This page contains a complete list of all NPCs who at some point during gameplay are "essential." What it means is that they cannot be killed - if you try, they'll merely be knocked unconscious. You can tell if an NPC is essential in-game, because their talk-icon will be a crown, instead of the standard talk icon. Most of these NPCs become killable later in the game. "*" means that the location of the NPC is only valid during or after the associated quest which is the first time they appear in the game.
| Name | Found | Becomes Killable |
|---|---|---|
| Adeo | Outside Pinnacle Rock at the start of The Helpless Army | When the player reaches the Hall of Devotion during the quest |
| Amiable Fanriene | New Sheoth Bliss, Amiable Fanriene's House | When Falling Awake is complete |
| Anya Herrick | New Sheoth Palace, House of Dementia | never |
| Arctus | New Sheoth Sacellum Arden-Sul | never |
| Aurig Desha | Passwall* | At the end of Retaking The Fringe |
| Aurmazl Kaneh | Cylarne, during The Cold Flame of Agnon quest | If the player allies with the Dark Seducers during the quest, or when sacrificing herself to light the flame |
| Brithaur | New Sheoth Crucible, Brithaur's House | When the quest of the same name is begun |
| Count Cirion's Ghost | Vitharn | never, removed from game after Ghosts of Vitharn |
| Court Healer | New Sheoth Palace, Palace of Sheogorath | never |
| Cutter | New Sheoth Crucible, Cutter's Weapons | never |
| Dancer | New Sheoth Palace, Palace of Sheogorath | never |
| Dervenin | New Sheoth Sacellum Arden-Sul | never |
| Dumag gro-Bonk | New Sheoth Bliss, The Missing Pauldron | never |
| Dylora | Pinnacle Rock | Briefly, during The Helpless Army. She returns to essential status later during the quest. |
| Dyus | Knifepoint Hollow | never |
| Earil | New Sheoth Crucible, Earil's Mysteries | never |
| Gaius Prentus | A Strange Door | never |
| Grakedrig Ulfri | Cylarne, during The Cold Flame of Agnon quest | If the player allies with the Golden Saints during the quest, or when sacrificing herself to light the flame |
| Grakendo Udico | Passwall* | At the end of Retaking The Fringe |
| Gundlar | New Sheoth Palace, House of Mania | never |
| Haskill | New Sheoth Palace, Palace of Sheogorath | never |
| Herdir | New Sheoth Palace, House of Dementia | never |
| Horkvir Bear-Arm (Dementia) | Split, Horkvir Bear-Arm's House | Either when the player picks the manic side during The Great Divide or when the quest is over |
| Horkvir Bear-Arm (Mania) | Split, Horkvir Bear-Arm's House | Either when the player picks the demented side during The Great Divide or when the quest is over |
| Issmi | Outside Brellach at the start of The Helpless Army | When the player reaches the Hall of Devotion during the quest |
| Jayred Ice-Veins | Passwall, Jayred Ice-Veins' House | When he hands over the Gatekeeper Bone Arrows |
| Kiliban Nyrandil | Xedilian | never |
| Kithlan | New Sheoth Palace, House of Dementia | never |
| Ma'zaddha | New Sheoth Crucible, Ma'zaddha's house | never, but dies a scripted death during The Lady of Paranoia quest |
| Muurine | New Sheoth, Crucible, Muurine's House | Until the climax of The Lady of Paranoia |
| Nanette Don | Passwall, Nanette's House | never |
| Nelrene | New Sheoth Palace, Palace of Sheogorath | never |
| Pyke | Hale, Zoe Malene's House | When To Help A Hero is completed |
| Relmyna Verenim | Passwall, The Wastrel's Purse, Xaselm* | When Rebuilding the Gatekeeper is completed |
| Shelden | Passwall, Shelden's House, Xeddefen* | If he is escorted out of Xeddefen during Retaking The Fringe, then he will always be essential. If he is told to find his own way out, however, he will lose his essential status. |
| Sheogorath | New Sheoth Palace, Palace of Sheogorath | never |
| Sickly Bernice | New Sheoth, Crucible, Sickly Bernice's Taphouse | never |
| Staada | Brellach | Briefly, during The Helpless Army. She returns to essential status later during the quest. |
| Syl | New Sheoth Palace, House of Dementia | When either Ritual of Dementia or The Roots of Madness are begun, depending on your allegiance |
| Thadon | New Sheoth Palace, House of Mania | When either Ritual of Mania or The Roots of Madness are begun, depending on your allegiance |
| Wide-Eye | New Sheoth Palace, House of Mania | During the Ritual of Mania, when she activates the controls to enter the Greenmote Silo. If the Ritual of Dementia is chosen instead, she remains essential. |
In addition, the Orc Adventurer Captain is essential until his troops have been slain by the Gatekeeper during their attack, and the Gatekeeper itself is essential until the end of that battle