TL;DR: Lineage 2 has 5 races — Human, Elf, Dark Elf, Orc and Dwarf. Humans are the most versatile and cover every role, Dark Elves excel at PvP burst, Orcs bring the most HP and unique buffers, and Dwarves are the economy race. You cannot change race later, so pick for the role you want.

Overview

Lineage 2 has 5 playable races: Human, Elf, Dark Elf, Orc and Dwarf. Each has its own class set, its own starting zone and its own feel. Race is your first decision at character creation, and it decides which professions open up after your first levels. You can't change race later, so choose it around the role you want to play, not the other way around. Below we break down each race and its strengths.

Human

The most versatile race. You get access to fighters, mages, healers, daggers and archers. Only Humans cover the full spread of roles: top tanks Paladin and Dark Avenger, the best healers Bishop and Prophet, powerful nukers Sorcerer and Necromancer, and the stealthy dagger Treasure Hunter. Starting zone — Talking Island. When in doubt, start as a Human: they find a party easily and can fill any role.

Elf

Agile and fast, on the light side of the world. Your classes: the archer Silver Ranger, the mage Spellsinger, the tank Temple Knight, the dagger Plains Walker, the healer Elder and the song buffer Swordsinger. Elves have higher run speed and attack speed, which gives their archers strong kiting potential. Starting zone — Elven Village.

Dark Elf

Aggressive and hard-hitting, built around burst damage. Classes: the mage Spellhowler, the dagger Abyss Walker, the tank Shillien Knight and the buffer Bladedancer. Dark Elves are the PvP lover's pick: high critical damage and sharp openings on the enemy. Starting zone — Dark Elven Village.

Orc

Strong and tough, with the largest HP pool. Classes: the berserker Destroyer, the monk Tyrant, plus unique supports — the buffer Warcryer and the raid commander Overlord. Orcs are indispensable in large-scale sieges and mass PvP. Starting zone — Orc Village.

Dwarf

The economy race, masters of profit. Two classes are available: the crafter Warsmith and the spoiler Bounty Hunter. A Dwarf gathers rare materials through spoil and crafts gear to sell — ideal if your goal is Adena farming and trading. Starting zone — Dwarven Village.

Race Impact on Stats

At the start, races differ slightly in base stats: Orcs are sturdier on HP, Dark Elves hit harder, Elves move and attack faster, and Humans are balanced. As you level, though, that gap nearly disappears — gear, enchanting and augmentation override it. So in the endgame race shapes not your raw power but which class and role you can play. For more on stat growth, see the attribute system guide.

Starting Zones

Each race begins in its own village: Humans — Talking Island, Elves — Elven Village, Dark Elves — Dark Elven Village, Orcs — Orc Village, Dwarves — Dwarven Village. Every starting zone has its own guild master for class transfer, shops with basic gear and quests for your first levels. The leveling route from your village to the shared hubs is covered in the leveling guide.

Which Race to Choose

Race decides your classes. Want a tank — pick Human (Paladin, Dark Avenger) or Elf (Temple Knight). A healer — Human (Bishop, Prophet) or Elf (Elder). A dagger — Human (Treasure Hunter), Dark Elf (Abyss Walker) or Elf (Plains Walker). A nuker — Human (Sorcerer, Necromancer) or Dark Elf (Spellhowler). To earn Adena — Dwarf (Bounty Hunter, Warsmith). A buffer — Human (Prophet) or Orc (Warcryer / Overlord). If you're new and haven't settled on a role, the safest start is a Human: the race covers every profession and finds a party easily. Once you've picked a role, check the current tier list — or better, the PvP build guide — to see which classes are strong on your server.