So, what will this guy's story be? We only know so little, so let's speculate.
Given who he'll be voiced by, he'll probably be an Imperial(my first thought was Redguard, till I heard that Von Sydow would voice him), and that he's your mentor, but how far back does he mentor you? I hope they make it so that he started to "take you in" as a young advlt, maybe 17-20, instead of from birth, so that way we can still insert our own backstories. But, then again, we're just as likely to first meet him while playing, without any pretext.
Anyway! Speculation.

I envision Esbern as a Nord actually.

quick question: Would he have Blades armour or is he just a a narrator?

He's a character, so yeah he might have some form of blades armor. Heck, he might even hand it down to you.

and yeah I agree he might be a nord; he sounds like he would voice a nord.

Esbern sounds like a scandinavian/Norwegian name like "Asbj?rn/Asbj?rn", so he is probably a nord

All I know is he better keep a firm grip on his katana.

Maybe a variation on a common variation on Asbj?rn/Asbj?rn namely Esbj?rn/Esben/Espen (swedish/danish/norwegian). So I would be very surprised if he is something else than a nord given that the danish name Esben is so similiar.

True about the Nord thing. I just assumed, because he's a Blade and all. Anyway, race aside, what do you think we'll be in for?

Japp, exactly what I thought. It is probably more based on the danish variation of Asbj?rn. It is a nord for sure.

I'm hoping he's a shirtless skooma addicted hobo like our old blade friend from MW.

Perhaps he is undercover as a quiet monk at an unsuspecting priory just outside of Winterhold..

Yes that's what I'm hoping for ...

I have a feeling since the blades are technically destroyed and he's one of the last that he'll just appear as an old commoner with you as his protagé or something in a small unassuming village. Probably all reminiscant with stories about the blades "glory days" but maybe he'll have a quest to recover some ancient blades armor or he has a hidden room like jauffre in weynon priory. Perhaps even we aren't aware of being a Dovahkiin and after a dragon attacks our unassuming village home it's revealed he's actually a blades member and he helps you fight off or slay the dragon before you both go off to some location where he'll remain for the majority of the game

I'm envisioning Esbern as a hoary, proud old Nord who'll leave the PC a task (and/or a Blades-related item) before stepping back from the conflicts which he's probably been deeply involved in for most of his life, walking away into the snow never to be heard from again.

Except for the end that sounds like Eragon and Brom.

yeah cause wasnt he just a barrel of intriguing character :L

im envisioning him to be somewhat like the guild master from fable 1, where you get some telephathy device and he has the ability to 'coach' you in certain aspects like combat and how steath works etc.
this way, bethesda doesnt have to dumb down the whole game for newbies/casuals, but those people can still play the game and enjoy it.

Here's my guess, the Blades mostly all but crumbled away after the end of the Septim line. They refused to guard High Chancellor Orcata after he took power so he had them disbanded and the very few who remained, four to twelve went underground and acted like normal people and met secretively until a new chosen one would emerge. When Mede came into power there was a split between them, those who went to his side and those who didn't. Ultimately what remained of the true blades was one or two people passing their knowledge on their descendants or a few students. Mede probably saw these men as traitors to his Empire and ordered all Blades to be executed. Which caused there to be only one left and he fled to Skyrim to hide from Mede's descendants. He is either Esbern or Esbern master. Or I am totally wrong and ill be disproven either shortly or when the game is released. Might as well ask does anyone know when the next book will be out?

I think people take the "mentor" thing the wrong way. Caius Cosades was our mentor in Morrowind and we didn't know him before starting the game.

Esbern is probably the same, we probably meet him at the start of the game. Maybe he help us espace from prison. :wink_smile:

Esbern might find you as a child or something maybe and protect you till advlt hood.

I also imagine him in blades armor, heck maybe you get an Akaviri katana from him.

Or we'll get another creepy: "You're the one from my dreams..."

I assume Esbern will be the one to either take us to, or guide us to High Hrothgar to train with the Greybeards.

A lot of Nord culture draws parallels to norse (real world beliefs) The name Esbern is actually a norse variant of Esbjorn (Old Norse), and the meaning of Esbern is "godly bear".

For that reason, I believe him to be Nord.

Its actually Asbj?rn/Asbj?rn. Esbj?rn is a newer variant, like Espen, Esben, Aspen, etc. As a norwegian I do believe I know this
Asbj?rn/Asbj?rn = ássbj?rn(Norse variant) = Ass = God(s) Bj?rn= Bear.


He is a nord.

My mistake then!

Well there you have it folks!

I feel like it's obvious he's a Nord, I don't understand the discussion to try and prove that. XD

I'm more interested in who he is, what he'll be like.