The Thalmor rub me the wrong way. In every way. I mean really, they make my skin crawl. The idea of racial superiority and dissharmony is absolutely abhorant to me (Despite my Dunmer love afair. I will convert the dark-skins one of these days, and they shall spread hugs and candy throughout the lands). Its rare for me to find a game where i can find a group which i absolutely hate. I could even see the merits to the Legion in New Vegas.

The Thalmor, on the other hand, have no redeeming qualities from where i sit. They are the blackest of the black, and even Merunes Dagon would blush at their abject evil. I kill the buggers on sight.

Well.
Evil is evil, is evil.

Apart from being more racist than the nords, more facist and happy about killing the innocent than the empire, killing hundreds of completely innocent people, what good is there to say about the Thalmor?

The evil who commit evil, without remorse, are according to a western view, psychopathic morons.

How many innocent people have the stormcloaks killed?
I see the Thalmor killing hundreds of Talos worshippers, who's only crime is their religion, and that are only the ones I encounter.
They also attack you when you express free speech.

The empire is guilty of letting the Thalmor kill hundreds of Talos worshippers. They have an AGREEMENT with the Thalmor, that express something like:
"We, the Empire, allow the Thalmor to kill our sons, daughters, fathers and mothers who want to be free as long as they leave the rest of us alone and treat us not too unkind when we let them take over our country, thank you".
In addition, they kill people who are suspected of being Stormcloaks, and people who happen to be near stormcloaks, and do not care wheter their prisoners are guilty or innocent, but will kill them anyway.
When they take over cities, they let those who surrender live.

Thus Stormcloaks are not fighting for freedom, but for the lives of the innocent. Yes, and freedom on top of that.
Talos worshippers have one thing in common: They worship Talos.
That is the only reason they are being killed by the Thalmor, while the Empire protect the Thalmor agents and their interests.
(Ulfric is not a sleeper agent, the Thalmor only recognize him as a potential asset that POSSIBLY can be manipulated to unwillingly support the Thalmor cause through deception.)

...

So.
Thalmor: Kills innocents, attacks innocent people unprovoked. Evil ==> Bastards that deserve death.
Empire: Allows the thalmor to kill innocents, kills people just for the heck of it. Neutral ==> Bastards that deserve to be shunned
Stormcloaks: Does not protect the innocents outside their cities. Requires foreigners to integrate and follow nord culture while the foreigners are in nord settlements; Requires people to act like the Romans when they are in Rome.

Two of the factions outright KILL people of the remaining faction, random people who aren't even suspected to be of that faction, and people with a specific religion.
Yet you critizise the last faction for NOT PROTECTING people.

Which flaw do you consider the worst:
1: Persecuting and killing people because of their culture, religion or ethnicity (Thalmor)
2: Not protecting people, and requiring people to meet your culture's standards of honor (be able to defend yourself and your family, be loyal) before you respect and accept them (Talk to the successfully integrated people in Stormcloak settlements; They will tell that they are respected and that people who complain don't understand nord culture)
3: Killing the innocent because you simply don't care about guilt or innocense, and fight against the rightful leader of Skyrim*

* Ulfric won against the king in Single Combat.
The king KNEW he could not win -- but still accepted the challenge.
Ulfric challenged the king to prove that the king was unable to even defend HIMSELF,
to prove that the King was unable to protect his people.
...
The king accepted to gamble the throne to Ulfic knowing that he would lose.
What else is there?

The Thalmor are weak! They are Heretics and so they shall burn in the Cleansing fire!
The Altmer must be shown the error of their misguided ways.
"How 'bout a show of force!"

This is all highly subjetive.

First off, we're told quite plainly that before the Stormcloaks (Or more specificly Ulfric) kicked up a stink about the Talos thing, the Empire did not infoce the ban, and the Thalmor did not have any authority to arrest anyone. As such, the Stormcloaks are causially responcible for the innocent deaths. Second, where did you get the idea that the Empire kills people for the heck of it? Because of the opening sequence? If you were found in Bin Ladin's stronghold when the Seals hit it, would you expect to be released on the claim "I'm totally not with him".

