You’re standing in the middle of Rimmen. The sun is beating down on the sandstone. Somewhere nearby, a bard is strumming a lute and singing about Moonsugar. You look around, and half the players sprinting past you on glowing mounts are cats. Big cats, small cats, cats that look like house pets, and cats that stand seven feet tall. It’s a lot. Honestly, the obsession with the Khajiit Elder Scrolls Online community has only grown since the Elsweyr expansion dropped years ago. People just can't get enough of them. Is it because they're cute? Maybe. But if you're trying to min-max a trial build or just want to get lost in some of the weirdest lore ZeniMax Online Studios ever put to paper, there's a lot more under the fur.
The Ridiculous Complexity of Khajiit Morphologies
Most people think a Khajiit is just a person with a tail. Wrong. In the actual lore of The Elder Scrolls Online, what you look like depends entirely on the phase of the moons, Masser and Secunda, when you were born. It’s called the Lunar Lattice.
Imagine being born a Senche-raht. You’re essentially a sentient battle-cat the size of a horse. You’re smart, you speak, and you probably have a smaller Khajiit cousin riding on your back into battle. Then you have the Alfiq. They look exactly like house cats. No, really. They can’t hold swords, so they became some of the most powerful mages in Tamriel because nobody expects the tabby on the rug to blast them with a fireball. In-game, you mostly play as the Cathay or Suthay-raht—the bipedal versions—but walking through Northern Elsweyr lets you actually talk to these other forms. It adds this layer of "holy crap, this world is strange" that you don't get with the Nords or Bretons.
Why Khajiit are Top-Tier for DPS
Let’s talk numbers. If you’re playing a Khajiit Elder Scrolls Online character, you’re likely doing it for the Critical Damage. Their racial passive, Feline Ambush, is a monster. It increases your Critical Damage and Critical Healing by 12%.
In the current meta, hitting the "Crit Cap" is the name of the game. Most groups aim for a 125% Critical Damage limit. Because Khajiit get such a massive chunk of that for free, they are incredibly flexible. You can swap out gear sets that other races are forced to wear just to keep up. Plus, they get a flat 915 boost to Max Health, Magicka, and Stamina. It’s the "Jack of all Trades" build that actually works. You want to be a Nightblade? Obviously. But they make surprisingly tanky Sorcerers too.
The Robustness passive also gives you 100 Health, Magicka, and Stamina recovery. It’s not a huge number on its own. However, when you’re in a long boss fight in a Veteran Dungeon and your resources are bottoming out, that extra tick of recovery is often the difference between getting off one last heal or eating dirt.
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Dealing with the "Stealth" Reputation
Everyone assumes if you play a Khajiit, you’re a thief. I mean, the game doesn't help. The Cutpurse passive increases your Pickpocket chance by 5%.
It's kind of a stereotype, right?
But honestly, the Khajiit identity in ESO is more about survival and spirituality than just being a "sneaky cat." If you head over to Southern Elsweyr—the Dragonhold DLC area—you see the grit. You see the Dragonguard. You see Khajiit who are dedicated to ancient martial arts and the worship of the moons. It’s less "I stole your sweetroll" and more "I am a warrior-monk guarding a desert tomb." If you haven't done the questline involving the Moon-Singers, you’re missing out on the best writing in the game. They treat stories like a physical force. It's wild.
The Best Zones to Explore as a Khajiit
If you're just starting out, don't just hang out in the starter islands. Get to Elsweyr.
- Northern Elsweyr: This is where you get the grand scale. The city of Rimmen is gorgeous. The architecture is heavily inspired by Khmer and Indian designs, mixed with that classic TES fantasy vibe. It’s also where you’ll find the main Dragon season questline.
- Southern Elsweyr (Pellitine): This place is darker. It’s recovering from a plague called the Knahaten Flu. It’s swampy, vertical, and feels much more dangerous than the north.
- Khenarthi’s Roost: This is the "classic" Khajiit experience. Small, breezy, and full of skooma jokes. It’s a great place to farm nodes, too.
Actually, one thing most players miss is the hidden lore entries scattered around Senchal. There’s a specific book series about the "Thirteen Furstocks" that explains why you never see certain Khajiit types in other provinces. They basically just don't like leaving home because the climate elsewhere makes them sick or uncomfortable. It makes sense. Who wants to be a desert cat in the middle of a Skyrim blizzard?
Making the Most of Your Khajiit Build
If you want to actually be "good" at the game and not just look cool, focus on your gear synergy. Since you have that 12% Crit Damage bonus, you should look at sets like Orders Wrath. It’s a craftable set, so it’s easy to get. It adds even more Critical Chance and Damage. When you stack that with the Khajiit passives, you become a glass cannon that actually hits like a truck.
For attributes, just dump all 64 points into either Stamina or Magicka. Don’t split them. Khajiit are versatile, but "hybrid" builds in ESO still require a very specific setup to not suck in endgame content.
Also, use the Thief Mundus Stone. Just do it. The extra Critical Chance makes that 12% damage bonus proc way more often. You'll see your DPS numbers jump significantly.
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Step-by-Step Optimization for New Khajiit Players
- Level Legerdemain immediately. Since you have the racial bonus for pickpocketing, use it. Go to Anwil or Belkarth and steal everything. It’s the fastest way to make gold early on.
- Unlock the Dark Brotherhood. Khajiit look amazing in the Shrouded Armor, but more importantly, the Blade of Woe fits the feline assassin fantasy perfectly.
- Find a Senche Mount. It feels wrong to ride a horse as a Khajiit. There are plenty of feline mounts available through seals of endeavor or the crown store.
- Visit the Adeptoria. Spend time in the monasteries in Elsweyr. The NPCs there have some of the most unique dialogue in the game regarding the "Two-Moons Dance" combat style.
Don't listen to the meta-chasers who say you have to be an Orc for maximum damage. The difference is usually less than 2%. In a game as long as The Elder Scrolls Online, you're better off playing a race you actually enjoy looking at for 500 hours. The Khajiit offer the most unique lore, the most flexible stats, and arguably the best house decorations in the entire game. Go to Rimmen, grab a drink at the inn, and start the quest "The Rage of Dragons." You won't regret it.