Skyrim: Best Dragon Shouts [Tier List]

In the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the Dragonborn players will have one of the best shouts that they can learn. There are 27 different Dragon shouts for the players to cast in the game. It is no doubt that Dragon shouts is the most useful ability in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and that is why it is important to learn some of the best shouts in order to counter enemies in the game. 

Best Shouts In Skyrim 

The Dragonborn will have a special ability that will allow them to speak words of power to cast powerful spells found carved into the walls of deep dungeons and ancient temples. 

In order to use these shouts, the players will have to find 3 Words Of Power. Doing so will allow them to unlock the full potential of the shouts. Since there are so many to choose from, it is important to know the best ones in Skyrim so the players can focus on unlocking them in the game. 

Become Ethereal 

One of the best shouts in Skyrim definitely becomes Ethereal. Many people tend to ignore the shout when they are playing the game. Even though it is pretty underrated, Becoming ethereal will allow the players to become basically invincible.

The best part about the shout is that it gives the player the power to decide how their combat will play out. It will allow the players to engage in dangerous situations and deal with enemies swiftly. You will be able to come out of battle without any scratches and be able to cross high areas without the fear of falling down and dying. 

By using the shout, the players will be able to convert themselves into a ghost form for some period of time. After you have successfully learned all three words required to cast the spell successfully, you will be able to absorb any amount of damage that comes your way for a total of 13 seconds.

Therefore, you will be able to act like a tank absorbing all kinds of damage and making your way through difficult situations without worrying about your HP. Another great advantage of the shout is that it will allow you to avoid fall damage as well. 

During the shout, the health and magica of the player will regenerate automatically. However, players won’t be able to regain their stamina.  

Marked For Death 

This is definitely one of the best shouts whenever facing higher-level and more powerful enemies in the game. It is one of the most offensive shouts in the game that will allow you to apply a debuff on your enemies. It was initially broken in the base game; however, it was fixed later on when the DLC was released.

The reason it is considered one of the best shouts in Skyrim is that it will allow you to deal with heavily armed enemies, including Dragons, easily. By using the shout, you will be able to curse your enemies, which will deplete the armor rating and health of your enemies over time.

The shout will last for about 60 seconds, and if you have all three words unlocked, the armor of your enemies will be decreased by 75 per second, and the health will deplete 3 per second. So you will be able to eat up around 4500 armor over a sixty-second duration while dealing 180 damage to your enemies. 

The cooldown rate for the shout is 40 seconds, and the Words Of Power should be found quite easily. You will be able to obtain the words of power in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, Forsaken Gave, And Autumn Watch Tower. 

Unrelenting Force 

This particular shout is one of the easiest ones to complete, and you will be able to find the words of power for the shout without much effort. It is also one of the first shouts that the players will be able to unlock in Skyrim. By upgrading it to the maximum level and obtaining all three words of power, the players will be able to counter everything in the game. The power of the shout lies in the knockback damage it does to enemies.

By using the shout, they will be able to push back enemies off the cliffs that will kill them instantly. Furthermore, you will also be able to stun large monsters, and any weaker enemies will die instantly when the shout is used. 

When upgraded to the highest level, the shout has the capability of sending a burst of power in the direction of the enemy that will knock back the enemy as well as any other object in the way.

The best way to use the spell is to use them on enemies when they are standing near a Cliff to throw them down. This is because the fall damage it will cause is far much greater than any weapon or spell that you use. The words of power can be found in the quest called Dragon Rising and after you slay Mirmulnir. 

Slow Time 

By using the Slow Time shout, the players will be able to make everything move in slow motion. This will give you massive leverage over your enemies who focus on High-Speed Attacks. The shout will also give the players a chance to escape from difficult situations as everything will be moving at a slower rate.

Enemies will move very slowly, so any attack they will throw toward you will remain in the air for quite some time. Therefore, you will be able to deal some damage of your own without worrying about any incoming damage.

Your mobility will also be somewhat affected, but you will be faster than everything else around you. The best part about the shout is that the players will be able to deal with a lot of attacks in a short period of time, putting them at a massive advantage over their enemies.

Slow time is definitely a powerful shout for the players to have, especially in the beginning stages of the game. Potions and enchantments will also last for a long period of time using the shout. You would be able to find the words of power for the shout in Labyrinthian, Korvanjund, And Hag’s End. 

