So, for the third time in TES history, we have a major questline involving a god/king with a distinctive golden mask, returning from the dead to try to reclaim his former glory (http://images.uesp.net/2/25/Dagoth_Ur.jpg, http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/4631/1065823-umaril_the_unfeathered.jpg, and now http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Skyrim-Dragonborn-DLC.jpg). Beyond the obvious, out-of-universe explanation, with lazy writers trying to recreate one of their more successful stories by lifting its most superficial elements, is there any specific symbolism to the golden mask in-universe that we know of?

All three figures seem very similar: all possessed god-like power and had to be killed in order for the modern cultures in those provinces (the Dunmer, Imperials, and Nords, respectively) to flourish. And all three had a failsafe against being killed permanently, all the better to return later to wreak havok on Tamriel.

This just seems like too much to be a coincidence.

The whole Dragon War plot is basically KotN retold in Skyrim. Methinks Beth is running out of ideas.

Well, VIvec has his water face and whatnot, maybe this is some other kind of face?

Maybe the enantiomorph is at play here - http://www.imperial-library.info/content/rebels-return


Maybe gold is associated with royalty? The rebels could just be wearing their golden crowns (prematurely or arrogantly) as pretender kings.

Just may potentially irrelevant 2cents.

But Miraak has a silver mask. It only looks gold in the trailer because of the lighting of the dragon soul.

Derp. Sometimes I have trouble distinguishing colors- now that you say it, his armor does look silver in that pic, though I can still see it as gold too if I look at it the right way.

Masked badguy returning from the dead to wreak havok again, is probably THE most repeated fantasy trope in regards to plot. It is all in the details and backstory.

To understand this guy, we must aks ourselves. What are his motivations? I really hope it isn't to simplistic.

More food for thought. We absorbed the King's Souls(Alduin), Now we are going to absorb the Rebels(Miraak). Hmmm.

Oh snap. We're going to embody both sides of the e-morph (like Pelinal).

I know how it feels. I spent ages trying to figure out if Auri-El's bow and shield was white, silver or gold.

Now that is an interesting observation.

Except we didn't.

I haven't actually beaten the main quest. So we don't absorb Alduin's Soul?

Nope. There are actually several lines of dialogue devoted to the potential ramifications of Alduin's soul escaping your gullet.

I wonder what this guy is doing with all the countless dragon souls he absorbed. Selling them to HM?

Gold? Silver? I call it the Champagne Mask. Goes well with seafood.