Dungeons & Dragons lets you step into fantastical worlds where anything is possible. From noble elves to stubborn dwarves, cunning tieflings to mighty dragonborn, your character’s species is more than just a stat block: it’s the heart of their story. With over 100 official options, not even counting homebrew creations, you have endless opportunities to bring your adventurers to life through dice rolls and imagination.

But with so much variety, it’s natural to wonder: which species stand out as fan favorites? Thanks to player data gathered from DnD Beyond and compiled by Kaggle, we can see which characters dominate tables everywhere. Whether you’re a veteran or brand new to the game, these rankings might surprise you.

Gnomes

Gnome Artificer Vi via Wizards of the Coast
  • Traits: Darkvision, Gnomish Cunning, Gnomish Lineage (Forest and Rock)
  • Most Popular Class: Wizard

Gnomes may be small, but they pack plenty of wonder. These secretive folk usually make their homes in forest groves or winding underground labyrinths, giving rise to two classic lineages: forest gnomes and rock gnomes. Forest gnomes are all about illusion magic and chatting with woodland critters like they’re old friends, while rock gnomes lean into tinkering, invention, and a knack for fixing just about anything with their trusty mending cantrip.

On the battlefield, gnomes aren’t exactly charging into the front lines, but that doesn’t mean they’re pushovers. Their natural gifts make them fantastic wizards, rogues, and bards, classes that reward brains and creativity over brute strength. Forest gnomes can even lean into the ranger lifestyle if you’re feeling unconventional, though don’t be surprised if your “deadly tracker” ends up debating philosophy with squirrels instead of hunting orcs.

Genasi

Genasi Enforcers by Joshua Raphael
  • Traits
    • Air: Unending Breath, Mingle with the Wind
    • Earth: Earth Walk, Merge with Stone
    • Fire: Darkvision, Fire Resistance, Reach to the Blaze
    • Water: Acid Resistance, Amphibious, Swim, Call to the Wave
  • Most Popular Class: Sorcerer
  • Legacy Species

Genasi are the offspring of mortals and genies, which is basically what happens when your family tree accidentally merges with the Elemental Plane. Each one is tied to a single element (air, earth, fire, or water) so while you might want to be the Avatar, mastering all four, your DM will almost certainly raise an eyebrow and say, “Nice try.” Their unusual skin tones, like stone-gray, fiery red, or ocean blue, make them stand out even in a crowded tavern.

Class-wise, sorcerers and druids are the most popular picks for genasi, but don’t underestimate their talent as fighters or rogues. With their elemental gifts, they can bend the battlefield to their favor. Air Genasi zip around like Aang on a glider, while fire Genasi bring the Zuko vibes (minus the brooding scar drama). Just don’t ask them to “yip yip” without context.

Half-Orc

Half-Orc from the Player's Handbook, via Wizards of the Coast
  • Traits: Darkvision, Menacing, Relentless Endurance, Savage Attacks
  • Most Popular Class: Barbarian
  • Legacy Species

Half-orcs are the result of human-orc alliances, sometimes peaceful, sometimes… not so much. They inherit raw strength from their orcish blood and a touch of agility from their human side, making them natural bruisers on the battlefield. While most trace their lineage to orcs, there’s room for DM-approved curveballs, like a half-orc with drow ancestry, because who doesn’t love a little extra family drama in their backstory?

When it comes to class choice, half-orcs are basically built to smash. Barbarians top the charts, followed closely by fighters and paladins. Their features reward raw muscle over charisma or wisdom, so don’t expect them to sweet-talk their way through negotiations. But if “kick down the door” is your plan A (and B, and C), half-orcs are your best bet.

Halfings

Halfling Battle Smith by Zoltan Boros
  • Traits: Brave, Halfling Nimbleness, Luck, Naturally Stealthy
  • Most Popular Class: Rogue

Available in the Player’s Handbook, halflings are D&D’s clear nod to Tolkien’s hobbits: small, cheerful folk who’d rather enjoy second breakfast than charge into battle. Still, plenty of halflings can’t resist “roads that go ever on,” trading cozy hearths for dice-fueled danger. Whether they’re sneaking through dungeons or stumbling into dragon hoards, halflings prove that size doesn’t matter when you’ve got courage (and maybe a frying pan).

Mechanically, halflings shine as rogues thanks to their stealth and nimbleness, but their signature trait is pure Gandalf-approved magic: luck. Roll a natural 1? No problem; just reroll and pretend the first disaster never happened. It’s like the DM quietly saying, “Even the smallest person can change the course of fate.”

Dragonborn

Scout by Riccardo Moscatello
  • Traits: Draconic Ancestry, Breath Weapon, Damage Resistance, Darkvision, Draconic Flight
  • Most Popular Class: Paladin

Dragonborn trace their lineage back to dragon eggs, though whether those eggs were blessed by the dragon gods or just in the wrong nest at the wrong time is anyone’s guess. The result? A proud species that looks like someone spliced “humanoid” with “fire-breathing lizard,” complete with scales, horns, and dramatic draconic color palettes.

