Skyrim: The 25 Best Two-Handed Weapons (& Where To Get Them) (2024)

Skyrim has so much to offer its players. With countless quests to explore and an astronomical amount of mods available for the game, it's almost guaranteed that everyone will find something they enjoy while playing.

The Dragonborn is capable of dealing large swallows of damage if they know which weapons to put in their two capable hands. While Skyrim players are capable of using their Smithing skills to make some impressive weapons, there are some unique ones available in the game that should be considered for the special advantages they provide.

Updated on August 17, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Skyrim is one of the most popular and beloved video games that is still making waves to this day. Bethesda set the gaming landscape ablaze with an open-world sandbox that was ahead of its time, featuring sublime art direction and consistency as players explored the land of the Nords and fell in love with its many interesting locales. The beauty of Skyrim is apparent for everyone to see, but the dangers present in this world must be dealt with from time to time by the Dragonborn. The best way to do this is with good old-fashioned melee combat where players can flatten their foes with some of the best two-handed weapons in Skyrim that can destroy most enemies with ease.

28 Honed Ancient Nord Greatsword

Wielded By High-Level Draugr Enemies

• Base Damage: 20
• Weight: 21
• Base Value: 63

Greatswords are some of the best two-handed weapons in Skyrim that players can get their hands on. This weapon can cleave foes in half with ease as long as players have the most powerful variants of this weapon at their disposal, and the Honed Ancient Nord Greatsword is one such weapon that deserves all its plaudits in this department.

This is a weapon that players will find on most high-level draugr enemies, making it a worthy reward for players who love exploring the many crypts and dungeons in Skyrim. It boasts high damage and becomes even more viable in combat once players find a special version of this weapon or enchant it themselves to show enemies who's boss.

27 Dawnguard Warhammer

Wielded By Dawnguard Members

• Base Damage: 22
• Weight: 26
• Base Value: 110

It's only a given that any game with DLC will add a wealth of powerful weapons that players can get their hands on to destroy their foes, and the Dawnguard Warhammer is no exception here. This weapon looks great and is used by members of the Dawnguard to smash their foes. Players can purchase one such weapon from their fort, find it in chests, or loot it from an enemy if they've gone against the Dawnguard.

The weapon looks simple enough but will pummel foes with high attack values. With an enchanted variant of this weapon, players can go even further in their attempts to show enemies who's boss as they're walloped by the Dragonborn and punished for thinking that they could stand a chance against the person destined to save the world. This makes it one of the best two-handed weapons in Skyrim that's a blast to use.

26 Nord Hero Battle Axe

Can Be Crafted At The Skyforge After Completing The Companions Questline

• Base Damage: 21
• Weight: 20
• Base Value: 300

The Nord Hero Battle Axe is one of the best two-handed weapons in Skyrim that player can use to show their enemies who's boss. The weapon looks great and can punish any enemy who thought it to be a prudent idea to try and take out someone as intimidating as the Dragonborn. The base variant of this weapon is quite powerful as is, so players can only imagine how much damage they can inflict once they enchant this weapon.

Unlike most of the weapons players can find or loot in Skyrim, the only way to get the Nord Hero War Axe is to forge it after completing the Companions' quest line. This can make the act of accessing this weapon way harder than most people would assume, but it won't take long for players to get their hands on a great weapon perfect for Skyrim in the early to mid-game, especially if players bring it to an enchanting table soon after.

25 Madness Greatsword

Can Be Crafted After Completing The Quest "Amber And Madness Smithing"

• Base Damage: 26
• Weight: 28
• Base Value: 3,100

The Creation Club has added a wealth of premium content to Skyrim that players can opt for if regular mods aren't cutting it anymore. Most of the content comes in the form of new items that players can mess around with in the game, and the set of Madness weapons is a great incentive to opt for if players want to decimate their opponents in no time.

Wielding a greatsword in the game feels pretty satisfying, especially if players have used mods to make the combat feel more engaging. So it makes sense that using this powerful greatsword to cleave enemies is as satisfying as can be.

24 Madness Battleaxe

Can Be Crafted After Completing The Quest "Amber and Madness Smithing"

• Base Damage: 27
• Weight: 31
• Base Value: 3,300

The Saints & Seducers Creation Club Content adds a bunch of stuff to Skyrim. From new enemies to unique equipment, players will find the endgame to be more engaging as they uncover everything that this content pack has to offer.

The Madness ore is one such material that is added to the game, and this is a very rare material that takes a lot of work to find. However, the end result is worth it, with players being able to craft Madness weapons like the Madness Battleaxe, which hits like a truck and ensures that any enemy who gets too comfortable with the Dragonborn will regret their decision.

