You stand before a true king, mortal, one whose lineage stretches back to the very dawn of undeath itself. For centuries, I have hungered for this moment, the prophesied end to the sun’s tyranny over our kind. Molag Bal granted me true power, a gift earned through a thousand souls, a sacrifice paltry compared to eternal night. My own wife and daughter, fools blinded by sentimental weakness, tried to deny me this destiny, but their foolishness only prolonged the inevitable. Soon, Serana’s blood will paint Auriel’s Bow, and the sky itself will weep darkness for us. You and your Dawnguard insects are but fleeting shadows against the tide of my glorious ascension. The sun will die, and Tamriel will finally know its true masters.
Lord Harkon is the central antagonist of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard DLC, a powerful Nord Vampire Lord and the oppressive leader of the Volkihar Clan. His narrative is deeply intertwined with a catastrophic prophecy and a fractured family history.
Lore and History
Lord Harkon was once a mighty king with a vast domain, but he harbored a profound fear of his own mortality. To escape death, he pledged himself to Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of Domination. This pact involved the sacrifice of a thousand innocents, in return for which Molag Bal granted Harkon and his family (his wife, Valerica, and daughter, Serana) the gift of pure-blood vampirism, transforming them into Vampire Lords.
Following his transformation, Harkon became obsessed with an ancient prophecy known as "the Tyranny of the Sun." This prophecy, if enacted, would blot out the sun and allow vampires to roam freely during the day without suffering their traditional weaknesses. This obsession consumed him, leading him to neglect and ultimately alienate his family. Valerica, fearing his fanatical pursuit of the prophecy and unwilling to see Serana sacrificed, eventually hid Serana in Dimhollow Crypt with the Elder Scroll of Sun and fled to the Soul Cairn with the Elder Scroll of Blood. This act enraged Harkon, who spent centuries searching for them.
Personality
Harkon is characterized by his immense arrogance, ruthless ambition, and a profound lust for power. He views mortals as inferior "cattle" and exhibits a dismissive attitude towards them. His intelligence is noted, as he was capable of ruling a large portion of Tamriel in the past and is an experienced user of magic. However, his obsession with the prophecy makes him short-sighted, as his plan to blot out the sun would ultimately doom all life, including his own kind, by destroying the ecosystem. He is manipulative, particularly towards his daughter, Serana, whom he sees primarily as a tool for his prophecy. Despite his power, he can also be seen as somewhat idiotic due to the fundamental flaws in his grand scheme.
Motivations and Goals
Harkon's primary motivation is to overcome the inherent weakness of vampirism: the sun. His ultimate goal is to fulfill the "Tyranny of the Sun" prophecy, which would extinguish the sun's power, allowing vampires to dominate Tamriel by day. This is driven by his insatiable lust for power and his desire for vampirekind (or perhaps just his clan) to reign supreme, free from any limitations.
Powers
As a pure-blood Vampire Lord, Harkon possesses a wide array of formidable powers:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics: Enhanced strength, speed, and durability.
Immortality: He is several millennia old.
Vampiric Drain/Life Draining: Can absorb health, magicka, and stamina from targets.
Transformation: Can transform into a cloud of mist and bats at will, and visibly assumes a monstrous Vampire Lord form.
Magic: Proficient in Blood Magic, Necromancy (can summon gargoyles and reanimate corpses), Invisibility, Telekinesis, Paralysis Inducement, and Barrier Creation.
Other Abilities: Extrasensory Perception, Night Vision, Levitation, and the ability to infect others with vampirism (specifically the Vampire Lord strain). He can also temporarily boost his reflexes and surround himself with a bat swarm that drains life. His talons are poisoned.
Weaknesses
Despite his power, Harkon has several notable weaknesses:
Sunlight: Like all vampires, he is weakened by sunlight, though his ultimate goal is to negate this.
