The Khajiit in The Elder Scrolls Online can look very different. In total, there are more than 17 types. Read here why that is the case.
Most Elder Scrolls fans recognize a Khajiit instantly when they see one: humanoid cats, of course.
However, very few could accurately say which sub-species this Khajiit belongs to. Just like with cats in our world, there are Khajiit in the Elder Scrolls world in various variations.
Seventeen sub-species are known, and it is rumored that there are many more.
Moon constellations determine the race
What determines what a Khajiit looks like? Anyone who has looked up at night in an “Elder Scrolls” game has surely noticed that there is more than one moon.
The sub-species of a Khajiit depends on the constellation of these two moons.
- Masser, the Red Moon is also known as Mara’s Tear. The Khajiit see in it a God and call him Jode.
- Secunda is the smaller of the two moons and looks more like a “normal” moon. It is also worshipped by the cat people. They call it Jone.
When a small Khajiit is born, the constellation of these two moons decides whether it will become a fluffy Alfiq or a large strong Senche-Raht, for example. Curiously, the race of the parents plays no role at all.
So, two humanoid Khajiit can have a son that takes the form of a house cat, while the older sister is a gigantic tiger.
The great moon determines the essential appearance
The many Khajiit races can be roughly divided into four groups:
- Large quadrupeds
- Large bipeds
- Small bipeds
- and small quadrupeds.
The classification into one of these groups depends on the phase of the great red moon Masser. The fuller it is, the larger the Khajiit will eventually become.
- If more than three quarters of the moon or less than one quarter is visible, it becomes a quadruped.
- Otherwise, it walks upright like a human.
The small moon determines the race
Within these four groups, there are four variations again. The phase of the small moon Secunda determines which race the baby Khajiit will have. In general, this moon decides how animalistic a Khajiit will be.
The fuller the moon is, the more similar the Khajiit looks to a cat, rather than a human or elf.
The Over-Khajiit
Anyone who has been counting knows that one kind is still missing: The Mane. Manes are spiritual and political leaders of the Khajiit. Their reign is virtually assigned to them at birth. They can only arise when a third moon appears.
This, however, only happens very rarely.
The third moon only appears during a very special constellation of the other two moons. Therefore, the birth of a Mane is always a significant event for the cat people.
These are the 16 other races
Large quadrupeds
- Senche: Very large and similar to an oversized tiger. Also ridden by other Khajiit, and in ESO there are numerous Senche mounts.
- Senche-raht: The largest Khajiit, resembling a saber-toothed tiger. Also known as “combat cat”
- Pahmar: Similar in size and appearance to a regular tiger
- Pahmar-raht: Like a Pahmar, but larger. The transition to Senche is fluid.
Large bipeds
- Cathay: The typical Khajiit cat-person you encounter in Tamriel
- Cathay-Raht: Slightly larger than the Cathay, but just as agile
- Tojay: Little is known about the Tojays, as they like to hide in the forest
- Tojay-Rhat: Larger than the Tojay, but not better known.
Small bipeds
- Ohmes: This Khajiit race actually has nothing to do with the typical Khajiit look. They resemble elves and humans closely but are much smaller. They are often confused with wood elves. Their first and last appearance was in The Elder Scrolls: Arena.
- Ohmes-Rhat: They resemble elves even more, as they are the same size. However, they are still easier to recognize as Khajiit because they have a tail.
- Suthay: They resemble the “normal” Khajiit, just much smaller.
- Suthay-Rhat: These Khajiit are particularly often found in Morrowind. They are very cat-like and about the same size as humans. Hard to distinguish from Cathay.
Small quadrupeds
- Alfiq: Hardly distinguishable from normal cats. However, they understand human language and often wear clothing.
- Alfiq-Raht: Larger than regular Alfiqs. Think of real-life cat breeds like Savannahs or Maine Coons in terms of size.
- Dagi: If Alfiqs are house cats, then Dagis are the wild cats. They are larger and like to live outdoors in trees.
- Dagi-Rhat: Large Dagis.
Which Khajiit races have you noticed so far in ESO? Did you even realize that there are so many of them?