23 Madness Warhammer

Can Be Crafted After Completing The Quest "Amber and Madness Smithing"

• Base Damage: 29
• Weight: 34
• Base Value: 4,600

To learn how to craft items using Madness ore, players must find Evethra's Journal and read it. Along with this, players must have a Smithing skill of 80 and know the Ebony Smithing skill if they wish to make items using this powerful raw material. Meeting these requirements will let players craft some powerful Madness equipment, including the Madness Warhammer.

With this powerful weapon, players can smash enemies into the ground no matter how powerful they are. Enchanting this weapon makes it even more viable if players were prudent about that skill tree as well, but that is optional. Even in its base form, the Madness Warhammer is no joke.

22 Balgruuf's Greatsword

Quest Item Obtained During "Greatsword For A Great Man"

• Base Damage: 17
• Weight: 17
• Base Value: 200

It's a shame that Balgruuf's Greatsword is a temporary item in the Dragonborn's arsenal. It's a quest item obtained during "Greatsword for a Great Man" that needs to be delivered to Jarl Balgruuf, meaning that players can only use it for a short while before turning it in.

While there are exploits that allow players to loot this weapon regardless, the effort is too much considering that the Dragonborn will find better weapons later. That being said, it's the limited time with this weapon that makes it fun to use, even if it may not be for too long.

21 Stormfang

Looted From The Body Of A Reaver Lord At Brodir Grove

• Base Damage: 17
• Weight: 17
• Base Value: 1175

Players who explore Brodin Grove and defeat the Reaver Lord will get a chance to wield this weapon. The Stormfang is pretty powerful and can slice through enemies in a flash.

After all, this weapon does Shock damage with every hit, taking away an enemy's Magicka in the process, too. Players who love elemental weapons will also get a kick out of using Stormfang in Skyrim.

20 Trollsbane

Found Inside Cradle Stone Crag, A Troll Den

• Base Damage: 20
• Weight: 25
• Base Value: 60

Players need to explore Cradle Stone Crag, a troll's den, to find the Trollsbane weapon on the body of Frofnir Trollsbane. It's a powerful hammer that, fittingly enough, is especially deadly when used against trolls.

So, players should make it a point to use this weapon on trolls as much as possible to maximize its efficiency. That said, it's still effective against other enemies, making it a reliable if somewhat situational weapon.

19 Aegisbane

Found On The Body Of Alain Dufont In The Ruins Of Raldbthar

• Base Damage: 17
• Weight: 20
• Base Value: 28

The ruins of Raldbthar house Alain Dufont and his group of bandits. Players need to defeat every one of them, either as a part of a quest or via the natural act of exploration and looting Dufont's body to get the Aegisbane.

This warhammer hits like a truck and deals Frost Damage to both health and Magicka on top of its high damage. Suffice it to say, any player looking for a powerful warhammer will be well-served by this weapon for quite some time.

18 The Woodsman's Friend

On The Body Of A Woodcutter Southwest Of The Conjurer's Altar And North Of Pinewatch

• Base Damage: 17
• Weight: 12
• Base Value: 160

It's a shame that this axe takes too long to hit an enemy since the raw damage of The Woodsman's Friend is pretty admirable. As it stands, it's pretty impractical to use this weapon in a tough fight, even if it is pretty powerful in terms of sheer raw damage.

Players need to head north of Pinewatch to find a set of felled trees. After this, moving toward the southeastern side of Lake Illinatia will reveal the body of a dead woodcutter, with the axe lying near him on the grass.

17 Silver Greatsword

Frequently Found On The Bodies Of Silver Hand Members

• Base Damage: 17
• Weight: 12
• Base Value: 160

The Silver Greatsword may look basic on the surface, but it has far more complexities than players might expect. While it can't be improved at a grindstone, its additional effects of dealing greater damage to the undead don't count as an enchantment. This means that players can add enchantments on top of it to make the sword even more deadly.

Players will only find this sword on members of the Silver Hand. Luckily, they are commonly encountered while doing quests for the Companions. If the Dragonborn needs that silver right away, they can go to one of their strongholds at Driftshade Refuge, Faldar's Tooth, Lost Knife Hideout, and Gallows Rock and take down enemies to get one.

16 Skyforge Steel Greatsword

Sold By Eorlund Gray-Mane in Whiterun

• Base Damage: 20
• Weight: 17
• Base Value: 140

Most people would scoff at the idea of a lowly steel sword being compared to the best two-handed weapons in Skyrim, but it's the utility of the Skyforge Steel Sword that makes it so useful in the early game. If players have the gold to spare, they should purchase this weapon to make combat easier and more satisfying.

