Summary
Bethesda’s core franchises, particularlyThe Elder ScrollsandFallout, are rife with charm and memorable moments. These series have inspired countless memes over the years, withSkyrimperhaps being the most meme-rich, helping to form the backbone of early 2010s gaming culture on the internet.
Elder Scrollsmemes generally stem from comedic or bizarre dialog spoken by NPCs, with classics like “I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow in the knee” being among the most quotable.“Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll?“spoken by manySkyrimcity guards, is yet another commonly riffed-on line, perhaps due to its apparently random nature. It’s clearly meant to belittle the player character, but the mention of a sweetroll is so specific that it makes the line just strange enough to be memorable. This is maybe the most recognizable piece of sweetroll-related dialog in Bethesda’s games, but it’s far from the only one.
Bethesda RPGs Have a Sweetroll Obsession
Sweetrolls In The Elder Scrolls and Fallout
Skyrim’s sweetroll meme goes deeperthan just the confusing jabs hurled by city guards. Several children NPCs will also make references to sweetrolls, with Jarl Balgruuf’s daughter Dagny regularly lamenting the low-quality sweetrolls of Whiterun. Various unnamed children can also be heard exclaiming “Give me back my sweetroll” at several points in the game. One of the more subtle, yet no less absurdly funny, sweetroll references occurs in the Dragonborn expansion, wherein players can find a stash of the pastries in thief Glover Mallory’s basement.
Similar sweetroll references andfunny jokes can be found inOblivion. There are several surface-level comments and nods towards the treats, as they are available as a consumable item and lauded by Skingradian baker Salmo as his greatest product. But perhaps the most iconic reference is a piece of dialog that can be spoken by a number of different NPCs, describing a time that they were attacked by thugs while carrying their sweetroll.
A pattern begins to form when looking at all these sweetroll references: so many of them revolve around someone either stealing or attempting to steal the treasured dessert. Thesweetroll-stealing phenomenon isn’t limited toThe Elder Scrolls, as severalFalloutgames also feature the pastries, withFallout 3having the series' most iconic sweetroll-related shenanigans. In an earlyFallout 3mission, Lucy Palmer gives the player character a sweetroll as a birthday gift. Local vault bully Butch then attempts to force the protagonist to give them the sweetroll, allowing players to either fight back or acquiesce.
Sweetrolls can also be found inStarfield, but only as a consumable item with no obvious joke or theft-related story attached to them.
The Origins of the Enduring Sweetroll Meme
Sweetrolls first appear in1994’sThe Elder Scrolls: Arena. When players are creating their class at the start of the game, they are asked how they would handle a hypothetical scenario where three kids their age try to take their sweetroll by force. This scenario is posed again during the class creation process inDaggerfallandMorrowind. The answer the player gives determines their initial skill point distribution.
So, it turns out that the sweetroll joke is as old asThe Elder Scrollsitself. The sweetroll thought experiment featured inArena,Daggerfall, andMorrowindexplains why the pastry is associated with theft and children, but why a sweetroll is the subject of so much thievery and violence remains a mystery. Perhaps sweetrolls tie back to a long-running inside joke at Bethesda, or maybe its like so many otherElder Scrollsmemes, in that it is simply entertaining and absurd for no specific or logical reason.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
WHERE TO PLAY
Winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim celebrates 10 years of adventuring in stunning detail. The Anniversary Edition includes a decade worth of content: the critically acclaimed core game and add-ons of Skyrim Special Edition, plus Creation Club content released on or prior to July 14, 2025.EPIC FANTASY REBORNSkyrim reimagines and revolutionizes the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose.LIVE ANOTHER LIFE, IN ANOTHER WORLDPlay any type of character you’re able to imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of The Elder Scrolls is realized like never before.YOU ARE WHAT YOU PLAYChoose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities. The new character system allows you to play any way you want and define yourself through your actions.BATTLE DRAGONSBattle ancient dragons like you’ve never seen. As Dragonborn, learn their secrets and harness their power for yourself.
