Which Race Should You Pick in Oblivion Remastered? Best Races Ranked for Every Playstyle
Not sure which race to choose in Oblivion Remastered? This guide breaks down all 10 playable races, their strengths, and the best picks for Mages, Warriors, Thieves, and hybrid builds.
Oblivion Remastered: Which Race Should You Pick?
Right after waking up in that grimy cell beneath the Imperial City, Oblivion Remastered hits you with your first big decision: choosing a race. And while you can tweak your character a bit before exiting the sewers, your racial pick has a lasting impact on how you play, especially early on.
There are 10 playable races in Oblivion Remastered. Each one comes with its own unique stats, skill bonuses, and racial powers—some are built for brute strength, others for sneaky sabotage, and a few are absolute magic powerhouses.
If you’re not sure who to pick, don’t worry—we’ve got you. Here’s a full breakdown of every race in Oblivion Remastered, what they’re good at, and who should pick them depending on your preferred playstyle.
🧙 Best Race for Pure Mage Builds
🏆 Top Choice: Breton
Bretons are the magic race in Oblivion Remastered. They’ve got +10 to Intelligence and Willpower, solid bonuses to six out of seven magic schools (all except Destruction), and they get +50 Magicka right out of the gate. On top of that, they come with 50% Magic Resistance, which is insanely useful throughout the entire game.
Their racial ability, Dragon Skin, gives them a 50% damage shield for a full minute—perfect for surviving early fights where Mages are usually squishy.
- Ideal For: Battlemages, Support Mages, Summoners, Control Casters
- Avoid If: You want a Destruction-heavy glass cannon mage (go High Elf instead)
Runner-Up: High Elf
High Elves, or Altmer, are your classic “high risk, high reward” mage race. They come with a whopping +100 bonus to Max Magicka, which means you can sling a ridiculous number of spells compared to other races. But here’s the catch—they’ve also got 25% Weakness to Fire, Frost, and Shock, which makes them super fragile in caster duels or dragon ambushes.
Still, if you want to burn enemies down with pure magic firepower, they’re an incredible choice.
- Ideal For: Pure Destruction Mages, Sorcerers
- Avoid If: You hate getting one-shot by enemy spells
⚔️ Best Race for Melee Combat Builds
🏆 Top Choice: Redguard
Redguards are the go-to race for raw melee power. They come stacked with +10 to Strength and Endurance, meaning they hit hard and tank like champs. Their Adrenaline Rush power boosts Agility, Speed, Endurance, Strength, and Health for 60 seconds—a perfect “oh crap” button when fights get ugly.
They also come with 75% Disease and Poison Resistance, which makes exploring caves and Oblivion Gates way less annoying.
- Ideal For: Pure warriors, tanks, two-handed brawlers
- Avoid If: You want any magic versatility (they’ve got none)
Runner-Up: Orc
Orcs are right behind Redguards when it comes to melee. They trade a bit of speed for Berserk, a Greater Power that buffs Strength, Health, and Fatigue while draining Agility. They also get 25% Magic Resistance, making them more durable against spells.
They’re perfect for players who want to be juggernauts in heavy armor, smashing through dungeons with warhammers or maces.
- Ideal For: Heavy armor tanks, blunt weapon users
- Avoid If: You’re looking for speed or finesse
🗡️ Best Race for Stealth Builds
🏆 Top Choice: Khajiit
Khajiit are your classic thieves and sneaky assassins. They come with big bonuses to Agility, Sneak, Security, and Acrobatics, making them hard to spot and even harder to catch. They also get Eye of Night (Night Eye for 30 seconds) and Eye of Fear, which demoralizes enemies.
If you want to sneak around picking pockets, slitting throats, or stealing from nobles, Khajiit are an awesome pick.
- Ideal For: Thieves, Assassins, Stealth Archers
- Avoid If: You plan to play as a loud, face-smashing brute
Runner-Up: Wood Elf
Wood Elves (Bosmer) are incredible with bows. With +10 to Agility and Speed, and racial bonuses to Marksman, Sneak, Light Armor, and Alchemy, they’re basically built to be snipers. They also get 75% Disease Resistance and a power to Command a creature up to level 5 for 60 seconds.
- Ideal For: Rangers, Archers, Scout builds
- Avoid If: You plan to fight mostly with magic or melee
🧝 Best Race for Hybrid Builds (Battlemage, Spellsword, Nightblade)
🏆 Top Choice: Dark Elf
Dark Elves, or Dunmer, are some of the most well-rounded characters in the game. They get solid bonuses to Destruction, Blade, Light Armor, and Marksman, making them perfect for those hybrid builds that swing a sword with one hand and sling fireballs with the other. They also have 75% Fire Resistance and the ability to summon an Ancestor Guardian for help.
Whether you’re going full Battlemage or just want a stealthy mage-swordsman, Dunmer are incredibly flexible.
- Ideal For: Spellswords, Nightblades, Elemental Assassins
- Avoid If: You want a pure caster or pure warrior
Also Consider: Argonian
Argonians are weirdly good for stealthy hybrid builds. They get 100% Poison Immunity, 75% Disease Resistance, Illusion bonuses, and Water Breathing—which is super useful in certain quests. They also do well as Alchemists and Nightblades.
- Ideal For: Stealth mages, Nightblades, dungeon explorers
- Avoid If: You want high damage melee upfront (they’re more finesse-focused)
🎭 Best Race for Roleplaying & All-Rounders
🏆 Top Choice: Imperial
Imperials are perfect if you’re not sure what kind of character you want yet. They come with high Personality, bonuses to Speechcraft, Mercantile, and solid Combat skills. They also get two handy powers: one absorbs Fatigue, the other charms NPCs for easier dialogue checks.
If you’re playing a character who leans into diplomacy, trade, or flexible builds that dabble in everything, Imperials are a safe, effective choice.
- Ideal For: Jack-of-all-trades, RP-heavy builds, merchants
- Avoid If: You want a focused min-maxed combat or magic character
⚔️ All Oblivion Remastered Races Ranked (Quick Tier List)
| Tier | Race | Why |
| S | Breton, Redguard | Best mage and best warrior races—no contest |
| A | Khajiit, Dark Elf | Top-tier stealth and hybrid flexibility |
| B | High Elf, Orc, Argonian | Niche powerhouses with clear strengths |
| C | Wood Elf, Imperial | Great for specific builds or RP |
| D | Nord | Good, but overshadowed by Redguard/Orc |
No matter what kind of character you want to build in Oblivion Remastered, there’s a race that fits perfectly. The meta picks like Breton for Mages or Redguard for Warriors are always safe bets, but there’s nothing wrong with going Khajiit for stealth or Dark Elf for that hybrid magic/sword style.
And if you’re still unsure, just pick what feels cool. This is Oblivion—your character is going to grow no matter what. So go with your gut, dive into Cyrodiil, and have fun.
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