The Races of World of Warcraft
There are two main factions in the World of Warcraft. There are the Alliance who are considered aligned with “Good” and the Horde that are aligned with “Evil” and each faction has different races you can play. There are also Allied races, but to play these races you must first unlock them within the game. Different races can have different “racial abilities” such as Night Elves that can Shadowmeld into the shadows and disappear from sight. Different races can also play different classes of characters. Not all character classes are available for all races.
There are many reasons to choose one race over another. While some dedicated players may select their race purely in order to gain a slight advantage in high-end play, others may choose their race based on looks, lore or personality.
From tiny gnomes to towering Tauren, each race looks and feels very different. Each race and gender has its own model, with a range of styling options; its own animations and movements; and its own emotes (such as the silly slash commands). Each race (and gender) also has its own voice, which the player will generally hear quite frequently in error messages, emotes and other noises (such as when taking damage, or wielding a weapon). The way each race looks, feels, moves and sounds is quite unique, and it's worth taking the time to find one you really enjoy.
There are eight different Alliance races to choose from. Those include Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Draenei, Worgen, Pandaren, and Dracthyr. These races call major cities like Stormwind, Ironforge, and the Exodar home. They fight together against the Horde and other threats to Azeroth.
| Race | Description | Racial Trait(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Human | The human kingdom of Stormwind forms the backbone of the Alliance. Stormwind's willingness to work with others to find diplomatic solutions stands out as one of its true strengths. Its citizens hold fast to the principles of honor and justice as they defend their settlements, and the Alliance, against any aggressors. | No Place Like Home, Will to Survive, The Human Spirit |
| Dwarf | The bold and courageous dwarves are an ancient race descended from the earthen—titan-forged beings of living stone created when the world was young. Hailing from the mighty city of Ironforge in the snowy peaks of Khaz Modan, dwarves are courageous defenders of the Alliance. | Explorer, Frost Resistance, Might of the Mountain, Stoneform |
| Night Elf | The ancient and reclusive Night elves—also known as kaldorei—have played a pivotal role in shaping Azeroth’s fate. Fighting for the Alliance, many Night elves today still remember events of the War of the Ancients over ten thousand years ago, when they halted the Burning Legion’s first invasion of Azeroth. These ferocious elves will fight tooth and nail to ensure their sacred lands are never again tainted by evil. | Nature Resistance, Quickness, Shadowmeld, Touch of Elune, Wisp Spirit |
| Gnome | The clever, spunky, and oftentimes eccentric gnomes present a unique paradox among the civilized races of Azeroth. Their remarkable optimism in the face of calamity symbolizes the truly unshakable spirit of the gnomes, and their boundless creativity and ingenuity is rivaled only by their commitment to the Alliance’s cause. | Arcane Resistance, Engineering Specialization, Escape Artist, Expansive Mind, Nimble Fingers |
| Draenei | Fleeing the ruined world of Outland—the shattered remains of the planet once known as Draenor—the mysterious draenei crash-landed on Azeroth, where they pledged their loyalty to the Alliance and vowed to destroy their bitter enemy—the demonic Burning Legion. In the wake of the Legion’s defeat, the draenei now seek a new destiny in the blessed Light. | Gift of the Naaru, Gemcutting, Heroic Presence, Shadow Resistance |
| Worgen | Behind the formidable Greymane Wall, a terrible curse transformed many of the stalwart citizens of the isolated kingdom of Gilneas into lupine beasts known as worgen. Unable to cure their affliction and besieged by the dreaded Forsaken, these worgen learned to control their ferocity thanks to the help of the night elves. The worgen now stand ready to unleash the beast within at a moment’s notice in defense of the Alliance. | Aberration, Altered Form, Darkflight, Flayer, Running Wild, Viciousness, Calm the Wolf |
| Pandaren | Couched in myth and legend, the enigmatic pandaren have long been a mystery to the other races of Azeroth. Pandaren who follow the Path of the Tushui believe that there is a moral certainty to the world: one correct path of right and wrong. This philosophy strongly aligns with the ideals the Alliance represents, and as such the Tushui have pledged their loyalty accordingly. | Bouncy, Epicurean, Gourmand, Inner Peace, Quaking Palm |
| Dracthyr | Created by Neltharion the Earth-Warder, the essence of dragons was combined with the adaptability of the mortal races to create an elite soldier capable of switching from a draconic form to humanoid form. Long in a magical stasis, they are now awakening to a new threat within the Dragon Isles. It is in the Forbidden Reach that the dracthyr will start their journey to reclaim their fractured memories and face a new reality. | Awakened, Discerning Eye, Familiar Skies, Glide, Soar, Tail Swipe, Visage, Wing Buffet |
There are eight different Horde races to choose from. Those include Orc, Undead, Tauren, Troll, Blood Elf, Goblin, Pandaren, and Dracthyr. These races call major cities like Ogrimmar, The Undercity, and Thunder Bluff home. They fight together against the Alliance and other threats to Azeroth.
