In Skyrim, there are 10 races, the Altmer(High Elf), the Argonians, the Breton, the Bosmer(Wood Elf), the Dunmer(Dark Elf), the Imperial, the Khajiit, the Nord, the Redgaurd, and the Orsimer(Ork). Each race is special and I will cover each of them.
First the Altmer, They come from Summerset Isle and in the game, this is one of the best options for a mage. I believe this because of their Highborn ability. Highborn allows them to regenerate magica quicker. The Altmer also start with 50 more points of magica.
Next is the Argonians from black marsh. Argonians are one of the better designed races in most peoples opinion. This is because they’re humanoid lizards. However, their abilities aren’t that useful. Their first ability is Resist Disease which is not really good because there aren’t many diseases in the game. Second is Water Breathing which is not that useful because there are barely any major water areas, and their final ability is Claws giving 12 points of unarm damge but the Khajiit has a better Claws ability.
After, the Argonians are the Bretons. Bretons are a hybrid of elf and humans giving them a human appearance. Their first ability is Magic Resistance giving them 25% resistance to all magic, and their other ability is Dragonskin giving them a 50% resistance to a magic for 60 seconds.
After, the Bretons are the Bosmer one of worst races. I say this because the Bosmers two abilities are 50% resistance to disease and their Command Animal ability are practically useless. Command Animal lets you command animals for 60 seconds but you can only use it once a day. Command Animal is good but it becomes worthless once you obtain the Animal Allegiance shout. The Animal Allegiance shout does the exact same thing but you can use it every minute but every race can use it.
Next is the Dunmer from Morrowind. Their abilities are Resist Fire giving you 50% resistance to fire and their second ability is Ancestor’s Wrath. Ancestor’s Wrath allows you to set fire to everyone around you. I think the Dunmer is pretty good if you are playing a vampire or a tank.
Next is the Imperial one of the major races in the Skyrim game. One of their abilities is Voice of the Emperor which calms people for 60 seconds. Their second ability is Imperial Luck allowing you to find more gold in urns, pots, and chests. Overall one of the simpler races.
After the Imperials is the other major race in Skyrim, the Nords. Nords are the inhabitance of Skyrim. Their abilities are Resist Frost giving you 50% frost resistance and their Battle Cry scaring enemies for 60 seconds that can only be used once a day.
Next is the Khajiit one of the best races for a thief or assassin. They come from Elsweyr and they also look like cats. One of their abilities are Night-Eye giving you night vision for 60 seconds. You can use it multiple times a day. Their second ability is Claws. Unlike the Argonians, whos Claws adds 12 points to unarmed damage, the Kajiit Claws gives 15 points (Kajiits claws are the most powerful weapon in the game excluding smithing). Overall the Kajiit is my favorite race in the game.
Next is the Redguard and like the Bosmer it’s one the worst race. It is one of the worst race because of it’s ability Resist Poison allowing 50% resistance to poison. Resist Poison is kinda useless because just like the Disease ability it’s rarely encountered. The second ability is Adrenaline Rush which is also useless. Adrenaline Rush regenerates stamina ten times faster. It’s useless because once you get enough stamina through other means, and it is just not worth it.
Finally, the last race is the Orsimer. Their ability is Berserker’s Rage. You take half damage while dealing double damage. Berserker’s Rage is kind of broken but extremely useful if you are a tank, archer, or warrior.
That’s all the playable races in Skyrim. Remember, you can play with any races. I’m just telling you that some are better than others. For example, if you really wanted to, you could have a Bosmer warrior. Just remember to have fun.