These discussions usually spark very interesting debates, so I thought I would start this poll as I am intrigued as to which option will take precedence. I personally think that Ulfric wants the throne for greed, although I am a Stormcloak supporter myself. In other words, I want to see Skyrim free, but I do not want to see Ulfric on the throne.

How about you guys?

The first two options.

I believe he's in it for the throne first, (no solid first hand proof though, just gut feeling) and then the cause.

He is honest and sincere about his cause though (according to developer notes).

You have opened the gates of Oblivion.

Option 7 gets my vote but thats not what I really think.

Yes he is power hungry but for good reasons. He wants to be king so he can do what is right for Skyrim. Restore Talos worship, end the line of puppet kings and Jarls and to end the threat of the Thalmor.

Like any politician, he just wants the power and the money that goes with it.

Both 1 and 2 are the reason, as Shadow_Titan17 said.

There's an argument for either 1 or 2 and you'd get different answers depending on what character you ask.

Rose thinks he's a power hungry ninny who wouldn't know honor if it crapped on his porch

Veyalia is torn as she hates the empire but isn't all too thrilled with what seems to be the prevailing attitude towards Dunmer by many nords

Lemae loves the war as it distracts the 'cattle' from whatever she is doing.

I have yet to create a gung-ho stormcloak though ( I find it difficult as I generally can't stand any of the stormcloak jarls).

Prepare theeselves.

Biased civil war arguments incoming!

Anyway, for me it's the first one. The second plays a role too but I can't blame him for that.

Also this

I predict digital dung flinging in this threads future

If you think he wants the throne just because he wants power, after everything he did, including fighting in the great war, and freeing Markarth only to be arrested because of the offer Igmund or his father made, and after hearing him talk to Galmar and express genuine feelings alone before the "Why I fight" narrative, then personally I think you're being dishonest with yourself. Its the same as those saying Tullius hates Nords. Does he say some racist stuff? Yes, but racism doesn't instantly mean he's prejudice.

I'm torn on this.

First and foremost, I think he's fixated on the throne. He actually does come across as quite narcissistic and self-centered from a lot of his actions throughout the Civil War (both sides), and he seems to only "care" about Nord traditions when they serve his ends. He's a great orator who can motivate thousands of people to die for him so he can have the best title and the most awesome chair. He's knows exactly what buttons to push and how much pressure to apply to motivate people to serve his purposes. He understands it's better to be feared than loved, which is why his act of regicide is designed in such a way as to instill terror in the Jarls so they'll be too scared to oppose him in the Moot.

However, I also do believe that he is fighting for what he thinks is right, and I do think he actually cares about the people under him and the cause they fight for.

There's also the matter of redemption. I think a lot of what he's doing is to right his past wrongs. Abandoning the Way of the Voice, selling out the Empire to the Thalmor, failing to keep the Thalmor out of Markarth. He's a man whose legacy is a long list of failures, and I'm sure the separation from his father has compounded his problems, making him fret over his father's legacy and whether or not he can live up to it.

Had it not been for the bs "You're either with us or against us" attitude that the developers took when designing the Civil War, I'd be on the Stormcloak side, or at least actively against the Empire's. Ulfric's good at leading men, but he doesn't seem to be able to administrate worth a damn, something I doubt will get better after the Civil War ends, considering that not only will the territory he's in charge of increase considerably, but he'll probably be most fixated on gearing up for war with the Dominion.

I can agree to that to an extent. He definitely is pompous and his political standing is based on populism. That doesn't mean he doesn't actually believe what he says, as you point out.

This I don't agree with at all, because I don't see those things in the same light. Abandoning the Greybeards to fight in the Great War is something to be admired, because pacifists should be made to answer for the consequences of their inaction. And he actually won back Markarth- the reason the plan didn't work is because his allies are lily-livered and turned on him, not because he failed. I think these things increase his anger at the empire, and his willingness to risk his position and everything else to kick the empire out- whereas even his father apparently wasn't willing to go that far- but they're not personal failings.

It's true we don't know how he will rule, but that's the case on either side. The empire certainly has its leadership problems. Personally I believe, as you know, that provinces are going to have to learn to stand on their own whether they want to or not. And it's about time they do.

To elaborate on Markarth, I mean he failed in his objective (free Talos worship) and that the redemption is getting the power so he doesn't fail again. His lust for power is because he knows the sting of defeat and failure, and I think he takes the losses that come from it personally. I think you're right in it increasing his anger, and I didn't mean they're personal failings. I just mean that he's failed in previous goals he set for himself and he's determined not to do so again.

He wants the powah! of being High King himself. Obviously picking up some Imperial cunning in his time in the army, and using the worship of Talos as an excuse to rouse his countrymen to his cause.

Number 1 for me, but then I'm a Stormcloak supporter so it makes perfect sense to me.

One thing is fighting miles and miles away from the throne (power) where you merely see it with naivety and humbleness, but when you're on it, that's different. It takes a great will to repudiate such charm.

Other than that, he wants the throne for free boar, wine, and what the last option suggests.

This.

A character believing any of these choices could be played, and there are other possibilities that are useable as well. My current character operates from 'who cares what Ulfric believes, Nords don't have time for his petty war'. My next character is already planned and will operate from 'who cares what Ulfric believes, he is a pig and I am going to kill him'.

You know, if people said they thought Ulfric wants to be King for revenge against the Empire, that would be better than saying he just wants it because. Saying that is pretty much saying he has no actual grievences or feelings about anything at all and only pretends to be for gaining supporters. Which is absurd, given how he was arrested after the deal Markarth gave him, and how his father died while he was arrested. The "just for power" argument doesn't make any sense or have any real support for it.

No first hand proof, but at least some related dialogue from two SC backed Jarls and an heir.

In the end, you can't know whether one party will rule over the other one; this is but speculation over speculation. If you wish to see him as the guy who's always right 'cuz then you're argument isn't different from the he wants the throne 'cuz one.

Edited for typos.

I give reasons to my conclusions, buddy. With support.