Looking to get back into the World of Warcraft after a long time away from home? Or, perhaps you’ve never played the game and feel a little lost. A common obstacle is choosing a race to play with.
We know the feeling. Whether it’s starting a new MMORPG or returning to an old favorite, one of the first steps is creating a character to represent yourself in-game. But the sheer number of options might make your head start spinning. WoW currently has 14 main playable races between two factions, as well as 11 allied races you need to unlock first.
Here’s a little information about each race, including what faction they’re part of and what classes are available to them. We’ll help you get started.
Blood Elf (Horde)
Introduced in The Burning Crusade, WoW’s first expansion, the Blood Elves are a race of survivors. After an undead attack decimated the High Elf population in the kingdom of Quel’Thalas and corrupted their source of magic, the ones that remained resorted to harnessing demonic fel magic to gather strength and rebuild their home.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Demon Hunter
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Paladin
- Priest
- Rogue
- Warlock
- Warrior
Dracthyr (Alliance and Horde)
The Dracthyr are humanoid-dragon hybrids created by Neltharion the Earth-Warden. Legend says they were sealed away by Malygos, but awakened after thousands of years when new powers threatened the Dragon Isles—and the Dragonflight expansion began.
Available classes:
Draenei (Alliance)
Originally from another planet once called Draenor, the Draenei are survivors with a tragic backstory. Their population was brutally murdered, and the ones that remained fled their home in a space-travelling crystal called the Exodar, seeking a new home—and revenge, of course. They crash-landed in Azeroth in The Burning Crusade.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Paladin
- Priest
- Rogue
- Shaman
- Warlock
- Warrior
Dwarf (Alliance)
One of the most beloved races among fans, the Dwarves are an ancient and brave race that has been part of World of Warcraft since the base game released. They are known for their great forges and skilled blacksmiths, and their hometown, Ironforge, is a forge city in a snowy land.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Paladin
- Priest
- Rogue
- Shaman
- Warlock
- Warrior
Gnome (Alliance)
Gnomes are inventors. They’re geniuses when it comes to technology and gadgets. Since their hometown of Gnomeregan was overrun by Leper Gnomes and Troggs, they have been tirelessly battling to reclaim it.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Priest
- Rogue
- Warlock
- Warrior
Goblin (Horde)
Goblins are also inventors, but they’re better-known for their explosive tricks and weapons. They also like money, a lot. Due to the hostility faced from the Alliance in general, they joined the Horde in Cataclysm.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Priest
- Rogue
- Shaman
- Warlock
- Warrior
Human (Alliance)
The youngest race of Azeroth is also the very foundation of the Alliance. They come from the kingdom of Stormwind, which is their capital, and value honor, order, and justice. Humans have been part of WoW since the very beginning.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Hunter
- Mage
- Paladin
- Priest
- Rogue
- Warlock
- Warrior
Night Elf (Alliance)
Night Elves are always described as an ancient people, present in the lore since the War of the Ancients, thousands of years earlier. Though powerful and always willing to fight for what they believe to be right, they are reclusive and deemed mysterious.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Demon Hunter
- Druid
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Priest
- Rogue
- Warlock
- Warrior
Orc (Horde)
Just like humans are the central figures of the Alliance, Orcs are the central figures of the Horde. Originally shamanistic clans, they were corrupted by a demon lord and had to fight to break free from their control. Eventually, they did, going back to their more peaceful origins. Their capital, Orgrimmar, is also the Horde’s main city.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Priest
- Rogue
- Shaman
- Warlock
- Warrior
Pandaren (Alliance and Horde)
An enigmatic race introduced with the Mists of Pandaria expansion, which is also themed around their homeland. There are two possible paths the Pandaren can follow, according to their ideals, which allow them to align with one of the two major factions: the Path of the Tushui (Alliance) or the Huojin (Horde).
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Priest
- Rogue
- Shaman
- Warlock
- Warrior
Tauren (Horde)
The Tauren are also originally shamanistic clans, even more so than Orcs. They are peaceful, Earth-loving creatures with a deep understanding of nature, and their people, once nomadic, have since united and settled down in Thunder Bluff.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Druid
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Paladin
- Priest
- Rogue
- Shaman
- Warlock
- Warrior
Troll (Horde)
Like many other races in the game, the Darkspear Trolls were once outcasts, and at some point were attacked and had to flee their home. But the Horde is a faction that welcomes outcasts and survivors, and so they found their place among the other Horde races.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Druid
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Priest
- Rogue
- Shaman
- Warlock
- Warrior
Forsaken Undead (Horde)
The humans killed by the Lich King in his domain of evil had no choice: they became an army of an undead. But a section managed to break free from his command under the rule of the Dark Ranger, Lady Sylvanas Windrunner. This group of free-willed undead call themselves the Forsaken.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Priest
- Rogue
- Warlock
- Warrior
Worgen (Alliance)
The Worgen are a group of humans from the land of Gilneas who were transformed into wolf-like creatures by a curse. With the help of the Night Elves, they managed to control their instincts and take advantage of their powers. They are sworn enemies of the Forsaken and joined the game in Cataclysm.
Available classes:
- Death Knight
- Druid
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Priest
- Rogue
- Warlock
- Warrior
Allied races
Allied races work a little differently from the main races. To unlock them, you must complete certain recruitment quests that are available in Stormwind (Alliance) and Orgrimmar (Horde) when you reach level 40.
Recruiting allied races was introduced in Battle for Azeroth as a consequence of the events that took place in Legion. In most subsequent expansions, new races have been added, many of which are exclusive to the Alliance or Horde.
Alliance allied races:
- Dark Iron Dwarf
- Earthen
- Kul Tiran Human
- Lightforged Draenei
- Mechagnome
- Void Elf
Horde allied races:
- Earthen
- Highmountain Tauren
- Mag’har Orc
- Nightborne
- Vulpera
- Zandalari Troll
The Earthen, added in the recent expansion The War Within, are the only allied race both factions can recruit. It also follows a different unlock path than most other allied races. So, if you’re looking to unlock the Earthen as an allied race, use our handy guide.
Non-playable races
In addition to all the races you can play as in World of Warcraft, the game also features a few that are exclusive to NPCs—so far, at least.
Among them are races like the Tuskarr, only found in Northrend and the Dragon Isles. And when you start looking into characters from the original Warcraft games, the list keeps growing.
Who knows? Perhaps an upcoming expansion will add new races to the playable pool, like Mists of Pandaria did for the Pandaren.
