Skyrim’s Dead NPC Problem
The Dawnguard and Dragonborn DLC for Skyrim has bought with it some very unique problems – dead NPCs. Your favorite vendors can be killed in vampire attacks or by the Dragonpriest’s Cultist followers. If you’ve recently lost a favorite NPC, it is possible to resurrect or respawn them using the following console commands. (Ironically, console commands can only be used in the PC version of the game, not in console versions.)
How To Resurrect An NPC Corpse
If the NPC still has a body (ie, is not a pile of ash) you can simply use the tilde key (~) to open the console command menu, click on the body (a code will come up in the middle of the screen) and then type ‘resurrect’ into the console window. Close the window and the NPC will be returned to life, with no memory of their unfortunate demise.
How To Respawn Dead Skyrim NPCs
If your NPC has been reduced to an ash pile, you’ll need to use an entirely different command.
The ‘player.placeatme ‘ command will respawn an NPC from scratch. The pile of ash they once were will remain as a reminder, but the NPC is born anew, apparently unharmed.
For example, if Belethor is dead, you can respawn him using the following command:
player.placeatme 00013BA1
Other Skyrim NPC Codes can be found at this link. Using these codes, you can respawn, move or resurrect any Skyrim NPC.