With traits like elemental breath weapons and resistance, dragonborn are natural powerhouses. They’re just as comfortable belching elemental energy from the back line as they are soaking up damage in the front. Unsurprisingly, players on DnD Beyond overwhelmingly roll them as paladins, combining their strength and magic for that perfect holy-dragon-warrior vibe. Think Smaug meets Captain America, with fewer moral gray areas.

Tiefling

Tieflings by Clint Cearley
  • Traits: Darkvision, Fiendish Legacy, Otherworldly Presence
  • Most Popular Class: Warlock

Tieflings wear their heritage on their sleeve... or rather, on their horns, tails, and occasionally cloven hooves. Born with fiendish bloodlines tied to the Lower Planes, no two tieflings look alike. Some sport catlike eyes, others fangs, and a few look like they walked straight off a heavy metal album cover. Whatever the variation, every tiefling carries a spark of infernal legacy that’s impossible to miss.

When it comes to character creation, tieflings are a buffet of options. With multiple legacies and bloodlines to choose from, their looks and abilities can vary wildly. Still, all share darkvision and a handy resistance to fire, because if your relatives are demons, you learn to handle the heat. Thanks to their natural charisma and sturdy stats, tieflings are excellent in magic-based classes, particularly popular as sorcerers and warlocks.

Dwarves

Brazen Dwarf, by Gabor Szikszai
  • Traits: Darkvision, Dwarven Resilience, Dwarven Toughness, Stonecunning
  • Most Popular Class: Cleric

Like halflings, dwarves draw inspiration from Tolkien’s creations, but don’t confuse them with Snow White’s singing miners. Dwarves are hardy folk with an unmatched love for stone, metal, and crafting weapons that look like they belong in a museum (or lodged in an orc’s skull). As sturdy as the mountains they call home, they’re the definition of “built to last.”

What may surprise newcomers is that dwarves aren’t just tanky warriors. Their most popular class is actually cleric, which makes them the perfect blend of healer and hammer-swinger. Nothing says “team player” quite like patching up your party’s wounds while shrugging off a hit from a bugbear.

Half-Elves

Half-Elf Monk, by Aoltan Boros
  • Traits: Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Skill Versatility
  • Most Popular Class: Bard
  • Legacy

Half-elves are the best of both worlds, or, depending on who you ask, stuck between them. They inherit human curiosity and ambition but balance it out with elven grace, senses, and that whole “living way longer than your drinking buddies” thing. Traditionally a single species, they’ve since been split into variants like aquatic half-elves and wood half-elves. Still, legacy half-elves remain the most popular on D&D Beyond, though that might just be because everyone’s still figuring out the new kids on the block.

When it comes to class, half-elves shine as bards. Their mix of magical talent, natural charm, and skill versatility makes them the perfect performers, diplomats, or social butterflies of any adventuring party. They can talk, sing, or charm their way out of nearly any situation, though sometimes their curiosity leads them into trouble faster than their charisma can get them out.

Elves

Drizzt Do'Urden art by Wizards of the Coast
  • Traits: Darkvision, Elven Lineage, Fey Ancestry, Keen Senses, Trance
  • Most Popular Class: Ranger

When you think of elves, you probably picture ethereal, lithe creatures who talk to trees and casually dodge arrows in slow motion. In DnD, that’s not too far off. Elves are a magical species with three main branches: drow, who thrive in the pitch-black Underdark; wood elves, guardians of primeval forests; and high elves, sprinkled with Feywild magic and a dash of “I woke up like this” elegance.

You might assume elf players lean heavily into spellcasting classes like sorcerer or druid, but most actually opt for ranger. With keen senses, natural agility, and a knack for staying on the right path, elf rangers make perfect guides and deadly foes. Think Legolas with a backpack full of healing potions and a very active critical-hit streak.

Human

Humans by Zuzanna Wuzyk
  • Traits: Resourceful, Skillful, Versatile
  • Most Popular Class: Fighter

With so many fantastical species at your fingertips, it’s a bit surprising that humans remain the most popular race on DnD Beyond. Humans are everywhere in the multiverse, thriving in nearly any environment thanks to their adaptability, ambition, and uncanny ability to survive just about anything, even poorly thought-out dungeon crawls.

Humans are the ultimate “jack-of-all-trades.” They may lack the innate magic of elves or gnomes, but they make up for it with sheer versatility, able to excel in virtually any class. Despite this flexibility, most players default to human fighters, turning them into the reliable all-around DPS of the party. In other words, humans aren’t flashy, but when it comes to keeping the adventure on track and enemies on the ground, they get the job done.

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Dungeons and Dragons

Franchise Dungeons & Dragons Original Release Date 1974 Publisher Wizards of the Coast Designer E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson Player Count 2+ Expand Collapse