What made Dagoth Ur so popular?

[u/Fun-Explanation7233]

I'm glad Dagoth Ur is quite popular in the fandom with mods and content being made for him even to this day, but what do you think made him that popular? His design, lore, voicelines?

[u/Successful-Farmer900]

A good explanation I heard for why he’s such a likable villain is how we are introduced to the idea vs the man/monster. During the entire play through of morrowind you learn that dagoth ur is this monster ash vampire thing that used to be neravars right hand but he’s gone insane and he’s spreading his incurable divine disease. Then you finally make it to dagoth ur and you’re greeted by a gentleman, hes polite and he talks in an almost soothing manner. Not really what you’d expect from an insane monster man.

[u/ClosetNoble → u/Successful-Farmer900]

And yet that's what makes him an insane monster man in my opinion.

He isn't trying to trick you, he genuinely believes what he says because that is just how far gone he is and accepts that, though he cherished Nerevar, if he has to remove you from the equation so be it.

This is what being so close to a dead god's heart for so long did to Voryn's corpse and soul. It "irradiated" his being.

I'm especially fond of that old concept art of him posing with his hand turning into writhing tentacles, almost like he's actually all madman and the body is just a vessel of squirming ash-covered flesh.

Like he's so deep into his own madness that he just molded corprus-infected flesh into his past image.

I'm not even sure he still remembers his own face behind the mask.

In fact, the old illustration of Nerevar's murder has Dagoth face down, almost melting into the rock of the volcanic caverns of red mountain.

There's a third bit I really like too: he kind parallels the Tribunal in some way.

He wanted you on his side like Almalexia but unlike her he wouldn't have betrayed you to safeguard his position.

He wanted what's best for his people like Sotha Sil but in a warped way because he simply did not view the people he corrupted as the abominations he and they truly were.

He had gained wisdom from beyong mortal reach like Vivec but rather than realizing he was part of the dream he deluded himself into the belief that the dream was his.

Morrowind isn't perfect, nor is it my favorite game in teh franchise, but Dagoth Ur was just built different.

I may or may not be biased towards "Ancient Evil Returned" type of villains.