The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered brings players back to the chaotic events of the Oblivion Crisis, and with the remaster coming out after Skyrim, the changes in Tamriel are more obvious. For the first time, players are able to go backwards chronologically with a new Bethesda Elder Scrolls title, not counting ESO, of course, and it puts the context that made Skyrim's version of Tamriel into shiny, Unreal Engine 5-enhanced HD. This context could even be carried forward to The Elder Scrolls 6, provided that Bethesda doesn't choose the obvious option (Hammerfell) for the game's setting.

While there are plenty of elements from Oblivion that made it into Skyrim, such as The Blades, The Dark Brotherhood, and many of the Daedric Artifacts, the fourth age of Tamriel is a very different place to its late-third age counterpart. Dragons are back, Cyrodil's Empire is shattered after the loss of the Septim Dynasty, and everyone's least favorite organization, the Thalmor, is running rampant. Oblivion Remastered brings players back to a time before those pesky Thalmor, making it look better. Still, the events of its story also essentially create the organization seen in Skyrim.

How The Oblivion Crisis Rocked The Summerset Isles

The Thalmor Were A Laughingstock Back Then

Although it doesn't appear in Oblivion or its remaster, The Thalmor are around during the events of the crisis, albeit back home in The Summerset Isles with the other Altmer. Players probably aren't too unfamiliar with an Altmer antagonist, given that Mankar Camoran is the leader of the Mythic Dawn. Still, they are probably unfamiliar with what Mankar managed to do to his people. The Summerset Isles suffered terribly during the Oblivion Crisis, so much so that the people were forced to make a last stand in The Crystal Tower, an institute of magical learning.

Altmer means High Elf, with the 'mer' part meaning elf.

Isolated and alone on their isles, the Altmer were turned into refugees up and down The Summerset Isles, to the point where practically all the survivors were held in The Crystal Tower toward the end of the Oblivion Crisis. Daedra-cast storms swept up those who tried to escape by sea to the mainland, and even The Crystal Tower, thought impenetrable, eventually fell. The Altmer slew Daedra in the thousands, so much so that the Daedra began to climb the bodies of the fallen to ascend The Crystal Tower, but this isn't why the great institute fell.

The Crystal Tower crumbled after the Daedra conjured an earthquake powerful enough to topple the building, exposing the refugees to the swarming enemy. Luckily for them, Martin Septim saved the day by becoming the Avatar of Akatosh, then did it again in glorious HD, defeating Mehrunes Dagon and sending him back to the Deadlands, his realm in Oblivion. Just as the Daedra were about to slaughter the Altmer refugees, they vanished thanks to Martin's sacrifice, but the Altmer didn't know about his sacrifice, being isolated from the mainland. This is when the radical Thalmor took the credit.

The Events Of Oblivion Put The Thalmor On Top

And Changed Tamriel Forever

Many who have only played Skyrim are experiencing Oblivion for the first time through the remaster, and it unknowingly informs them about how many of the elements in that game came to be. Oblivion doesn't have the Vigil of Stendarr or the Thalmor, both of which became the entities seen in Skyrim because of the Oblivion Crisis. It even s for Skyrim's fear of magic and the deep hatred of the Altmer, led by the Thalmor, who got into power by mastering the art of 'faking it until you make it' to a ridiculous degree.

The Thalmor seek to eradicate the worship of Talos, as it goes against their own beliefs, and bring about a new Merethic Era.

After the Thalmor took credit for Martin Septim's work, it rose in prominence, becoming the leading party in The Summerset Isles and having anyone killed who disputed its claim that it had saved the Altmer from the Oblivion Crisis. It might be painful to know that the events of Oblivion's main story lead to the Thalmor taking all the credit and becoming one of the big bads of Skyrim, but at least the events connect together in a neat fashion. This could even be something seen in Elder Scrolls 6, if Bethesda doesn't pick the obvious option for its setting.

Many are calling The Summerset Isles to be the setting for The Elder Scrolls 6, with it possibly having the Thalmor as the primary, villainous force. Some have taken to calling this potential version of ES6, The Elder Scrolls 6: Dominion, which would be a great name. It would also connect Oblivion, Skyrim, and ES6 together neatly, seeing the rise of the Thalmor with Oblivion's ending, its prime in Skyrim, and its eventual fall in ES6, although that would also depend on the state of the Empire after the Oblivion Crisis significantly weakened it.

A Weakened Empire Paved The Way For The Thalmor

It's Plain To See How The Empire Was Weakened After Coming Back From Skyrim

The Empire is in an absolute state in Skyrim despite ruling over a unified Tamriel in Oblivion, but the rest of Tamriel suffered just as much as Cyrodil did during the crisis without much help from the capital. Well, everyone except Black Marsh, who strengthened and left the Empire. The Thalmor led the Altmer away from the Empire, ing forces with Valenwood to form the Third Aldmeri Dominion, and the once unified Tamriel quickly became in the shattered state seen in Skyrim. Then the Great War happened, civil wars sprouted, and things got worse for the Empire.

For those that have only played Skyrim and are visiting Cyrodil for the first time through Oblivion Remastered, things finally have some extra context. The Oblivion Crisis is such an essential event in Tamriel's history that it caused the third age to end and caused several organizations to be founded, something that the Dragon Crisis of Skyrim probably won't cause because it was nipped at the bud before it could spread through Tamriel. Hopefully, with the remaster, the events of Oblivion will continue to inform the series in the future.

It is largely unknown how Tamriel will look in ES6, but if the trends of the Empire's fall and the Thalmor's rise continue after starting in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, it could make Oblivion, Skyrim, and ES6 a pseudo-trilogy through its interconnected narrative. This will probably only happen if the game is set in The Summerset Isles, like the fan-proposed Elder Scrolls 6: Dominion, but chances are that Bethesda will play it safe with Hammerfell. It's the obvious pick, and at least the North African aesthetic will be different from Cyrodil and Skyrim.