All 10 Playable Races Ranked According to Height

Character generation in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and other Elder Scrolls games can be quite a lengthy ordeal. That’s because the game has a rich lore and world complete with ten playable races, all of which have their own background and dynamics with the game world, not to mention their unique special abilities.

Of course, each race also has its own physical characteristics, and apart from skin and facial appearance, another thing that sets them apart is height. For players who are conscious about their characters’ heights, here’s how the playable races of Skyrim measure up vertically against one another.

Updated on March 23, 2025, by Britt Poteet: Skyrim has a thriving modding community. With that in mind, this list has been updated to mention some of the mods available for various races that are not in the original game.

How Do Heights Work In Skyrim?

The measurements listed in this article are in in-game units. The default unit, which is “1,” is usually assumed to be roughly 5’10”. You should also note that the different sexes of each race often have different heights, so this list is ranked by the taller of the two when there is a difference.

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Bonus: Modded Races

With the wide variety of mods available for Skyrim, players have access to multiple new races. As they aren’t a part of the original game, their heights are not always known. This list of races includes, but is not limited to,

• Dremora race – optimized for warrior and balanced
• Lost races – Aquamer and Chimer
• Madmen of the Reach – Forsworn Race
• Sun Elves New Playable Race
• Temptress Race
• The Ningheim Race
• Triple Race Pack Falmer – Snow Elf – Maormer – Sea Elf – Chimer – Velothi
• Velothi Race – The True Chimer
• Vaalsark – Anubis / Anubian Jackal inspired Canid Race
• Kygarra – Spotted Hyena Race

If you play as any of these, it’s not clear where they stand on the height list.

10

Bosmer (Wood Elf)

The male Bosmer, or Wood Elves, got the short end of the stick in terms of height — quite literally. Their males are the shortest in all of Tamriel standing at only 0.98, or roughly a hair below 5’9″ or 1.74 m in real life.

Interestingly, Bosmer women stand at 1.00, a bit taller than their male counterparts. At 5’10” or 1.78 m, female Bosmer have a slight edge over the males. The Wood Elves’ shorter stature allows them to be more nimble and agile in densely forested and wild environments, which is where they thrive.

9

Khajiit

Not counting the tail or the ears, the typical male Khajiit stands at the default 1.00 height, or around 5’10” (1.78 m). Female Khajiit are a tiny bit shorter, at 0.95 or roughly 5’7″ (1.69 m). There are, of course, several different subspecies of Khajiit, but we’re working off of the actual playable variety that appears in Skyrim.

This puts the males on the average scale among the races of Tamriel, while the females are seemingly the shortest of all the races. Khajiit hail from the region of Elsweyr (pun intended, as per the lore) but tend to be scattered all over Tamriel since their most popular career options are in the vein of mercantilism — and thievery, of course.

8

Dunmer (Dark Elf)

One of the most popular outcast races in Skyrim, the Dunmer, or Dark Elves, are not an easy race to harmonize with — especially for the Argonians. They’re of average physical stature, whether male or female, at 1.00 (or around 5’10″/1.78 m).

They are among the most popular racial selections, given their predisposition to popular skills and the fact that The Elder Scrolls III is set within their homeland, endearing them to long-time fans. Some of their most popular hobbies are shunning outlanders and entertaining a seemingly timeless rivalry with the Argonians.

7

Breton

For those looking to create the perfect mage or wizard archetype in Skyrim or any Elder Scrolls game, they can’t go wrong with the Breton. They’re all about magic bonuses and magic resistances, with their racial ability allowing them to absorb incoming spells.

Still, their affinity for the arcane arts and intelligence didn’t diminish their physical stature one bit. Male Bretons stand at an average 1.00 height, which is normal though quite unfair considering they’re a magic-focused race. However, female Bretons are a bit shorter, standing at 0.95 (5’7″ or 1.74 m).

6

Imperial

By far the most “plain” representation of homo-sapiens in Tamriel, the Imperials are the cookie-cutter template race in most Elder Scrolls games. All of their skills are balanced and average, and their special racial bonuses involve making more money and being excellent orators.

Even their height, regardless of gender, is average at 1.00. Even so, Imperials have caused plenty of trouble in Tamriel due to their fixation on imperialism (it’s in the name), so they tend to rule the whole continent from time to time.

5

Redguard

Redguards are famous for their warriors — you see, they wield curved swords. Apart from the hold guards constantly reminding you of this fact, they are well renowned for furnishing Tamriel with the finest swordsmen. They are a proud warrior race from Hammerfell and tend to be more proficient with martial weapons than any other race.

Their males, in that regard, have a slight edge over the average race when it comes to height. They stand proudly at 1.005, or a hair above average at 5’10.5″ or 1.79 m. The women, on the other hand, stand at the average 1.00 (5’10” or 1.78 m), which is just a half-inch (about just over a centimeter) shorter. While average (or very slightly above it) in height, Redguards also have excellent conditioning, and their racial skill allows them to easily regenerate stamina.

4

Argonian

The Argonians are famous throughout Tamriel, largely on account of The Lusty Argonian Maid, a choice piece of literature that the Argonians themselves may or may not have mixed feelings about. All joking aside, they’re a remarkably resilient race. While the female Argonians stand at the average 1.00, most of the males are 1.01 tall, or nearly 6’0″ for height enthusiasts out there.

Argonians also arguably possess some of the most useful traits, including the ability to quickly regenerate health, much like how Redguards can quickly regenerate Stamina. They’re also immune to diseases, making for quite a package of benefits to offset the idea of playing as an actual lizard person.

3

Nord

Skyrim — it belongs to the Nords! Nords are the dominant inhabitants of Skyrim. They’re hardy and well suited to surviving in the harsh and wintry province.

They look like oversized Imperials at 1.03, roughly 6′ (1.83 m) or a bit less, regardless of sex. Their stature and naturally cold scowl also grant them the racial ability to scare off the people they don’t like with a fearsome warcry — again, likely to the tune of reminding you who Skyrim belongs to for the hundredth time.

2

Orsimer (Orc)

The Orsimer, better known as Orcs, are even less friendly than the Nords. They’re an offshoot of the Daedric Prince Malacath, the patron of all things ostracized and cast out. So naturally, the Orcs are a shunned race; in fact, their recognition as a civilized race by the rest of Tamriel is a relatively recent development in the grand scheme of things.

However, their nomadic lifestyle as social outcasts has allowed them to evolve to become big and strong. They’re even bigger than the Nords, standing at 1.045 (or around 6’1″/1.89 m). They make good smiths and warriors and their racial skill allows them to dish out as much damage they can take in a berserker rage.

1

Altmer (High Elf)

Finally, the tallest of all humanoid races in Tamriel would be Altmer. Or, hilariously, the High Elves. They tower over other races at a solid 1.08, or somewhere around 6’4″ (1.92 m). Perhaps their height contributes to their self-asserted superiority over the others?

This isn’t without some merit, at least. Their racial abilities make them better at magic than Bretons, and consequently, practically every other playable race. They have a hard-earned reputation as Tamriel’s biggest snobs, often stirring conflict with their superiority complex alone. It’s a bit strange to note that the races seem to get progressively less affable as they grow taller.