Summary
- The Thalmor's goal to destabilize creation by deactivating Towers is a popular fan theory in The Elder Scrolls community.
- The theory suggests the Thalmor want to return to spirit form by deactivating the Towers, contrasting with human views on mortality.
- Bethesda faces a decision to acknowledge or deviate from the Towers theory in The Elder Scrolls 6, with pressure to satisfy fans.
In the long, long wait for The Elder Scrolls 6, some players have proposed fan-theories about what the main plot of the game might cover. Hammerfell is often cited as the most likely location, with the potential to make Sword Singing replace Skyrim’s Shouts. As years became decades, and games such as The Elder Scrolls: Online added new lore to the main series’ canon, some theories have gained a lot of traction in the community, with a few even going so far as being considered canon by some.
But one of the most popular theories to gain traction could have come out of nowhere, and put Bethesda in a bind. After Skyrim introduced the Thalmor, a party of elven supremacists, the community has speculated about their motives. By piecing together lore from all parts of The Elder Scrolls canon, and even outside it, a single theory emerged, gaining so much momentum that it needs to be addressed in The Elder Scrolls 6, as it is often taken to be true already.
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The Elder Scrolls 6 Needs to Address the Towers Theory
Introduced in Skyrim, the Thalmor are a dogmatic political party of elves that seem to want to reunite all mer under one banner, which will supposedly return their lost civilization of Aldmeris. The Thalmor see the races of men as a barrier to this goal, and have tried to end Talos worship entirely, causing the Skyrim Civil War to break out, as the patriotic Stormcloaks don’t want to give the god of men up. However, this is just one action the Thalmor are taking, and though the lore hints at what else the faction is doing, nothing is confirmed, leaving plenty of room for fan-theories to take root. The most popular theory concerns the eight Towers, and how the Thalmor could use them.
The Elder Scrolls is known for having some very deep and esoteric lore, with a creation mythos that can be told a thousand ways. Over the years, models of the setting’s cosmology have emerged, showing how Mundus is a wheel held up by eight spokes. These have often been connected to the eight planets in the sky, as well as the eight towers on Nirn. Famously, characters such as Vivec achieved Chim by seeing the wheel from its side, their own personal tower, “I.” Starting with the Adamantine Tower, many races on Tamriel built their own Towers for their own reasons, with their explicit purposes remaining unknown.
|
Tower |
Location |
|
Adamantine |
Isle Balfiera |
|
White-Gold |
Cyrodiil |
|
Orichalc |
Yokuda |
|
Red Mountain |
Vvardenfell |
|
Walk-Brass |
Vvardenfell |
|
Snow Throat |
Skyrim |
|
Crystal-Like-Law |
Summerset Isles |
|
Green-Sap |
Valenwood |
What Is the Towers Theory?
To put it simply, the Towers theory makes a connection between the eight spokes, the eight towers, and the stability of creation. It can get pretty deep, but essentially the Towers Theory suggests that the Thalmor want to deactivate the Towers, destabilizing Mundus until it falls apart, and their mortal forms can return to Aetherius as spirits. In TES, the history of men and mer is one of constant war, as they descend from different types of spirits. The Wandering Elnohfey became men, and the Old Elnohfey became elves. It is suggested that the Thalmor want to return to their spirit form because they see mortality as a trap, which typically contrasts with the human view.
When Did the Towers Theory Start?
Towers as a concept are quite old in The Elder Scrolls. It’s unclear when the first mention was, but there seem to be references to them even before Morrowind was released. The Numidium, the Dwemer god, has often been referred to as the Brass Tower in very old lore, or simply, Walk-Brass. However, the idea that Towers could be holding up creation seems to stem from one quote in Greg Keyes’ novel “The Infernal City.”
Well, some think that the White-Gold Tower - and some other Towers around Tamriel - help, well, hold the world up, or something like that. [...] Anyway, everyone seems to agree it has power, but no one knows exactly what kind.
Some time after this, when the Thalmor were introduced as a major antagonist in Skyrim, theories around the purpose of the Towers emerged. The faction’s goals were always shrouded in mystery beyond just being evil, so it seems natural that some fans would speculate about what they might be trying to do. However, with it gaining so much popular interest, and even being referenced in The Elder Scrolls: Online, Bethesda has to address the Towers theory in The Elder Scrolls 6, whether the developer ever planned for the Towers to be used this way or not.
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How Bethesda Could Address the Towers Theory
While the older lore has left the purpose of Towers vague, the popular interpretation has become so widespread that Bethesda seemingly must address it, as some fans have speculated it might be very relevant to The Elder Scrolls 6’s main quest. Bethesda, and parent company Zenimax, are not strangers to canonizing fan content, such as Saint Alessia’s statue in ESO based on popular fan art, so it’s completely possible for such a large talking-point to be referenced.
In The Elder Scrolls, the history of men and mer is one of constant war.
The developer has a choice, though. It can fully acknowledge the fan-theory, implementing it into the main quest as some believe might happen, or it can deviate again, acknowledging the theory in-universe without saying if it’s real. The latter option could prove difficult for Bethesda, as some fans might see it as a cop-out. There is some pressure on the studio to make fans happy with TES 6, as Starfield’s mixed reviews mean it needs a big win with its next game, and satisfying fan wishes can be a good way to get a good reception.
What Bethesda does with the Towers is unknown at this point, but it seems like in the many years following Skyrim, the lore has been the subject of much debate, and without a new game to settle things, some theories will keep gaining momentum. Even if it is canonized, it is doubtful that Bethesda would allow the setting to be destroyed with the deactivation of the Towers, unless Todd Howard has the incredibly bold plan of setting TES 7 in Aetherius. It’s unlikely, but anything seems possible after 14 or more years since the last TES installment.
- Released
- 2026
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
- Franchise
- The Elder Scrolls
- Genre(s)
- RPG
