Can you get all Skyrim achievements in one playthrough?
Yes, you can get every Skyrim achievement on one character. None of the achievements are mutually exclusive: the Civil War achievement works for either side, the faction questlines can all be completed by one Dragonborn, and the leveling achievements come naturally if you keep playing. The one choice to watch is the Dark Brotherhood: its achievements require joining and finishing their questline, so destroying the Brotherhood instead skips them.
How to plan a one-character run
- Do every main questline. The main quest, the College of Winterhold, the Companions, the Thieves Guild, the Dark Brotherhood and the Civil War each have achievements.
- Pick a Civil War side freely. Imperials or Stormcloaks both count.
- Collect Daedric artifacts. The Oblivion Walker achievement asks for 15 artifacts. There are more than 15 in the game, so a few quests you skip or fail will not block it.
- Level up and max a skill. Leveling achievements and the skill-to-100 achievement come with playtime.
- Finish DLC content. Dawnguard and Dragonborn add their own achievements in editions that include them.
- Save often in multiple slots. It protects you from bugs that can break quests.
How long it takes
Expect roughly 100–200 hours for every achievement, depending on how much you explore and whether you rush the questlines.
FAQ
Can you miss achievements in Skyrim?
Not permanently in normal play, apart from the Dark Brotherhood choice. Quest bugs are the main risk, which is why keeping several saves matters.
Are there missable quests in Skyrim?
Some quests can fail or become unavailable if an NPC dies or you make a specific choice, but almost none of them are needed for achievements.
Do mods disable achievements?
On Skyrim Special Edition and Anniversary Edition, loading mods typically disables achievements unless you use a mod that re-enables them or play only with official Bethesda content from the in-game Creations menu (formerly Creation Club).
Is Skyrim an endless game?
In a sense, yes. Radiant quests keep generating, and legendary skills let you keep leveling, so there is no hard end after the main story.
What is the easiest skill to max in Skyrim?
Crafting skills like Smithing and Alchemy are the fastest to raise because you can repeat them with cheap materials.