Pick a Nord. That’s what most people do when they first load into Helgen. It makes sense, right? You’re in their homeland, everyone is shouting about Talos, and you just want to blend in. But honestly, picking from the all races in Skyrim lineup isn't just about whether you want to look like a giant cat or a pale human. It fundamentally changes how the first ten hours of your game feel.
The racial bonuses in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim aren't just flavor text. They are hard-coded mechanical advantages. If you pick an Altmer (High Elf), you start with a massive +50 bonus to Magicka. That’s five levels' worth of stat increases right out of the gate. For a mage build, that is an absolute game-changer. Meanwhile, a Bosmer (Wood Elf) gets a 50% resistance to poison and disease, which sounds cool until you realize you can just chug a potion or visit a shrine to fix that in two seconds. Some choices are just objectively better for specific playstyles.
The Human Tribes: Nords, Imperials, Redguards, and Bretons
Nords are the poster children of the game. They have a 50% Resistance to Frost. In a land covered in snow where every third enemy is a Frost Mage or a Frost Dragon, that's huge. Their "Battlecry" power makes enemies flee, which is great for crowd control when you’re cornered in a dungeon. It's practical. It's sturdy.
Then you have the Imperials. Most players ignore them because they feel "generic." But they have a hidden trait called Imperial Luck. You find more gold in chests. It’s not a fortune, but it adds up over a 100-hour playthrough. Their "Voice of the Emperor" power is basically a "get out of jail free" card—it calms nearby people for 60 seconds. Accidentally punched a chicken in Riverwood? Use the power. Everyone stops trying to murder you.
Redguards are the kings of physical combat. Their "Adrenaline Rush" power lets them regenerate Stamina 10 times faster for 60 seconds. If you're using power attacks or sprinting through the Reach, this is god-tier. They also have a 50% Poison Resistance, which is niche but helpful when spiders are involved.
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Bretons are arguably the best race for late-game "tanking." They aren't physically tough, but they have a 25% Magic Resistance. In Skyrim, magic is what usually kills you. High-level Briarhearts or Dragon Priests will melt a warrior in seconds, but a Breton just shrugs it off. Their "Dragonskin" power lets them absorb 50% of the magicka from incoming spells. They are essentially the ultimate "anti-mage" build.
The Elven Heritage: More Than Just Pointy Ears
When we talk about all races in Skyrim, the Elves represent the extreme ends of the spectrum. The Altmer (High Elf) is the tallest race in the game. Fun fact: height actually affects movement speed in the Skyrim engine. Because they are scaled taller, they walk and run slightly faster than a Khajiit or a Wood Elf. Their "Highborn" power lets them regen Magicka so fast they can basically spray continuous fireballs for a full minute.
Dunmer (Dark Elves) are the survivors. They have a 50% Fire Resistance. Given that dragons breathe fire and half the traps in the game are fire-based, this is arguably more useful than the Nord's frost resistance. They also start with the "Ancestors' Wrath" power, which surrounds them in a cloak of fire. It's great for early-game melee.
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Bosmer (Wood Elves) are the odd ones out. They are built for stealth and archery, starting with a +10 to Archery. Their unique power, "Command Animal," lets them make a mammoth or a bear fight for them. It’s cool for roleplay, but honestly? It’s one of the weakest powers because it doesn't work on high-level monsters or undead.
The "Beast" Races: Scale, Fur, and Survival
Argonians are often misunderstood. People pick them because they look like raptors. Their passive ability to breathe underwater is cool, but Skyrim doesn't actually have that much deep-water content. The real reason to play an Argonian is "Histskin." This power regenerates your Health 10 times faster. You can stand in front of a giant and just take hits while your health bar zips back to full. It’s the ultimate survival tool for players who hate dying.
Khajiit are the most popular "fun" choice. They have "Claws" that do 15 points of damage. In the early game, that’s actually stronger than most iron swords. If you want to do an unarmed "PUNCHCAT" run, this is the only way to go. Their "Night Eye" allows for infinite night vision. It’s handy if you play with lighting mods that make dungeons pitch black, but in the base game, it’s mostly just a screen filter.
