Thalmor

The Thalmor are minor villains in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim but they are extremely important story–wise beyond the scope of the game as they were the most imminent evil force in the Elder Scrolls world prior to the appearance of Alduin and resume that position after he is destroyed. Even though gameplay continues after killing Alduin, there is no way to overthrow the Thalmor currently, and they will almost certainly be the main villains of a future expansion or even The Elder Scrolls VI. They are based on the Nazi Party.

The Thalmor are the ruling party of the Aldmeri Dominion, consisting entirely of supremacist High Eves whose goal is to destroy the Empire and end the worship of Talos, the Elder Scrolls equivalent of Jesus. About thirty years prior to the game, the Thalmor instigated the "Great War" against the Empire, which cost the lives of almost all of the Blades and ended with the emperor forced to give into many of the Thalmor's demands, including banning the worship of Talos.

Thalmor agents are only encountered in a few locations in–game, most notably the Thalmor Embassy which the player has to infiltrate during the main quest to retrieve information on where the dragons are coming from. One member, Ancano, becomes a major antagonist when the player joins the College of Winterhold.