I always assumed Mirrak's confidence in defeating Alduin was overstated. He was actually too scared to fight Alduin as Mirrak wasn't even capable enough to defeat Vahlok the dragon priest.

And so the first Dragonborn, meets the last Dragonborn, at the summit of apocrypha.

7:46 Alduin: Pauses video "Yup, that's me. You probably wonder how i ended up being spiked with so many arrows. Well, it's a very loooong story...."

So if Miraak had killed Alduin in the first place, he might have been the founder of the first Empire, instead of Saint Alessia?

His biggest mistake was trying to keep a secret from the lord of secrets in it's own home.

Miraak in the game: bruh, ur not that threatening

Miraak in lore: strong as hell! He split a continent and killed many dragons.

Miraak: I am the Master Debater.
Herma: Stop using my books like that!

FINALLY my "Conjure Drewmora Lord" spell cast succeeded!
Now watch as Drewmora uses alliteration to destroy Miraak the Champion of the Daedric Prince of Knowledge....
Drewmora: "Your daedra so fat 3 dimensions wasn't big enough for him!" 🔥🔥🔥

As always your content on the Elder Scroll is beautifully scripted and spoken. I truly appreciate Drewmoras diligence

tfw you learned the dragon alphabet out of autism and thus know there's a typo in the thumbnail
('aa' is not written as two 'a's, it's an entirely different letter)
(yes i know it'd mess up the symmetry of the name but it's the principle of the thing lmao)

I think its interesting that turning one's back on their destiny seems to be a running theme in Skyrims storytelling. Alduin turned his back on his destiny and subjugated mankind, leading to his downfall. Miraak turned his back on his duty to defeat Alduin and sealed his own fate. Even Serana, she was supposed to bring about the blotting out of the sun and (if you go that route in the story of dawngaurd I suppose) turned her back on that purpose her father tried to set for her  and ultimately brought about HIS downfall. Lots of people trying to fight destiny here... just interesting. Great video as always!!

Mirrak, the First Servant, was caught by Hermaeus Mora in the Second Era for plotting against his patron. The former dragon priest wasn't discarded because he still had a use for the Daedric Prince.
(Source: ESO Necrom)

Once Mirrak was found to be replaceable, Hermaeus Mora threw him aside so the Last Dragonborn could take his place as the prince's champion.
(Source: TESV: Dragonborn)

Nah, his first mistake was stealing my hard earned dragon souls and claiming he's stronger when he's a ghost that can't put on his big boy boots, come out, and kill the dragons himself

Drew, your videos are a masterclass in historiography — you present multiple perspectives, acknowledge each source’s bias, and still leave room for reflection in the listener. The way you use Elder Scrolls lore to explore real philosophical and theological ideas makes me actually want to study those subjects in real life. Your work is fkng awesome, Drew!

I think a good way of measuring miraak is that it takes over 25 dragonsouls to earn his respect with a unique dialogue.  All the other dialogues less than 25 convey a tone of him talking down to the player, but over 25 he sounds impressed.

While Miraak has about as much depth as a character from TES V, I can appreciate the angle they went for to make him a straight forward villain. The idea that the first dragonborn preceded Akatosh's and Kynareth's blessings could have been gracelessly painted as a crap your pants plot twist, but the reason Miraak was forgotten was because he simply didn't do much for the nords. The order of dragon priests held a tyrannical dominion over the land, became very unpopular, were eventually ousted, and their past deeds left under-documented. Here, one of their order usurps the direct life force of a dragon, and what does he do with it? Try to make a new kingdom, and fail? Opt out of a war practically made for him? Get spanked into Apocrypha as Hermaeus' plaything, only as a bargaining chip for a far stronger (and younger) apprentice? Nothing about Miraak changes the story because, for all his power and pompousness, he was a worthless traitor among traitors hooked on the line of the power he once worshiped. The actual twist implied by this information is that it was more or less Hermaeus Mora, ancient enemy of Atmora, who allowed the return of the world eater and the second dragon war, and that's a moral conundrum to be entangled within, not a problem to be corrected. Miraak was a loose end, despite all his capabilities and ambitions his own actions directly carve the stepping stone for what our dragonborn was raised to be.

interesting possibility! I always thought Miraak didnt kill Alduin when he had the chance because he was a boogieman retconned into existence so we could have a final boss

I think he is filled with so much self righteousness that he THOUGHT he could possibly defeat alduin but deep down inside I believe he had doubts and his ego was so big I believe when the last Dragonborn actually defeated alduin miraak says “yeah nah I coulda done that. I just didn’t want to.” I actually really like this way of writing. It really shows how much of an ass he really is. It’s a very basic concept but I love it.

Drew your theory of Akatosh/Shor is probably one of my favorites, it feels appropriate that the trickster god would have more than one trick up his sleeve

Can never hear enough Elder Scrolls lore, keep it up Drew