How to Cure Lycanthropy in Skyrim

Last Updated: February 19, 2022 Approved

Skyrim's vast forests and icy terrains are home to many well-kept secrets, perhaps the most notable one being the clandestine pack of werewolves more commonly known as the Companions. While joining this group grants you the ability to morph into a huge creature of the night, this power comes with some drawbacks, and you may ultimately decide it's better to return to your natural state. There are only two ways to cure lycanthropy, with the first accessible through the Companions questline and the second through becoming a Vampire Lord. This wikiHow teaches you how to cure lycanthropy in Skyrim.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Curing Your Lycanthropy through the Companions Questline

1
Complete the Companions questline. The Companions questline is how you gain lycanthropy. The option to cure yourself of lycanthropy becomes available after you complete the entire questline. "Glory of the Dead" is the final quest in the Companions questline. This quest involves going into Ysgramor's Tomb, fighting previous Companion's ghosts, and throwing a Glenmoril Witch head on the flame to free Kodlak's wolf spirit, which you will have to fight. After this quest, you can cure yourself of lycanthropy.^{[1]
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- After completing Glory of the Dead, you have the option to cure yourself of lycanthropy before exiting Ysgramor's Tomb. Simply throw another Glenmoril Witch head on the flame to release your own wolf spirit, which you will have to fight.
- Once you are cured of lycanthropy, you will not be able to complete the Totems of Hircine quest, which grants a unique ability you can use while in wolf-form. You will also lose access to the Underforge.
2
Talk to Farkas or Vilkas. Both can be found in their quarters, which are located in the basement floor of Jorrvaskr. It's the large round building next to the castle in Whiterun.

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3
Ask for work. You will need to do a few random tasks for both Farkas and Vilkas. Much of it is repeating the same missions you already completed. Take the missions and complete them.
4
Accept the Purity mission. While doing work quests for Farkas and Vilkas, they will eventually reveal that they want to make the same choice that Kodlak did, and cure themselves of their lycanthropy. Offer to help them. This will activate the Purity quest.
5
Get a Glenmoril witch head. If you already have a Glenmoril witch head in your inventory leftover from the Blood's Honor quest, they will urge you on to Ysgramor's Tomb (skip to the next step); otherwise, they will offer to help you get one.
- Fast travel to the Glenmoril Coven. After completing the “Blood's Honor” quest, it should be an accessible location on the world map. It is located northwest of Falkreath.
- Enter the coven and you will find five Glenmoril witches there. Kill them and loot their bodies to gather at least three heads (one for both Farkas and Vilkas, and one for you).
6
Travel back to Ysgramor's Tomb. Journey to Ysgramor's tomb with the quest giver. You can either fast travel there or follow the active quest marker on your compass. Ysgramor's tomb is in the far northern region of Skyrim; the major hold that it is nearest to is Winterhold, whose icon on the map looks like a 3-pointed crown within a shield.
- To reach Ysgramor's Tomb from Winterhold, head north and pass over the water. The tomb is located right on the bank of a small island.
- To reach Ysgramor's Tomb from Whiterun is a much longer journey. The tomb is located northeast of Whiterun. After exiting Whiterun, go past the town walls in the north and continue heading north. You will pass many mountains along the way, but do not stop until you reach Dawnstar. After reaching Dawnstar, head northeast and cross the water to reach the banks of the island where the tomb is located.
7
Enter the tomb. Open the doors to the tomb and descend the stone steps. Head straight past the torches until you reach the set of wooden spiral stairs leading down further into the tomb. Then descend the stairs, which will lead you to a large open room with a blue flame called the Flame of the Harbinger burning in the center.
8
Activate the flame. Approach the Flame of the Harbinger and activate it with the appropriate button prompt on the screen.
9
Kill the wolf spirit. After activating the flame, a spectral wolf will leap out from the altar and begin attacking you. Defeat it to cleanse your quest giver of his lycanthropy.
- The spirit behaves like a wolf you might run into in the wild; simply keep it at a distance by casting fireball spells or using arrows to easily bring it down.
- This wolf is not a particularly difficult enemy. Its most challenging feature is its speed, hence the need to keep a distance. However, if you favor close combat, heavy hitters will quickly be able to kill the wolf with a few swings of a war hammer.
10
Talk to the quest giver (Farkas or Vilkas). After defeating the wolf, you will be prompted to talk to your quest giver. He'll ask if it's over, and explain how he feels like a proper warrior now.
- After talking to your quest giver, the Purity radiant quest will be marked as completed.
11
Cure the other brother. After you cure Farkas or Vilkas, you will need to cure the other. Talk to the other brother and repeat steps 2 through 10 to complete the Purity quest again and cure the second brother. Once both are cured, you can cure yourself.
12
Cure yourself of lycanthropy. Approach the flame, and activate it again by pressing the button displayed on the screen. A text box will appear asking, “Cast the witch's head into the flames to cure your lycanthropy forever” Select Yes. Another wolf spirit will emerge from the flame, which you must vanquish to cure yourself. Use the same methods for killing this wolf as you killed the first one. Once you have defeated the wolf, you will be cured of your lycanthropy.
- Note: Curing lycanthropy is a permanent decision. You will lose access to the Underforge, you will not be able to complete the Totems of Hircine or Visit the hunters at Frostmoon Crag quests.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Curing Your Lycanthropy through the Dawnguard Questline

