Your Favorite/Least Favorite Jarl?

[Snoball]

Oh haaaay, my first thread

Not anything special, I just wanted to see which Jarls were popular/unpopular amongst everyone else. I love how diverse and unique each Jarl's personalities are, each different in some shape or form. Whether they were a Jarl before or after the Civil War doesn't matter, so gather round ladies and gents, and tell us which leaders you admire and despise!

Favorite [Tie]- Jarl Balgruuf (Whiterun)/ Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone (Morthal)

I couldn't pick between the two. Balgruuf is probably the ONLY Jarl not caught up in Skyrim's Civil War conflict. The point of a Jarl is to look out for their Hold's best interests, and it's obvious he fits that description more so than any other Jarl. He's not pro-Imperial or pro-Stormcloak, but rather pro-Whiterun. I also respect Jarl Ravencrone for the fact that she leads knowing she's unpopular, making decisions she knows her people may not agree with. She's a soothsayer, and she'll stick to that story regardless of what people think of her.

Least Favorite- Jarl Siddgeir (Falkreath)

Pompous. Ass. Let's see. 1. Ignorant and stubborn personality. 2. Is too lazy to even fetch himself a bottle of mead, let alone govern his Hold adequately 3. He's left all priorities to his steward. Though those reasons could also be applied to other Jarls, no other Jarl possesses all three. He got the position just by being related to the Jarl before him and only for that reason. Plain and simple.

 

[Jei El]

Being a thalmor, I'm surprised you didn't say Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak.

 

[Snoball]

Just because he's an asset doesn't mean I have to like him. People may not like exercise, but it's still helpful to them.

 

[Jei El]

But you're at peace ( IDK WHY) with the Imperials, whose enemy is Ulfric.

 

[Snoball]

Yes. Again, because he's inadvertently aiding our cause, doesn't mean I enjoy his work as a Jarl. He's a magnificent militant, but a terrible Jarl.

 

[Jei El]

I hate all Jarls, for the truth be known.

 

[Nocte Aeterna]

Maven Black-Briar is my favorite Jarl (once Riften falls to the Imperials).

The rest... eh.

 

[-Mir-]

[/LE SHAMELESS BUMP]
Oooo, I'll share mine!

Favorite:
Balgy because he is a smexy (dat steel-plate armor >.<), caring, not-too-arrogant Nord with a sense of humor. And mostly for your aforementioned reasons.
Elisif because she ACTUALLY SITS CORRECTLY and doesn't slouch. And she seems to care about her people a lot too, even if she isn't so personally experienced. And I feel sorry for her about her husband, y'know, dying and all....

BLEH:
I have to also agree with you on Siddgeir. I HATE HIM. >( nuff said.
I also don't like Skald very much, and Maven is just a meany.

 

[Jarrad]

I think the guy who replaces Ulfric, Brunwulf Free-Winter was the best Jarl, i liked that guy, and the batty old Jarl from Morthal, she was just so different.

Hated Siddgeir, Skald and Maven ( regardless of if she is made Jarl or not )

 

[Lady Redpool the Unlifer]

Balgruf for damned sure!!! That man is a true Nord if ever there was one and unlike the others he actually MEETS YOU IN BATTLE!!!!!!!!
I also gotta give mad props to Ulfric, even if I have conflicting feelings about the man, he's a damned good leader.
Finally I give a nod to Mr. Free-Winter due to the fact that he replaces Ulfric after I remove his head

All the others I don't care for but that lazy ass in Falkreath, Maven, and both the possible Jarls of Markarth are definitely on my plops list

 

[Chadonraz]

Even if I was on the same side as Ulfric and Skald, I would still hate them.
Ulfric is a major racist jerk, and the only thing about him that I like is his "Legends don't burn down villages." line. He's a terrible Jarl, because he only cares about the Nord residents of his city/hold.
I've only ever talked to Skald on one of my first characters, and the *only* thing he said was that he wouldn't talk to anyone until the nightmares were taken care of. His tone was incredibly rude, too -- even though I'd helped kill a dragon in the town mere seconds earlier (he was outside gawking at the skeleton).
I understand that Dawnstar's initial situation is far from good, but still.

My favourites are Balgruuf and Elisif.
All of my reasons have been mentioned by others, apart from this: during the conversation that leads to "The Man Who Cried Wolf" becoming available, Elisif says something along the lines of "The people of Haafingar will always be safe under my rule." And she says it like she means it, too.

Note: I have no idea who'd become Jarl of Hjaalmarch if I helped the Stormcloaks, so I don't know what he/she is like. As for Winterhold, I have never talked to the initial Jarl, and the post-pro-Imperial CW one only once. The latter I liked well enough.

Lastly, since everyone else seems to hate him, I have to say that I actually really like Siddgeir. Well, maybe not as Jarl, but as a person. Especially now that I have Hearthfire, and thus more dialogue with him.

