Creature Souls List

This is a simple list of creatures which can empower soul gems upon death, organized by soul gem size.

Foreword

This guide skips creatures that are unique or limited in some way, such as those that only show up in a single dungeon. The question is not "what kind of soul is this rare creature?" it is "what common creatures give which souls?" To that end, each section will also feature a few sentances about where to go to fill up one kind of gem or another.

Petty Souls

Your best bet for filling petty soul gems is to wander the roads in almost any hold, but especially the southern holds. Goats and wolves are common enough random encounters. Ironically the hardest part about Petty is how many things are Lesser.

• Chicken
  
• Cow
  
• Deer
  
• Dog
  
• Elk
  
• Fox
  
• Frostbite Spider
  
• Goat
  
• Horker
  
• Mudcrab
  
• Rabbit
  
• Skeever
  
• Skeleton
  
• Slaughterfish
  
• Snow Fox
  
• Wisp
  
• Wolf

Lesser Souls

I feel like I could blow off the list and write "everything." Most hostile animals are on this list, as are a lot of the weaker draugr and falmer. If you're itching for enchanting practice, taking a bunch of petty and lesser soulgems into the forests and hills is a safe bet.

• Ash Hopper (Dragonborn)
  
• Bear
  
• Bristleback (Dragonborn)
  
• Chaurus
  
• Death Hound (Dawnguard)
  
• Flame Atronach
  
• Giant Frostbite Spider
  
• Horse
  
• Ice Wolf
  
• Ice Wraith
  
• Riekling (Dragonborn)
  
• Sabre Cat
  
• Snowy Sabre Cat
  
• Spriggan
  
• Troll

Common Souls

Middle of the road options, and quite deserving of the name. There's no good, reliable source to farm but I can't think of a dungeon that won't have at least a couple Commons as likely spawns. Bears are probably the best option for deliberate hunting, but a lot of draugr and falmer fill these gems, too.

• Ash Spawn (Dragonborn)
  
• Cave Bear
  
• Chaurus Reaper
  
• Frost Atronach
  
• Frost Troll
  
• Hagraven
  
• Netch Calf (Dragonborn)
  
• Riekling Hunter (Dragonborn)
  
• Snow Bear
  
• Spriggan Matron

Greater Souls

Second best is usually not good enough, but they're easier to come by! ...Yeah that's a lie. Giants and bull netches are your best bets, so carry a few Greaters when you're off gathering Grands. A lot of dungeon bosses will be Greaters, too, until your level is so high that using anything less than Grand is silly.

• Ash Spawn Skirmisher (Dragonborn)
  
• Burnt Spriggan (Dragonborn)
  
• Bull Netch (Dragonborn)
  
• Chaurus Hunter (Dawnguard)
  
• Giant
  
• Spriggan Earth Mother (Dawnguard)
  
• Storm Atronach
  
• Wispmother

Grand Souls

This is the one everyone is interested in. The only reliable sources are mammoths and betty netches. Neither is particularly numerous and both are typically well guarded.

• Ash Spawn Immolator (Dragonborn)
  
• Betty Netch (Dragonborn)
  
• Dragon Priest
  
• Mammoth

Draugr

Let's be honest, there are too many varieties of these guys. Pulling them out of the general lists was the only way to keep them clean.

Petty

• Draugr

Lesser

• Draugr Wight
  
• Draugr Wight Lord
  
• Restless Draugr

Common

• Draugr Overlord
  
• Draugr Scourge
  
• Draugr Scourge Lord
  
• Hulking Draugr

Greater OR Grand

• Draugr Death Overlord (Grand at level 45)
  
• Draugr Deathlord (Grand at level 40)

Falmer

Like Draugr, these guys have tons of variations.
Petty

• NONE

Lesser

• Falmer
  
• Falmer Skulker

Common

• Falmer Nightprowler
  
• Falmer Shadowmaster

Greater

• Falmer Gloomlurker (at level 42 or higher)
  
• Falmer Warmonger (Dawnguard) (Shamen variant)

Grand

• Falmer Gloomlurker (at level 43 or higher)
  
• Falmer Shadowmaster
  
• Falmer Warmonger (Dawnguard) (Warrior variants)

Soulless

No form of dwarven construct has a soul compatable with soul trap, but they often drop filled and unfilled soulgems.
Dragons cannot be soul trapped, but that is why you are Dovahkin, isn't it?

[Ryvaken Tadrya]

Cerl: Check for mods. I haven't played in a year or so, but it was reliable for me for many years before. I compiled the data off UESP.

Checking the current pages...the only discrepancy is that Gloomlurker is listed as leveled -5, meaning at level 41, it's level 36, and should have a Greater soul, bumping up to grand when it is 38 and you are 43.

[Cerl]

I realize this guide has been out a few years now, but I felt the need to correct some information for anyone else reading it. Most of the Falmer entries are incorrect.
I am currently level 41 in my legendary difficulty playthrough, heading to Blackreach. The Falmer encountered in Alftand so far give 1 level below what is listed in this guide.
Normal Falmer: Petty
Skulker: Petty
Nightprowler: Lesser
Gloomlurker: Common (might bump to greater when I gain another level)

[The_Holy_Bird]

Thanks.

[Arthur]

Black soul gems only fill with black souls. Black souls = human (and elven) souls. So basically, your regular bandit.

[Ryvaken Tadrya]

Black soul gems are tools of necromancy. I went into detail on them earlier in these comments. That information will not be included in the guide because it is, first, evil, and second, trivial.

[The_Holy_Bird]

what about black souls gem ? how can i fill this one

[Arthur]

Oh my god. That last comment of yours made me think about the fact that I never took into account the role-play aspect of the whole soul-gem thing. The countless bandits I sent to the Soul Cairn...

[Ryvaken Tadrya]

The gem shatters into useless fragments. As for the soul...play the Dawnguard questline. There's a reason I restrict myself to the souls of beasts and the occasional necromancer.

[IAm_Apollo]

Wow, I learned a lot from those responces. What's this about Reguard enchating views? On a similar note, I've always wondered what happens when a soul gem is "used" on an item, as well as the soul inside.

[DaveDunno]

Nice answers Ryvaken. Could be expanded with Redguard views of enchantment too. :)