Skyrim Best Race For Each Class

Skyrim Best Race
Updated:
05 Feb 2022

 Hello! My name’s Ember and I´m coming back at you with another article, this time, it’s about Skyrim. This is my longest article yet, so I suggest that you get comfy before you dive in. 

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Warrior 

 The Warrior is the ultimate fighter character. With their skills in two-handed, one-handed, archery, and block, this class is perfect for anyone who wants to play a character that charges into battle without fear. Warriors are the ones on the frontline of a battle, they’re the first defense. I like playing Warriors when I play a character that’s going to be involved in the civil war questline. 

 Best Races for Warriors (Orcs, Redguards) 

Orcs: 

Orcs are a beast race in The Elder Scrolls. Native to Wrothgarian and the Dragontail Mountains, this race is a very distant cousin to the Elven races. They receive bonuses to every skill used except for archery and get a +10 bonus to heavy armor. They also have the Berserker Rage ability. 

In summary, Orcs are going to be your best bet when playing a Warrior because of their bonuses and racial ability. They also look really cool in battle, so that’s a plus.

 Redguards: 

Redguards receive bonuses to every skill used except for two-handed and heavy armor, although they do get a +10 boost to one-handed. They’re native to Hammerfell and are a non-beast race. The Redguard racial ability, Adrenaline Rush, is similar to the Orc Berserker Rage ability, although it’s not quite as good. They also have 50% poison resistance. 

 In summary, Redguards are a good second choice if you don’t want to play an Orc because their racial abilities are similar and they have some good bonuses for this class. 

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 Mage

Mages are pretty much the opposite of Warriors. Instead of relying on strength and brute force, they rely on their smarts and spells. Mages are the ones on the sidelines of a battle, they can either heal injured comrades, or, alternatively, they can throw some magic at their enemies. I like playing Mages a lot, it’s my favorite build in fact.

Best Races for Mages (Altmer, Breton)

 Altmer: 

Native to High Rock, these elves are probably the most hated race in Skyrim by far. Even though the people in Skyrim may not like them, this race is hand-down the bet if you’re playing a Mage. They get boosts to every skill used, including a +10 in illusion magic. They also have the Highborn racial ability which is amazing for any magic-using character. 

In summary, Altmer are good for the Mage class because of all their bonuses to magic and their racial ability. 

 Bretons: 

Bretons are a non-beast race native to High Rock. They have a 25% magic resistance, and have some bonuses to all schools of magic except for destruction as well as speech and alchemy. This makes them good for battling other Mages. They also have the Dragonskin racial ability, which is really good for Mages. 

 In summary, Bretons are a good second choice if you don’t want to play an Altmer (I don’t blame you, I don’t like their faction either, but that’s a discussion for another time) because their bonuses are similar to Altmer and they can absorb 50% of magicka from hostile spells for 60 seconds when you use Dragonskin. 

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Thief 

 Thieves are the pure stealth class. They aren’t focused on battle, but rather stealing and fencing things to make some coin. The Thief class is my second favorite, I find sneaking around and breaking into places to be very fun. 

Best Races for Thieves (Khajiit, Imperial)

 Khajiits:

 Native to Elseweyr, this is our second beast race on this list. Khajiit are often seen in Skyrim in the form of travelling merchants, in fact, that’s really the only time they make an appearance. Khajiits have a +10 bonus to sneak and lower bonuses to alchemy, lockpicking, and pickpocket. The Nighteye racial ability is also really good since it allows you to see in the dark for a short period of time. 

 In summary, Khajiits are the best pick for the Thief class because of their bonuses and racial abilities. 

 Imperials:

 Imperials are the second best choice for the Thief class. They don’t really have bonuses to thief skills like Khajiits do, but they do have Imperial Luck. This enables them to find just a bit more gold where other races wouldn’t. The Voice Of The Emperor racial ability is also good if you get caught in someone’s house since you can use it to calm whoever caught you for 60 seconds.

 In summary, Imperials are good if you don’t want to play a Khajiit because of their Imperial Luck and Voice Of The Emperor. 

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Assassin

 Assassins are the absolute masters of sneak attacks. These are the people who can bring an entire empire down with one slash of a blade, so they’re definitely not ones to be messed with. The Assassin class is one of the funnest to play in my opinion. 

 Best Races for Assassins (Khajiit, Bosmer) 

 Khajiits:

 Once again, we have Khajiits. They are masters of sneak, so they’re really good for the Assassin class. They get bonuses to every skill used except for light armor, including a +10 bonus to sneak. Nighteye once again is very useful here, as it will enable you to sneak around in the dark and catch your target off guard. 

 In summary, Khajiits are good for this class because of their skill bonuses and racial ability. 

