Why do people hate argonians?

coop500

Please stash the roleplay dunmer 'talking handbag' jokes, they're not funny, they're just gross and terrible.

But legit, in a OOC no roleplay manner, why are argonians the most hated race? Not due to passives (though they are terrible) but people just seem to downright just HATE them as a culture and race of living beings.

I legit want to know, this isn't meant to attack people who don't like them. They are one of my favorite races, but everyone has different preferences, so I am genuinely curious why so many people seem to not just 'not like them' but flat out loathe them...

Did they do something terrible in the lore (worse than the other races?) that I'm not aware of?

Edit: For people who don't think they are hated, please see this poll: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/471267/what-is-your-least-favorite-race-and-why/p1

WhyMustItBe

I don't see this hate you experience. There was that whole questline in the Dominion where they were giving refugee Argonians a place to live in peace. If they hated them so bad I doubt they would have overcome the "b-but they are enemy soldiers" paranoia.

Mostly it is that their passives are garbage, unless you are a healer. Then they are just 'meh.'

VaranisArano

I like Argonian NPCs, but I struggle to roleplay as an Argonian. So I don't have any Argonian characters.

Wolfpaw

The show "V" during my adolescent years 😉

Greasytengu

I think they are just too alien compared to men/mer, but close enough to be creepy. Uncanny valley aside, they live in a land that is barely mapped and seems to spawn disease, worship strange sentient trees, pray to Sithis ( the spookiest god), hatch from eggs, can breathe underwater, have unreadable facial expressions, and their culture has no concept of time as thing that exists.

Iccotak

WhyMustItBe wrote: »

Mostly it is that their passives are garbage, unless you are a healer. Then they are just 'meh.'

I find that Argonian passives are pretty good for tanks

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As to OP question of player dislike of the race - I have found it really just comes down to looks. People like Elves & Humans, because well they look human and are relatable. Khajiits are cute cats - everybody loves cats.

Reptiles are another matter (I like them though!) People just generally think Argonians are ugly and stand out in a bad way.
Also people are not a fan of swamps & marshes.

Another reason many people don't like them; many just think Argonians are weak and not strong, often calling them tree-huggers or hippies. But ESO, and the TES franchise as a whole, has been slowly showing that not to be the case.

jssriot

Anyhow, I remember Argonian not being very popular when we were still Alliance-locked, although I do recall an Argonian RP Guild who'd RP around the Hist tree in Ebonheart. I miss those folks! But after they ended Alliance locking for PVE Argnonians got pretty popular as both healers and tanks, and for RPing and for people who just think they are fun (like me). People would joke about how Alcast was always making Argonian builds (because he did). But the passive changes made them less desirable for people who want meta builds. However, they are still really fun to play, they still are a solid choice for healers and mag dps, and with the Steed's Blessing CP star, you can swim REALLY fast. 10/10 in my book.

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REiiGN15

These people will never understand how hard a true warrior like Heem-Jas works to protect his people.

Fennwitty

I don't notice any 'hate'.

The various Argonian 'jokes' are generally from a place of enjoying that Argonians exist. Much as Khajiits and Wood Elves steal constantly and both have hairballs (all-meat diets do that to you).

If anything, a rampant indifference and no desire to play them is as far as I'd go. Mainly from stats and non-monstrous 'lizard people' being uncommon from most RPG settings.

orion_1981usub17_ESO

No one hates the Argonians, they have good lore and good culture. Your seeing your own persecution complex. The least loved/played race is redguard. I wonder why? 🤔Hmmmm...

https://youtu.be/QUzxroOFGw0

Cirantille

Oh Coop is here

Hi, also I don't hate Argonians

I'd play any beast & mer race over humans any day

It is more fun

Also I find Argonians to be friendly and humble

orion_1981usub17_ESO

Here's another popularity contest which you'll see Argonians are near the middle, not the bottom. Obviously many folks enjoy swinging with the fishes...

https://youtu.be/_5U66AqhCmM

DreadDaedroth

I like them for the reptile and mesoamerican culture mix, like the lizardmen of Warhammer.

Brrrofski

I don't care about lore or RP or any of that.

I just hate their zones.

Full of water to dismount you, plants that stun and CC you and every mob seems to snare.

I think I went into Murkmire twice for a lead to a mythic that drops. Never going back. Not massively looking forward to Blackwood either.

poodlemasterb16_ESO

But to play a Dunmer properly, you have to know a few things. I recommend playing Morrowind, the original game, as an Argonian, a Dunmer and a Kajiit.

The Dunmer love, hate and sometimes fear the Argonians. They are the labour for most of Morrowind and sometimes over run parts of it. There is nothing simple about the Dunmer Argonian relationship.

This can make for an amazing game done right. My little Kajiit Marsha went right off the rails in Morrowind after being insulted once too often and became one of the greatest thief/assassins I have ever built.

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warsteheineub17_ESO

I don't hate them.
I like pretty people, so Khajiit, Orc and Argonian are out, with Dark Elf being on the fence I guess.
I'm shallow.

zaria

Argonians are cool, yes you can say many of the characters come off a bit goofy but that is common for other races to, but they can not get away with names like Makes-One-Soup.

