Kill & Resurrect Cheats

If you're looking to kill or resurrect an NPC (or your character) with console commands, you've come to the right guide. This article will teach you how to use the kill and resurrect commands in Skyrim. You can quickly jump to a specific part of this article by clicking on one of the below links:

1. Kill Console Command
2. Resurrect Console Command

This guide requires basic knowledge of the Skyrim console (how to open and use it). You can open the console with the ~ or ` keys. To send commands, type in your desired command and hit ENTER on your keyboard. For more console help, see our Skyrim console guide.

How to Kill NPCs and Your Character with Commands

The command used to kill a target is, unsurpisingly, called the kill command. Its syntax is kill [reference id], with [reference id] being an optional argument you can use to specify the killer of your target.

To use the kill command, all you have to do is open the console, click on an NPC (which will make its reference ID pop up in brackets above the console) and type the following command into the console:

kill

You can kill your character with the following command:

player.kill

If you wish to specify a killer (the thing that killed the NPC you are killing with commands), enter its reference ID after the command (separated by a space). You can find out an NPC's reference ID by clicking on it when the console is open - it will appear in brackets (more reference ID help).

Let's say you want the NPC with reference ID 00078783 to be the killer of your target. After making sure you have your target selected (by clicking on it with the console open), you'd type the following command:

kill 00078783

How to Resurrect NPCs and Your Character with Commands

The resurrect command is used to resurrect NPCs after they have died. Its syntax is as follows:

resurrect [0 / 1]

The [0 / 1] argument is completely optional. If you don't specify any number, or you enter 0, a completely new copy of the NPC you resurrect will be spawned (new items, etc). If you specify a 1 after, the NPC that's on the floor will be brought back to life - meaning it will have all the same items in its inventory it had when it died and all of the same characteristics that it gained since it first spawned.

To use the resurrect command to spawn a new copy of the dead NPC, simply open the console and click the NPC you wish to resurrect. Then, type this command into the console and hit enter:

resurrect

If you want to bring the NPC that's on the floor back to life (rather than spawn a new copy with a new inventory, etc), click the NPC whilst the console is open and use the following console command:

resurrect 1

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That's all there is to the kill and resurrect commands. Check out our Skyrim console commands page for a list of every cheat and command in the game. You can find more guides such as the gold cheat and unlimited stamina commands on our blog.