Oblivion Remastered: Best Races Tier List

As you get started in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, races are one of the first things you will have to choose after waking up in the Imperial Sewer. Though you get a chance to re-work your character before exiting the tutorial area, if you want to start on the right foot, it's a good idea to choose one of the best races in Oblivion Remastered for your envisioned build right from the start.

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In total, there are 10 races in Oblivion Remastered, but not all can be considered the best Oblivion Remastered races. This guide explains every race in Oblivion Remastered, explains all racial bonuses and powers, and provides a ranked list of the best Oblivion Remastered races to help players make the right choices for different builds and playstyles in character creation

High Elf

Also known as "Altmer" in their homeland of Summerset Isle, the High Elves are exceptionally gifted in the arcane arts, they also boast resistance to illness.

However, they are also somewhat vulnerable to fire, frost and shock.

In Oblivion Remastered, High Elves have high Intelligence and are skilled in various schools of magic, including Alteration, Destruction, Mysticism, Conjuration, and Illusion – the only school High Elves are not proficient in is Restoration. High Elves also start with a bonus 100 to their base Max Magicka, as well as a nifty 75% resistance to all Diseases.

The High Elf race is one of the best Oblivion Remastered races for players who want to play a pure caster, a Mage who uses nothing but their spells to get by. However, this Oblivion Remastered race is the only one with a Weakness to Elemental damage, so be careful not to get hit by Fire, Frost, or Shock spells if you get into a spell-slinging match with a fellow caster.

High Elf Stats: Attributes & Skill Bonuses

High Elf Racial Powers

• Increased Magicka: Passive – Fortify Magicka 100 points
• Disease Resistance: Passive – Resist Disease 75%
• Elemental Weakness: Passive – 25% Weakness to Fire, Frost, and Shock

Argonian

This reptilian race, well-suited for the treacherous swamps of their homeland, has developed natural immunities to poisons.

They can breathe water and are good at picking locks.

In Oblivion Remastered, Argonians are the reptilian humanoids of the Black Marsh, and their unique culture makes all Argonians proficient at the Security, Illusion, Alchemy, and Blade skills. However, depending on which Origin you choose, you will get vastly different Attribute bonuses. All Argonians are able to breathe underwater, and gain immunity to Poisons and a high resistance to Diseases, too.

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By  Erik Petrovich

The Argonian race is one of the best Oblivion Remastered races for players who want to play as a stealthy, mysterious Lizard person. This race is particularly well suited to Nightblade-type builds, which fuse together Stealth and Magic skills to create a sneaky assassin with access to useful spells.

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Argonian Stats: Attributes & Skill Bonuses

Argonian Racial Powers

• Disease Resistance: Passive – Resist Disease 75%
• Poison Immunity: Passive – Resist Poison 100%
• Water Breathing: Passive – can breathe underwater

Nord

Citizens of Skyrim, they are a tall and fair-haired people.

Strong and hardy, Nords are famous for their resistance to cold.

They are highly talented warriors.

Nords are one of the many melee-oriented races in Oblivion Remastered, but compared to the benefits provided by the Redguard or Orc races, Nords come up short. Their bonus to Strength and bonuses to important Combat skills are definitely nice, and their Nordic Frost, Woad, and Frost Immunity powers are situationally really useful, too.

The Nord race is one of the best Oblivion Remastered​​​​​​​ races for players who ​​​​​​want to be a berserker, someone who gets into the middle of combat and doesn't leave until they or their target are lying in a bloody pool on the ground. But if you want to deal more damage in melee combat, or be more defensive in general, choose Orc or Redguard instead.

Nord Stats: Attributes & Skill Bonuses

Nord Racial Powers

• Nordic Frost: Greater Power – deal 50 points of Frost Damage on touch
• Woad: Greater Power – gain 30% Shield for 60 seconds
• Frost Immunity: Passive – Resist Frost 50%

Khajiit

Hailing from the province of Elsweyr, they are intelligent, quick, and agile.

