You Should Kill Paarthurnax
I have no idea what if any of my ideas are unique on the matter but this is my view on the Paarthurnax Dilemma and I'm interested in people more versed in the lore then me to see if it holds up to scrutiny.
Paarthurnax has not changed from his true nature he still desires ambition-cruelty-overlord as his name —and therefore his true nature— entails. What is more ambitious then going against Alduin? What is more likely to allow Paarthurnax to be overlord siding with Alduin where he will always be second fiddle or siding with man, a race he can more easily control? There is no greater self harm, self immolation... self Cruelty then to deny ones own nature. Thereby he commits the greatest cruelty he is capable of, not to mention the cruelty of abandoning your race and killing them. Nothing proves my point greater then what Paarthurnax says once Alduin is killed "Goraan! I feel younger than I have in many an age. Many of the dovahhe are now scattered across Keizaal. Without Alduin's lordship, they may yet bow to the vahzen... rightness of my Thu'um. But willing or no, they will hear it! Fare thee well, Dovahkiin!" Also Odahviing puts it well when he denotes the Cruelty of Paarthurnax's Way of the Voice. "I doubt that many will wish to exchange Alduin's lordship for the tyranny of Paarthurnax's 'Way of the Voice'" as the Way of the Voice is against dragons nature it is Christianity to the ears of an Alexander. It denies their birth right their nature and their true strength, which makes them deserving of worship.
I do not like his care for Man and do view it as unbecoming of an Immortal being so linked to the flow of time, but the main force of my argument is the perversion of his and his races nature. To force your race to accept a nature so contrary to their own is a sickness and a torture to a otherwise abundant and powerful race.
I value Kyne and I want what's best for the Nords, what is best for the Nords may be the destruction of their world for a new. But the rebellion was necessary, Alduin no longer acted in accordance to his nature and the Nords could not tolerate the injustices present in his reign. I would have it that Alduin some how be by force made to fulfil his role again, tho that may be impossible and I understand from the Nords pov to just take the safe bet of killing him if they can.
So should you kill Paarthurnax at the end?
Yes, kill both... Alduin must fulfil his true purpose and he tortures the great Nordic people and Paarthurnax wishes to tyrannically force a sickness onto all Dragons. Instead I'd perhaps attempt to put the Dragonborn as master of all Dragons.
Posted Aug 13, 2026, 4:47 PM UTC