In The Elder Scrolls series, danger as much as wonder lurks around every corner. There is no shortage of bandits to kill, demons to slay, gods to fell, and all else in between to outright destroy. Trolls, monsters, vampires, and more stand in the way of players on their journey through Tamriel.

In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, that’s no less true. And with the game’s recent remaster, that’s even more so. Cyrodiil is a land besieged on all fronts by all manner of menace, and it falls to the Hero of Kvatch to save not only the country, not even just Tamriel, but all of Nirn from the daedric menace. Now, as in all RPGs, Oblivion gives players a multitude of methods when it comes to dealing with the enemies of Tamriel, whether it’s spells, armor, or steel. Some of the best weapons and armor in the entire series are found within Oblivion and the Cyrodiilic heartland. But out of all of them, there’s one that stands above the rest: the Umbra Sword.

The Umbra Sword is Arguably the Best Sword in the Game

A Weapon Unlike Any Other

Image via Bethesda

The Umbra Sword, or just Umbra, is one of the more unique weapons found in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and not to mention among the most powerful. Its unique appearance is visible even at a glance, the blade a tone of brightened steel, the hilt intricate and lined in ebony black and dark purple. With its foreboding yet beautiful appearance, the Umbra Sword is a weapon that takes the soul away, both literally and figuratively. One of the aspects of the Umbra Sword that makes it so unique is its enchantment. The enchantment placed upon the weapon allows it to trap the souls of anyone it touches.

The Umbra Sword is one of, if not the most powerful, weapons in Oblivion
Its enchantment allows players to steal the souls of any enemy it kills
It’s an unleveled weapon, which makes it useful across all levels of the game

So, upon an enemy’s defeat, their soul is not only taken, but stored in the player’s empty soul gem. Aside from being what’s basically The Elder Scrolls’ variant of the grim reaper’s weapon in physical form, Umbra allows players to take the souls of enemies without using a spell or enchantment of their own, and it can be used to fill a multitude of their soul gems. The enchantment is not only powerful but also useful on its own. But when paired with Azura’s Star, which is, in essence, a soul gem without limitations, Umbra can be used as an infinite energy source for both its own enchantment and the enchantments of other weapons.

The other unique feature of the Umbra Sword is its scalability. In Oblivion, most of the game’s weapons and armor do not scale with the player’s increase in level. If players were to get a great weapon at level 5, for example, then that weapon’s stats would stay at level 5. It would not scale with the player’s own level, which in turn would make said weapon useless at the higher levels. This is the case for nearly every weapon in Oblivion, as they will all be tied to the player’s current level and will not be upgraded with them.

However, with the Umbra Sword, that’s a different story. Whether taken at level one or level thirty, the weapon is useful across all levels because when players first obtain Umbra, it is already in an unlevelled state. This makes it not only powerful but scalable across all levels, ensuring that players can use this weapon at whatever stage of the game they please. Whether it’s used to breeze through the game’s early levels and enemies, or to take on some of the hardest enemies and bosses.

Players Can Get Umbra Sword at the Very Beginning of the Game

Easy to Access, Harder to Obtain

Image via Bethesda Image via Bethesda Image via Bethesda Image via Bethesda

With all the benefits and advantages the Umbra Sword brings, one would expect such a powerful weapon to be gatelocked to other players; to be made inaccessible until a certain stage or point in the game. That is an understandable assumption, but one that is false. In truth, Umbra can be obtained at any point in the game. Whether at the beginning, middle, or end of Oblivion, players can obtain this powerful weapon at any point they choose. In fact, they can choose to get it as soon as they finish the tutorial.

Right after leaving the Imperial City Sewers, players will find the whole of Cyrodiil open to them, a wide, vibrant, and varied land to explore. But when it comes to finding Umbra, they don’t have to go far at all. Southwest of the Imperial City, close to where players first exit the sewers, there is a ruin called Vindasel. Going inside, players will find an Ayleid ruin filled with the average mudcrab or rat. Frankly, Vindasel is one of the least intricate dungeons in terms of design, with only one level found within. However, this dungeon comes with a unique treasure. And that treasure is Umbra.

The Umbra Sword can be found as early as the beginning of the game in Vindasel
The weapon is in the possession of Umbra, a powerful enemy that is difficult to beat
Beating Umbra (the NPC) gives players not only the Umbra Sword, but also her armor

The Umbra Sword is in the possession of, well, Umbra, an NPC found in the lower confines of Vindasel. She is a Bosmer (Wood Elf) clad in armor from head to toe, and one who is obsessed with the sword in her possession. Without the quest associated with Clavicus Vile, players aren’t really able to interact with her in conversation. But that’s not a bad thing, as it’s not conversation they should be seeking, but the sword itself. As one may notice, finding the Umbra Sword isn’t hard at all. Obtaining it, however, is.

As easy as it is to find Umbra’s location, taking the weapon is not so much the case — far from it. Umbra (the NPC) is a more than formidable enemy, clad in some of the best armor, armed with arguably the best sword. And their opponent is the player, one who, depending on their level, is going to be no more than a nuisance to beat. In short, fighting Umbra, especially at the beginning of the game, is like throwing a pebble against a boulder. Unless they have a plan, she will absolutely obliterate players within a handful of swings.

From personal experience, the best way to defeat Umbra is to do so from afar with a bow, a multitude of arrows, and from an unreachable location. This is tedious work, and one wrong step could have players starting over. But with patience, Umbra can be defeated this way. Alternatively, players can also wait until they are at a higher level, which would put them on more equal(ish) footing. In either case, once Umbra is defeated, players are able to obtain the one and only Umbra Sword.

Furthermore, they can also obtain Umbra’s (the NPC) armor, which is also conveniently some of the best armor to be found in the game. And with that, players are clad in some of the best armor, armed with arguably the best sword, and can now start or continue their journey across Cyrodiil, with the opposition being a lot less threatening than before.