In Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, if you plan on wielding enchanted weapons or already own some that need to be charged again, you’ll have to use Soul Gems. There are many types of Soul Gems and multiple ways to acquire & fill them up.
If you want to Fill Soul Gems in Skyrim, you’ll have to use the Soul Trap enchantment on your enemies before killing them. This way, their souls will get trapped inside the appropriate Soul Gems when you kill them.
We’ll be taking a detailed dive into Soul Gems and discussing all of the mechanics revolving around them, to make this guide a one-stop-shop for all your related questions.
What are Soul Gems Used For in Skyrim
First, let’s take a look at what Soul Gems are and what their purpose is. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a massive game that can be played however a player sees fit, with whatever weapons or tactics they prefer.
If you want to use enchanted weapons and armor during your playthrough, you’ll have to enchant them with Souls at an Arcane Enchanter. That requires souls and Soul Gems to act as containers that can hold different types of souls; based on their size and capacity.
Let’s take a look at all the different types of Soul Gems you can acquire in Skyrim, and then we’ll teach you how to fill them up quickly.
Types of Soul Gems
There are 8 types of Soul Gems in Skyrim and each of them can be used to trap souls of the various races in the game. It should be noted that all soul gems break after a single use except the Azura’s Star & Black Star Soul Gem.
Petty Soul Gems
Can hold Souls from Levels 1 to 4. Here is a list of all the creatures in Skyrim whose souls your can store inside Petty Soul Gems:
- Chicken
- Cow
- Deer
- Dog
- Draugr
- Elk
- Fox
- Snow Fox
- Frostbite Spider (Small,
- Red)
- Frostbite Spider (Small,
- White)
- Giant Mudcrab
- Goat
- Hare
- Horker
- Large Mudcrab
- Mudcrab
- Skeever
- Skeleton
- Slaughterfish
- Wisp
- Wolf
Lesser Soul Gems
Can hold Souls from Levels 5 to 16. Here is a list of all the creatures in Skyrim whose souls your can store inside Lesser Soul Gems:
- Bear
- Chaurus
- Dragon
- Draugr Overlord
- Draugr Wight
- Draugr Wight Overlord
- Dremora Caitiff
- Dremora Churl
- Dwarven Spider Worker
- Falmer
- Falmer Spellsword
- Falmer Warrior
- Falmer Skulker
- Falmer Spellsword Skulker
- Falmer Warrior Skulker
- Frostbite Spider (Large, Red)
- Frostbite Spider (Large, White)
- Frostbite Spider (Giant, Red)
- Flame Atronach
- Horse
- Ice Wolf
- Ice Wraiths
- Restless Draugr
- Sabre Cat
- Snow Sabre Cat
- Shade
- Troll
- Spriggan
Common Soul Gems
Can hold Souls from Levels 17 to 28. Here is a list of all the creatures in Skyrim whose souls your can store inside Common Soul Gems:
- Alduin’s Bane
- Cave Bear
- Snow Bear
- Chaurus Reaper
- Blood Dragon
- Draugr Scourge
- Draugr Scourge Lord
- Dremora
- Dremora Kynreeve
- Dremora Kynval
- Dwarven Sphere
- Dwarven Sphere Guardian
- Dwarven Spider
- Dwarven Spider Guardian
- Falmer Gloomlurker
- Falmer Spellsword Gloomlurker
- Falmer Warrior Gloomlurker
- Falmer Boss Spellsword Skulker
- Falmer Boss Warrior Skulker
- Falmer Boss Spellsword Gloomlurker
- Falmer Boss Warrior Gloomlurker
- Frost Atronach
- Frostbite Spider (Giant, White)
- Hagraven
- Spriggan Matron
- Frost Troll
Greater Soul Gems
Can hold Souls from Levels 29 to 38. Here is a list of all the creatures in Skyrim whose souls your can store inside Greater Soul Gems:
- Frost Dragon
- Draugr Deathlord
- Draugr Death Overlord
- Dremora Lord
- Dremora Markynaz
- Dwarven Sphere Master
- Falmer Boss Spellsword Nightprowler
- Falmer Boss Warrior Nightprowler
- Falmer Nightprowler
- Falmer Spellsword Nightprowler
- Falmer Warrior Nightprowler
- Giant
- Storm Atronach
- Wispmother
Grand Soul Gems
These gems can hold the souls of all Creatures. Here is a list of all the creatures in Skyrim whose souls your can store inside Grand Soul Gems:
- Ancient Dragon
- Elder Dragon
- Dragon Priest
- Dremora Valkynaz
- Falmer Shadowmaster
- Falmer Spellsword Shadowmaster
- Falmer Warrior Shadowmaster
- Falmer Boss Warrior Shadowmaster
- Falmer Boss Spellsword Shadowmaster
- Mammoth
- Shadowmere
Black Soul Gems
Black Soul gems can hold the souls of all Humanoids. You can store both white and black souls inside them, which makes them very unique.
Azura’s Star Soul Gems
These gems can hold the souls of all Creatures without breaking. You’ll have to finish the Black Start questline and at the very end, side with Aranea if you want the Azura Soul Gem.
Black Star Soul Gems
These gems can hold the souls of all Humanoids without breaking. At the end of the Black Star questline, if you choose to side with Nelacar, you will get the Black Star Soul Gem.
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How to Acquire Soul Gems
You can acquire Soul Gems in Skyrim by buying them from vendors, or Court Wizards. You can also find Soul Gems as random loot inside containers or while you explore dungeons and mines in Skyrim. Slaying magic-using enemies is another great way of boosting your chances of getting Soul Gem as loot drops.
Some high-level Soul Gems such as the Azura or Black Star gem require you to complete certain questlines that involve choices at the end. You can also mine Soul Gems from Geode Veins if you have a pickaxe on hand.
How to Fill Soul Gems
Now that you’ve got all the right Soul Gems, let’s talk about filling them up with…souls.
There is only one effective way to fill Soul Gems in Skyrim, and that is by using the Soul Trap enchantment on your enemies before killing them. Doing so will make sure their soul gets trapped into the appropriate Soul Gem if you have it on you.
Soul Trap [ID 0004DBA4] is an apprentice-level spell that costs around 100 Magicka. It can be used on an enemy to apply a debuff that traps their soul in a large enough soul gem in your inventory. It makes a distinct sound and you can see a purple soul exiting the creature’s body when its soul has been captured successfully.
Conclusion
Once you have acquired the right Soul Gem and filled it with the souls of your enemies, you can use them to recharge all of your enchanted weapons and equipment in Skyrim. Once you’ve acquired the Azura’s Star OR Black Star Soul Gem, things will become a lot less cumbersome for you as you’ll be able to store souls in them repetitively.