Summoning Durnehviir 

Durnehviir is one of the Dragons that you will encounter in the Dawnguard DLC. The Dragon is way different than any other Dragons that you will face throughout the game. What makes the Dragon so unique is the fact that it is actually dying and decaying.

The undead Dragon will be able to summon creatures that will help him during the battle. Whenever the Dragonborn uses the shout to summon the Dragon, they will be able to use the abilities of the Dragon as well. The Dragon itself can use many shouts like the Frost Breath And Drain Vitality whenever summoned.

So you will get a plethora of attacks by summoning the Dragon as compared to the normal Fire Breath Attack. So if you are looking for some aid in your battle or just enjoy the perks of having a Dragon beside you in the battle, then we recommend using this shout and collecting the Words Of Power for it. 

Furthermore, you will be able to get the summon for the Dragon quite faster, and you will be able to summon the Dragon indoors as well. The words of power for the Dragon can be found during the quest Beyond Death. 

Bend Will 

If you are one of the players who have the DLC, then this is probably the best shout to obtain during the main quest. Everyone wants to control and ride Dragons in Skyrim. The Bend Will Shout does just that and allows the players to ride Dragons.

By obtaining all three words of power for the shout, the players will be able to ride the Dragons as Miraak does. Therefore, it is important to obtain all the words of power if you want to unlock the full potential of the shout.

However, even if the players have only two words unlocked, they will be able to tame the Dragons in a pretty efficient way. If you are up against a group of enemies, then we highly recommend using the bend will shout, as it is a great way to summon a Dragon and fight them while riding it. The words of power without shout can be found in the Skaal Village, Black Book Epistolary Acumen, And Saering’s Watch. 

Battle Fury 

A great shout that will allow the Dragonborn and their allies to deal more damage to enemies. The shout will increase the damage of weapons wielded by your allies.

However, if you want to unlock the true potential of the shout it is important to have a follower that uses a powerful weapon. Any solo players won’t benefit much from this shout as it only works on allies. Furthermore, the shout is great to use in case you are summoning zombies to fight alongside you. 

Dragon Aspect 

Another great shout for the players to consider using in Skyrim is the Dragon Aspect shout which is one of the best shouts in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. By using the shout, the players will be able to buff up their power, including the attack power, shout damage, and armor rating. Furthermore, the players will also be able to increase their resistance against frost and fire, which will put them at a massive advantage against their enemies who excel in these.

The players will also be able to decrease the shout recharge time, therefore, allowing them to cast more shouts in the battle. The Dragon aspect shout allows you to have these buffs for a full 5 minutes, which is essentially a lot of time for any shout in the game. By using the shout, the players will get a 25% increase in their power attack and a 125% increase in their armor rating.

The cooldown rate will decrease by 20% for all the shouts, and the resistance will increase by 25% against frost and fire. At the second level of the shout, the players will be able to summon a Dragon to come to help them in the battle. The only downside of the shout is that the players will be able to use it only once a day. 

The shout is recommended against the more powerful enemies that you will face in the game. You can also use the shout in longer battles to have an advantage over your enemies. The shout can be obtained by getting the words of power in Temple Of Miraak, Raven Rock Mine, And Apocrypha. 

Soul Tear  

Another great shout to obtain for the Dragonborn is the soul tear shout. The players will be able to learn the shout from Durnehvir in the Dawnguard DLC. The best part about learning the shout is that the players will be able to deal massive amounts of damage to their enemies.

Since the damage is fixed, the players will be able to control the way the battle plays out. They can use it in the middle of the battle on an enemy when they are at half of their HP to finish them off. As the name suggests, the shout will tear apart the soul of the enemies by dealing them a fixed 300 damage. Any enemies that are under level 100 will be killed.

But that is not all the enemies under level 100 that you killed by using the shout will become zombies and fight along your side in the battle for a full minute. This particular feature makes the shout a pretty powerful one. So if you are looking to use a unique shout, then we definitely recommend using this one.

You won’t be able to scale up the damage as you increase the levels, but you will be able to revive powerful NPC to fight along your side in the combat. This includes the Ebony Warriors as well, that can be very powerful companions for battles against high-level enemies. 

Throw Voice 

Many players underestimate this shout as a weak one due to its comical nature. Furthermore, most of the players learn about the shout by the time they have already mastered stealth which is the key feature that the shout focuses on. But the reason we mentioned it in our list is that the players will be able to get their hands on it early on in the game, which can be very beneficial for them.

