We’ve all been there: you’re roaming aroundOblivion Remasteredwith some empty Grand Soul Gems, and you accidentally fill them with Greater, Common, or even Lesser and Petty Souls by mistake. It’s not your fault for forgetting, given how many enemies there are who don’t have Grand Souls.

But if you’re tired ofyour hard-won Grand Soul Gemsgoing to waste on lesser souls, leaving untapped potential forever lost, then we’ve got a solution for you. Firstly, did you know that you can Soul Trapcreatures that you’ve conjured?Prepare to fill your Grand Soul Gems to the brim with this tip and more.

What Types Of Grand Souls Are There?

Firstly, it’s important to note that two forms ofsouls willfill a Grand Soul Gem:

Essentially,Grand Soulsbelong to Daedra, miscellaneous undead, or otherwisemonster-like creatures,whileBlack Souls belong to NPCsand other humanoid creatures.

Here is a complete list of each set of souls:

Some soul sizes change depending on the level of the creature, but these will always remain in their listed categories.

Black Souls

Now that you understand the difference between types of souls, it’s time to focus on learning how to capture each type of soul.

Grand Soulscan be captured inGrandSoul Gems,BlackSoul Gems, andAzura’s Star.

However,Black Soulscan only be captured inBlack Soul Gems.

Souls can betrapped in Grand or Black Soul Gems by using a Soul Trap spell or a weaponimbued with the Soul Trap effect, like Umbra.

To make Black Soul Gems,you must bringGrand Soul Gems to a Necromancer altaratDark Fissure,Wendelbek,orFort Linchalduring the Shade of the Revenant.

Be sure to back up and look into the sky to tell when the Shade of the Revenant has begun.

Casting Soul Trap on the altarwith your Grand Soul Gems willturn them into Black Soul Gems.

You must cast a Soul Trap spell on the altar equal to the amount of Grand Soul Gems you’d like to turn into Black Soul Gems.

For example, if you placed four Grand Soul Gems in the altar, cast Soul Trap (any magnitude) four times. Then, the ritual will yield four Black Soul Gems.

Alternatively, you can also collect Black Soul Gems from Necromancers you encounter during the Mages Guild questline, but this method is more reliable.

With your empty Black and Grand Soul Gems in your inventory, you will be able to capture any kind of soul you want. Just make sure toonly Soul Trap enemies with Grand Souls or Black Soulsif you want to make the most out of these Soul Gems.