For a steel weapon, this weapon boasts an impressive attack power that can trouble enemies quite a bit. Sure, players will discard this weapon after reaching the mid to late-game, but this two-handed blade will serve them nicely until then.

15 The Rueful Axe

Obtained During The Quest "A Daedra's Best Friend"

• Base Damage: 22
• Weight: 10
• Base Value: 500

This powerful — if somewhat slow — axe whittles down the stamina of any opponent unfortunate enough to be struck by this instrument of pain. The Rueful Axe is quite a blast to use in battle, although its novelty might wear off after a point.

Players need to initiate the quest "A Daedra's Best Friend" and kill the unfortunate Barbas with this axe (no other weapon will do the job) to get this axe as a reward.

14 Drainblood Battleaxe

A Ghost Weapon Obtained On Special Draugr Variants In Labyrinthian During "The Staff of Magnus"

• Base Damage: 21
• Weight: 5
• Base Value: 266

This unique Nordic battleaxe is one of four ghost weapons available in the game. While it can't be upgraded at a grindstone, the fact that its health absorption doesn't require charges to use is incredibly convenient.

The only time these are available to grab is during the quest The Staff of Magnus in the College of Winterhold questline. Players will need to make sure to grab one while they're in Labyrinthian.

13 Dragonbone Battleaxe

A Relatively Common Battleaxe At Higher Levels

• Base Damage: 26
• Weight: 30
• Base Value: 3000

The Dragonbone weapons introduced in the Dawnguard expansion are easily some of the best two-handed weapons in Skyrim. Their stats are immense, with the Dragonbone Battleaxe serving as a great example of what these weapons are capable of in the right hands.

These weapons are very rare drops in the world of Skyrim. Thus, most players would find it more reliable to fight the Keepers in the Soul Cairn to obtain this imposing weapon.

12 Headsman's Axe

A Unique Greataxe Wielded By Ahtar

• Base Damage: 17
• Weight: 11
• Base Value: 15

The Headsman's Axe looks incredibly unique but doesn't deal as much base damage as other two-handed weapons. Still, it makes this list for its massive range, as the Headsman's Axe is the longest weapon in the entire game. Giving it proper enchantments can allow players to keep other melee-based enemies far away while taking them down.

The only way to get this axe is by taking it from Ahtar after the execution in Solitude. This can be done peacefully by getting him as a follower and taking it from his inventory or violently by just killing Ahtar outright. Either way, it's the perfect weapon to use with the Decapitation perk and is a unique choice that even long-time players of the game may have never tried.

11 Dragonbone Greatsword

A Relatively Common Greatsword At Higher Levels

• Base Damage: 25
• Weight: 27
• Base Value: 2725

This is another Dragonbone weapon that pulls no punches when it comes to its sheer power and effectiveness. The Dragonbone Greatsword can cleave through enemies with immense power, destroying weak foes with a single hit.

As is the case with the Dragonbone Battleaxe, the Greatsword can also be obtained randomly by defeating and searching the remains of Keepers in the Soul Cairn. Smithing can also be used to craft a Dragonbone Greatsword. However, the requirement for a Smithing level of 100 coupled with the Dragon Armor perk can put some fans off this rather tedious method of crafting the weapon.

10 Dragonbone Warhammer

A Relatively Common Warhammer At Higher Levels

• Base Damage: 28
• Weight: 33
• Base Value: 4275

Rounding off the trio of Dragonbone weapons on this list is the Dragonbone Warhammer, a massive two-handed weapon that packs a huge punch with every hit and can obliterate enemies with its smash damage.

At this point, it should be obvious how players can get this weapon. As is the case with the other Dragonbone weapons on this list, the Dragonbone Warhammer can be found on the remains of defeated Keepers in the Soul Cairn.

9 Daedric Battleaxe

A Powerful Battleaxe That Becomes Common At Higher Levels

• Base Damage: 25
• Weight: 27
• Base Value: 2750

Most Daedric weapons in Skyrim can decimate foes with ease, and the Daedric Battleaxe is no exception to this rule. This axe is easily one of Skyrim's best two-handed weapons and is extremely easy to obtain once players hit level 30 and above. Most merchants and chests in the game world will start spawning this weapon around this level.

Of course, players can go a step beyond and try to get an enchanted Daedric Battleaxe as well. However, netting this loot involves fighting a powerful dragon, and even then, this drop isn't guaranteed.