Skyrim Races
All 10 playable races in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – racial powers, resistances and skill bonuses – and which one suits your build.
Al
Altmer (High Elf)
Ar
Argonian
Bo
Bosmer (Wood Elf)
Br
Breton
Du
Dunmer (Dark Elf)
Im
Imperial
Kh
Khajiit
No
Nord
Or
Orc (Orsimer)
Re
Redguard
Skyrim has 10 playable races: five human, three elven and two beast races. Each one gets a racial power you can use once a day, a passive ability or resistance, and a +10 bonus to one skill and +5 to five others. Pick the one that fits the character you want to play.
All races
| Race | Suits | Racial power | Ability | Best skill (+10) | Other skills (+5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altmer (High Elf) | Mage (Suits) | Highborn – regenerate Magicka much faster for 60 seconds | +50 Magicka | Illusion | Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Enchanting, Restoration |
| Argonian | Thief (Suits) | Histskin – regenerate Health ten times faster for 60 seconds | Breathe underwater · 50% disease resistance | Lockpicking | Alteration, Light Armor, Pickpocket, Restoration, Sneak |
| Bosmer (Wood Elf) | Archer (Suits) | Command Animal – make an animal an ally for 60 seconds | 50% poison and disease resistance | Archery | Alchemy, Light Armor, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Sneak |
| Breton | Spellsword (Suits) | Dragonskin – absorb 50% of the Magicka from hostile spells for 60 seconds | 25% magic resistance | Conjuration | Alchemy, Alteration, Illusion, Restoration, Speech |
| Dunmer (Dark Elf) | Battlemage (Suits) | Ancestor's Wrath – surround yourself with fire for 60 seconds | 50% fire resistance | Destruction | Alchemy, Alteration, Illusion, Light Armor, Sneak |
| Imperial | Knight (Suits) | Voice of the Emperor – calm nearby people for 60 seconds | Imperial Luck – find more gold | Restoration | Block, Destruction, Enchanting, Heavy Armor, One-Handed |
| Khajiit | Thief (Suits) | Night Eye – see in the dark | Claws – extra unarmed damage | Sneak | Alchemy, Archery, Lockpicking, One-Handed, Pickpocket |
| Nord | Warrior (Suits) | Battle Cry – nearby enemies flee for 30 seconds | 50% frost resistance | Two-Handed | Block, Light Armor, One-Handed, Smithing, Speech |
| Orc (Orsimer) | Warrior (Suits) | Berserker Rage – take half damage and deal double damage for 60 seconds | Welcome in Orc strongholds | Heavy Armor | Block, Enchanting, One-Handed, Smithing, Two-Handed |
| Redguard | Warrior (Suits) | Adrenaline Rush – regenerate Stamina ten times faster for 60 seconds | 50% poison resistance | One-Handed | Alteration, Archery, Block, Destruction, Smithing |
How to choose
Race matters less than you thinkBonuses only give a small head start – every race can learn every skill.
MagesAltmer for raw Magicka, Breton for magic resistance, Dunmer for Destruction.
WarriorsNord, Orc and Redguard have the best combat powers and skills.
Thieves and archersBosmer, Khajiit and Argonian start with stealth skills.
Change it laterOn PC, the console command showracemenu reopens character creation if you change your mind.
Pick a race above for a short guide.
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Reference page written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games change with every patch – the patch this page was last checked for is shown at the top.