The Templar Class in The Elder Scrolls Online calls upon the power of light and the burning sun to deal massive damage to their enemies. You can think of the Templar class as ESO’s version of a Paladin. Templars excel at both self-healing and group healing, and remain one of the strongest classes in the game since launch due to their strong defenses and passive healing potential. Choosing the best race for your Templar, or the Templar race that aligns best with your skillset, equips you to control the true potential of this powerful class in ESO.

ESO Best Race for Templar
The Templar class, which can be accessed through purchasing the base game of The Elder Scrolls Online, specializes in bringing the power of the Sun and the Divine to the battlefield with skill lines like Aedric Spear, Dawns Wrath, and Restoring Light. Choosing the right race for your Templar is key since various races provide unique bonuses that can impact your Templar build.
The best race for Templars in ESO is the Dark Elf for damage dealers, Nord for tanks, and High Elf for healers. We will further analyze the pros and cons of these races, plus more possible races, helping you make the best choice when crafting your Templar character.
1. Dark Elf
The best race for a Templar Damage Dealer Build, commonly called a “DPS” is the Dark Elf. Dark Elves in ESO have some of the best racial passives in the game when it comes to dealing damage, plus these passives will work great regardless of whether your build focuses on Stamina or Magicka as its primary resource for damage.
Dark Elves benefit from an additional 1950 Stamina and Magicka added to your total resource pools, along with 258 Weapon and Spell damage. This combination allows you to deal consistent damage with powerful skills like Biting Jabs (Stamina) and Puncturing Sweep (Magicka).
The Dark Elf race is a top-performing damage race for ESO Templars, letting your DPS build excel in combat. The fact that this race has bonuses for both Magicka and Stamina means you can easily change the focus of your build should you choose to do so. Templar DPS builds also specialize in dealing AOE damage with powerful abilities like Blazing Spear, Solar Barrage, and Ritual Of Retribution.

2. High Elf
High Elves, or Altmer, possess a natural affinity for magic, making them an excellent choice for Templar healers and even magicka-based DPS. High Elf racial passives grant a larger Magicka pool, increased spell and weapon damage, and greater Magicka and Stamina sustain every six seconds when activating a skill.
For Templar DPS, the High Elf racial passive called Spell Recharge also reduces the damage you take by 5% when channeling skills, which will be useful when combined with your primary damage ability of Puncturing Sweep or Biting Jabs.
Their arcane prowess allows High Elf Templars to manage their Magicka resources effectively and cast powerful healing or damage spells while staying alive in the heat of battle.

3. Nord
Nords, with their built-in resistances and bonuses to resources, make a great choice for Templar tanks in ESO. The Nord race is extremely hearty when absorbing damage, as their racial passives provide both bonus Health for taking damage and bonus Stamina for blocking those big boss heavy attacks.
Just as important is the Nord’s unique damage resistance passive called Rugged which increases their base level Physical and Spell resistance. This passive allows Nord tanks to use a wider variety of armor, including Medium and even Light armor sets such as Powerful Assault, to take advantage of more unique bonuses without suffering the penalty of having lower defenses.
Finally, Nords are the only race in ESO to gain additional Ultimate during combat while taking damage, helping them provide even more protection and utility for themselves and their groups.
Templar tanks also greatly benefit from defensive Templar skill lines such as Restoring Light, including skills like Restoring Focus, which grants additional resistance and also heals you. As a Nord, you can effectively weave defensive skills and heals like Extended Ritual to protect your allies from harm, becoming a master defender on the battlefield.

4. Breton
Breton is another strong choice for Magicka-focused Templar builds such as DPS builds, solo builds, and healers due to their racial passives. Bretons provide increased Max Magicka, Magicka recovery, and bonus resistances.
The choice between Breton and High Elf, which we mentioned above, ultimately depends on your personal preferences and playstyle in the Elder Scrolls Online. Bretons are well-suited for players who prioritize resource management and sustain, while High Elves excel in spellcasting and healing potency. Either way, both races provide a strong foundation for a Magicka-focused Templar build in ESO.
Templar healers can take advantage of powerful burst healing skills such as Breath Of Life from the Restoring Light skill line and helpful group sustain tools like Luminous Shards to restore ally Magicka and Stamina.
5. Khajiit
Khajiit’s critical edge makes them another excellent choice for a Templar DPS build. Their racial passives grant a 10% increase in critical damage done, resulting in a higher overall DPS. Additional bonuses for the Khajiit Templar include increased resource recovery and higher resource pools, further enhancing the performance of Stamina Templars.
With the Khajiit’s enhanced stamina recovery, Stamina Templars can maintain a relentless assault on their enemies, leaving them no opportunity to recover or regroup. This stamina-focused prowess makes the Khajiit race a formidable choice for those looking to conquer the battlefield with relentless stamina-based attacks and max stamina.

