I doubt Ulfric cares too much about the soldiers that die for him. He's an arrogant **** who only wants power. Those type of people will do anything to get it, to him the end justifies the means. By laying down his life would send a message of he doesn't care if he's High King as long as Skyrim is free. All he cares about is the throne.

Plus if Ulfric really cared about freedom for Skyrim he would not be arrogant enough to think he is the only one worthy of ruling. He should appoint a senate, elected officials chosen by the people. Or at least a council of the other Jarls to govern the country as one. All the rebellion is doing is trading one ruler for another, one who is a bigot and a raciest. At least under the Empire there is a sense of equality.

They should have executed Ulfric as soon as they captured him

It was probably a last moment choice. Being that the Empire is based on Rome, I'm sure the first idea was to take Ulfric to the Capital and plop him infront of a judge, tell him he was pure evil, kill him infront of a crowd, and then put him on display so everyone gets the idea. But when the Thalmor showed up saying they should let the guy go - which should scare the hell out of anyone. The Thalmor asking for someone to be let go? Obviously wouldn't make sense, so Tillius decided to change plans and kill them all in Helgen.

And PS, if Ulfric was as evil and so full of himself as everyone say's he is, he would have announced himself High-King at the end of the rebel questline. Spoiler, he didn't, saying a moot was needed instead. The guy's no angel, but neither is the player-character who is on the scale of a small natural disaster no matter no matter which way you play.

The writing doesn't really support the notion that Tullius thinks of Ulfric as someone who cares about his people, does it? Look at it as it is presented, then. The general's words to Ulfric suggest that Tullius regards him as a dog gone bad, something to be "put down." He probably doesn't care whether Ulfric dies first or last, just as long as he does die. The first person to die is the guy who steps forward and tells them to just get it over with. It makes sense that he dies first. The next one chosen is you. The captain, the one who doesn't care that you aren't on their list, doesn't simply request the next prisoner, she specifies you. Any bad writing at this point is on the shoulders of the player. You are responsible for supplying the reason for your execution. You create the fiction that explains why the captain may, or may not, bear a special grudge against you. Tullius hasn't been shown to have a reason to correct his captain and instruct her to take Ulfric next instead of you.

Obviously Ulfric was last as he was last on the list because if you remember "the empire loves their damn lists".

Probably just trying to get you out the road quick before you blab and convince someone that you being there is a mistake and then everyone involved ends up with reams of paperwork and new proceedures to stop it happening again.

Yep. Basically a Logic Fail that allows the Stormcloak questline to exist. They could've had Ulfric being executed first and Alduin coming without anyone else dying (or maybe just the thief), but they decided it was more exciting for one soldier to die and you to nearly die.

Good thread OP. One possible explanation why they would execute Ulfric later, is to show Ulfric that he has truly lost: all his men and women are getting beheaded right in front of him. Just one last slap in the face before he dies himself. Of course we all know that's not how it ends, but it may me a possibility.

Why does anything happen? Had Hanninal sacked Rome instead of playing it safe and gathering allies in southern Italy then the whole of Western history would have been utterly different. If Tsar Nicholas hadn't foolishly decided to leave the capital and lead his troops into battle in WW1 then there wouldn't have been a First or Second Russian Revolution and the USSR never would have existed. If there hadn't been a gigantic storm at the exact moment Kublai Khan's armada was sailing towards Japan then there probably wouldn't even be such a thing as video games. All of human history is determined by the indecipherable and illogical will of fate. It never makes any sense. So much more so in a world where you can shoot fire out of your hands.

What were the chances that he would lose control of Ulfric because a Dragon showed up? Like 0.000000000001% He isnt an idiot for not taking that into account.

edit: and yea obviously he was last because the list was alphabetical order.

That's just the nature of dragons. If someone/thing is more powerful than they are, they want to challenge them and defeat them to prove the dragon is more powerful. It seems like they would rather die in a well fought battle than hide forever.

I think it went something like this:

"These aren't the Stormcloaks you're looking for"

"These aren't the Stormcloaks we're looking for. Move along."

In my case, I was a criminal. Not a good guy having a bad day. I probably deserved the execution. Secondly, I kicked the Captain in the balls. Yeah, the female Captain. I could've sworn my toes felt a pair of testacles. But that's beside the point. They wanted to get rid of me quick.

If Khajiit remembers... Stormcloak told the Imperial to cease speaking and walked to the block himself. Volunteers always amuse J'rahzir.

This is only an issue because events unfolded as they did. If a dragon (a creature noone had seen for centuries) hadn't attacked Ullfric life would only have been extended by a few minutes.

It was a public execution, the emphasis being on public. It's a show to deliver a message. In that context it makes sense to execute the most famous prisoner last

the way i'm seeing the examples don't sound quite like a paradox, just an alternative timeline of events.
if Ulfric was executed first in the opening but then you still see him in windhelm then it could be considered a paradox

what was explained in the OP was more so an alternative reality where the story is similar but the events that take place can be somewhat different

You guys are forgetting one thing: the Stormcloak soldier who says "For the love of Talos, let's get this over with". If this guy hadn't intervened, maybe Ulfric would have been killed first.


Also, if that guy had not said a word, Alduin would have showed up during the priest's speech, and no heads would have been cut off at all.

Even still, the captain chooses you next instead of Ulfric.

Yea he's probably looking down from Sovngarde going "They told me my big mouth was gonna get me killed one day, and they were right".

Quite good. It makes a deal of sense that way.... Though I must say that generally I don't anolyze the inconsistencies in games, since there's not much point in doing so - if you anolyze it out, then why would you play the game?

I think they ran out of time really. There's just so much content in the game that seems rushed. Basically the whole College of Winterhold, for example.

Also, I'm still amused as to why people think Alduin "happened to show up at the right time". If he knew the PC was the Dragonborn, he found him/her a curious challenge. Dragons are like Nords like that. If he did not, as I assume, he couldn't know he accidentally saved his worst fears. I repeat that Dragonborn might've even become Dragonborn just then. Akatosh could've arranged the whole event and its ridiculous timing.

It's not that bad in the writing. It's partly some of y'all's fault for not imagining why would Captain call you out. There could've been a lot of character concepts that ticked off the imperials, for them to do that.

Khajiit feels that the IMperial does not like one's face. Perhaps it would be better to be attractive in the land of Skyrim. That, by chance, would mean not playing as the Elf.

As an elf myself, I take offense to this. I make this elf suit look GOOD!!!