The Elder Scrolls has always placed the dark underbelly of society on full display. And for many a player, there’s always been something so appealing about joining that dark side, whether as trained assassins or stealthy thieves.

Indeed, many of the Thieves Guild quest lines — Skyrim’s included — are among the most unique, fun, and beloved by many a fan of the franchise. But when it comes to thieving, players may find that every race can be are suited to a life of larceny. So, here are how all the races pan out as thieves.

Updated September 19, 2021, by Olivia Titus: Though it may be hard to believe, it has almost been 10 years since Skyrim first released. The special Anniversary version drops November 11, 2021 with several new features promised and old features updated. That makes now the perfect time to reflect on one of the game’s core guilds and questlines, as well as the lore of the franchise itself.

The Elder Scrolls has 10 playable races so far, but not every one makes a good stealth character. Here’s how each race stacks up as a Thief.

10 Altmer/High Elf - D- Tier

As the most magically gifted race of Tamriel, High Elves can be surprisingly sneaky. But stealth alone, does not a thief, make.

Whether from the perspective of crime, stealth, or lore-friendly gaming, High Elves simply come up short. So, it’s best to avoid playing as an Altmer thief.

9 Nord - D+ Tier

Skyrim’s native people are much more suited to combat than thievery. Indeed, when it comes to Nords, they’re only slightly better than Altmer, regarding their abilities as thieves.

If players are patient enough, they can eventually grind up a Nord character to grander levels of larceny, like Brynjolf and many of Skyrim’s Thieves Guild. But if they want an easier time thieving, it’s best to skip Nords and try for a better-suited race.

8 Imperial - C- Tier

Should players choose to be Imperial thieves, they’ll find their own slew of challenges to face.

The path of Enchanting is the best way for an Imperial to become a thief, but it’s a tedious path, requiring troves of armors, soul stones, and skill-grinding. It’ll be a long time before any Imperial can become a fantastic thief, and that’s time better spent, playing as better races.

7 Orsimer/Orc - C+ Tier

Skyrim’s Orcs share much in common with Imperials, regarding their poor aptitude for thieving. They’re a warrior race, primarily, and come up lacking in many skills needed for larceny.

There are no Orcish members of the guild, either through direct membership, or recruiting its many associates and fences. Being an Orc thief is certainly unique, but uniqueness won’t pay off for this life of crime.

6 Redguard - B- Tier

Hammerfell’s native populace is an extremely ill-suited race when it comes to thievery.

5 Breton - B+ Tier

What many magical peoples may lack when it comes to basic thievery, Bretons can hopefully compensate.

It may take a ton of effort, skill grinding, and speech checks, but with enough work, any Breton character can rise to the greatest heights of thievery.

4 Dunmer/Dark Elf - A- Tier

Dunmer are an interesting magical race, in that they do have some natural stealthiness, alongside their abilities in Illusion magic.

If Karliah proves anything, it’s that any Dunmer with the right temperance for larceny cannot only rise high within Thieves Guild but can ascend beyond to much greater purposes. Definitely consider this elven race for thievery.

3 Bosmer/Wood Elf - A+ Tier

Bosmers are a unique elven race, given the aptitude for all stealth archery over direct combat or magic.

These elves will find some companionship among Skyrim’s underworld, given characters like Niruin, Enthir, or Galathil. For those considering any thievery playthrough, definitely keep the Wood Elves in mind.

2 Khajiit - S- Tier

The catfolk of Elsweyr have a bad reputation in Skyrim. Unfortunately, it’s also a reputation well-earned, given their aptitude for stealth.

Of course, should players gain favor with the Khajiit caravans, then all these traveling merchants will fence stolen goods. Thieves are called “cat burglars” for a reason, and playing a Khajiit is a definite must for any pilfering playthrough.

1 Argonian - S+ Tier

Tamriel’s second beastfolk race also faces plenty of hardships within Skyrim’s borders. Given their frequent mistreatment, it makes sense if one turned to crime, right? And indeed, Argonians do appear to have a natural aptitude for thievery.

So definitely keep Tamriel’s lizardfolk in mind. They make for some of Skyrim’s best thieves.