Skyrim Fan Theory Explains Why Guards Aren't Very Smart

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A fan of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimon Reddit has recently proposed an interesting theory that explains why the game's guards aren't as smart as they could be. Guard interactions are something that many fans of Bethesda's 2011 RPG will have strong memories of, as they play an important role in gameplay and are just as susceptible to the game's funny elements as any of its other inclusions. One recent example of this would be the hilarious glitch that made a Skyrim guard swim through the air.

While guards in Skyrim ostensibly exist to maintain order and punish wrongdoers such as thieves and murderers, they aren't always great at their jobs. Most players will be all too familiar with the inappropriately nonchalant behavior exhibited by these NPCs, as they will often turn a blind eye to many of the illegal deeds of the player character. Of course, these guards will usually come running when something is very obviously wrong, but it is surprisingly easy to work around their patrols to carry out whatever schemes a player has in mind. Players can also employ various exploits, such as the famous bucket-over-the-head trick, to avoid detection and stay out of Skyrim's nonsensical prison system.

Related: How Many Unique Locations Skyrim Actually Has

Reddit user Mr-Pasta-Parcel has just attributed a somewhat plausible, lore-friendly explanation to this bizarre behavior from the guards. In a recent post, Mr-Pasta-Parcel explained that Skyrim guards purposefully let the Dragonborn get away with crimes unless they absolutely have to act, out of fear of retribution from the extremely powerful player character. This player also speculated that the Jarls of Skyrim most likely don't pay very well, which results in these guards having less