They make excellent thieves due to their natural agility and unmatched acrobatics skill.

All Khajit can see in the dark.

In Oblivion Remastered, Khajiit are the infamous cat people of Tamriel, and their feline instincts translate into a suite of racial bonuses that benefit stealth builds. Khajiit are among the best races for Sneak and Security in the game, and both Origins gain a noticeable +10 to the Agility Attribute. Khajiit also have the ability to see in the dark at will, and can Demoralize low-to-mid-level enemies once per day.

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The Khajiit race is one of the best Oblivion Remastered​​​​​​​ races for stealth builds, especially Rogue or Stealth Archer-type builds that can take full advantage of the race's penchant for thievery and sneaking around.

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Khajiit Stats: Attributes & Skill Bonuses

Khajiit Racial Powers

• Eye of Fear: Greater Power – can Demoralize up to Level 25 targets for 30 seconds
• Eye of Night: Lesser Power – gain Night Eye for 30 seconds for 0 Magicka

Dark Elf

Also known as "Dunmer" in their homeland of Morrowind, the Dark Elves are noted for their skilled and balanced integration of the sword, the bow and destruction magic.

They are resistant to fire and can summon an ancestral ghost for aid.

In Oblivion Remastered, Dark Elves offer players a mix of Magic and Combat skills that make it suited for Battlemage hybrid builds. The bonus to Speed across both of its Origins is handy, but the real appeal of this race is its special abilities and its high bonuses to Blade, Destruction, Marksman, and Light Armor.

The Dark Elf race is one of the best Oblivion Remastered​​​​​​​ races for Battlemage and Spellsword-type builds. If you want to play a character that can swing a sword just as well as it can dish out damage with spells, choose Dark Elf.

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Dark Elf Stats: Attributes & Skill Bonuses

Dark Elf Racial Powers

• Ancestor Guardian: Greater Power – can summon an Ancestor Guardian for 60 seconds
• Fire Resistance: Passive – Resist Fire 75%

Orc

The people of the Wrothgarian and Dragontail Mountains, Orcish armorers are prized for their craftsmanship.

Orc troops in heavy armor are among the finest in the Empire, and are fearsome when using their berserker rage.

When it comes to the best melee combat races in Oblivion Remastered, Orcs and Redguards are really close. Orcs gain higher Endurance, Strength, and Willpower across both of their Origin options, the ability to resist Magic damage by 25%, and the Berserk skill, which vastly increases Health, Fatigue, and Strength at the cost of Agility for a minute.

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The Orc race is one of the best Oblivion Remastered​​​​​​​ races for melee builds thanks to the strength of the Berserk power and its Magic resistance buff. However, compared to the Redguard's high passive resistances, and comparable Adrenaline Rush power, Orcs come up slightly short.

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Orc Stats: Attributes & Skill Bonuses

Orc Racial Powers

• Berserk: Greater Power – grants Fortify Fatigue, Health, Strength, and Drain Agility for 60 seconds
• Magic Resistance: Passive – Resist Magic 25%

Wood Elf

The clanfolk of the Western Valenwood forests, also known as "Bosmer".

Wood Elves are nimble and quick, making them good scouts and thieves, and there are no finer archers in all of Tamriel.

Their ability to command simple creatures is well-known.

Wood Elves in Oblivion Remastered have high Agility and skill bonuses that almost exclusively suit a Ranger playstyle. With high Marksmanship, Agility, and Sneak, Wood Elves are unmatched when it comes to stealth gameplay and ranged combat.

The Wood Elf race is one of the best Oblivion Remastered​​​​​​​ races for Ranger builds, especially if you plan to play as a ranged assassin or witchhunter/nightblade. Wood Elves also gain a passive 75% Disease Resistance, and can Command any creature up to Level 5 for a full minute.

