There is no single best race in Skyrim, because race only sets your starting skill bonuses, one passive ability and one daily power, and by the late game any race can play any build. The best pick is the race that matches how you want to play: Breton or High Elf for a mage, Nord, Orc or Redguard for a warrior, and Khajiit, Wood Elf or Argonian for a thief or archer.
Below we cover what race actually changes, a comparison of all ten races, our pick for each playstyle, the few story moments where race matters, and whether you can change it later.
This guide covers The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition and Anniversary Edition on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Races work the same on every platform. The one edition difference is Survival Mode, a Creation included with Anniversary Edition and free on Special Edition, which gives each race an extra trait.
What Your Race Actually Changes
Per the community wiki, race is the only choice at character creation that affects gameplay. Each race gets:
- +10 to one skill and +5 to five others. Skills start at 15, so these bonuses put you at 25 or 20 in your race’s specialties.
- One passive ability, such as a resistance or extra Magicka.
- One power you can use once per day (Khajiit Night Eye is the exception and can be used any time).
- An extra starting spell for Bretons, Dark Elves and High Elves.
Those head starts fade. Skills level by use, so any skill you use often soon outgrows a 10-point bonus. What never fades is the passive ability, which is why resistances weigh most in our picks.
Stealth is the exception. Per the community wiki, failed Sneak and Pickpocket attempts earn no experience, so a starting bonus matters more for thieves than for fighters or mages, whose attacks and spells always count.
All Ten Races Compared
| Race | +10 skill | Passive ability | Daily power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argonian | Lockpicking | 50% disease resistance, water breathing | Histskin (fast health regeneration) |
| Breton | Conjuration | 25% magic resistance | Dragonskin (absorb spell magicka) |
| Dark Elf | Destruction | 50% fire resistance | Ancestor’s Wrath (fire cloak) |
| High Elf | Illusion | +50 Magicka | Highborn (fast magicka regeneration) |
| Imperial | Restoration | Imperial Luck (extra gold) | Voice of the Emperor (calm people) |
| Khajiit | Sneak | Claws for stronger unarmed hits | Night Eye (usable any time) |
| Nord | Two-handed | 50% frost resistance | Battle Cry (enemies flee) |
| Orc | Heavy Armor | None | Berserker Rage (double damage, half damage taken) |
| Redguard | One-handed | 50% poison resistance | Adrenaline Rush (fast stamina regeneration) |
| Wood Elf | Archery | 50% poison and disease resistance | Command Animal |
Source: the community wiki’s race tables, which also list each race’s five +5 skills.
Our Pick for Each Playstyle
Warrior: Nord. Two-handed at +10 and 50% frost resistance, which helps against frost dragons and frost magic for the whole game. Pick an Orc instead if you want the strongest panic button: Berserker Rage doubles your damage and halves the damage you take for 60 seconds. Orcs have no resistances, but they start with +5 Smithing, as do Nords and Redguards, a head start for our guide to leveling Smithing fast.
Sword and shield or spellsword: Redguard. The best starting One-handed skill of any race, 50% poison resistance and a stamina burst for power attacks.
Mage: Breton. A permanent 25% magic resistance, which the community wiki calls one of the most broadly useful passive abilities, protects you from enemy spells at every level, and Conjuration starts at +10. A High Elf is the pure-Magicka alternative, with 50 extra Magicka from the first minute. High Elves, Orcs and Imperials also start with +5 Enchanting, which helps with leveling Enchanting fast.
Stealth archer: Wood Elf. Archery at +10 plus Sneak, Lockpicking and Pickpocket at +5, and resistance to both poison and disease. The Khajiit is the close alternative with Sneak at +10 and Night Eye on demand.
Thief: Argonian or Khajiit. Argonians start with the best Lockpicking of any race, and water breathing lets you explore underwater without surfacing.
Vampire build: Dark Elf. Fire resistance offsets a vampire’s weakness to fire, per the community wiki. Our guide to becoming a vampire in Skyrim covers the rest.
When Race Matters in the Story
Race changes dialogue throughout the game, but per the community wiki only two moments affect gameplay:
- Orcs are Blood-Kin. Orc players are welcomed into every Orc stronghold from the start, while other races must first finish a quest for the Orcs.
- The Thalmor Embassy. In the main quest Diplomatic Immunity, a hooded Thalmor robe lets elves pass as Thalmor. Humans can only walk past guards at a distance, and Khajiit and Argonians are exposed immediately.
Nords also get the most unique dialogue and are the only race NPCs do not treat as foreign.
If you play with Survival Mode, races differ slightly more. Per the community wiki, Nords get the most Warmth, Khajiit and Argonians can eat raw meat safely, Argonians are 25% weaker to cold, and Orcs resist hunger and fatigue.
Changing Your Race After Character Creation
Not in normal play. The Dawnguard add-on adds the quest Surgery, where a face sculptor in the Ragged Flagon in Riften reshapes your face for a fee, but per the community wiki it cannot change your race or sex, and vampires cannot use it.
On PC, the console can do it. The community wiki notes that the showracemenu command reopens character creation but can reset your skills, while player.setrace changes race without breaking them. Consoles have no equivalent, so choose carefully before you leave Helgen.
Birthsigns do not exist in Skyrim either. The Standing Stones replace them and can be swapped any time, unlike the permanent choice in our Oblivion birthsign guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best race for beginners in Skyrim? A Nord or Breton. Both have resistances that help at every level, and neither locks you into a single playstyle.
Does race matter at high level? Much less. Per the community wiki, by the endgame characters with the same skills play very similarly; only the passive abilities and daily powers keep mattering.
What is the best race for a stealth archer? Wood Elf, with Archery at +10 and bonuses to Sneak, Lockpicking and Pickpocket. Khajiit is a close second.
Can you change your race on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch? No. Only the PC console can change race after character creation.
Where are the other Skyrim guides? Our Elder Scrolls guides hub lists every Skyrim and Oblivion guide we have published.