 Bosmer:

 Native to Vvardenfell, these elves are known as the best archers in the entirety of Tamriel. They have a +10 bonus to archery and a +5 in alchemy, light armor, pickpocketing, and sneak. Their skill in archery comes in handy for sniping targets from the safety of the shadows. They’re definitely a good second choice for this class.

 In summary, Bosmer are good Assassins because of their skill in archery. 

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Nightblade

 Nightblades are essentially a combination of the Mage and Assassin class. Their main weapon is their spells, although they can use one-handed blades when they have to start attacking. 

Best Races for Nightblades (Altmer, Dark Elf) 

 Altmer: 

 Altmer are very good for this class. They have some really nice bonuses to illusion, restoration, and destruction. They also have their Highborn power which comes in handy. 

 In summary, Altmer are good Nightblades because of their racial ability and bonuses. 

 Dark Elves: 

 Dark Elves are also good for this class. They get a +10 destruction bonus and a +5 bonus to illusion, light armor, and sneak.  Honestly, the only deciding factors between which race you use is whether or not you want to be a vampire and if you want to side with the Imperials. Be a Dark Elf if you want to be a vampire and vice versa.In summary, Dark Elves are a good fit for this class because of their skill bonuses. 

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Archer

 Aaaand here’s the class with all the memes surrounding its over usage. Here we have the Archer, these guys are the ones on the sidelines of the battle sniping people. They’re also good if you want to roleplay as a hunter. 

Best Races for Archers (Bosmer, Redguards)

 Bosmer: 

Bosmer are, once again, known for being the best archers in all of Tamriel, so this just makes sense. They have a +10 boost to archery and a +5 boost to alchemy and light armor. 

 In summary, Bosmer are good archers because of their skill bonuses. 

 Redguards: 

 Redguards also make pretty good archers. With a +10 to one-handed and +5 to smithing and archery, they make pretty good archers and could very well do close-range combat with a dagger. They also have the Adrenaline Rush racial ability which dramatically increases their skills for one minute. 

 In summary, Redguards are good archers because of their racial abilities and skill bonuses. 

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Barbarian

 Barbarians are the class that just absolutely massacres entire bandit camps in a matter of minutes. They mostly use two-handed weapons like battleaxes and wear light armor. 

Best Races for Barbarians (Nord, Orc)

 Nords: 

 Nords make great Barbarians due to their bonuses to every skill used, including a +10 in two-handed. They’re also very much the aesthetic of Barbarians. So yeah, they’re a really good race for this class.

 In summary, Nords are good Barbarians because of their skill bonuses and aesthetic.

 Orcs: 

 Orcs make for good Barbarians because of their bonuses to block and two-handed. They also have the Berserker rage racial ability, which is very useful for slaughtering enemies. 

 In summary, Orcs are good Barbarians because of their skill bonuses and racial ability. 

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Battlemage

 Battlemages are similar to Warriors in the fact that they are part of the frontlines in battles. Instead of relying solely on physical weapons though, they use magic. 

Best Races for Battlemages (Altmer, Dark Elf)

 Altmer:

 Altmer are good Battlemages since they have bonuses to every skill used except for two-handed. Their Highborn racial ability is also very useful.

 In summary, Altmer are good Battlemages because of their skill bonuses and racial ability. 

 Dark Elves:

 Dark Elves are good Battlemages for pretty much the same reason as Altmer, they have bonuses to certain schools of magic! They also have the Ancestor's Wrath racial ability.

 In summar, Dark Elves are good Battlemages due to their skill bonuses and racial ability. 

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Spellsword

 Spellswords are similar to Battlemages since both classes mix physical and magical combat. Spellswords focus more on the physical combat, though. These characters can also be on the frontlines of the battle. 

Best Races for Spellswords (Imperial, Dark Elf)

 Imperials: 

 Imperials are the best choice for this class, seeing as they have a skill bonus to every skill used except for illusion. This includes a +10 bonus to restoration magic. They also have the Voice Of The Emperor racial ability, so they can calm enemies if a battle gets too tough. 

 In summary, Imperials are a good fit for this class because of their racial ability and their skill bonuses. 

 Dark Elves:

 Now, I know what you’re thinking. Dark Elves are only really good for Mages, right? Wrong. Dark Elves can actually make for a pretty good Spellsword. They have a +5 bonus to alteration and light armor. These skill bonuses can be taken advantage of by wearing light armor and casting spells like Oakflesh or Stoneflesh in battle. They also have the Ancestor’s Wrath racial ability, so they can be doing damage with their sword while inflicting fire damage.

 In summary, Dark Elves would make pretty good Spellswords because of their skill in alteration and light armor as well as their Ancestor’s Wrath racial ability. 

