Skyrim's Most Bizarre Modding Fixation Makes A Comeback

"The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim" released all the way back in 2011, but it still has one of the most vibrant modding communities on the internet today. Those who visit the popular mod-sharing site Nexus Mods will consistently find both the regular and special editions of Bethesda's Norse-inspired fantasy masterpiece holding top spots on the front page. Players can choose from thousands of mods that improve textures, alter mechanics, and even add player-made quests and NPCs. Some of these mods completely change the game, giving players new ways to enjoy the experience. This may help explain why "Skyrim" still has such a massive playerbase even though its main campaign only takes about 33 hours to finish.

Many "Skyrim" mods focus on trying to make the assets found in the title look better. Some improve the appearance of aspects like armor and spell animations, but even the most diehard fans might not know that a particular piece of produce has modders obsessed: the cabbage. Several mods dedicated to this humble cruciferous vegetable exist, including more than a few intended to make its watery green leaves look as life-like as possible. This "Skyrim" mod trend started over seven years ago, but it now seems to have made a comeback.

"The Ultimate Immersive Cabbage" may have paved the way for the bizarre deluge of "Skyrim" cabbage mods. Modder The Cabbage Gods created it for the original edition of the title back in 2015. This mod takes the basic round-green-ball found in the unaltered version of the game and replaces it with one that has textured leaves of varying shades. These leaves open like a flower, have visible veins, and even have little holes in them where bugs might have eaten through. 

More mods made for the special edition of "Skyrim" have cropped up in the years since. "Cabbage – A Cabbage Mod," just released in December, takes The Cabbage Gods' model even further, introducing a darkened root and more textures to the leaves while having them curl at the edges. A YouTube video promoting the mod showcases the striking difference in quality compared to the basic special edition version. Other mods include a cabbage merchant designed as a nod to the long-running joke character from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and a spell called Deadly Cabbages that allows players to fire cabbages at their foes.

It's hard to say why the cabbages of "Skyrim" spawned this peculiar trend, but the Dovahkiin should have no problem eating their greens.