Pick a character. It seems simple. But in Final Fantasy XIV, that choice sticks with you through hundreds of hours of cutscenes, and honestly, most people mess it up by looking at stats that don't even matter anymore. If you're staring at the character creator right now, you're probably wondering if being a tiny Lalafell makes you harder to hit or if a Roegadyn hits harder.
They don't.
Back in the early days of A Realm Reborn, racial starting stats had a tiny bit of weight, but today? The difference is so negligible it’s basically invisible at level 100. What actually matters is how that gear looks on your frame and whether you can stand the way your character runs. Trust me, watching a male Miqo'te run like he's perpetually late for a bus for 300 hours can break a person's soul.
The Most Popular Final Fantasy 14 Races and Why People Pick Them
If you walk into Limsa Lominsa right now, you're going to see a sea of cats. It’s just the reality of Eorzea. According to the 2024 FFXIV Census (a massive community-driven data project by Lucky Bancho), Miqo'te remain the most played race across nearly all servers.
Why? Because they look good in almost everything.
Miqo'te come in two flavors: the Seekers of the Sun and the Keepers of the Moon. Seekers have those slit pupils and usually lean into warmer skin tones, while Keepers have the fangs. Yes, actual fangs. It's a small detail, but for the hardcore roleplayers or people who spend hours in GPose, it’s a huge deal. They represent roughly 15-20% of the active player base because they hit that "human but cooler" sweet spot.
Then you have the Hyur. They’re the humans. Boring? Maybe. But the Highlander sub-race is the only way to get that rugged, muscular look without going full "brick wall" like a Roegadyn. Midlanders, on the other hand, are the default protagonists. They are the "blank slate." If you want to look exactly like the guy in the trailers (the Warrior of Light/Derplander), this is your lane.
The Tiny Menace: Lalafell
You either love them or you want to punt them across the Thanalan desert. Lalafells are the small, rotund race that basically runs the economy in the game’s lore. While they look like toddlers to the uninitiated, they are often the most ruthless NPCs in the story (looking at you, Teledji Adeledji).
Playing a Lalafell changes your perspective. Literally. The camera sits lower. You feel faster because your short legs have to move double-time to cover the same ground as an Elezen. It’s an illusion, of course—everyone moves at the same speed—but the "waddle" is a lifestyle choice. Interestingly, data shows that Lalafell players are some of the most dedicated. Once you go "Lala," you rarely Fantasia back.
The Problem With "Big" Final Fantasy 14 Races
Roegadyn and Hrothgar. They are the heavy hitters. If you want to be a Sea Wolf or a Hellsguard, you’re choosing to be the center of attention. Roegadyn are massive, inspired by the Galka from Final Fantasy XI, and they make armor look gigantic.
But there’s a catch.
Since they have such wide shoulders and thick limbs, some armor sets—especially the more "delicate" caster robes—can look a bit stretched. It’s a common complaint among the "Roe" community. You’ll be a god-tier Tank, but your glamour options for a White Mage might feel a bit limited unless you like the "buff healer" aesthetic.
Then we have the Hrothgar. Added in Shadowbringers, these lion-like humanoids brought a much-needed beastly vibe to the game. But they came with a huge caveat that still annoys the player base years later: hats.
The Great Headgear Struggle
If you pick a Hrothgar or a Viera (the rabbit-eared race from FFXII), you are signing a contract to never wear a hat again. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but only slightly. Because of the unique head shapes and those massive ears, most helmets and hats simply do not display on these races.
- Viera: You get the ears, the height, and the "supermodel" proportions. You don't get 90% of the cool hats in the game.
- Hrothgar: You get the hunch, the fur, and the ferocity. You also don't get hats, and for a long time, your hairstyles were tied to your face shape (though Square Enix has been fixing this slowly).
Is it a dealbreaker? For some, yes. If your endgame is "Fashion Fantasy," not being able to wear a glowing wizard hat might hurt. But Viera remain incredibly popular—ranking just behind Miqo'te and Hyur—because they just look so sleek in high-end raiding gear.
