The most likely choices of the Dovakhiin according to lore

[CBR JGWRR]

King, Rebel, Observer. Tiber, Arctus, Wulfharth. Tullius, Ulfric, dovahkiin. Sort of says it all really.

[Br3admax]

The canon, I don't know why you're putting it in quotes because there will be an actual canon Dragonborn regardless of race, Dragonborn will kill some dragons, some vampires, and a Dragonborn and disappear. All of this other stuff is irrelevant.

[Jun Satou]

Canon Dovahkiin crossed the border right? Not in Imperial clothing, nor did anyone recognise him from the Imperial legion in Skyrim. = Non-Imperial troop.

"It's these Stormcloaks the empire wants" , "We weren't with you" = Non-Stormcloak troop.

Other than the Civil war the canon story in Skyrim is the main quest and meeting with the Greybeards. As you know, the Grey-beards are neutral. This should give some indication to the 'canon' Dovahkiin's idea on the war. Maybe the 'canon' Dovahkiin did know he was Dragonborn and crossed the border to train or meet up with the Greybeards, this renders the Whiterun & Dragon part a filler only for immersion which I can agree with completely.

My assumption summary; the 'canon' Dragonborn heard that the Greybeards are in Skyrim, maybe he was or he wasn't informed of the civil war, and crossed the border only to meet them and not get involved with this civil war business. Remember you're given the option to give parts of land for either side in the sense of the Dragonborn's idea of what is right (temporary peace treaty/meeting council). Getting involved physically (civil war) isn't canon so the Dragonborn at the end slightly gets involved to get the Jarl's (Balgruuf's) attention but only to (essentially) help himself.

[Musicman247]

Merged threads for easier discussion.

[Redguard OfTheEmpire]

All of this other stuff is irrelevant.

But in the Civil War the player is referred to as the Dragonborn, does this not mean the canon Dragonborn took part in the civil war?
And you can't complete the CW without becoming DB and starting the MQ, therefore I take this to mean that the the two (CW and MQ) are tied together.

And i was saying 'canon' because many people don't agree with the idea of a male Nord Dragonborn, so that was for them.
And what is Season Unending like when you haven't taken a side? I've never done it.

[CBR JGWRR]

And what is Season Unending like when you haven't taken a side? I've never done it.

A General, a legate, 2 Jarls, 4 bearded blokes in robes, an elven woman in robes, 2 Blades, 2 Stormcloaks and the dovahkiin sit at a table. Along the way the legate has some brilliantly funny lines, an old man has a tirade and some cities are used as bargaining chips to negotiate a truce neither side wants.

[Br3admax]

@nosenseJun: You don't know your DB yet, so that makes no sense.

[CBR JGWRR]

That, you don't find out until after the Western Watchtower incident.

[Jun Satou]

nosense: You don't know your DB yet, so that makes no sense.

I don't know my DB yet? Enlighten me, what side did canon DB choose during the Civil war? You don't know, none of us do until Bethesda releases the story instead of options for immersion.

I just said he's neutral, if you didn't catch that then it's not my fault.

^ I call everything from the Riverwood aid, to watchtower non-canon, if you don't like it that's your problem because we all know the canon DB can't be with Hadvar and Ralof at the same time heading towards Riverwood, the Canon DB either chose a side or went by his-self to seek the greybeards, again, in my view. Not everything in quests are canon, again Titus Mede II can live (Destroy the DBH) or die by the end of Skyrim (Hail Sithis), not both.

[Musicman247]

Br3admax is known for interchanging the words "your" & "you're", "there", "their" and "they're" as well as other grammatically incorrect switches. I think he meant to say that the character does not know they are Dragonborn at the start of the game, which is why the Greybeards call out the name Dovahkiin when they detect that a dragon soul has been consumed. That leads the player character to find out that they are the Dragonborn.

Since the sequence is so long, I don't think it would be considered filler, so Br3ad is correct that the PC doesn't know that they are Dragonborn before the start of the game.

[Nord85]

Well, that's rather self-evident in-game anyway. After all, when the guard calls the character Dragonbron after slaying Mirmulnir, the only dialogue option is "Dragonborn? What's that?" or something along those lines. Also, all the player character's dialogue in the Dragonsreach after the Greybeards' call seems to be based on the assumption that he knows next to nothing about the whole Dovahkiin/Greybeards thing. Then again, the whole dialogue thing is a device to give some exposition to the player (as opposed to the character) so this is open to debate.

[Jun Satou]

Br3admax is known for interchanging the words "your" & "you're", "there", "their" and "they're" as well as other grammatically incorrect switches. I think he meant to say that the character does not know they are Dragonborn at the start of the game, which is why the Greybeards call out the name Dovahkiin when they detect that a dragon soul has been consumed. That leads the player character to find out that they are the Dragonborn.

Since the sequence is so long, I don't think it would be considered filler, so Br3ad is correct that the PC doesn't know that they are Dragonborn before the start of the game.

Brad, I thought you meant I don't know my Dragonborn character.

Thank you Musicman for clearing his sentence up. I personally want Bethesda to give us the whole insight to the canon story choices and quests (what of Ulfric etc.)

[scribbane]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think Bethesda have provided canon explanations for every quest line in previous games. The only things that are guaranteed to become canon are MQ's including DLC. So while the civil war is a major backdrop for TES V, it may not be something that Beth decides the canon DB participated in. The history will probably become canon (Beth will choose either the Empire or Stormcloaks to win), but that doesn't necessarily mean that DB had a hand in it. The civil war may have just resolved itself while we're off handling dragons. For those who have played Morrowind, I imagine this will be like the Great Houses. Since you could only join one, it would be hard to put into canon what the Nerevarine actually did. Other questlines that don't require the either-or choice can be included in the canon because they would play out in history without the Hero necessarily needing to partake.

[Jun Satou]

Obviously not every single questline. Ulfric's fate in Skyrim is imminent to come-up in lore for the later (single?) player Elder Scroll(s), if not then Skyrim's Civil War quest is invalid.

(Whether his fate is High-king or beheaded)

[Redguard OfTheEmpire]

A General, a legate, 2 Jarls, 4 bearded blokes in robes, an elven woman in robes, 2 Blades, 2 Stormcloaks and the dovahkiin sit at a table. Along the way the legate has some brilliantly funny lines, an old man has a tirade and some cities are used as bargaining chips to negotiate a truce neither side wants.

Ahh so not too different then. Ulfric/Tullius would have different dialogue though wouldn't they? considering the DB isn't on their sides

[CBR JGWRR]

Only by a couple of lines each, depending on who negotiations favour.

[Br3admax]

Br3admax is known for interchanging the words "your" & "you're", "there", "their" and "they're" as well as other grammatically incorrect switches. I think he meant to say that the character does not know they are Dragonborn at the start of the game, which is why the Greybeards call out the name Dovahkiin when they detect that a dragon soul has been consumed. That leads the player character to find out that they are the Dragonborn.

Since the sequence is so long, I don't think it would be considered filler, so Br3ad is correct that the PC doesn't know that they are Dragonborn before the start of the game.

I'm on my phone, man. Cut me some slack.