Skyrim is one of the best fantasy RPGs ever made. Countless players have put in immeasurable hours to make their characters into almost god-like warriors. Those who have put in the effort surely want to know, “what is the max level in Skyrim?” Before the Legendary update, there was a simple answer. However, now, it’s a bit more complicated. Let’s dive in.
What was the Max Level in the Original Skyrim?
Before Patch 1.9, Skyrim had a hard level cap at level 81. This corresponded to pushing all of your skills to 100.
The interesting thing was, up to level 81, there was only a linear increase in the amount of experience required to level up. The formula to calculate the amount of experience required to level up was: (level-1) * 25 + 100.
Therefore, obtaining level 81 is not exponentially harder than obtaining level 20.
Patch 1.9 Added Legendary Skills and Removed the Game’s Level Cap
With the Legendary update, Bethesda added a new system for players who maxed out all of their skills.
Now, when you max out a skill at 100, you can make it “legendary.” Making a skill Legendary resets the skill to level 15 and refunds any Perk points that were spent in that skill tree. This mechanic of maxing out a character and resetting them to prove your skill is sometimes called prestige. One of the more famous examples is Prestige in Hunt: Showdown.
While on the surface, that seems like a silly idea for anyone but the most die-hard players and masochists, it does allow your character to continue progressing and growing in power. For instance, now your character can continue to level up and increase their base stats well beyond the original max level in Skyrim of 81.
This also allows a player to focus more on their desired skills. You can theoretically pass the original level cap in Skyrim without leveling up your least favorite skills. Instead, you can focus on your favorite ones and make them Legendary.
Should You Make Your Skills Legendary to Pass the Original Max Level in Skyrim?
This is entirely up to you. If you want to be an unstoppable god in your own RPG fantasy, then we recommend going for it. After all, games like Skyrim are fun escapes. Additionally, making your skills Legendary in Skyrim temporarily increases the difficulty. It can be a lot of fun figuring out how to overcome a new challenge.
At What Level Do I Max All of My Perks in Skyrim?
While level 81 reflects the point at which you can make all of your skills, level 252 is the point at which you have obtained all perks for every one of your skills. After this point, there are very seriously diminishing returns to continuing to level up your character by making your skills Legendary. You will not be able to unlock any additional perks on leveling.
That being said, leveling will still increase your base stats, such as HP, mana, etc… Therefore, go for it if it’s what’ll make you happy.
What’s the Fastest Way to Improve Your Skills in Skyrim?
The answer to this question also changed when the max level in Skyrim was removed. In Skyrim, you level up skills by using them. This is very similar to how characters in other great RPGs like Project Zomboid level up.
There are some skills that are very easy to level up because they can be activated over and over. For instance, you can use the Detect Life spell repeatedly in crowded cities to increase your level with the Alteration skill. There are many other similar skill hacks that we will compile for you in a future guide. For now, you can take a look at this list to increase your level in Skyrim quickly.
Final Thoughts on Maxing Your Character in Skyrim
We hope this article has helped to clear up any confusion about what the max level in Skyrim used to be and is now. As you can see, it has changed quite a bit since the game’s release in 2011. The max level in Skyrim is no longer capped at 81 with the addition of Legendary skills.
Moreover, the max number of perks that you can obtain in Skyrim is no longer capped. By continuing to increase the level of your Legendary skills, you can unlock every perk at level 252.
If you’re looking for a way to max out your skills quickly, especially after you’ve made them legendary, we recommend finding a skill-hack like the ones linked above.
Thanks for reading and have fun in Skyrim! Let us know if you have any questions or comments below.
