Of all the creatures in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, from brutish three-eyed trolls to terrifying Hagravens, one seemingly docile animal strikes fear in even the most seasoned explorers. The domesticated chickens that dot the cities of Skyrim can cause the most problems for players to the point that they’ve become the subjects of many references and memes in gaming culture.
Killing a chicken in Skyrim accidentally or purposefully makes life miserable for players, which sounds absurd in a game full of difficult boss battles, dungeons, dragon attacks, and war. One good thing that’s come from the strife these feathered friends cause is the hilarious memes fans have created honoring the wrath of the chickens that almost every Skyrim player experiences, at least once. These memes from r/SkyrimMemes describe the chicken antics best of all.
Jazz Music Stops
One minute, players are peacefully strolling around a village, and the next, they’re being all-out attacked by everyone around them. Things get serious really quickly when it comes to the chickens of Skyrim.
The NPCs of Skyrim will surely give the player a look like in this meme if they go after the chickens. Life is tough in Tamriel after all, with not much to eat, resulting in a world where killing a chicken will always be punished to the harshest degree.
I Know You
Killing a chicken while out exploring will always come back to haunt the player. The guards at Whiterun or whichever city the Dragonborn happens on next will be ready to apprehend them for their heinous crime, an experience that’s far from Skyrim’s funniest random encounters.
Surely enough, killing a chicken is worth being dragged off to jail, losing all the stolen items in the player’s inventory, time, and stats. Avoid this awkward confrontation with the guards, represented hilariously in this Doctor Who-inspired meme, by leaving the poor chickens alone.
Thane Privileges
Because Skyrim takes the lives of chickens so seriously, accidentally killing one while in the heat of battle is reprehensible, even for the likes of a thane. This meme featuring Smudge the Cat sums up the experience perfectly.
Players who have spent hours becoming a thane are still not above Skyrim’s odd reverence for chickens. If the guards have already pardoned a crime for a player with thane privileges, they’ll have no patience for future crimes against fowl.
This Man Right Here
Skyrim is infamous for its many bugs and glitches, and while they can put a damper on the fun for many players, in some instances they make the game better, or at least more amusing. One bug gave Skyrim’s chickens the ability to report crimes to the guards, inspiring this funny meme.
Even the players in possession of Skryim‘s best potions of invisibility were no match for the chickens who became crime-fighting vigilantes, all thanks to a bug that was later fixed by Bethesda. This absurdly funny phenomenon has become a joke among fans, to the point where many players mod the bug back into the game.
Chicken Assault
The Elder Scrolls V isn’t the only video game that is hard on crimes against chickens, treating their deaths as one of the most evil things Skyrim players have done. This meme compares Skyrim‘s chicken ethics to those in the Legend of Zelda franchise.
In Legend of Zelda games, the player will be met with an attack by all nearby fowl if they dare try to attack one of cuccos, Hyrule’s version of chickens. This meme compares the punishment to that of Skyrim which can include hefty fines, jail time, or a merciless attack by NPCs. Both of these franchises are protective of their chickens, inspiring this meme.
Riverwood
Riverwood is often the first village players happen upon when playing Skyrim for the first time, as it’s located near Helgen, where the player’s journey begins. Unfortunately for the “noobs”, there are many unspoken rules of Skyrim, including never ever threatening the life of a chicken.
Riverwood particularly is a bad place to try out killing a chicken for the first time, as players are well underprepared for the villagers’ violent reaction to the death of their one and only chicken. This meme referencing TVFilthyFrank is a hilarious rendition of how new players feel when realizing killing a chicken wasn’t the most brilliant move.
By Accident
Many times Skyrim players have already heard about or have made the mistake of killing a chicken in-game but in the heat of battle or a dragon attack, a chicken will amble onto the battlefield, getting killed by an attack meant for an enemy. This is no excuse in Skyrim.
This Friends meme referencing Phoebe and Joey does a great job playing up the ridiculous nature of Skyrim’s chicken laws. There’s no convincing the guards it was an accident and if you refuse to pay their fine or go to jail, they’ll certainly have no qualms about killing the Dragonborn, even though they’re the one who was trying to save the city and guards!
Fried Chicken
The creator of this Skyrim chicken-themed meme went all out, fashioning a realistic-looking advertisement for a Skyrim air fryer with the game’s logo and another well-known chicken meme photoshopped onto the fryer itself. The creativity of the fanbase knows no bounds, making for hilarious memes such as this one.
This meme just goes to show how chickens have become synonymous with Skyrim thanks to the game’s glitches and bugs regarding them. This is one of the most creative Skyrim memes about chickens that many players wish was real, though they know better than to attempt frying a chicken in-game.
Go To Jail
There’s nothing worse than getting hauled off to jail after a player just risked their in-game life to save the town from one of the most annoying video game enemies: dragons. In Skyrim, that’s life, leaving the poster of this meme as well as other fans wondering just how sacred these chickens are.
This Monopoly-themed meme is creative and highly relatable to Skyrim players both new and old. The representation of the guards is spot on, as they’ll accept no “get out of jail free cards” for those who dare hurt their chickens, let alone help players look for their missing sweet roll.
Modern Solutions
Almost every Skyrim player has tried this once, attempting to take on the guards in retaliation for being pestered over a dead chicken. Though taking out all the NPCs is incredibly game-breaking, it is technically an option and as this meme states, a potential modern solution to a modern problem.
Committing accidental crimes in Skyrim is a lot easier than expected, as the mistaken push of a button can have the Dragonborn shout a crowd of villagers, guards, and chickens to their death, outraging an entire city. This meme illustrates the frustration that comes along with this, though players have come to accept this is a bizarre yet expected norm. Just another day in Skyrim.