The shout is especially powerful for players who are looking to create a stealth build and trying to avoid as many enemies as they can. The shout can be used to create a decoy in the game by using some of the funniest prompts. The rogue and assassin players will benefit most from the shout. By using the shout, the players will be able to insult the enemies and distract them from luring them away from the Dragonborn’s position.

They will get to call them the funniest and most hostile things like ugly and cheese brains. But instead of the player, a phantom voice will actually shout these things on a marker that you said set. These insults will lure in the enemies towards that marker and allow you to escape.

This is definitely a very fun way to set up decoys and escape enemies. Also, keep in mind that the shout will only have a cooldown of five seconds, so the players will be able to use them quite often in the game. The words of power for the shout will be found in Shearpoint Word Wall. 

Storm Call 

By using the shorter, players will be able to call a thunderstorm that will last a total of 3 minutes in the battle. They will strike everything and anything that lies within 150 feet, dealing massive damage to them. It will strike all enemies nearby with random flashes of lightning and deals about 80 damage on each strike.

The only downside to the shout is that it does not discriminate between friends and foes. So any bystander or followers standing in the way will also get damaged. So the players should be very cautious when using the shout and avoid using it in public areas. When the players upgrade it fully to the third level, they will be able to get a cooldown of 600 seconds.

Furthermore, when it is fully upgraded, the place might be able to use the Shout indoors, which limits the power of the shout. We recommend the shout to any players who are traveling solo so they will avoid hurting their followers. The words of power can be obtained in locations like the High Gate Ruins, Skuldafen, And Forelhost. 

Whirl Wind Sprint 

Most of the shouts that the players will be using in Skyrim will mostly provide them with extra damage to deal with their enemies. Others might give them buffs and increase destruction magic. This particular shout does not allow you to deal damage or increase your armor rating. But instead, it will allow you to travel quickly by increasing your mobility.  

The players will be able to move past anything and everything in a much faster and more efficient way. Furthermore, the best part about the shout is that you will be able to learn it during the main campaign, so you won’t have to go out of your way to learn the shout. By using the shout, Dragon borns will be able to move forward quickly while avoiding any obstacles in the way.

The best part about the shout is that the players will be able to jump gaps as well while using the Shout without having any fear of falling down. That is not all, as by using the shout, the players will also be able to dodge any trapped hallways in any dungeons they are exploring. In case you are facing an enemy and cannot seem to find a way out, you can use the shout to move past the enemy.

If the players are trying to get to any location, then they can consider using the shout as they will be able to increase the Mobility speed as well. Therefore, they will be able to reach a certain location faster. Another great use of the shout is that the players will be able to use it in situations where they get stuck since, most of the time, the collision detection of Skyrim is broken. 

Dragon Rend 

Arguably one of the best shouts to obtain in the game is the Dragon Rend shout. This is the best way to fight the Dragons in Skyrim, as it will deprive them of their aerial advantage. Therefore any of your spells and arrows won’t hit the air while you shoot them at the Dragons.

It is no doubt that the power of flight puts Dragons at a massive advantage over the players. In Skyrim, the players themselves won’t be able to fly or use any ability that will allow them to hover in the air to counter Dragons. Therefore it is important to obtain that Dragonrend shouts as it will allow you to force a Dragon to land on the ground while you fight them.

The best part about the shout is that you will be able to deal damage directly to the Dragons, as they won’t be able to fly and escape your attacks while in the air. As soon as they come to the ground level, you can it was your powerful attacks and even attack them using your melee weapons. The shout can only work for Dragon enemies in the game. 

The best part about the shout is that the players won’t need to require all the words of power to bring a Dragon down. The words of power will only increase the duration of time for which the Dragons will stay on the ground. So by using this shout, you will be able to mortalize the Dragon and be able to defeat it easily. The shout can be obtained by completing the quest called Alduin’s Bane. 

Fire Breath 

Everyone knows that a Dragon’s most powerful trait is its capability to breathe fire. And as the name suggests, the shout will allow the Dragonborn to do just that. by using the shout; the players will be able to deal fire damage to enemies.

Keep in mind that the fire attacks done by the Dragons are extremely powerful and can be very devastating to enemies. The best part about the fire breath is that it works even on longer ranges, and the enemies will burn for a period of time, therefore, taking in more damage.

