❝ Alduin is a real dragon, with flesh and teeth and a mean streak longer than the White River. ❞

Alduin is an exceedingly powerful dragon capable of trapping and eating souls. It's said that he uses those souls to fuel his power. He comes from a world where dragons are extremely intelligent creatures, capable of complex thought and speech. As "children" of Akatosh, the God of Time, dragons are especially in tune with the flow of time. According to Paarthurnax, Alduin was once the "wisest and most far-seeing" of all the dragons. Even so, perhaps what sets him apart the most from his peers is that he is destined to bring destruction to Nirn, heralding the end of the world. For this reason, it is impossible - even for the Dragonborn - to take his soul should he be defeated.

In terms of size, Alduin is average. Below is a size chart, comparing him with an average human as well as other popular dragons. (Summary: Smaug dwarfs everybody, even other dragons. Just imagine if Ancalagon were on here.)


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In The Elder Scrolls, Dovahzul - the native tongue of dragons - can be used as a weapon. When used as a weapon, it is called a Dragon Shout. For dragons and the Dragonborn, this comes naturally. For anyone else, it is extremely difficult and requires a good deal of discipline, but it can be done. What occurs depends entirely on the words used and the intent behind them. Below are the shouts Alduin is capable of using. In truth, he probably knows a lot more, but these are canon.

{SHOUTS}
[ Fire Breath ]
   (Yol Toor Shul) → Exhales flame in a wide path, catching any in its way on fire.
[ Frost Breath ]
   (Fo Krah Diin) → Exhales an extreme chill, creating ice and slowing down enemies.
[ Meteor Storm ]
   (N/A) → With a roar, Alduin can summon a downpour of meteors on his enemies.
[ Reanimate Dragon ]
   (Slen Tiid Vo) → Awakens and resurrects long dead dragons.
[ Soul Fog ]
   (Ven Mul Riik) → Creates a dense fog that simultaneously snares souls.
[ Unrelenting Force ]
   (Fus Ro Dah) → Sends out a blast of raw power.