Best New Race Mods for Skyrim (2024)

While there is no shortage of races to choose from in Skyrim, plus some bonus races like Vampires and Werewolves, sometimes you may want to try something new. That’s where the mods come into play. With these free mods, you can experience tons of new races.

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10 Best Skyrim Race Mods

With these mods, you can try out races you’ve never played, including the infamous Daedras from Oblivion, other iconic fantasy races like Centaurs, and many more. There’s no better way to spice up your experience than becoming someone new with new skills and abilities to explore. Here are a few of the very best I came across.

Daedra

Best New Race Mods for Skyrim (1)

If you played Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, you’ll be familiar with the Daedra. They are the demonic race that inhabits the plains of Oblivion. Now is your chance to become one of them, with dark ash-like skin, horns, and all. It’s up to you to spread chaos or be a Daedra turned to the good side. Along with some powerful traits, you can also have a set of fiery wings to get you around the map much faster.

Akaviri

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The Akaviri are an exciting race you can play as, thanks to this mod. Although they remain a big mystery, we’ve heard a bit about them in both Oblivion and Skyrim. They are most commonly related to The Blades, which is why the armor and weapons of the Blades are styled so differently than anything else. They are known for their skill in battle, especially with a blade. However, this mod plays on the race even more, giving them special abilities, such as venom and night vision, fitting for the variety of Vampirism they are plagued with.

Skeleton

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You fight a lot of skeletons around Skyrim, particularly in dungeons and ruins. However, what if you could play as a Skeleton race? This mod allows you to do so with unique customization options. You can have the skull of all the base races, like a Khajiit or an Argonian. Along with this race are lots of other content to explore as well, like new outfits, quests, followers, and so much more. Welcome to the world of the undead!

Centaur

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The Centaurs are one of my all-time favorite race mods that I came across. Not only is it one of the most unique of the options, but it’s very helpful in getting around the map. I use horses all the time, so rather than buying a horse, I’d rather be half a horse. This woodland race is similar to Wood Elves in the top half, as well as in their skills. They excel at Marksmanship.

Halfling

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The Halflings, better known as Hobbits, are very much the same humanoid shape as the other races but stout in size. Because of their size, they are experts in stealth and burglary skills. They can go undetected much easier than others and even receive some special blessings.

Dwarf

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The Dwarf race is very similar to the Hobbits in size, but they are more bulky than the Hobbits. They also include a lot more customization options to make them fit the part to a tee, including a custom voice. These people are skilled warriors. Along with their unique skills, you can also unlock new weapons, armor, and items to use for them.

Birds

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If you liked the idea of wings on the Daedra, you may enjoy these Bird races even more. This mod adds in three different varieties of races, all resembling bird-like creatures: Gryphons, Bats, and Birds (Song Birds, Eagles, Ravens, etc.). All of them have original faces that fit with feathers, beaks, and wings to fly with.

Argonian Crocodile

Best New Race Mods for Skyrim (8)

We’ve seen plenty of the reptilian race of the Argonians, but this mod brings in a fresh take on them with the Argonian Crocodiles. They resemble the Argonians in body and stature, but their faces are shaped more ferociously like a crocodile. You can customize their unique markings, teeth, and even some new crests and hair.

Snow Elf

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The Ancient Falmer race of the Snow Elves was quickly eluded to in the main story of Skyrim, but a lot of their culture was left a mystery. With this mod, you can become a Snow Elf with a snow-like complexion, pointy ears, and a tall, slender body. You exonerate pure light under the Goddess Auriel, excelling at magic and combat. Your greatest enemy is the undead, who you hope to purge from the land.

Aedra

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We’ve heard plenty about the Daedra, but the Aedra are the opposite of them in every sense. While the Daedra rule the underworld in fire and darkness, the Aedra are a race of light and glory, almost Angelic in nature. You’ll unlock unique powers and, similar to the Daedra, a set of wings to take to the skies with.

These are just a few of the most intriguing race modes I encountered. There are plenty of other options to explore, though. Check out your in-game mod menu, or explore NexusMods to find more. Try out some from the list above; you won’t be disappointed!

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Best New Race Mods for Skyrim (2024)

FAQs

What mods make races better in Skyrim? ›

Imperious is a well-thought-out and well-balanced mod which breathes new life into Skyrim's vanilla races. Each race's Health, Magicka, Stamina, regeneration, and starting carry weight has been tweaked.

