise."
- "Time to die, hero!"
- "Go ahead, try and fight back!"
- "Die already so I can take your stuff!"
- "Whatcha gonna do? Huh? Whatcha gonna do?"
- "Gonna split your belly like an old woman's purse!"
- "Gonna rip you... open!"
- "You'll be so much easier to rob when you're dead..."
Miscellaneous
A bandit who has just discovered a corpse may say:
- "What...? Whoever did this, you're dead. You hear me? Dead!"
Notes
- Bandits encountered in Skyrim are generally twice as likely to be male than female. In most cases, the leveled lists that spawn bandits list each male bandit twice (except Khajiits) and each female bandit once.
- Most bandits have a morality of "Any Crime", which means they're willing to commit any crime. Bandit Chiefs and the "berserker" variety of two-handed fighters, however, have a morality of "No Crime," which means they are unwilling to commit crimes of any sort. Their aggression is the same as any other bandit, though, so they will still attack you on sight.
- Bandits that spawn within the exterior zone of Treva's Watch are set to spawn at a normal leveled list corresponding to your game level. However, bandits which spawn within the interior zone are set to appear 5 levels earlier, which means that at lower levels you will more likely encounter Bandit Marauders, etc.
- There is a bandit imprisoned in Ravenscar Hollow who has been locked up by hagravens and will ask you to free him. If he survives the fight with the hagravens, he will demand all of your belongings and you will be forced to kill him. This bandit is one of the few with whom you can exchange more than a couple of lines of conversation.
See Also
- For dead NPCs named "Bandit", see Bandit (dead).
- For a list of locations where bandits are found, see this category.
- For unmarked bandit camps, see Unmarked Places.