Not only will the fire breath allow you to set your enemies and your environment on fire, but it will also give them knockback damage. The more words you unlock for the shout, the higher the damage will be caused by the fire breath. When unlocked to the maximum potential with all three words of power, you will be able to deal 95 damage to your enemies.  

Drain vitality 

The players who have played the Dawn guard DLC are aware of the Drain Vitality Skill. In the Dawnguard DLC of Skyrim, some legendary Dragons in the game possess a unique skill called drain vitality. The drain vitality itself is a shout that the Dragons are able to use against the players.

Whenever the Dragons use the shout on the Dragonborn, their stamina, health, and magicka will be drained at the same time. This is what makes drain vitality a powerful and extremely hard-to-counter skill in the game. Getting past such legendary Dragons is not easy.

The players will be able to use the drain vitality as a shout themselves by learning it. Just like how the shout drains the magicka, health, and stamina of the players, it will be able to drain the same three traits of your enemy as well. When leveled up, it will be able to drain 5 points of health, magicka, and stamina every second while the shout is activated. The shout will last for about 30 seconds. 

Unfortunately for the players, the shout won’t be able to grant all these drained points to Dragonborn. Therefore it is only good for dealing damage to your enemies. Furthermore, it is only useful for the beginning stages of the game as it won’t be able to deal much damage to higher-level enemies in the end game.

We recommend using the shout against enemies with the higher health pool, which makes them difficult to deal with, as well as enemies who rely mostly on stamina and magicka to deal damage. 

Disarm 

it is no doubt that Disarm is one of the best shouts to learn in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The shout is great if you are in a fistfight or just generally want to face an enemy without any weapons. By using the shout, the players will be able to disarm the enemies.

Disarm will make the enemies drop all their weapons to the ground. Therefore, the players will be able to deal damage to the enemies without worrying about incoming damage from their heavy melee attacks. It is a great way of turning the odds in your favor, especially if you are up against a high-level enemy whose attacks rely mostly on dealing damage with weapons.

Keep in mind that the shot will only work on enemies who are maneuvering any weapons. As soon as the shout is activated, all their weapons will drop immediately. You won’t be able to use the shout on Dragons, automatons, or even any animals nearby.

Furthermore, the shout will work on enemies up to level 30. Another great thing about the shout is that the Dragonborn will be able to pick up any dropped weapons by the enemies and use the weapons against the enemies themselves. It is important that you try to kill your enemies as fast as possible. Otherwise, they will pick up any weapons lying around. 

Cyclone 

If you are a fan of the unrelenting force shout, then you will want to try the cyclone shout as well. While it is not as strong as an unrelenting force, if the players manage to get their hands on cyclones early on in the game, they will be able to make good use of it.

By using the cyclone shout, the Dragonborn will be able to someone a powerful updraft or a cyclone and send them in the direction of their enemies. These powerful gusts of wind can send your enemy targets in an upward direction. 

While the cyclone itself deals pretty significant damage to the enemies while they are in it, they will also take fall damage after the cyclone disappears. You can use the cyclone shout in case you want to tackle enemies where there are no cliffs to use the unrelenting force shout and push enemies off of it. 

Elemental Fury 

If you are one of the Dragon-borns who love dealing damage to the enemies by using melee weapons, then the elemental fury is a must-have shout for you. It is a very powerful shout that will allow the players to use the spirit of wind to increase the damage their attacks will do.

When the shout is used, the Dragon borns will obtain an increase in their attack speed for about 15 seconds. However, you will not be able to use the shout on any enchanted weapons in the game. The shout can be useless for some and useful for others.

It entirely depends on how magically enhanced your weapons are by the time you obtain the shout. We recommend the shout for players who have a particular weapon that is not enchanted but has higher base stats. 

Aura Whisper 

Last but not least, we have the aura whisper shout, which will allow the players to see the location of their enemies around them or in a particular dungeon. It is no doubt that sometimes finding your enemies can be quite a daunting task in Skyrim.

Therefore, if you are looking for a shout to help you with that, the aura whisper is one of the best shouts to consider in Elder Scrolls V Skyrim. The players will also be able to see through walls. This will allow the players to dodge any incoming attacks from any enemies hiding in the dark corners of the dungeons.

The best part about the aura whisper is it will drag all kinds of enemies, including the undead. Therefore you will be able to explore without having to worry about any enemy attacking you. 