Argonians have one issue however, the look, its for special interest only, this one who mostly play Khajiit's but still.
They look like monsters even compared to Ork an Khajiit.
Yes the racials are mediocre but is also an freedom as people will look down on an Breton stamiana build or an Redguard magic ones. Now for Breton, why don't go Nord is an valid point.

zvavi

if you are asking me, I do think tank Argonian is fun, chugging down trash potions like it is some kind of skooma, but I don't like their culture much, doesn't speak to me

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Sarannah

Noone really hates argonians, in fact most players love them. But they are really hard to pick outfits/costumes for, as most of those just look weird on them. Therefor many players prefer to choose another race.

phaneub17_ESO

I have two Argonian characters and there's a few gripes I have with them.
1. I want them to have broader, muscular body types. They seem very stringy even the males.
2. Not enough head customization with the snout lengths, horn and spike options, and needs more feathers.

TheImperfect

I think Argonians are cool, not really into the bug eating they do (or any cannibalism the bosmers allegedly do) but other than that they are awesome.

ResidentContrarian

I don't, I think they're great and even the racial passives. Even think they are a little cute!

Then again, I am the ResidentContrarian...

Ascarl

Actually I hate both cradle of shadows and ruins of Mazzatum.

I especially hate Heem- Ja. For me he is the Jar Jar Binks of ESO. I would gladly grind hours or pay RL money for a DB skill increase and be able to use blade of woe on him.

kargen27

They talk to slow. A quest involving an Argonian takes forever to listen to the dialog.

And they look like Sleestak.

Sylvermynx

I don't like them, never have, and I'm not going to apologize for it - or for disliking orcs. I RP (in my mind) the entire time I'm playing a character, and that means there has to be something I enjoy in order to "mesh" with the character - which leaves out argonians and orcs. There are plenty of races I like (the other 8) so I have lots of different alts to RP with. Now that said, I like the Murkmire music. But the only swamp I get along with is Hjaalmarch - so Shadowfen and Murkmire I'm only in to do minor things: surveys in Shadowfen, antiquities in both. Deshaan isn't nearly as swampish, but other than surveys and antiquities, I only hit Mournhold for Rolis Hlaalu (because he's close to the wayshrine there).

As for Redguards, my four mains are all Redguard Wardens.... but actually the bulk of my characters are Breton, Bosmer, and Khajiit.

Danikat

I've occasionally seen people who don't understand why anyone would want to play one, either because their character is an idealised version of themselves and they assume everyone else does the same thing, or because they're sole consideration when picking a race is the passives and Youtubers don't currently recommend argonians for trial progession groups so they're obviously useless for everything. But I wouldn't say that's about hating argonians, it's more just that they assume other factors override any personal preferences.

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Cody

the Passives dont't stack up against the passives of most other races too well.

Many also just might like Dunmer more. lol

Argonians are my favorite ES race, but I dont play them much in ESO. Other races tend to offer (much) better passives for whatever build im thinking about using.

Lumenn

Argonians are my favorite race. For many, their passives have always been a bit meh or were downright awful(well, the morrowind resource adjustments made them popular for awhile). For much of "known" history they've been the underdogs, except when they're not. Personally I'd love to actually see more of their history, like if the Hist gave them back their memories of the Xanmeer days. For many people, their passives are meh, they don't seem "human" enough, their lore is odd, and some just see it as "popular" to downplay the race. For me they look awesome, my armor isn't the same boring look, the lore shows them as being a bit too passive, but when they've had enough they will destroy the opponent. Don't ride the train, love your scales!

Ashryn

Not hate, just find their voices very annoying.

SilverBride

I don't hate Argonians but I would never play one. Khajiit either. I just can't identify with playing a reptile or animal.

SeaGtGruff

I can only speak for myself, so I won't try to theorize about why some people make jokes or comments about the races in the Elder Scrolls series.

I've only experienced one obviously racist remark while playing on my Redguard main, and I wasn't even sure if it was directed at me or at another player, but I was offended by it.

I don't think I've ever experienced any obviously racist remarks while playing on my Argonian character, but he's "just an alt" and I currently don't play much on my alts except to do crafting writs. Still, I don't recall being the butt of any jokes when I was playing on him a bit more frequently in Bleakrock Isle, Bal Foyen, and Davon's Watch.

I do occasionally see obviously racist remarks in zone chat about Argonians and other races-- but zone chat does tend to be filled with a lot of juvenile and vulgar comments about race, sex, politics, and other topics from time to time, especially when there are a lot of new or temporary players in the game, such as during free play weeks. Fortunately, most of the players who seem to get a kick out of talking trash and being offensive in zone chat apparently either move on to some other game, or get banned, or maybe just get tired of being obnoxious and provocative.

Personally, I usually play an Elder Scrolls game as the default character race, if there is one-- Dark Elf in Morrowind, Imperial in Oblivion, and Nord in Skyrim. I once started to play Arena as an Argonian character, but eventually abandoned him for another character, although I still have him in my save game archives. I once started to play Morrowind as an Argonian character, but it felt a bit awkward being the Nerevarine in an Argonian body, so I eventually went back to playing as a Dark Elf. I don't recall ever playing as an Argonian character in Oblivion or Skyrim.