If your going to break things down into Good, Neutral and Evil, both the Stormcloaks and Empire have to fit into the Neutral category. The Thalmor are, most definately Evil, mind you.

I would like a DLC where you kick the Thalmor out of Skyrim or Join them.

the thalmor own. all of tamriel once belonged to the aldmer. its time to restore the balance

if it was possible i would join them in a heartbeat

I love them as a story setting, but I hate the Thalmor and their "Destroy the world and regain our immortality by killing all non-mer" policy.

Thalmor are the gestapo of the place and times: they are arrogant bastards who think that they descend from the gods instead of being created, like the humans believe. They kill whoever doesn't think like them; they want everyone to slavishly believe what they believe. How can you like them? (The question goes for all of you who "love" them.)

Yet another one of these "OMG, I LOVE NAZIS THE THALMOR!!"-threads.

No, I do not "adore" the Thalmor and I think that they are a blight upon Tamriel much like
Caesar's Legion was the plague of the Mojave Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas.

However, I do agree that it's a shame that you cannot join them eventually like you could
with Caesar's Legion, but I do not, in any way, sympathise with them at all!

I used to hate them in my previous playthroughs, but since I found a lovely little Thalmor chap in Morthal in my last playthrough I actually quite like them. I'm a Bosmer, so I'm part of the Aldmeri Dominion as well... I will do their bidding when they ask for it, join the Empire to kill off the rebels

I don't care if they seem evil. My Bosmer is a thief and an assasin, that sides with the Deadra and eats the raw flesh of the people she slays... I also plan on becoming a werewolf so that I can eat people alive as well... the Thalmor look like cute innocent Smurfs compaired to me

I hate them! Already had three of them attacking me because i am an enemy of the Thalmor.

I think you are the only one who likes them.

I can't stand the uptight little punks and their Bosmer buddies. I was surprised to hear the Bosmer were involved with the Dominion. Given their history as a bunch of whinners. I shudder to think of an army of Adoring Fans....LOL

Death to the Thalmor!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwOjXTPJTMQ&feature=related

No, I kill every thalmor I come across outside of towns with no exception. I then throw their bodies in the nearest river and free their prisoners. I won't even take their armour; I don't want to dirty myself by wearing it.

I wish skulls were apart of NPC loot, I'd so have a Thalmor cranium collection going on.

^This.

I want a Predator-style 'trophy' collection.

Although, if I did have one, a dragon skull would be the centrepiece.

Hah, the hell with Predator, go for teh Dark Eldar Decapitator theme. The guy/thing lines the walls of his ampitheatre with the skulls of his worthy prey, all looking inward to the spot where he crounches atop the skulls of those who failed to pass his muster.

Now THAT is how you should be storing your Thalmor skulls. Force them to look upon the 'inferior' who killed them for all eternity.

This.
If its true they want to destroy man and return to Godhood, I'd think my Altmer would rather stay on Tamriel.

But the Thalmor want to erase Talos, end the current kalpa and start a new one without men. Y U LIKE THEM?! D:

The Dragonskull is as tall as your Character

I hope they make a dlc that allowes you to join them

...o.0

Bethesda's been trying so hard to make me dislike them that i cant help loving them

This xD


Also, I always lol at how many Americans hold this viewpoint, considering the Aldmeri dominion has MANY parallels. (Their covert ops use torture, sabotage and kidnapping to gather intel and further their agenda, and they have a habit for bringing new countries into their sway by creating an opposition and then toppling the existing government so their supported opposition can take power. But on the homefront their citizens enjoy a great deal of home comforts, superb infrastructure development and wealth, on the whole countries that've joined instead of resisted the dominion have been better off for it... as long as you don't try and stand up for the old regime anyway)


Considering players enjoyment of taking potshots at and ambushing thalmor foot patrols it makes a kind of grotesque parody of real life