Call Of Valor 

Call Of Valor is one of the dragon shouts that will allow you to summon a hero to fight alongside you in the battle. By using the shout you will be able to summon Hakon One Eye who will fight alongside you for a total of 60 seconds. However, the cooldown rate for the shout is 3 minutes and you won’t be able to use the shout again during this time period.

The players will be able to learn the shout during the main story progression from Tsun. The reason why the shout is so underpowered is due to the fact that you will already get an NPC to help you in the battle.

Therefore it is pretty useless to learn the shout when you already have sufficient help to take down enemies. Furthermore, the cool-down rate for the shout will not allow players to use it much in combat. 

Call Dragon  

By using the shout the players can summon a dragon called Odahviing to help them in the battle. The dragon will say in the fight until the end after you have successfully defeated all your enemies. The best part about the summon is that no enemy will be able to kill Odahviing. So it is a great alternative to other summon shouts where any ally you summon is prone to damage.

However, the only reason we ranked it so low is due to the fact that the players won’t be able to use the shout again for five minutes. Furthermore, after using the shout you will have to wait quite a bit before the dragon can come and help you. Call Dragon is one of the shouts which has the longest cooldown rates which makes it not a great option for critical combat situations. 

Dismay 

Dismay is a great shout to use if you are up against Dragon enemies. By using the shout you will be able to stun Dragons during battles and then destroy them with your attacks without having to worry about any incoming damage.

However, it is only a good option against any enemies that are not that powerful. A better option than the dismay shout is an Illusion Spell that will allow you to stun and freeze enemies of higher levels for a period of time. Furthermore, the spell is more potent than the dismay as it freezes the enemies for a longer duration. The dismay shout is very much like the dragon rends and unrelenting force shout.

However, as compared to those two it is not a good option if you already have mastered either Dragon Rend or Unrelenting Force. You can use the shout in case you have not unlocked other shouts that stun or freeze opponents. 

Frost Breath 

Next up we have frost breath that will allow the players to deal Frost Damage to their enemies. The shout is capable of freezing the enemies for some time and slowing them down. If you manage to obtain the shout early on in the game you will be able to use it against powerful enemies.

However, the only reason it is ranked low is due to the fact that its damage doesn’t scale as the Dragonborn levels up. Therefore you will not be able to do much damage using this shout against end-game enemies.

Furthermore, the dragon borns will not be able to use it against enemies that are immune to frost damage. These enemies include the frost trolls and ice wolves. The words of power for the child can be found in places like the Skyborn Altar, In Folgunthur, And Bonestrewn Crest. 

Ice Form 

By using the shout the players will be able to freeze any enemies around them. It is one of the best shouts that you can use to stun enemies during combat. After freezing the enemies you will be able to attack them without getting any damage yourself.

You can also use the attack if you are in a critical situation and want to escape. However, keep in mind that like other attacks with frost damage, any enemies that are immune to frost will not be stunned by this shout. Furthermore, you won’t be able to use it against any powerful enemies like mammoths. You won’t be able to do much with this shout against Dragons as well. 

Clear Skies 

In case the weather is not on your side then you can use the clear skies shout to clear up the weather. The effect will last for 60 seconds.

By using the shout, you will be able to clear all the weather effects, including snow and rain. You will be able to clear the meteor storm as well by using the Clear skies shout. The words of power for the shout can be learned during the quest called the Throat Of The World. 

Kyne’s Peace  

It is definitely one of the worst shouts in Skyrim. By using the shout, the players will be able to calm down any wild animals nearby. Therefore they won’t be able to attack you whenever the shout is used. 

The reason why it is ranked so low in our list of best shouts is due to the fact that it is pretty useless in the mid and late-game as the animals won’t pose much threat to players after they have progressed significantly in the game. You can use the shout during the early game against wild animals. 

Animal Allegiance 

By using Animal Allegiance shout, the players will be able to get help from animals during combat. However, they won’t do much damage to enemies, and that is why this shout is pretty useless.

Conclusion 

With this, we conclude our detailed guide on the best shouts in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. While you are at it, don’t forget to check out our detailed guide on how to get the Nightingale Armor. Also, check out our guide on how to get Serana as a follower in Skyrim. Don’t forget to check out our detailed guide on the best Skyrim Mods and the best One-Handed Weapons that you can use in the game. Before leaving our page, we recommend checking out our guide on how to cure Vampirism in Skyrim. 

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