1
Purchase the Dawnguard DLC. If you did not cure your lycanthropy in the Ysgramor's Tomb, the Dawnguard DLC (which can be purchased on Steam, or by buying the expansion pack of Skyrim at your local/online game store) gives you three opportunities to rid yourself of your beast-blood. Instead, you'll be turned into a vampire lord.
- The Dawnguard DLC centers on the ancient battle between vampires and their hunters, with you being forced to pick a side to fight on. If you side with the vampires, you will be turned into a vampire lord, a much stronger version of the typical vampires you come across in-game.
- Turning into a vampire lord will cleanse you of your lycanthropy since it is impossible to be a werewolf and vampire at the same time.
2
Complete the "Awakening" quest. Awakening is the second quest in the Dawngaurd DLC. In this quest, you venture into Dimhollow Crypt, and meet Serena, who tells you she is a vampire. She asks you to take her to her family home Castle Volkihar.
3
Travel to Castle Volkihar. You can reach the castle by boat: either hire a ferryman to take you there or take an Ice-water Jetty, which is a small dock near the Northwatch Keep. Boarding the boat will take you to the castle. Ascend the hill to the stone bridge that leads up to the looming castle. The vampires will be wary of you, but they will allow you to pass once they recognize Serana.
4
Enter the castle. Here you will find Serana's father, Lord Harkon. Once Serana is reunited with her father, he will approach you and give you an ultimatum: continue working with the Dawnguard, forbidden from visiting the castle again, or join the Volkihar vampires by becoming a vampire lord.
5
Choose to become a vampire lord. Lord Harkon will explain that it will purge you of your lycanthropy.
- If you have already completed this quest without accepting Lord Harkon's gift, there are still more opportunities to become a vampire lord.
- Note: Choosing to become a vampire lord will make you an enemy of the Dawnguard, who will send out soldiers to ambush you at random.
6
Start the Chasing Echoes quest. It is the 6th quest in the main Dawnguard questline. During this quest, you and Serana must journey into the Soul Cairn, a gloomy alternate plane of reality where lost souls are doomed to wander. The Soul Cairn is located in a secret section of Castle Volkihar that Serana will guide you to. A live person cannot enter the Soul Cairn, so Serana will offer to turn you into a Vampire Lord herself.
7
Select the option “Turn me into a vampire.” Serana will bite you, and you will fall unconscious. After a short time, you will reawaken as a vampire lord, and subsequently be cured of your lycanthropy.
- If you decline to be turned into a vampire lord, your soul will be temporarily trapped in a soul gem, which greatly depletes your Health, Stamina, and Magicka while in the Soul Cairn.
- If you decline to be turned into a vampire lord. You can still choose to be turned into a vampire lord after completing the main questline for the Dawnguard DLC.
8
Completing “Kindred Judgement.” This is the final quest in the Dawnguard DLC. After completing this quest, you will be able to ask Serana to turn him into a vampire lord at any time.
9
Travel to Castle Volkihar. This is where Serana is located after the completion of the Dawnguard DLC.
10
Talk to Serana. You'll find her standing in the foyer of Castle Volkihar. Approach her, and hit the appropriate button to interact with her. If you have not already become a vampire lord, she will offer to turn you into one.
11
Accept Serana's offer. She will bite you and turn you into a vampire lord. This will cure you of your lycanthropy.
- Note that if you urge Serana to cure herself of vampirism instead, she will no longer be able to transform you into a vampire lord.

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Community Q&A

Question

Will collecting the totems for Aela affect my cure from lycanthropy?

Damian Wepking

Community Answer

Aela will not help you because she thinks being a werewolf is the best thing!
Question

Can I return to the blue flame later to cure my lycanthropy?

Community Answer

It will most likely not work, but you can try it and see if it will work for you.
Question

Why doesn't the flame of the harbinger work after curing my companion during a quest?

Community Answer

Try getting a witch's head; without this, you can't use the flame. If you aren't a werewolf, go to Aela to become one.