| Race | Description | Racial Trait(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Orcs | The orcs once lived as shamanic clans on the lush world of Draenor. Corrupted by Kil’jaeden, a demon lord of the Burning Legion, they invaded the world of Azeroth. Eventually able to free themselves from demonic influences, the orcs settled on Kalimdor, erecting their great capital Orgrimmar—from where they fight to find their place in the world they once came to conquer. | Blood Fury, Hardiness, Command |
| Undead | Death offered no escape for the scores of humans killed during the Lich King’s campaign to scour the living from Lordaeron. When his grasp over the Scourge faltered after the Third War, a contingent of undead broke free of their master’s iron will. Calling themselves Forsaken, they now struggle to thrive in a world that has come to despise their existence. | Cannibalize, Shadow Resistance, Touch of the Grave, Will of the Forsaken |
| Tauren | The peaceful tauren—known in their own tongue as the shu’halo—have long dwelled in Kalimdor, striving to preserve the balance of nature at the behest of their goddess, the Earth Mother. Once nomadic in nature, the wandering tauren tribes have since united and settled in their ancestral homeland of Mulgore. | Brawn, Cultivation, Endurance, Nature Resistance, War Stomp |
| Troll | The proud Darkspear exiles were once on the brink of extinction, when Warchief Thrall and his mighty Horde forces were driven to the trolls’ remote island home during a violent storm. These trolls were welcomed into the Horde, and found their place among other outcast races. | Beast Slaying, Berserking, Da Voodoo Shuffle, Regeneration |
| Blood Elf | For thousands of years, the high elves of Quel'Thalas drew strength from the Sunwell, a magical font of arcane energies. An invasion by the undead Scourge decimated the kingdom's population and deprived them of the Sunwell's might. Taking the name blood elves – or sin’dorei in their own tongue –the people of Quel’Thalas sated their magical thirst for a time with demonic fel energies. Once the Sunwell was restored, the blood elves worked to rebuild their homeland and help lead the Horde into a bold future. | Arcane Acuity, Arcane Affinity, Arcane Torrent, Arcane Resistance |
| Goblin | The goblins’ craftiness and greed make them masters of mercantilism. Reforging old pacts with their one-time allies, the goblins of the Bilgewater Cartel have been welcomed into the Horde. Honing their inherent cunning to a razor’s edge, the goblins hope to use their explosive inventions to rule the world – or at the very least own a profitable percentage of it. | Best Deals ANywhere, Better Living Through Chemistry, Pack Hobgoblin, Rocket Barrage, Rocket Jump, Time is Money |
| Pandaren | Couched in myth and legend, the enigmatic pandaren have long been a mystery to the other races of Azeroth. Pandaren who follow the Path of the Tushui believe that there is a moral certainty to the world: one correct path of right and wrong. This philosophy strongly aligns with the ideals the Alliance represents, and as such the Tushui have pledged their loyalty accordingly. | Bouncy, Epicurean, Gourmand, Inner Peace, Quaking Palm |
| Dracthyr | Created by Neltharion the Earth-Warder, the essence of dragons was combined with the adaptability of the mortal races to create an elite soldier capable of switching from a draconic form to humanoid form. Long in a magical stasis, they are now awakening to a new threat within the Dragon Isles. It is in the Forbidden Reach that the dracthyr will start their journey to reclaim their fractured memories and face a new reality. | Awakened, Discerning Eye, Familiar Skies, Glide, Soar, Tail Swipe, Visage, Wing Buffet |
Each faction has six Allied races that can be unlocked. For the Alliance that includes Void Elf, Lightforged Draenei, Dark Iron Dwarf, Kul Tiran, Mechagnome, and Earthen. For the Horde the races that can be unlocked are Nightborne, Highmountain Tauren, Mag’har Orc, Zandalari Troll, Vulpera, and Earthen. To unlock these classes usually requires completing a series of quests.