Orsimer (Orcs) are the heavy hitters. They have the single best activated power in the game: "Berserker Rage." For 60 seconds, you take half damage and deal double damage. It works with bows, it works with warhammers, it works with daggers. If you encounter a boss that feels impossible, an Orc just hits the rage button and deletes them from the game. No other race has a power that scales this well into the late game.
Understanding Starting Skills and Stat Spreads
A common misconception is that your race locks you into a class. It doesn't. Any race can do anything. But the starting skill bonuses (usually one +10 and five +5s) act as a nudge.
- Altmer: +10 Illusion; +5 Conjuration, Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, Enchanting.
- Argonian: +10 Lockpicking; +5 Restoration, Alteration, Light Armor, Sneak, Pickpocket.
- Breton: +10 Conjuration; +5 Restoration, Illusion, Alteration, Alchemy, Speech.
- Dunmer: +10 Destruction; +5 Alchemy, Illusion, Alteration, Light Armor, Sneak.
- Imperial: +10 Restoration; +5 Destruction, Enchanting, One-Handed, Block, Heavy Armor.
- Khajiit: +10 Sneak; +5 Alchemy, One-Handed, Archery, Lockpicking, Pickpocket.
- Nord: +10 Two-Handed; +5 One-Handed, Block, Smithing, Light Armor, Speech.
- Orc: +10 Heavy Armor; +5 One-Handed, Two-Handed, Block, Smithing, Enchanting.
- Redguard: +10 One-Handed; +5 Archery, Block, Smithing, Destruction, Alteration.
- Bosmer: +10 Archery; +5 Alchemy, Light Armor, Sneak, Lockpicking, Pickpocket.
Why Lore and Politics Change the Experience
Playing as a certain race affects how NPCs talk to you. If you walk into Windhelm as a Dunmer or an Argonian, you’re going to hear some nasty comments from the local Nords. The guards might treat you with more suspicion. Conversely, playing as a Nord makes the Stormcloak questline feel more "correct" from a narrative standpoint, while an Imperial or Altmer fits better with the Legion (even if the Altmer hate the Thalmor as much as anyone else).
There is a depth to the all races in Skyrim list that goes beyond the character creator. For example, many players don't realize that Orcs can enter Orc Strongholds immediately without having to do a quest to become "Blood-Kin." It saves time and gives you instant access to some of the best smithing trainers and shops in the game.
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The Mathematical Reality of Late-Game Builds
Once you hit level 50, your starting skill bonuses don't matter anymore. Everyone can hit 100 in Smithing. Everyone can max out Enchanting.
At that point, the only things that matter are the passive resistances and the activated powers. This is why Bretons, Orcs, and Altmer are generally considered the "S-Tier" choices by the min-maxing community. A 25% Magic Resistance (Breton) is a permanent buff that you can't easily replace without using an enchanting slot on your gear. An Orc's double damage is a multiplier that stacks with everything else.
If you're playing for the story? Pick what looks cool. If you're playing on Legendary difficulty? You better think long and hard about those passive resistances.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Next Playthrough
- Identify your primary combat style before picking. If you want to be a pure mage, the Altmer's +50 Magicka is essentially giving you a massive head start that makes the early "squishy" levels much easier.
- Don't ignore the daily powers. Many players forget to use things like "Berserker Rage" or "Dragonskin." Map them to a hotkey. They are designed to save you from a "Game Over" screen when things go sideways.
- Think about the "Anti-Magic" meta. Most enemies that cause "walls" for players are casters. Picking a Breton or a Dunmer (for fire resistance against mages and dragons) provides a safety net that Nords or Khajiit simply don't have.
- Experiment with the Beast races for unique starts. An Argonian’s Histskin makes them the best "early game" tanks, allowing you to tackle difficult dungeons like Bleak Falls Barrow much earlier than you otherwise would.
- Check the height factor. If you feel like your character is moving too slowly, try a taller race like an Altmer or an Orc. It’s a subtle difference, but over miles of traversing the tundra, you’ll notice the speed.
Choosing from the all races in Skyrim isn't a permanent lock on your ability to use certain weapons or spells, but it is the foundation of your character's mathematical "floor." Pick the race that covers your greatest weakness, and the rest of the game will feel much smoother.