The Nuance of Elezen and Au Ra
Elezen are the elves of this world. They’re tall, lanky, and have a very specific running animation that people either find elegant or "stiff." They are the original inhabitants of Ishgard, and if you're into the Heavensward expansion's lore, playing an Elezen feels very "right."
They have longer necks. It’s a meme in the community, but it’s something you notice once you see it. If you’re picky about proportions, try one out in the creator and rotate them 360 degrees before committing.
Then there's the Au Ra. Introduced in Heavensward, they are arguably the most "anime" of the bunch. They have horns, scales, and tails.
There is a massive sexual dimorphism here that catches new players off guard:
- Male Au Ra: Tall, edgy, triangular physique, very "broody" vibes.
- Female Au Ra: Tiny, dainty, often shorter than Midlander females.
It’s one of the weirdest splits in the game. If you want to play a "dragon person," the males feel like demons and the females feel like porcelain dolls. Both the Raen (white scales) and Xaela (black scales) have incredible lore tied to the Azim Steppe in the Stormblood expansion. If you like nomadic culture and tribal history, the Xaela are arguably the most fleshed-out sub-race in the entire game.
Does Your Race Choice Impact Gameplay?
Technically? No.
Emotionally? Absolutely.
As I mentioned, the stats are a wash. A Lalafell Paladin has the same effective HP and mitigation as a Roegadyn Paladin. However, the hitbox is a point of confusion. New players often think being small helps you dodge boss mechanics.
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It doesn't.
Every single character in Final Fantasy XIV, regardless of size, has the exact same pixel-sized hitbox at their center. Whether you are a towering 7-foot-tall Male Roegadyn or a 3-foot-tall Lalafell, you have to move the same distance to dodge that AoE circle.
The real impact is on the Animations.
A Roegadyn swinging a Greatsword looks heavy and impactful. A Lalafell swinging that same sword looks like a spinning top of death. The "weight" of the combat feels different based on the model's skeleton. This is why many top-tier raiders actually prefer smaller races; it's easier to see the ground markers when your own character's body isn't covering half the "safe spot."
Final Fantasy 14 Races and the "Fantasia" Addiction
Eventually, you might get bored. Square Enix knows this. That’s why they sell "Potion of Fantasia." It’s a real-money item that lets you re-edit your character entirely, including their race.
People spend hundreds of dollars on these.
It’s a running joke that the true "endgame" is finally settling on a race and staying that way for more than a month. If you’re starting out, don't stress too much. You get one free Fantasia just for finishing the base A Realm Reborn story (the Level 50 quest "The Ultimate Weapon").
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Making the Decision
If you’re still torn, do this:
- Check the emotes. Go to YouTube and search "FFXIV [Race] Emotes." Each race has a different dance, a different sit, and a different "joy." If you hate the laugh, you will hate the character.
- Think about the voice. You pick a voice profile (1 through 12) in the creator. Some of them have very annoying combat grunts.
- Consider the lore. Do you want to be a displaced refugee (Hrothgar/Viera), a proud citizen of a forest nation (Elezen/Miqo'te), or a wandering nomad (Au Ra)?
The "best" race is the one that makes you want to log in. For some, that’s being a majestic Viera. For others, it’s being a meme-tier Lalafell in a pig suit.
Before you commit, spend ten minutes in the character creator jumping. Just jumping. If the animation feels weird to you now, it will feel unbearable by the time you reach the Endwalker or Dawntrail expansions. Pick the frame that fits your aesthetic, ignore the stats, and remember that if you pick Viera or Hrothgar, you’re basically boycotting the hat industry.
Next Steps for New Players
Start by creating a few "alt" characters to test the running and jumping animations in the starting cities (Gridania, Ul'dah, or Limsa Lominsa). It takes five minutes to run around the plaza and see how the light hits your character's skin and scales. Once you find a movement style that feels fluid, check how your favorite gear type (Plate, Robes, or Leather) scales on that model. If you're happy with the look and the "heft" of the movement, you've found your main.