6. Imperial
Imperials excel at tanking with their high health and stamina, making them another great choice for Templar tanks in ESO. Their racial passives greatly boost both Max Health and Max Stamina, allowing them to absorb more damage and utilize tanking abilities more effectively. The Red Diamond passive is also one of the best sustain-focused passives in the game, helping you save on resources and cast abilities more frequently.
Utilizing the Aedric Spear skill line and abilities like Radiant Ward, Imperial Templar tanks can create powerful damage shields to absorb enemy attacks. With their impressive health and stamina, Imperials can withstand even the most brutal onslaughts and emerge victorious in the heat of battle.
ESO Templar Class Builds

Your race choice in ESO Templar builds not only impacts your character’s performance but also defines your playstyle. Whether you prefer to stand on the front lines as a resilient tank, unleash devastating damage from afar, or support your team with powerful healing spells, your chosen race will play a significant role in shaping your Templar’s skill loadout and their overall effectiveness in combat.
We will examine how the choice of race shapes playstyles in Templar ESO builds, including solo Templar builds, group builds, and PvP considerations next. With this understanding you can adjust your Templar build to suit your unique playstyle and preferences, ensuring you get the most out of your gaming experience.
Solo Magicka Templar
Selecting the best race for a solo Magicka Templar build is vital for self-sufficiency in ESO. The most suitable races for a solo Magicka Templar are:
- High Elf: Offers bonuses to Magicka and Magicka/Stamina sustain, as well as a Weapon and Spell Damage.
- Dark Elf: Provides bonuses to Magicka and Stamina to help with combat skills like blocking and roll dodging.
- Khajiit: Offers bonuses to Magicka recovery, critical damage, and critical healing.
Solo Stamina Templar
The best race options for a solo Stamina Templar are:
- Orc: Provides damage similar to High Elf and Dark Elf, but with additional speed bonuses and Max Health
- Dark Elf: The bonus Magicka here gives you room to cast more healing and utility skills
- Nord: Extra defense and ultimate generation synergize well with this already tanky class.
Each race brings its own unique bonuses and abilities to enhance your character’s self-sufficiency, making it a challenge to determine the best race.
By selecting a race that provides the necessary resources and abilities for solo play, you’ll be better equipped to tackle solo dungeons and other challenges in Elder Scrolls Online. This ensures your solo Templar can not only survive but thrive in the face of adversity.

Templar Group Builds
Choosing a race that makes sense with your team composition is important for group dynamics for ESO Templar builds. Different races have varying passive abilities that can boost specific aspects of gameplay, such as damage output, resource management, or survivability. Selecting a race with passives that enhance the desired playstyle of the group can lead to improved overall performance and cohesion within the team.
Templar PVP Builds
PvP considerations encompass survivability and damage output, both of which are affected by the choice of race in ESO Templar builds. Some examples include:
- Orcs: Known for their impressive stamina, high damage and speed, making them a viable choice for PvP-focused builds.
- Bretons: Excel in Magicka conservation, recovery and defense, offering unique benefits for PvP scenarios.
- High Elves: Excel in spellcasting, offering unique benefits for PvP scenarios.
When creating your Templar build for PvP, selecting a race that enhances your survivability and damage output can significantly impact your performance in the heat of battle. By considering the specific advantages and challenges of each race, you can create a PvP-centric build that ensures you’re a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
The Final Word
In conclusion, your race choice in ESO Templar builds plays a pivotal role in determining your character’s performance, playstyle, and overall effectiveness on the battlefield. By understanding the unique strengths and synergies of each race, you can create a Templar build that not only excels in your chosen role but also complements the abilities and playstyles of your teammates. So, choose wisely, and conquer the world of Tamriel with runic power!
Frequently Asked Questions
What race is good for Templar?
The best races for Templars in ESO are the Dark Elf for damage dealers, Nord for tanks, and High Elf or Breton for healers.
What is the best class for a Templar in eso?
The best class for a Templar in ESO is the Magicka Templar, which has access to powerful AOE damage in the Puncturing Sweep skill which also heals you at the same time.
What is the best race for a Templar healer in eso?
High Elf is the best race for a Templar healer, offering higher spell damage and max magicka, as well as making stamina management easier. Breton is the next best choice for players who want to focus on sustain.
How does race choice impact various Templar builds in ESO?
Race selection has a considerable impact on Templar builds in ESO, as it can affect their Magicka-based healing capabilities, Stamina DPS output, and tanking potential.
What is the synergy between Templar skills and racial passives?
Templar skills and racial passives have a synergistic relationship as racial passives can increase damage, resources, and other stats, improving their overall effectiveness.
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