Skyrim - Daggers

Daggers hit for less than anything else you can hold, no more than 13 across 28 weapons, and they are the strongest weapon in the game in exactly one situation. With the Assassin's Blade perk a sneak attack with a dagger does fifteen times damage, where every other one-handed weapon does six. That single multiplier is the whole reason the class exists.

Combat

Where it wins

• Fifteen times sneak damage against six for any other one-hander. A 12 damage Dragonbone Dagger opens for 180 before perks, where a 16 damage sword opens for 96.
• Fastest swing speed of any weapon, so the follow-up after a broken sneak lands sooner.
• Lightest weapons in the game, which matters for a stealth build already carrying loot.
• The class holds the two best pre-enchanted weapons a low level character can reach: Blade of Woe and Blade of Sacrifice, both far above their tier.

Where it loses

• Worst damage in the game once you are seen. A dagger in an open fight is the weakest option on the table.
• The multiplier does nothing without Sneak investment, so the class needs a second skill tree before it works at all.
• No dagger reaches 14 damage. The class ceiling is Madness Dagger at 13, below the weakest greatsword.
• Bladesman, the sword crit perk, does not apply. Daggers get no class perk of their own in the One-Handed tree.

Builds

This is a Sneak build that happens to hold a dagger, not a weapon build. Points go into Sneak first and One-Handed second.

• Get to Assassin's Blade. It needs 50 Sneak and it is where the class stops being weak. Nothing else in the tree matters as much.
• Then Armsman in One-Handed, which multiplies the base damage the sneak multiplier is applied to.
• Where the next chunk of damage comes from: not a bigger dagger. Fortify One-Handed enchantments and the Fortify Smithing loop raise base damage, and the fifteen times multiplier applies to all of it.

Best Daggers

Weapon	Image	Damage	Weight	Value	Why Take It
Madness Dagger	File:Skyrim Madness Dagger.webp	13	7	800	Highest damage dagger in the game at 13, from the Saints & Seducers Creation.
Dragonbone Dagger		12	6.5	600	12 damage from the base game's last smithing perk. The strongest dagger you can forge without a Creation.
Amber Dagger	File:Skyrim Amber Dagger.webp	12	4.5	700	12 damage, and it needs only Glass Smithing at 70 rather than Dragon at 100.
Daedric Dagger		11	6	500	Highest in class at 11 damage.
Ebony Dagger		10	5	290	Highest in class at 10 damage.

Notes

• Assassin's Blade needs 50 Sneak and takes the dagger sneak multiplier to fifteen times normal damage.
• The perk applies to daggers only. A sword, mace or war axe stays at six times with the same perk investment.
• Backstab, earlier in the tree, is what takes one-handed sneak attacks to six times in the first place.
• Daggers draw from the One-Handed skill like any other one-hander, so Armsman still raises their damage.
• Dual wielding daggers with Assassin's Blade and Shrouded Gloves takes the sneak attack to a total of thirty times damage.
• Every dagger shares an attack speed of 1.3 and a reach of 0.7 whatever its material, so the only thing that changes between them is damage.
• Being the smallest weapon, a dagger also absorbs the least when blocking.