 

[Two Bears]

The only Jarl I actually like is Idgrod Ravencrone. She's happy to see you after help her out with the whole vampire problem. In fact, she's the only one that's downright polite. That's not to say that she is a good leader, though. The rest? Meh. Balgruuf is a pompus jerk that will only force you to do some little fetch quest for his court wizard and make you go out and fight the dragon while he slouches on his throne. Elisif is a weak leader under the control of General Tullius. Siddgeir is a spoiled brat. Ulfric cares very deeply about Ulfric. Skald neglects the security of his hold in support of the war to the extent that the Dark Brotherhood is able to move right in under his nose. Laila Law-Giver is a coward living in fear of the Thieves Guild and under the thumb of Maven Black-Briar. Igmund is a Thalmor lackey, and Korir sits in his hut and stews about the College all day, despite the fact that business from the College is the only thing keeping Winterhold alive.

That's what is interesting about them. These leaders all have serious flaws, making political choices less a matter of right and wrong and more a matter of personal choice.

 

[gangraad]

Two Bears, Balgruuf's actually out there face to face with Odahviing.

 

[Two Bears]

Two Bears, Balgruuf's actually out there face to face with Odahviing.

I'm referring to the fact that he sends some criminal that he just met out to fight the dragon at the Western Watchtower while he has an ale.

 

[gangraad]

he's also the one who sends you to see the greybeards.

 

[Two Bears]

he's also the one who sends you to see the greybeards.

And Siddgeir sends a courier to offer you a house. That doesn't make him an awesome guy. Glad you like Balgruuf. I don't.

 

[Neveraine]

I like Balgruff because of all the Jarls, I could see him becoming the High King. Ulfric would become a racist jerk and end up hurting Skyrim as he would refuse to work with the Empire after he expels them from Skyrim, which I think would eventually lead to Skyrim's defeat to the Thalmor after they defeat the Empire. However on the opposite side, I don't like Elisif because she may be nice,but she is really just a puppet for the Empire at this point, and Skyrim deserves its own independent leader and Balgruf seems to me to be the obvious compromise.

 

[Ru;indil]

My favorite Jarl has to be Jarl Balgruuf the Greater of Whiterun. I mean , he rewards you for informing him about the dragon attack on Helgen , rewards you again for retrieving the Dragonstone from Bleak Falls Barrow , sends you to kill a dragon threatening his city and when you completed the deed , makes you the Thane of Whiterun and allows you to purchase a home. He is also the one to direct you to the Graybeards and one of the first people to recognize you as Dragonborn. On the Civil war side , he is pro-Whiterun instead of favoring either the Empire and Stormcloaks , plus he cares for the welfare of his people , whether they be Nords or non-Nords and the prosperity of Whiterun. Not to mention , if you side with the Stormcloaks , he would not give up his city without a fight , which I find courageous.

My worst Jarls have to be Skald , Siddgeir , both the Jarls of Markarth and Maven Black Briar.

Skald - He is too stubborn , even for a Stormcloak. Skald is just loosening up the defenses of Dawnstar and 'bad' guilds are running right behind his back without him realizing , like the Dark Brotherhood. He doesn't cares for Dawnstar at all , which is found out during the various arguments between him and Jod.

Siddgeir - Way too lazy and selfish. Makes the steward do all the work. He is also a little corrupt as shown when he sends you to destroy a group of cutthroats yet also demands money from them. A total drunkard , won't even get a bottle of mead on his own. Just because his uncle was the previous Jarl doesn't mean he has to be the Jarl too , does it ? I was expecting more from the Imperials.

Jarl Igmund - Even though he does have the will to run his city , he is ruthless with the Forsworn. During the quest 'No one escapes from Cidhna Mine' , one of the Forsworn talks about how his daughter protested for him and requested to be jailed instead of her father , yet Igmund orders for the girl to be executed right in front of her father.

Jarl Thongvor - Even though he is a brave soldier and a good man , I still have to go against his ruthless ways to the Forsworn. When he becomes Jarl , he says that all the Forsworn shall be prisoned in Cidhna Mine and that's where they belong. He also proclaims Ulfric as a war hero , when Ulfric was the opposite. Its also mentioned in one of the books involving Markarth , about what horrible atrocities he had commited.

Maven - Totally corrupted. I just wish she wasn't essential so I could kill her. Plus , I didn't even want her to become the Jarl of Riften but I had no choice since I was already helping the Empire purge the Stormcloaks from the face of Skyrim and prepare a war against the Dominion .


Other than these ones , Elisif , Idgrod Ravencrone and the both the pro-supporting Imperials / Stormcloak Jarls of Winterhold are decent ones.

 

[Machamango]

I liked Jarl Siddgeir of Falkreath. Simply for his being so nice to me. I mean, he offered to let me buy a piece of his land and build on it after just hearing of my good deeds. But I also liked Balgruuf because he is a nice guy who is willing to help me in most situations. Such as when we needed to catch a dragon. He let me do so in his palace! He risked the very lives of his people just to aid me in my quest to defeat Alduin.

 

[The Laoch]

My favourites are Balgruuf and Elisif.
All of my reasons have been mentioned by others, apart from this: during the conversation that leads to "The Man Who Cried Wolf" becoming available, Elisif says something along the lines of "The people of Haafingar will always be safe under my rule." And she says it like she means it, too.
.

I laugh at the line Elisif says about the people being safe ,because when you start the quest it is abundantly clear that they were not going to do anything about the cave. The Thane tells you the guy is over reacting.

I don't really remember the names of all, but it goes

Favs: dawnstar pro imperial, Ulfric, gray-mane, and the winterhold pro imperial.

I don't really hate any jarls, maybe silverblood.