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Sorcerer

 Sorcerers are pretty cool in my opinion. They’re essentially just Mages that are skilled in heavy armor. The armor will give them the protection they need to fearlessly ride into battle while still being able to use their spells. 

Best Races for Sorcerers (Altmer, Breton) 

 Altmer: 

 Altmer are just all over this list. They’re here for good reason, though. They get skill bonuses in every skill used except for heavy armor, which isn’t ridiculously hard to become skilled in. They also have the Highorn racial ability.

 In summary, Altmer makesmake for good Sorcerers because of their skill bonuses and racial ability. 

 Bretons: 

 Bretons have skill bonuses in every school of magic except for destruction, they also have a skill bonus in alchemy, which will come in handy for making healing and magicka potions. Their Dragonskin racial ability is also pretty good for this build since it can absorb magicka. 

 In summary, Bretons are good Sorcerers due to their skill bonuses and racial abilities. 

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Knight

 Knights are very honorable characters, they fight to protect their people rather than for glory. They have skills in both mind and body, using their wits to get through battles the smart way. Knights use shields, swords, and heavy armor. 

Best Races for Knights (Orc, Imperial)

 Orcs:

 Orcs have a bonus to every skill used for this class except for speech and illusion, this includes a +10 to heavy armor. Berserker Rage is also very useful for this class. Orcs are also your stereotypical fighting character, so they do make sense for the Knight class.

 In summary, Orcs are good Knights because of their skill bonuses and racial ability. 

 Imperials: 

 Imperials are gonna be your second best choice for this class, since they don’t have as good of skill bonuses as Orcs. They have bonuses to block, heavy armor, and one-handed, so, not as many of the used skills for this class as Orcs. They do, however, fit the Knight aesthetic much better, so, if you care about that, Imperials are a good choice. 

 In summary, Imperials are good Knights because they fit the aesthetic and have a few good skill bonuses. 

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Crusader

 Crusaders are holy warriors. Their entire goal is to eliminate so-called “evil” beings such as Daedra, necromancers, undead, and vampires. They are considered to be a sister class to the Knight. Best Races for Crusaders (Imperial, Redguard)

 Imperials:

 Imperials are amazing for this class, since they have a bonus to every skill used, including a +10 to Restoration. They also fit the Crusader aesthetic pretty well in my opinion. 

 In summary, Imperials are a good fit because of their skill bonuses and aesthetic. 

 Redguards:

 Redguards make good Warriors, so they’re a good fit for the Crusader class as well. They have skill bonuses in block, archery, and one-handed, which are all pretty good for this class. They also have the Adrenaline Rush racial ability, which is good for restoring stamina in a pinch.

 In summary, Redguards are good Crusaders because of their skill bonuses and racial ability.

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Scout

 Scouts are very talented archers and swordsmen. You can find them out and about in the woods, they’ll most likely be hunting or attacking some bandits from afar. 

Best Races for Scouts (Bosmer, Argonian)

 Bosmer:

 Bosmer are the best archers in all of Tamriel, so they make sense for this class. They have a +10 boost to archery and a +5 to light armor and alchemy, making them the perfect fit for this class. They also fit in great with the whole nature theme.

 In summary, Bosmer are good scouts because of their skill bonuses and lore. 

 Argonians:

 Argonians, the 3rd and final beast race, I just had to find a way to fit them into this list. They receive skill bonuses to light armor and sneak. They also have the Histskin racial ability, which allows them to recover health 10x faster than normalnorma for 60 seconds. They also have an inherent poison resistance and the ability to breathebrethe underwater. 

 In summary, Argonians make good scouts due to their skill bonuses, racial ability, and inherent traits. They’re also built for marshes, so they’re pretty good. 

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Bard

 Despite what you may think, Bads don’t just sit around playing at an inn all day. Instead, they opt to adventure around, using their talent in mind-manipulation to get through the challenges thrown at them. 

Best Races for Bards (Breton, Imperial)

 Bretons: 

 Bretons have skill bonuses to illusion, alchemy, and speech, all of which Bards use frequently. Their racial ability, Dragonskin, also comes in handy during combat, as does their 25% magic resistance.

 In summary, Bretons are good Bards due to their racial ability and skill bonuses. 

 Imperials:

 Imperials don’t really have skill bonuses to the skills used for this class, but they are pretty good with magic, which is mainly what Bards use. They also have the Voice Of the Emperor racial ability, which fits in with the mind-manipulation aspect of the Bard class. 

 In summary, Imperials are good Bards becausebecuase of their skill in magic and their racial ability. 

