As soon as the player begins their journey in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, it becomes obvious the province is being torn in half by a merciless civil war. On one side are the Stormcloaks, and on the other side are the Imperials led by none other than General Tullius, the man many players initially grow to dislike.
General Tullius’ presence in Skyrim was ordered by the Emperor, whose plan was to quell the rebellion in the province and avoid the situation from escalating any further. Tullius, an accomplished general, set out to complete his task and nothing less. However, whether players like him or not, he’s not as clear cut as a character as many would like to think.
10 Villain: He’s Only Following Orders
One of Tullius’ greatest weaknesses and what also makes him come across as incredibly heartless and detached is how he’s always “simply following orders.” His loyalty to the Empire is so deep that it often brings him to commit atrocities in the name of his own superiors.
This passive obedience is one of the most dangerous kinds of mindsets. With Tullius never questioning the Emperor’s orders, he’s not acting in a moral, ethical manner, but just doing what he’s told.
9 Hero: He Can’t Be Corrupted
There’s a silver lining to Tullius’ loyalty to the Empire, and it’s the fact that he can never be corrupted or persuaded to make dirty deals. Like a proper military man, Tullius has principles that he sticks to, even when things get difficult for him and his troops.
Ultimately, this is a good thing, since Skyrim is technically still part of the Empire and ensuring the Emperor’s will within the province is the key to actually having peace in Skyrim.
8 Villain: He Does The Bare Minimum Of Good
It might not feel like it for many players, but Tullius actually has quite a bit of power in Skyrim. He’s the only one with proper ways to speak and negotiate with the Thalmor, which means he could use his abilities to put an end to some of the gruesome injustices the High Elves are committing.
One of the biggest issues he doesn’t get involved in is the disappearance of Thorald. Captured by the Thalmor, he’s being held a prisoner by the High Elves. Tullius could have ended the bad blood between the Battle-Borns and Gray-Manes in Whiterun by helping Thorald return, but instead he remains passive.
7 Hero: He Hates The Thalmor
Although Tullius is on speaking terms with people like Elenwen, that doesn’t mean he’s a fan of the Thalmor himself. In fact, Tullius seems extremely aware of what the High Elves are doing and even admits to despising them.
There are moments where it almost sounds like he empathizes with the cause of the Stormcloaks, because of how cruel the Thalmor are. It’s clear that he doesn’t agree with the peace that was made with the Thalmor, but he also acknowledges it might just be the only way to save Skyrim at this stage.
6 Villain: He Solves Violence With Violence
Tullius’ approach to saving Skyrim from spiraling into chaos is another detail that makes him a questionable figure at best. From the moment the Dragonborn meets him, it’s quite obvious that he’s a very hardened and callous man who has no sympathy for anyone.
Due to this, he’s often responding to the Stormcloaks with equal amounts of violence and chaos, which makes him almost as bad as Ulfric. The only way he knows how to solve these issues is by killing.
5 Hero: He Wants To Protect Skyrim
Many would probably agree that Tullius’ position isn’t one that deserves any envy. Politically, he’s in an extremely tough spot, and he has his hands filled with work trying to keep the order and peace around the province.
Still, he hasn’t quit his position, and he continuously shows his devotion in doing his best in Skyrim. He’s not a native of the province, but it’s clear that this is almost his life mission, to ensure that things are taken care of properly.
4 Villain: He Has No Respect For Nord Culture
Tullius definitely isn’t happy about being assigned to work on Skyrim’s case, even if he’s very committed to the mission. He feels no connection to the local Nord culture and traditions, and often shows he has no understanding of it either.
His lack of respect for the locals is one of the worst aspects of his character. It’s impossible to properly protect something one doesn’t actually respect. Tullius makes no effort to fit in, learn the culture, the history or even survive the weathers of Skyrim.
3 Hero: He Tried To Oppose Local Corruption
One of the worst hotspots of corruption in Skyrim is located in Markarth, where the Silver Blood family controls absolutely everything. They even have influence when it comes to the local Jarl, and their greedy hands extend all the way to the pits of Cidhna Mine, a prison and a silver mine.
While it’s unclear what Tullius would have actually done with Cidhna Mine, he at least tried to get his hands on it at some point and seize it from the corrupt and gangster-like Silver Blood family.
2 Villain: He Captured The Dragonborn
At the beginning of the game, the Dragonborn starts off by being a prisoner being taken to an execution. They were in fact captured at the border of the province by Tullius and his men, and without question were sent off to Helgen for certain death.
Given that the Dragonborn belongs to neither side of the conflict at the beginning of the game, it seems strange that Tullius would capture them. It’s almost as if Tullius simply assumed they were related to Ulfric, and this assumption nearly killed someone completely innocent.
1 Hero: He Nearly Killed Ulfric
No matter what people say about Ulfric, he’s definitely a big issue in Skyrim and doesn’t seek to handle the ongoing civil war in a respectful, reasonable manner. Due to this, he presents a very serious threat to the citizens of Skyrim who simply want to carry on with their lives.
After murdering the High King of Skyrim, no one was able to catch Ulfric until Tullius came along. He would have finished the job, too, and killed the man had the execution at Helgen not been interrupted. If Ulfric had died, chances are so would have the rebellion, and the civil war would have never torn Skyrim apart in the way it did.
![\"IT電腦補習](\"http://itteacheritfreelance.hk/test/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/logo2-2.png\"){kind=logo}
www.itsec.hk
www.itsec.vip
www.itseceu.uk
Leave a Reply