Which Skyrim race is strongest? ›

Skyrim High Elf - 1

Unquestionably, the best possible race in Skyrim unless the player plans on using absolutely zero magic.

Is there a mod to change race in Skyrim? ›

Subscribe to download. Change your Race (ShowRaceMenu Alternative) If you like this mod, don't forget to support it! ShowRaceMenu Alternative allows to your character to change into any race, including custom ones, and preserve your skills and perks.

What is the most popular NPC race in Skyrim? ›

Nords do represent an overwhelming majority of the population of Skyrim, but players can download various mods to add more NPC diversity to the game.

Which race runs the fastest Skyrim? ›

Wood Elf (scale = 0.98) : 47.3 seconds to run the track. Imperial (scale = 1.00) : 46.35 seconds to run the track. Nord (scale = 1.03) : 45 seconds to run the track. High Elf (scale = 1.08) : 42.9 seconds to run the track.

Which race looks best as a vampire Skyrim? ›

It really depends on what "style" of Vampire you're going for. If you wana go "evil" go Dark Elf. If you want to be the vampire who actually looks all human, go Nord. If you want a Vampire who's like... a demon, then go for one of the beast races.

What is the least used race in Skyrim? ›

It's definitely not High Elves, they're the definitive wizard race. But Redguard is probably lowish. Not that this is the end all be all most scientific poll or anything, but judging from this it appears Redguard may be one of the least played races, followed by Altmer, while Argonian and Nord are most played.

What is the easiest race to play in Skyrim? ›

As it stands, the Nord is another easy character to play, with his great combat skills giving him an edge during the brutal starting slog of Skyrim. Their racial abilities are very sound, all things considered.

Are Bretons half Elves? ›

Bretons are humans with elven ancestry (often referred to in game as “half-elves” even though their ancestry is probably a bit more removed than that).

Can any race be Dragonborn in Skyrim? ›

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim depicts the rise of the Last Dragonborn, a legendary figure in Nordic folklore, but the game's character creation makes it so the player doesn't have to be a Nord.

Can you marry a different race in Skyrim? ›

You're free to marry anyone of any gender or race. Male Orcs can marry female Dark Elves, female Bretons can marry female Redguards, male Imperials can marry male Argonians. It's all good!

Can the face changer in Riften change your race? ›

Galathil is first mentioned after speaking to an innkeeper about rumors or in passing conversations with guards. This will add a quest marker to her location in the Ragged Flagon in Riften. to alter the facial and body features of the Dragonborn. However, race, name and gender cannot be changed.

What is the best race for legendary Skyrim? ›

Orcs and Imperials have the best racial powers. Bretons and High Elves have the best racial passives. All other characters have mediocre powers (Redguard/Argonian) or passives (Dunmer/Nord), or completely useless powers *and* passives (Khajiit/Bosmer).

Is Dark Elf a good race in Skyrim? ›

Dark Elf Racial Abilities

Resist Fire: Dark Elves have a 50% resistance to fire, making them less vulnerable to fire-based attacks. This can be particularly useful in combat situations against fire-wielding enemies or when navigating areas with fire hazards.

Is High Elf a good race in Skyrim? ›

The High Elves, also known as Altmer, are natives of Summerset Isle. They are the most magically proficient race in Tamriel as well as being the most hubristic. Their racial power is a constant effect that lets them regenerate magicka faster than other races.

What is the mod to make all Skyrim NPCs look better? ›

A great mod that players may want to consider is Diversity - A Character Overhaul. This mod, unlike many of its kind on Nexus, doesn't drastically alter the appearances of the NPCs in a way that breaks the lore. Instead, NPCs still look like their vanilla counterparts but are given a fresher, cleaner coat of paint.

Does choosing a race matter in Skyrim? ›

Although character creation is very much streamlined in comparison to earlier titles in The Elder Scrolls franchise, Skyrim still offers at least one definitive choice that directly impacts the player's starting skills and innate powers: race.

Does race affect stats in Skyrim? ›

There are 10 different Races in Skyrim. All have appeared in past Elder Scrolls games in the other regions of Tamriel. Each race has unique abilities and stats that make them better suited to different play styles.

What is the best race and build for Skyrim survival mode? ›

The Orc is overall the best race to play as in Survival Mode. They didn't have any special passive abilities in normal mode, but in Survival Mode, they have some that will be extremely useful. They have Fatigue resistance along with Hunger resistance.

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