[Top 10] Best Skyrim Mods For Character Creation

Updated:

10 Dec 2020

Create your character with more options than ever before.

When you think of character creation, you’re likely to think of your favorite part of the process. For some, it’s staring at the screen for hours adjusting every slider to make a perfect character. For others, their main focus is their stats and attributes. Some of these mods are even perfect for helping you enhance and craft your character’s unique backstory. This list has something for you no matter which aspect of character creation you focus on!

10. COTR: HQ Characters Creation

A close-up look at the improvements this mod makes on the face shapes in the game.

Starting out with a mod that focuses more on appearance, HQ Characters Creation goes deeper than a lot of other appearance mods go. It focuses on reworking the face shapes of the different races in the game. If you’re looking for better face structure for your characters along with other improvements, this mod is a great start.

Features:

Brand new detailed, more polygonal head models that are huge improvements over the vanilla head models (Khajiits and Argonians not supported)
Tons of new sliders available through Racemenu to edit things to your liking
Compatible with body replacers such as CBBE and UNP

Get the mod here./se version.

9. Alternate Start- Live Another Life

An orc character starting the game as a member of The Companions.

For those who have made a few new Skyrim characters, you’ve probably gotten tired of the long introduction and tutorial. If you’re looking for a whole new feeling to your next playthrough, Alternate Start is the way to go. The new options will make your character feel more unique than ever before.

Features:

Start right at character creation, bypassing the intro and the entire tutorial
You can start as a member of a guild, a hunter in the woods, a property owner in a city, and many more options
Easy way to start the main story: just make the short walk back to Helgen to discover the evidence of the recent dragon attack

Get the mod here./se version.

8. Realm of Lorkhan

The mysterious message that you'll see as you finish creating your character's appearance.

If Alternate Start- Live Another Life wasn’t enough for you, perhaps you need a mod with more excitement and features? Introducing Realm of Lorkhan: a huge new realm in which your character creation takes place. This mod is on the newer side with it being released in mid-2018. If you’re looking for an experience that adds tons of new features and possibilities, Realm of Lorkhan is perfect for you.

Features:

Go straight into the character creation screen, and then explore the realm to fine-tune your character’s backstory, stats, and starting equipment
Permanent class buffs, new optional ‘boons and curses’ feature, standing stones, starting gear, and portals to let you choose your starting location
Explore this area for as long as you like, there are many secrets hidden that will take a little searching to find

Get the mod here./se version.

7. Imperious- Races of Skyrim

A stealthy character utilizing one of their sneaky abilities.

In vanilla Skyrim, the different races to choose from don’t offer a lot of variety as far as their stats and abilities go. There are a few, sure, like unarmed claw damage for khajiits. Imperious- Races of Skyrim gives every race their own unique abilities and starting stats. With this mod, every race will feel worth trying out for the new abilities.

Features:

3 new passive abilities for each race, and one new power for each race that is available after a new quest
These new abilities and powers are also applied to all of the NPCs in the game
Several customizable options available through in-game MCM menus with SkyUI installed (not required)

Get the mod here./se version.

6. Zebsirious - Tamrielic Races of Skyrim

One of the new playable races added with this mod: the ancient Snow Elf.

If you’ve played Skyrim a few times, maybe you’re bored of the race options available in Skyrim. Even if you’ve never played before, you’ll still love all of the new races this mod adds! Many of the custom race mods that exist for Skyrim feel very out of place, and they don’t feel very lore-friendly. This is where Tamrielic races of Skyrim shines: all of the races added in this mod already exist in Elder Scrolls lore!

Features:

7 new playable races: Snow Elf, Sinistral Mer, Orma, Maormer, Lilmothiit, Kothringi, Dwemer
This mod pairs perfect with Imperious: each new race has 3 passive abilities and a power unlocked by a unique quest
Options for you to configure to your liking through in-game MCM menus

Get the mod here./se version.

5. Enhanced Character Edit

A screenshot showcasing the options that ECE has to offer in character creation.

For those who aren’t a fan of the widely used Racemenu (which will be covered next); or maybe a mod you’re using is incompatible for some reason, give Enhanced Character Edit (or ECE) a try! These advanced options will widely expand the choices that the vanilla game gives you for cosmetic character creation.

Features:

More than 50 brand new sliders, including (but not limited to) color sliders and expression sliders
Zoom function, lighting options, and save and load for character appearances
Undo and redo functionality for times when you’ve accidentally messed up a feature beyond repair

Get the mod here./se version.

4. UNP Female Body Replacer

A character using UNP, the more realistic option of the popular body mods.

Body replacement mods (particularly for female characters) are essential for a lot of armor and clothing mods. Which one you choose is up to personal preference. These new textures do include nudity, so if you’re not trying to make your game very NSFW, you’ll want to choose the undergarment option during installation. If you want the fancy clothing and armor mods you see everywhere, it’s best to invest in a mod like this one.

Features:

Female body and face textures with options for vanilla undergarments or new sets with better textures
Realistic proportions so your character doesn’t look too out of place among the NPCs
High-quality face textures, including new eyebrow textures

Get the mod here./se version.

3.CBBE

A character using CBBE, the more customizable choice of the body mods.

CBBE (Caliente’s Beautiful Bodies Edition) is the other most popular option for female body replacers. Some armor and clothing mods are only made for one mod or the other, so you’re going to have to pick which one suits you and stick with your favorite. What makes CBBE unique is that it pairs with Bodyslide and Outfit Studio you can customize your character's body however you wish. Be warned, this mod page also contains a good deal of nudity (undergarments are available upon installation).

Features:

Preset body shape options of slim, curvy, and vanilla if you don’t want to fool with Bodyslide
Pairs with physics mods to make your character’s movement feel more realistic and immersive
Body slide functionality allows for more outrageous proportions, whereas UNP is a more realistic approach

Get the mod here./se version.

2. Character Creation Overhaul

Some of the classic classes from Oblivion that this mod brings back to Skyrim.

Those who love to craft a detailed backstory and class for their character may find themselves missing the days of Morrowind and Oblivion. This mod is made to be compatible with most alternate start mods and things of that nature, and it brings a ton to the table. Everything you might miss from the old games is back (and the characters are certainly easier on the eyes).

Features:

Birthsigns have returned, choose which one your character is born under
All 21 classes from previous TES games have returned, including the option to create your very own custom class
Options to have more diverse stats for races and genders, as well as optional dynamic skill progression

Get the mod here./se version.

1. Racemenu

Some of the many detailed options Racemenu gives you to create your perfect character.

For those looking for more compatibility with mods that add new face paint overlays or have mods incompatible with ECE, Racemenu is your go-to! Racemenu has been my personal choice for years; it’s functionality and the amount of presets available online give you endless options. This is the choice that will have the best chance at compatibility with other character appearance mods.

Features:

Highly detailed face sculpting mode, load in presets from other creators, or save your own
RGB color selection for nearly anything you can think of including hair color
Lighting options, and camera rotation to see your character from all angles

Get the mod here./se version.