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Healer

 The Healer class is pretty self-explanatory, when you play this class, your main goal is healing yourself and others during combat. Healers live on the sidelines of the battle, waiting for the chance to hit  comrade with a healing spell. 

Best Races for Healers (Breton, Imperial) 

 Bretons: 

 Bretons get skill bonuses to every skill used for this class except destruction, and they have the Dragonskin racial ability, which is nice during combat against enemies using magic. 

 In summary, Bretons are good Healers due to their racial ability and skill bonuses.

 Imperials:

 Imperials have the Voice Of The Emperor racial ability, which comes in handy for calming enemies when a battle becomes too much. They also have a +10 in restoration, which is the main skill Healers use. 

 In summary, imperials are good healers because of their racial ability and skill bonus to restoration. 

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Monk

 Monks focus on hand-to-hand combat, which can be pretty hard when you’re going up against enemies with swords, magic, anything really. This isn’t a build I’d recommend for first-time players. 

Best Races for Monks (Khajiit, Orc)

 Khajiits: 

 Khajiits deal the most damage when unarmed out of any race in the game, which makes sense since they have, ya know, pretty big claws always unsheathedunsheated. They also get a skill bonus to sneak, which could come in handy for sneaking around enemies you really don’t want to fight. Nighteye is also useful for fighting at night.

 In summary, Khajiits are good Monks because of the amount of damage they can deal when unarmed and their skill bonus to sneak (along with Nighteye). 

 Orcs:

 Orcs have the Berserker Rage racial ability, which is great for this build since you can just absolutely go ham when you use it. They’re also the race that I can personallycn personally see makingamking up most of the Monk population due to their stereotype as brutish people. 

 In summary, Orcs are good Monks because of their aesthetic and racial ability. 

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Acrobat

 Despite the acrobatics skill not being in Skyrim, this class is definitely still playable. They rely on quickly moving in and out of battle as well as the skills of sneak, lockpicking, and pickpocketing. 

Best Races for Acrobats (Khajiit, Argonian)

 Khajiits:

 Khajiits have a skill bonus in every skill for this class except for block, including +10 sneak. They’re also seen as an incredibly agile race in Elder Scrolls lore, so this would definitely be lore-friendly. Their Nighteye racial ability will also come in handy for sneaking around in the dark. 

 In summary, Khajiits make good Acrobats because of their skill bonuses, racial ability, and the fact that they’re canonically a very agile race. 

 Argonians:

 Wow, we got two beast races for this class! Argonians have skill bonuses in lockpicking, pickpocketing, and sneak. Their Histskin racial ability is great for this class, since they can very quickly regenerate their health. 

 In summary, Argonians are good Acrobats due to their skill bonuses and racial ability. 

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Agent

 Agents are master liars and manipulators. They got through life by pretending to be something they aren’t to gain the trust of other people before turning around and betraying them, 

Best Races for Agents (Khajiit, Dark Elf) 

 Khajiits: 

 Khajiits are all over this list it seems. Khajiits have the Nighteye racial ability, which comes in handy for sneaking around at night. They also have skill bonuses in every skill used except for speech and illusion, including a +10 in sneak. They’re also depicted as liars and cheaters in lore. 

 In summary, Khajiits make good Agents because of their reputation in lore, their racial ability, and their skill bonuses. 

 Dark Elves:

 Dark Elves receive bonuses to sneak, light armor, and illusion, all of which are good for this class. They’re also seen as liars and cheaters by a pretty good portion of the people in Skyrim, so they definitely fit the stereotype. 

 In summary, Dark Elves are good Agents due to their skill bonuses and reputation. 

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Pilgrim

 Our last class on this list, the Pilgrim, is a wanderer who relies on maces, light armor, and shields during combat. They are very skilled fighters and lockpickers. They’re also very good at trading. 

Best Races For Pilgrims (Nord, Redguard)

 Nords:

 Nords have skill boosts in light armor, one handed, block, smithing, and speechseech. This makes them the ideal choice for this build. They’re also the natives of Skyrim, so if you care about that, Nords would be a good race for you to pick here. 

 In summary, Nords make good pilgrims because of their skill bonuses. 

 Redguards:

 Redguards have bonuses to one-handedone-hnded, block, and smithing, making them a good second choice for the Pilgrim class. They also have the Adrenaline Rush racial ability, which will come in handy during combat. 

 In summary, Redguards are good Pilgrims due to their racial ability and skill bonuses. 

 Whew, we did it! We got through the list! I hope you enjoyed this read and gained some knowledge from it! I’ll see you gamers next time with another article!

 

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Gamer Since:
2012
Favorite Genre:
RPG
Currently Playing:
Skyrim, Oblivion
Top 3 Favorite Games:
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn, Plague Inc: Evolved