All Daggers

Name	Image	Damage	Speed	Weight	Value	Enchantment	Item ID	Level	Upgrade Material	Crafting Perk	Skill	Unique	DLC
Alessandra's Dagger		5	1.3	1	10	Cannot be enchanted	00043E1E	1+	Cannot be upgraded	None	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Blade of Sacrifice		10	1.3	4	144	Cannot be enchanted	00079B1D	1+	Ebony Ingot	None	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Blade of Woe		12	1.3	7	880	Absorb 10 points of health	0009CCDC	1+	Cannot be upgraded	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Bloodthorn		8	1.3	2.5	183	If the target dies within 3 seconds, it fills a soul gem	000A4DCE	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Borvir's Dagger		8	1.3	4	18	Enchantable	000ECD54	1+	Refined Moonstone	Elven Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Daedric Dagger		11	1.3	6	500	Enchantable	000139B6	46+	Ebony Ingot	Daedric Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Dragon Priest Dagger		6	1.3	5	9	Enchantable	0001C1FE	1+	Cannot be upgraded	None	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Dragonbone Dagger		12	1.3	6.5	600	Enchantable	XX014FCB	46+	Dragon Bone	Dragon Smithing	One-Handed	-	Dawnguard
Dwarven Dagger		7	1.3	3.5	55	Enchantable	00013996	13+	Dwarven Metal Ingot	Dwarven Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Ebony Dagger		10	1.3	5	290	Enchantable	000139AE	37+	Ebony Ingot	Ebony Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Elven Dagger		8	1.3	4	95	Enchantable	0001399E	20+	Refined Moonstone	Elven Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Glass Dagger		9	1.3	4.5	165	Enchantable	000139A6	27+	Refined Malachite	Glass Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Iron Dagger		4	1.3	2	10	Enchantable	0001397E	1+	Iron Ingot	None	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Kahvozein's Fang		6	1.3	5	9	Yields Dragon Hearthscales	000D0758	1+	Cannot be upgraded	None	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Keening		8	1.3	4	5	Chance to absorb 10 points of health, magicka and stamina on hit	0006A13C	1+	Cannot be upgraded	None	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Mehrunes' Razor		11	1.3	3	860	Hits have a small chance to instantly kill	000240D2	1+	Ebony Ingot	None	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Nettlebane		6	1.3	10	5	Cannot be enchanted	0001C492	1+	Ebony Ingot	None	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Nordic Dagger		8	1.3	3.5	115	Enchantable	XX01CDAE	1+	Quicksilver Ingot	Advanced Armors Perk	One-Handed	-	Dragonborn
Orcish Dagger		6	1.3	3	30	Enchantable	0001398E	7+	Orichalcum Ingot	Orcish Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Rundi's Dagger		5	1.3	2.5	18	Cannot be enchanted	000ECD53	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Shiv		5	1.3	2	5	Enchantable	000426C8	1+	Cannot be upgraded	None	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Skyforge Steel Dagger		8	1.3	2.5	25	Enchantable	0009F25D	1+	Cannot be upgraded	None	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Stalhrim Dagger		10	1.3	4.5	395	Frost Enchants are 25% stronger	XX01CDB5	35+	Stalhrim	Ebony Smithing	One-Handed	-	Dragonborn
Steel Dagger		5	1.3	2.5	18	Cannot be enchanted	00013986	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Valdr's Lucky Dagger		5	1.3	2.5	15	25% chance of a critical hit	000B994E	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Ancient Nord Dagger		5	1.3	3.5	5	Enchantable	XX000E44	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Honed Ancient Nord Dagger		8	1.3	9	8	Enchantable	XX08A1ED	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Nord Hero Dagger		8	1.3	2	55	Enchantable	XX08A1E4	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Rulnik's Dagger	File:Skyrim Rulnik's Dagger.webp	8	1.3	3.5	115	10 points of extra damage to Spriggans	FEXXXECE	1+	Cannot be Upgraded	None	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Fang of Haynekhtnamet	File:Skyrim Fang of Haynekhtnamet.webp	13	1.3	6.5	1446	Target takes 25 points of shock damage, and half as much Magicka damage	XX000ED3		Dragon Bone	Dragon Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Madness Dagger	File:Skyrim Madness Dagger.webp	13	1.3	7	800	Enchantable	XX000BE6	1+	Madness Ingot	Quest	One-Handed	-	Creation Club
Amber Dagger	File:Skyrim Amber Dagger.webp	12	1.3	4.5	700	Enchantable	XX000BDD	1+	Amber Ingot	Quest	One-Handed	-	Creation Club
Dark Dagger		9	1.3	3	105	Enchantable	XXXXX821	1+	Quicksilver Ingot	Daedric Smithing	One-Handed	-	Creation Club
Golden Dagger		8	1	3	105	Enchantable	XX00080E	1+	Gold Ingot	Daedric Smithing	One-Handed	-	Creation Club

One-Handed Weapon Categories