Holy Weapons: Particularly Auriel's Bow, especially when used with Sunhallowed Elven Arrows, which deal massive damage to him.
Silver and Fire: He is weak against these.
Frost Resistance: While resistant to frost, he is weak to fire spells.
Healing Vulnerability: During his final battle, he can heal himself within a magical circle, but this makes him stationary and vulnerable to attack, particularly with Auriel's Bow.
Relationships
Serana: Harkon's relationship with his daughter, Serana, is deeply abusive and transactional. He sees her primarily as the "Daughter of Coldharbour" whose blood is essential for enacting the prophecy. His initial "joy" at her return is quickly overshadowed by his desire for the Elder Scroll she carries. He is willing to sacrifice her to achieve his goals, demonstrating a complete disregard for her well-being.
Valerica: His former wife, Valerica, is completely estranged from him. Their relationship became hostile due to his growing obsession with the prophecy. She betrayed him by hiding Serana and one Elder Scroll and fleeing with another to prevent him from fulfilling his destructive plan. She actively opposes him and believes he is too dangerous and powerful for the Dragonborn to defeat alone.
Molag Bal: Harkon is a devout follower of Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince who granted him and his family vampirism. He sacrificed a thousand innocents in Molag Bal's name to receive this "gift." The nature of their vampirism, particularly for Serana and Valerica, involved a "degrading" ritual, possibly a form of violation by Molag Bal, though Harkon's own experience is less clear and debated among scholars.
Prophecy: The Tyranny of the Sun
The prophecy states that by combining Auriel's Bow with the blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour (Serana's blood), an arrow shot at the sun can permanently eclipse it, ushering in an era of eternal darkness where vampires can rule without fear. Harkon's plan, however, is short-sighted; blotting out the sun would destroy Nirn's ecosystem, leading to the death of plants, then animals, and finally mortals, thus eliminating the vampires' food source and ultimately dooming them all.
Significant Events
Ancient Past: Ruled as a powerful king, feared mortality.
Pact with Molag Bal: Sacrificed 1,000 innocents to gain pure-blood vampirism for himself and his family.
Discovery of the Prophecy: Became consumed by the "Tyranny of the Sun" prophecy.
Valerica's Betrayal: His wife hid Serana and an Elder Scroll, and fled with another to thwart his plans.
Centuries of Searching: Harkon and his clan spent millennia searching for Serana and the Elder Scrolls.
Dawnguard DLC: The main events of the DLC revolve around the Dragonborn's involvement in either aiding Harkon or stopping him from fulfilling the prophecy, culminating in a confrontation at Castle Volkihar.
Death: Regardless of the player's choices, Harkon is the final antagonist of the Dawnguard questline and is ultimately defeated and killed by the Dragonborn.
Dialogue Examples
Harkon's dialogue often reflects his arrogance, power, and disdain for mortals:
"I am Harkon, Lord of this court. By now, my daughter will have told you what we are... No, not quite. We are vampires, among the oldest and most powerful in Skyrim."
"For my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude. Tell me, what is your name?" (quickly followed by demanding the Elder Scroll).
(If the Dragonborn is a normal mortal): "I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again."
(If the Dragonborn is a werewolf): "Yes, I can smell it on you. The power of my blood will purge that filth and make you whole again."
(If the Dragonborn is a lesser vampire): "You contracted a disease, perhaps, but you are no true vampire. Accept my gift and I promise that you will learn the difference."
"The tyranny of the sun... shall end!"
"Scions of the night! Hear my words! The prophesied time is at last upon us. Soon we will claim dominion over the sun itself, and forge a new realm of eternal darkness."
Character Details
Race: Nord
Gender: Male
Faction: Leader of the Volkihar Clan
Voice Actor: Neil Dickson
Location: Castle Volkihar
Appearance: Typically seen in regal vampire attire. In his Vampire Lord form, he is a towering, bat-like humanoid.
Current Status (post-Dawnguard): Deceased.
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