“Shade” covers two quite different enemies in Skyrim. The first is a decoy: a frail copy of a Wispmother that she calls up when attacked, meant to confuse you about which ghostly woman is the real one. The second is the Corrupted Shade, a black, skeleton-like undead that drifts above the floor in a cloud of dark mist, met mainly during the Daedric quest for Meridia’s blade and in a tomb on Solstheim.
Variants
| Variant | Level | Health | Magicka | Stamina | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shade (Wispmother decoy) | 5 | 36 | 224 | 50 | Identical to a Wispmother, casts Frostbite |
| Corrupted Shade | 1 (leveled) | 30 | 0 | 80 | Armor 14, respawns, soul size scales with level |
Wispmother shades
A Wispmother summons two or three of these once she is attacked. They look exactly like her, which is the whole point; the only giveaway is that they cast Frostbite, whereas the Wispmother herself throws Ice Spike. They are extremely fragile and usually vanish after a single hit, fading away with an effect similar to a Pacify spell. Whoever destroys them normally becomes the Wispmother’s next target. See also wisps, her other companions.
Corrupted Shades
Corrupted Shades resemble skeletons but are pitch black except for glowing red eyes and mouths. They have no legs, float instead of walking, and trail black mist – yet they still rattle like ordinary skeletons as they move. Three looks exist: shades in Imperial armor, shades in Stormcloak armor, and bare shades with no gear at all. When destroyed they leave Bone Meal rather than Ectoplasm.
Where to find them
- Wispmother shades – wherever a Wispmother lives; they only appear once she is in combat.
- Kilkreath Ruins – the armored Corrupted Shades, met during the quest for Meridia that starts at the Statue to Meridia. These are the souls of fallen Imperial Legion and Stormcloak soldiers, twisted by the necromancer Malkoran.
- Vahlok’s Tomb (Dragonborn) – unarmored Corrupted Shades on Solstheim.
Notes
- If you have joined the Legion or the Stormcloaks, shades wearing your side’s armor in Kilkreath Ruins may not be hostile.
- Malkoran’s Shade is a unique Corrupted Shade: when you kill Malkoran, his own shade rises and attacks.
- The Corrupted Shade’s soul grows with its level: Petty up to level 10, Lesser to 20, Common to 30, Greater to 40 and Grand beyond that.
