It represents stability. It represents compatibility. It is the final version of before Bethesda’s Creation Club updates broke thousands of mods.
Consequently, for large mod lists requiring those plugins. skyrim skse 1.5.97
is the Script Extender build compiled for Skyrim Special Edition (SE) executable version 1.5.97 . This version is widely considered the last stable build before the transition to Skyrim SE version 1.6 (Anniversary Edition/”Anniversary Update”) . It remains a critical baseline for modders who refuse or cannot update to the Anniversary Edition (AE) due to compatibility breaks with many advanced SKSE plugin mods. It represents stability
A: Check your Data\SKSE\Plugins folder. Delete any .dll mods that were made for AE (1.6.x). Download the 1.5.97 versions explicitly. Consequently, for large mod lists requiring those plugins
The Basics: Modding Skyrim SE Properly in 2025 (All versions)