Skyrim - Helmets
Helmets fill the head slot of a Skyrim armor set. Like the rest of the armor, they come as light or heavy pieces. Taking hits while wearing one raises the Light Armor or Heavy Armor skill. A helmet gives more armor than gauntlets or boots of the same material, and less than the chest piece.
The head slot matters more than its armor rating suggests. A helmet completes the four piece set that several armor perks ask for. It also carries some of the strongest enchantments in the game, and the Dragon Priest masks are the most powerful unique helmets of all.
This page lists every helmet, both light and heavy. The Dragon Priest masks have their own table at the end.
Armor Categories
Light and Heavy Helmets
Light helmets follow the light armor ladder. Hide and Leather sit at the bottom, then Elven, Scaled and Glass, with Dragonscale at the top. The Dragonborn DLC adds Chitin and Stalhrim light helmets.
Heavy helmets follow the heavy ladder. Iron and Steel come first, then Dwarven, Orcish and Ebony, and finally Daedric and Dragonplate. The Dragonborn DLC adds Bonemold, Nordic Carved, Chitin and Stalhrim heavy helmets.
Mixing light and heavy pieces is allowed. It costs the bonus from the perks that ask for a full set of one type. Well Fitted and Custom Fit need the head, chest, hands and feet to be all heavy or all light. Matching Set adds more when all four pieces share one material, so a stray helmet from another set lowers the total armor rating.
The guards of each hold wear their own helmets. These Hold guard helmets look almost the same, and the colour shows which hold the guard serves. Examples include the Whiterun Guard's Helmet and the Solitude Guard's Helmet. They count as light armor, and most of them are improved with an Iron Ingot.
Helmets and Other Headgear
A helmet takes the place of hoods and circlets. Most helmets use the same body slot as a circlet, so the two usually cannot be worn together. A hooded robe also covers the head in the same way.
Circlets belong to the jewelry pages, and plain hoods belong to the clothing pages. Some hoods from guild sets count as light armor, such as the Thieves Guild Hood and the Nightingale Hood.
Enchantments
Head pieces can hold a wide range of enchantments. Fortify Archery and Waterbreathing are common choices for helmets. Magic users often put a lower spell cost for one school on the head, such as Fortify Destruction, Fortify Conjuration or Fortify Restoration.
That last choice can lead to free spells. With full Enchanting skill and perks, a Fortify school enchantment lowers spell cost by a quarter. Four pieces with the same effect, on the head, chest, neck and a ring, remove the cost of that school entirely.
To place an enchantment, the effect must first be learned. Disenchanting an item that already carries it teaches the effect at an Arcane Enchanter. The helmet itself must be unenchanted, and the soul gem decides the strength.
Dragon Priest Masks
The Dragon Priest masks are artifacts worn by the dragon priests of ancient Skyrim. Most masks drop from the priest who wore it, and many priests guard Word Walls. Each mask carries its own enchantment and counts as light or heavy armor. Improving any of them requires the Arcane Blacksmith perk.
Several masks shine in specific builds. Morokei, from the end of The Staff of Magnus in Labyrinthian, makes Magicka regenerate twice as fast. Nahkriin, taken at Skuldafn during the main quest, adds fifty Magicka and cuts the cost of Destruction and Restoration spells. Krosis, from the dragon lair at Shearpoint, raises Lockpicking, Archery and Alchemy. Volsung, from the ruin of Volskygge, allows water breathing, raises carry weight and gives better prices.
The base game masks lead to a final reward. The Wooden Mask lies in a ruined building outside Labyrinthian. Wearing it carries the wearer to Bromjunaar Sanctuary, a shrine with busts of eight dragon priests. Placing all eight masks on their busts reveals Konahrik.
Konahrik is the last mask in the shrine. Its enchantment triggers when the wearer's Health falls very low. It can heal the wearer with Grand Healing and wrap them in a Flame Cloak.
The Dragonborn DLC adds more masks on Solstheim, including Miraak, Ahzidal, Dukaan and Zahkriisos.
Unique Helmets
Several other helmets exist only once. The Masque of Clavicus Vile is a Daedric artifact from a Daedric quest. It gives better prices, raises Speech and speeds up Magicka regeneration, which makes it a strong pick for trading.
The Helm of Yngol lies in Yngol Barrow, guarded by Yngol's Shade. Its enchantment raises resistance to frost. The Ancient Helmet of the Unburned sits behind a locked gate in the Labyrinthian Tribune, during The Staff of Magnus.
Some unique helmets come from quests and factions. The Jagged Crown is the prize of a Civil War quest. Guild and faction sets also include their own hoods and helmets.
All Helmets
Light Armor
All light armor helmets are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
Heavy Armor
All heavy armor helmets are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
Dragon Priest Masks
The Dragon Priests wore these masks, and each one carries its own enchantment.
| Name | Image | Armor | Weight | Value | Set | Upgrade | Perk | DLC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahzidal | 
|
23 | 9 | 1165 | Dragon Priest Masks | Ebony Ingot | Daedric Smithing | Dragonborn |
| Dukaan | 
|
23 | 9 | 1202 | Dragon Priest Masks | Ebony Ingot | Daedric Smithing | Dragonborn |
| Hevnoraak | 
|
23 | 9 | 891 | Dragon Priest Masks | Iron Ingot | Daedric Smithing | Skyrim |
| Konahrik | 
|
24 | 7 | 3200 | Dragon Priest Masks | Gold Ingot | Daedric Smithing | Skyrim |
| Krosis | 
|
21 | 5 | 1615 | Dragon Priest Masks | Iron Ingot | Daedric Smithing | Skyrim |
| Miraak | 
|
27 | 9 | 849 | Dragon Priest Masks | Cannot be upgraded | None | Dragonborn |
| Morokei | 
|
5 | 4 | 637 | Dragon Priest Masks | Refined Moonstone | Daedric Smithing | Skyrim |
| Nahkriin | 
|
23 | 9 | 2173 | Dragon Priest Masks | Ebony Ingot | Daedric Smithing | Skyrim |
| Otar | 
|
23 | 9 | 1521 | Dragon Priest Masks | Refined Malachite | Daedric Smithing | Skyrim |
| Rahgot | 
|
23 | 9 | 962 | Dragon Priest Masks | Orichalcum Ingot | Daedric Smithing | Skyrim |
| Vokun | 
|
23 | 9 | 2182 | Dragon Priest Masks | Steel Ingot | Daedric Smithing | Skyrim |
| Volsung | 
|
21 | 5 | 4611 | Dragon Priest Masks | Corundum Ingot | Daedric Smithing | Skyrim |
| Wooden Mask | 
|
1 | 2 | 51 | Dragon Priest Masks | Cannot be upgraded | None | Skyrim |
| Zahkriisos | 
|
23 | 9 | 1239 | Dragon Priest Masks | Ebony Ingot | Daedric Smithing | Dragonborn |