Undead (draugr and skeletons) have blue eyes in Skyrim. Why?

Is it just some new design choice (most likely) or do you think there is some hidden lore or idea about it?

Also doesn't the Scourge get blue eyes in Wrath of the Lich king? ^^

Because Nords are Scandinavian-ish and thus have a tendency to be blue-eyed. At least, I assume that's why.

What'd they have before? I'm tempted to also ask "and what does it matter", but I won't.

Sure looks creepier than red though, doesn't it?

It doesn't matter at all to me! I'm just wondering

I thought they looked better with no/very pale eyes, ala Oblivion.

Nightingale armor leaves you with blue eyes... Mmhh..

The powers of the ideal master resonating from it's eye sockets?

It's merely the keyhole light from the next room, inside

Shezarrinine, the UA (Ultra-Aurbic) effulgation-shielding pigment responsible for epidermal, trichial, and ocular coloration in all Atmoran-strain Ambulehlnofeytical populations (Yokudans are protected by Ruptgaline - a related but distinct compound). It degrades heavily post-mortem, even displaying vibrantly unnerving chemo-luminescent qualities in the UAE-saturated corpuchassis of non-transsleeve Necromatons.

The Others and the Wights in A Song of Ice and Fire have bright blue eyes too. The latter are essentially the dead brought back to life by the former. It just struck me as an interesting similarity.

This is what I was thinking. It seems that much of the inspiration to put TES V in Skyrim was to capture the feeling of the North presented in A Song of Fire and Ice. Maybe I am reading too much into it, but there seem to be some similarities.

Because I put flashlights and blue gems in their eyes. All of them. It's totally legit, I swear.

Well that does explain why they are all so pissed. It must svck waking up after hundreds or thousands of years and finding your eyes gone...

It bears pointing out that when you "kill" them, their eyes dim and iirc the blue goes away. So Lutemoth's explanation seems more likely to me.

That's because the batteries only work until they're completely dead, which is when they're slain by adventurers or turned into ash.

It is basically magical stuff that allows them to see when their eyes have long rotten away.

Yeah, now that it's mentioned I think that could very well be why Bethesda made this stylistic decision. Interesting to note how much Oblivion and Skyrim have been shaped by the mainstream collective consciousness; LotR in Oblivion's art direction, Conan and Game of Thrones in Skyrim's...

By the way, I love your avatar. I wish Bethesda had taken a few pointers from that movie's style, would've been absolutely incredible to have a far-north game with the sort of feel that movie conveyed: misty frozen mystery and savage barbaric humanity.

That reminds me, Skyrim needed more freaking boats. Water played a pretty big role in land- and settlement-design this time around (something that was really well done), so why aren't there more aquatic vessels and travel-by-waterway?
hmm, I'm gonna have to go hang out by Solitude to sate my sudden sea-faring desires.

Everything got shipwrecked in the sea of ghosts silly.

I always figured it was just a side effect of reanimantion. Perhaps it's also something to do with them being alive (Or dead?) given the fact that it fades away when they die

The reason why draugr and skeletons have blue eyes is because they have a tiny bit of life resonating in them from supposed rituals they perform at the coffins of more powerful draugr or dragon priests. If you need more info read the book "Amongst the Draugr"

Well, one thing i noticed that in nordic/celtic stuff, for example too human, the nordic game, the cybernetic glow is teal, also, in the movies, celtic warriors have that teal face paint, for some reason, anything glowing related to nordic stuff, is teal, and the nords are obviously based off the nordic peoples, and so many other games include that teal glow in arctic/scandanavian characters. Its odd. Anyone know what Im getting at?: and could possibly explain better?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Too_Human.jpg

Look here, see his veins? i think thats what those are.

http://lancaid.deviantart.com/art/The-Futhark-Runes-130880371


Also here, they just happen to put hte blue glow as well, countless others, anythign to do with nordic or runes is like blue or teal.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/File:BM-creature-draugr-2.jpg

The draugr in Bloodmoon had red eyes. Probably just a design change for the new game.

Actually, when you think about it, this makes perfect sense. Draugr are enchanted to stay functional - so their form has been maintained, but everything else has fallen to shambles. Their hair has fallen out, their flesh has become dessicated, their skin paled, and the pigments in their eyes degraded.