The Mysterious Skyrim Boss Battle You May Never Have Encountered

Skyrim is one of gaming's biggest, most sprawling epics. The lengthy game is full of tons of secrets, big and small, that even many diehard Skyrim fans don't know about. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, some hidden boss battles that are tucked away in different areas of the map, either for post-campaign purposes or to simply lurk in the dark recesses of Tamriel.

One of the game's hidden bosses will engage you once you've reached level 80. Called the Ebony Warrior, this Redguard adversary turns out to be something of a reflection of the player character at the end of the game, stating that there are "no quests to be undertaken" or "villains to be slain." He also lays a good walloping with a bevy of magic and melee attacks that can easily take down an unassuming if high-leveled player. The best advice would be to stay on your toes and not anticipate the Ebony Warrior as a standard enemy.

Even after slaying the Ebony Warrior, there is some digging left to do once players have reached a dead end. For instance, the Reaper is yet another secret boss in Skyrim. Summoned via three gem fragments that must be collected by the player, the Reaper isn't the most difficult foe in the game, but it is far from a pushover. Aided by multiple Boneman enemies, Reaper is a large, halberd-wielding biped that spews toxic liquid toward the player in close proximity.

Karstaag the Frost Giant is the final hidden boss in the game. At a staggering level 90, Karstaag offers a challenge in his own right, as this giant ice-empowered boss stalks the player tirelessly. Similar to the Reaper, the player must go out of their way to summon the boss, which involves finding Karstaag's skull and placing it on his throne in Castle Karstaag.