Bethesda has paid tribute to Sir Patrick Stewart for his role in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion after his death.
Earlier today, it was announced that beloved actor Sir Patrick Stewart, best known for his roles in Star Trek and X-Men, died at 86 years old. The news came as a shock to many, and social media has been full of tributes to the actor. Many of his longtime collaborators, such as William Shatner, Kevin Feige, and Hugh Jackman all shared kind words about their time working with him.
Bethesda also offered up its own tribute by acknowledging the actor’s death, calling him an “inspiration to us all.” Stewart had a brief role in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion as Emperor Uriel Septim VII, who is killed off at the very beginning of the game. Despite having minimal screen time, his character is the one who introduces you to the world of Cyrodiil and the looming threats that you will contend with.
Rest in peace to Sir Patrick Stewart — an emperor, a captain, and an inspiration to us all.
Our thoughts are with his loved ones. https://t.co/dDzYWyDpV3
— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) October 29, 2026
Despite having less than 10 minutes of screen time in the game, Bethesda put together a massive, overly-detailed document (reportedly as long as 90 pages) about the history and details of the Emperor. They thought that maybe they’d gone too far and worried that Stewart would ignore all of it, but executive producer Todd Howard stated that the actor was thrilled with the depth they had given the character and was excited to play him.
In a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of Oblivion, developers gathered around in a room to listen to Stewart’s first recordings for the game, gushing over how well he performed lines, some of which they feared would be cheesy. One developer was so enamored by Stewart’s career that he carried around a picture of the actor in his wallet.
Fans of the game rallied on social media, saying that the actor was the perfect person to introduce players to the world in Oblivion.
“The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion would not have hit the same without the iconic introduction and prologue led by Patrick Stewart as Emperor Uriel Septim VII,” said one fan.
“Despite only being in the game for the opening and tutorial, Patrick Stewart gave the intro of Oblivion immense gravitas that will never be forgotten and could not have been achieved my anyone else,” echoed another.
Stewart had a pretty notable career in the video game industry outside of Oblivion. He reprised his Star Trek and X-Men characters for various video games over the years, but also did some pretty impactful voice work for games like Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.
Patrick Stewart’s narration in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Such an iconic voice https://t.co/9f0bxgOr6S
— Radec (@realradec) October 29, 2026
Stewart’s family has encouraged fans and friends to donate to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.