The Elder Scrolls franchise includes several races, including varieties of humans, elves, and two beast races: the Argonians and the Khajiit. The elf and human varieties have had the spotlight across numerous games in The Elder Scrolls mainline games, but even in games where secondary races get lore and exposition, the Argonians tend to get left behind. This is a missed opportunity to explore one of The Elder Scrolls' most mysterious races, which The Elder Scrolls 6 has the opportunity to correct.
Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim focused on the races native to the Provinces in which their respective The Elder Scrolls games were set. Oblivion was more of an exception, due to it being set in Cyrodiil, the heart of the Empire, and was more cosmopolitan. Due to the wait between mainline games, The Elder Scrolls 6 needs to finally bring other races to light, particularly the Argonians, who not only have some of the most interesting lore in The Elder Scrolls, but have also been neglected throughout previous games.
The Elder Scrolls 6 Should Continue a Positive Trend From Past TES Games
The Elder Scrolls 6 should look to its past for inspiration and bring back this fantastic opportunity for deeper story and roleplaying.
Abandoning The Elder Scrolls' Old Strategy
With so many different races that have unique lore, history, and culture, a bigger focus on these races of Tamriel would be a big boon to The Elder Scrolls 6. While ESO takes place all over Tamriel and in every Province, making it easier to give exposition on each race's lore and culture, The Elder Scrolls mainline games can't use its one Province rule to focus on one or two races as it has done in the past, like with the Nords in Skyrim or the Dunmer in Morrowind. Releasing one mainline game in the series every 10 to 15 years would mean most of the other races would be neglected and push most of The Elder Scrolls' lore to the side.
Instead, The Elder Scrolls 6 should take a page out of The Elder Scrolls Online's book, and give more emphasis on the different races. In particular, the Argonians need more focus in T he Elder Scrolls mainline games, particularly in regard to their lore, gear, and racial bonuses. Argonians are some of the best healers in ESO thanks to their racial bonuses, and this could be reflected in The Elder Scrolls 6.
Bringing a Larger Focus on the Argonians in The Elder Scrolls 6
In contrast, The Elder Scrolls Online has taken the time to expand on Argonian lore, particularly on the Argonians' close connection to the Hist trees of their native Province, Black Marsh. The Hist has a close connection to Sithis, who the Dark Brotherhood worships, and may be the oldest life forms on Tamriel, with their roots reaching deep into the ground and across the world. Argonians were warned of the Oblivion Crisis years before it happened thanks to the Hist, allowing Black Marsh to prepare for Mehrunes Dagon's invasion, and were the only Province that had a brutal response against the Daedric Prince of Destruction.
Despite the Argonians being connected to one of the most interesting beings in The Elder Scrolls, they haven't been given the lore focus they deserve in a mainline game. While ESO's execution may need some improvement, it does have a special focus on races beyond racial bonuses that are only relevant at the start of the game. An example is the separate armor sets for each race, which are especially useful for Khajiit and Argonians as beast races as they have unique designs.
- Released
- 2026
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
- Franchise
- The Elder Scrolls
- Genre(s)
- RPG