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Wood Elf Stats: Attributes & Skill Bonuses

Wood Elf Racial Powers

• Beast Tongue: Greater Power – may Command Creature up to Level 5 for 60 seconds
• Disease Resistance: Passive – Resist Disease 75%

Redguard

The most naturally talented warriors in Tamriel.

In addition to their cultural affinities for many weapon and armor styles, they also have a hardy constitution and a natural resistance to disease and poison.

In Oblivion Remastered, Redguard is the best race for melee combat builds thanks to its high Strength and Endurance Attributes, as well as its high bonuses to important Combat skills like Blade, Blunt, and Heavy Armor. Notably, Redguard also gain the Adrenaline Rush ability, which fortifies their Agility, Endurance, Speed, Strength, and Health with no downsides. They also boast a 75% resistance to Disease and Poison.

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The Redguard race is the best Oblivion Remastered​​​​​​​ race for pure combat builds thanks to these powerful melee abilities and bonuses that outclass those offered by the Nord or Orc races.

Redguard Stats: Attributes & Skill Bonuses

Redguard Racial Powers

• Adrenaline Rush: Greater Power – grants Fortify Agility, Endurance, Speed, Strength, and Health for 60 seconds
• Disease Resistance: Passive – Resist Disease 75%
• Poison Resistance: Passive – Resist Poison 75%

Breton

In addition to their quick and perceptive grasp of spellcraft, even the humblest of Bretons can boast a resistance to magical energies.

They are particularly skilled at summoning and healing magic.

In Oblivion Remastered, Bretons are the best spellcaster race, and it's really not even close. Bretons start with higher Intelligence and Willpower, allowing them to cast more powerful spells more often than other races. They also have proficiency in every Magic school except Destruction, a passive 50% Magic damage resistance, a 50-point bonus to Max Magicka, and a Greater Power that provides a massive 50% damage shield for a minute.

The Breton race is one of the best Oblivion Remastered races for Mage builds, especially Battlemages who avoid Destruction spells and instead opt for control, defense, and summoning spells available in the other schools.

Breton Stats: Attributes & Skill Bonuses

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Breton Racial Powers

• Increased Magicka: Passive – Fortify Magicka 50 points
• Magic Resistance: Passive – Resist Magic 50%
• Dragon Skin: Greater Power – gain a 50% Shield for 60 seconds

Imperial

Natives of the civilized, cosmopolitan province of Cyrodiil, they have proved to be shrewd diplomats and traders.

They are skilled with heavy armor and in the social skills and tend to favor the warrior classes.

Imperials in Oblivion Remastered are the native people of the land of Cyrodiil, the homeland of the Septim Empire smack-dab in the middle of Tamriel. Because they come into contact with the other regions of Tamriel so often, Imperials are great at the social aspects of the game, and have a higher Personality than other races as well as bonuses to Mercantile and Speechcraft.

Imperials also get two Greater Powers, both of which are Touch spells. One will let the player absorb 100 Fatigue from an enemy, while the other can Charm an enemy for 30 Points for 30 seconds, making social interactions easier.

Imperials are a bit of a jack-of-all-trades race, but that doesn't mean they aren't one of the best races Oblivion Remastered has to offer. Quite the contrary – Imperials excel in melee combat, but can be tuned to fit Mage and Stealth builds, too. Pick the Imperial race if you aren't sure what you want to do in Oblivion Remastered but want to have an easier time with the non-combat aspects of the game.

Imperial Stats: Attributes & Skill Bonuses

Imperial Racial Powers

• Star of the West: Greater Power – can Absorb 100 Fatigue on touch
• Voice of the Emperor: Greater Power – can Charm (30 points) a target for 30 seconds

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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

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Released

April 22, 2025

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SUBSCRIPTION

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DIGITAL

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Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence

Developer(s)

Virtuos, Bethesda

Publisher(s)

Bethesda

Engine

Unreal Engine 5

Genre(s)

Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure

Platform(s)

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, PC

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