Skyrim: How to Yield

Sometimes yield is the best way to get out of a conflict situation, especially if you initiated it. This is a really useful feature that will simplify your gameplay, but not all players know how to use it.

It’s worth noting that not all of your opponents will stop the fight if you decide to yield, so we’ll go into more detail about these nuances. Still, on many occasions, it’s worth a try if the Dragonborn doesn’t want to fight.

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How to Yield to an Opponent in Skyrim

If you are in a fight and realize that there is no point participating in it, or if you have accidentally caused a conflict with a character or guard, you can yield. It’s not difficult to do: just sheath your weapon. This way, you will show your opponent that you do not want a fight and want to resolve the conflict peacefully.

If the opponent is on agreeable terms with the Dragonborn, they may agree to stop the fight. This way, you can save your life if you are low on health, or simply avoid wasting time on unnecessary fights.

Using this method is also a great way out of the situation if you resist the guards and realize that you can’t overpower them. So, instead of dying, just yield, and then you can pay a fine or go to jail. However, not all opponents will agree to accept this, and sometimes you will have to keep fighting.

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Cases Where Yielding is Useless

Peacefully ending a conflict is much better than ruthlessly killing or being killed. Unfortunately, not all enemies think this way, so you will often find yourself in situations where laying down your arms will only get you punched in the face. This behavior can be caused by several factors:

Excessive aggression: If your opponent is aggressive, they may not agree to stop the fight, even if they like you. In this case, the best method is to run away, unless it’s a story quest.
Animals or monsters: If your opponent is a non-sentient creature, such as an animal, you can’t yield because it simply doesn’t understand what you want from it. Monsters that you fight have the same behavior. Even though some of them have self-awareness, they still perceive you as an enemy and will not give in until one of you dies.

If you find yourself in a situation where the enemy does not want to stop the fight and this complicates the gameplay because you can’t defeat them, don’t worry, because there is another effective method. You can simply load your last save before you enter into a confrontation with such an opponent. This method may not appeal to many people, but it’s still a viable alternative.