If you want to know what the rarest items in Skyrim are, you’re in the right place. There is no shortage of items to buy, discover, or create in one of the best PC games of the last decade. Some items, like the Smithing power leveler’s favourite, iron daggers, can be found in such abundance that they’re easily glossed over and forgotten about.
Other items, though, are much, much rarer. Crimson Nirnroot, unlike its green and more abundant counterpart, can only be found in one, underground area of the game: Blackreach. While there are initially a total of 44 spots where Crimson Nirnroot can be picked in Blackreach, some spots you pick from will never regrow. We’ll get to that later, though. While you’re here, why not take a look at the best Skyrim mods. A lot of love went into making this game, and it’s still going strong years later.
Crimson Nirnroot
Unlike its green and more abundant counterpart, Crimson Nirnroot can only be found in one, underground area of the game: Blackreach. In the initial 44 spots where Crimson Nirnroot can be picked, some spots you pick from will never regrow.
There are 44 spots, but only 38 regrowable spots. The remaining six spots will never regrow. So, if you want to farm Crimson Nirnroot, you can only do so at these 38 locations.
Dented Iron Shield
It’s no secret that shields are some of the worst items in Skyrim when it comes to defence. As such, shields are often overlooked by players as they level up their armour-smithing skills. This shield, though, is unique in a few different ways.
First, it only drops from a specific, high-level enemy: Hulking Draugr from the Dragonborn DLC. Second, it’s unique as a piece of armour that you can only get once. Once you kill the Hulking Draugr who drops this shield, you won’t be able to get it again. Third, it’s the only piece of iron equipment that can be improved with steel ingots.
Gilded Wristguards
While the Dented Iron Shield is unique in a few different ways, the Gilded Wristguards are a unique pair of gauntlets that you can only find on the Emperor’s Ship during a Dark Brotherhood quest named Hail Sithis.
With all those iron swords in production for the war, it was bound to happen at some point; one of them snapped into two pieces. It’s not as bad as it sounds. While the Broken Iron Sword Blade and Handle are about as useful as any other aesthetic object, it’s a neat little easter egg nonetheless.
Argonian Ale
While getting the Argonian Ale is as simple as stealing it from the Bannered Mare, it only spawns during the Argonian Ale Extraction Quest. The quest itself is pretty simple, too; you’re tasked with stealing the ale and then killing the merchants who have taken over the abandoned house where it was being brewed. Of course, you could just drink the ale and let fate decide their fate for you.
Ysgramor’s Soup Spoon
Unique as a named piece of silverware, Ysgramor’s Soup Spoon can only be found in Windhelm at Calixto’s House of Curiosities. Calixto will give you the Ysgramor’s Soup Spoon item if you complete his side-quest, A Spoonful of Sugar. The side-quest itself is pretty simple; Calixto asks you to collect sugar for his sweetroll-making enterprise.
Notch
Minecraft may have started as a simple experiment by Markus Persson, but it has come a long way since then. This Notch tribute item can be found at the highest point of the Throat of the World, embedded into some rock.
Not only is it a neat little homage to one of the original developers of Minecraft, but it gives you a chance to take it out of its rock and put it to use.
The Crown of Barenziah
The crown, not to be confused with the Barenziah’s Hair quest, is the culmination of serious time and dedication. This item can only be retrieved once you’ve retrieved all 24 Stones of Barenziah for Vex from the Thieves Guild. You could always just play the Skyrim Crown of Barenziah mods instead.
Roasted Ox Head
While it’s not as rare as some of the other items on our list, the Roasted Ox Head is quite rare for two main reasons. First, you can only get it near the end of the main quest line in Sovngarde. Second, it’s pretty expensive.
The Roasted Ox Head is one of the best weapons in Skyrim, but only if you’re willing to spend the money on it. Roasted Ox Heads are sold by Gudrun at the Nightgate Inn. If you’re still early in the game, though, you won’t be able to afford it.
The Gilded Wristguards are expensive, too, but only at first. When you’re still learning the basics and gathering resources for your first few forges, you won’t be able to afford to make these gauntlets.
