Skyrim Legendary Skills Explained: Reset, Benefits, and Trade-Offs

If you’ve been playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for years like I have, you’ve probably bumped into the question: What’s the real deal with Legendary Skills? This system, introduced in later updates and carried into Skyrim Special Edition, completely reshaped how leveling works. And let me tell you — it’s one of the most misunderstood mechanics in the entire game.

So let’s break it down in a way that’s both newsy and practical: what Legendary Skills are, how they actually work, and why you should (or shouldn’t) make your favorite skills Legendary.

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What Are Legendary Skills in Skyrim?

Here’s the short version: Skyrim Legendary Skills remove the level cap and let you keep leveling forever. Originally, players were locked to around Level 81 because once all skills hit 100, there was nowhere else to go. Bethesda fixed this by adding the option to “make a skill Legendary.”

But don’t get confused — a Legendary Skill in Skyrim isn’t a shiny new ability or a bonus perk. It’s essentially a Prestige system. When you hit Level 100 in a skill, you can reset it to Level 15. Doing so refunds every perk point you spent in that skill tree, allowing you to reassign them wherever you want.

That means you could reset Destruction back to beginner level, then pour those perk points into One-Handed, Smithing, or even Speech. The system gives you freedom, but it comes with a big catch — your freshly reset skill is basically useless until you grind it back up.

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How To Make a Skill Legendary

If you’re curious how to trigger it, the process is straightforward:

1. Max out a skill — you can’t make anything Legendary until it reaches Level 100.
2. Open the skill menu and scroll to the skill you want to reset.
3. Select “Make Legendary” — you’ll get a confirmation prompt.
4. Once confirmed, the skill immediately drops to Level 15.
5. All perk points from that skill tree are refunded for you to redistribute.

Important detail: your racial bonuses won’t reapply after the reset. For example, if you’re a Dunmer who normally starts with a +10 bonus to Destruction, that perk doesn’t come back. Also, Skill Books you’ve already read won’t reset, so you can’t double-dip for extra levels.

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Pros of Legendary Skills

Let’s be honest, the best part of this system is the freedom it gives you to keep playing indefinitely. Skyrim’s world is massive, and for players like us who enjoy pushing characters to their limits, Legendary Skills are the gateway to endless builds.

Here’s what you gain:

• No level cap – you can technically reach level 250, 500, or even beyond.
• Infinite perk points – every time you reset, you unlock more points to spend.
• Flexible builds – if you’re bored with your old setup, reset a skill and experiment.
• Replay value – instead of starting a new save, you can keep evolving the same Dragonborn.

And because the skills reset to Level 15, they’re actually easier to grind back up in tougher areas of the game. That means more efficient leveling if you’re willing to tough it out in the short term.

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The Drawbacks You Can’t Ignore

Now, here’s where it gets tricky. While Legendary Skills sound like a dream come true, they can also break your build in the worst possible way if you aren’t careful.

Think about it: if you reset Archery at Level 100, you instantly lose perks like Eagle Eye and Overdraw. Suddenly, that stealth archer build you’ve relied on for 100+ hours is useless against tougher enemies. Same goes for Destruction mages who reset their spell tree — going from expert-level fireballs to novice sparks feels brutal.

Some specific downsides you need to keep in mind:

• Combat becomes harder — enemies scale with your level, but your reset skill is back to beginner strength.
• Lost racial advantages — your starting skill boosts don’t return on reset.
• Playstyle lock-in — if you keep resetting the same skills, you may never branch out into others.
• No second chance on Skill Books — once read, they won’t help you level after the reset.

Basically, Legendary Skills are a trade-off: you give up short-term power for long-term growth. Whether that’s worth it depends entirely on how you want to play Skyrim.

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Are Legendary Skills Worth It?

This is the question I see Skyrim players ask over and over: Is resetting a skill actually worth it? The answer really depends on your playstyle.

If you’re someone who wants to experience every single questline, every build, and keep leveling one character for hundreds of hours, then yes — Legendary Skills are absolutely worth using. They remove the level cap and give you access to more perk points than you could ever need. It’s the ultimate way to turn Skyrim into an endless RPG.

But if you’re focused on a specific build — like a stealth archer, pure mage, or two-handed warrior — resetting your core skill tree might feel like hitting a brick wall. Losing essential perks in the middle of a tough dungeon or dragon fight isn’t fun. In fact, it can feel punishing.

My advice? Choose carefully which skills to reset. Making Speech or Lockpicking Legendary doesn’t hurt as much as resetting your main combat skills. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a challenge, taking the plunge and resetting your primary skill tree can make Skyrim feel fresh again.

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Tips Before Making a Skill Legendary

If you’re about to hit that “Make Legendary” button, here are a few smart tips to make the transition smoother:

• Pick the right skill to reset first. Support skills like Smithing, Alchemy, or Speech are safer choices than combat-heavy ones.
• Bank those refunded perk points wisely. Strengthen other skills temporarily so you don’t feel too weak after the reset.
• Combine resets with new playstyles. If you’ve always been a heavy armor brawler, reset it and try light armor or archery for a new experience.
• Don’t reset multiple combat skills at once. You’ll end up too weak to handle Skyrim’s higher-level enemies.
• Save before making changes. If you regret it, you can always reload without consequences.

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Final Thoughts

The Legendary Skill system in Skyrim is one of the smartest updates Bethesda ever added. It turned a game that already had hundreds of hours of content into something you could literally play forever without hitting a wall.

But here’s the thing — it’s not for everyone. If you value consistent power and a smooth progression curve, resetting a skill might feel like more hassle than it’s worth. On the other hand, if you thrive on experimenting, min-maxing builds, or simply love the idea of seeing your Dragonborn push beyond Level 100, then Legendary Skills open up a whole new side of the game.

At the end of the day, Skyrim is about freedom. Legendary Skills are just another way to express that freedom — giving you the choice to keep evolving your character long after the main story is done. And honestly, that’s why this game continues to live on over a decade later.

So, should you make a skill Legendary? My take: try it at least once. You might hate the temporary setback… or you might discover a whole new way to enjoy Skyrim all over again.