SWTOR: Best Race and Class Combos

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Star Wars: The Old Republic offers a variety of choices to players customizing their own Star Wars characters. Among those choices is the decision of which of the galaxy’s bestiary of aliens to play as. These range anywhere from ordinary humans to the beguiling Chiss to the aquatic Nautolans. In this guide, we’ll be listing the best race and class combos to use for each of the 8 classes in SWTOR. Our assessments will be considering aspects such as lore, the class’ story, and the all-important rule of cool.

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The Best Race and Class Combos in Star Wars: The Old Republic

Without further ado, let’s get into the list.

Bounty Hunter: Cyborg

The Bounty Hunter, in character and story, is chock full of grit. Hunters both witness and exemplify the slimy, seedy, grimy underworld of the SWTOR galaxy. Their ship is industrial, dirty, and rusting in spots. Fitting, given that many of their “allies” skirt the bounds of that title.

Cyborgs are the ideal choice for Bounty Hunters, as they further exhibit this grungy, industrial tone and aesthetic. As a “race,” cyborgs are not much different from ordinary humans. Players get a choice of which cybernetics to choose from and are given a unique ability to cybernetically scan NPCs. Aside from that, cyborgs are pretty similar to their non-augmented counterparts. That being said, creating a Bounty Hunter cyborg adds a cyberpunk aesthetic to the character which really ties the character together.

Adding a pair of robotic eyes may not initially seem like it’ll do much for Hunters. However, after playing as one for a bit, it just feels so right. While cybernetics don’t tie in with the class’ story too much, they do fit in nicely with every other aspect of them. The deep, gravely voice, the aforementioned cyberpunkish grit, and even the Hunter’s starship. All of these tie together with the cybernetic augmentations of this race to create, in our opinion, the perfect combination for all Bounty Hunters.

Jedi Knight: Mirialan

Mirialans are very close to humans, save for their green (or blue/purple) skin and symbolic tattoos. You’ve seen them in the main saga portrayed by the likes of Jedi Master Luminara Unduli. We’ve chosen them for the Jedi Knight because they are a very spiritual Force-worshipping people.

Nearly every Mirialan has some degree of natural sensitivity to the Force. As a result, the natives of the planet Mirial have venerated the Force for eons. Each Mirialan is taught to respect the Force, learning in their youth about its ability to connect all living things.

Their facial tattoos are an extension of their spiritual culture as well. These tattoos have meanings unique to each one, given to Mirialans for accomplishing goals or achievements in life. For example, a particularly gifted Mirialan warrior may receive a tattoo representing prowess in battle.

The Mirialans harbor a deep connection with the world around them. Their sage-like spiritualism and close relationship with the Force make them a shoe-in for the Jedi Knight. The Knights are the defenders of the very spiritualism which Mirialans hold so dear. Additionally, like all Jedi, the Knight is an avatar and exemplar of the Force.

The lore and story of the Jedi Knight intertwines so well with that of the Mirialans that their place here is a no-brainer. Any Jedi with the societal sensibilities of the Mirialan people is sure to excel in the Order, especially the ultimate defenders of peace and justice in the galaxy. You can even customize which tattoos your Mirialan is given, allowing for the opportunity to head canon what each of them mean! That’s a nice little chance for some extra roleplaying, in addition to how well this race fits with this class.

Imperial Agent: Chiss

Grand Admiral Thrawn, the outstanding villain of Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy, set the standard for the Chiss. Among the most compelling species in the Star Wars universe, the Chiss sport an iconic deep blue skin tone with piercing red eyes.

Culturally, the Chiss as race are like a whole society of main characters from Frank Herbert’s Dune. At their core, they are extremely intelligent and cunning with a deadly affinity for plots and schemes. Their people are mostly reclusive, making the inner workings of their society largely a mystery to the outside galaxy. However, when a Chiss does make contact with the wider galaxy, the intimidation and fear inherent to the situation are palpable. The people of the galaxy know well that wherever a Chiss goes, precise manipulation and disciplined demeanor are sure to follow.

The Chiss Imperial Agent may be the most perfect match-up on this list. Honestly, at times it can feel like the Agent was made to be played as a Chiss. The voice actors’ pure coldness just fits the Chiss so well. Additionally, you don’t see many Chiss around in SWTOR, so the opportunity for Chiss Agents both to be thematically perfect AND to stand out from the crowds is too good to pass up.

The Chiss culture’s unmatched intelligence, cunning schemes, etc. matches the Agent’s own affinities for them. We cannot express enough how fun it is to roleplay as an operative straight out of Csilla, seeking to prove themselves by rising up the ranks of the Imperial spy network. Playing the Agent as a Chiss dials the story up to 11, making one of SWTOR‘s best classes even more fun.

Jedi Consular: Miraluka

Miraluka are a race inextricable from the Force. They’re all naturally blind, literally seeing the world through the Force. Selflessness is one of the species’ core values; they are unconcerned with personal goals and mostly live serving, studying, and experiencing the Force. Their individual lives are entirely shaped by the Force, as is their fate as a people.

The connection to the Force expressed by the Miraluka is so strong that it drew the Force-eating Sith Lord Darth Nihilus to their homeworld, who then rendered the planet entirely devoid of life. Following that event (which took place roughly 300 years prior to The Old Republic), the Miraluka have largely become nomadic wanderers. Due to their natural connection to the Force, many have found a home in the Jedi Order, one of the few organizations which will accept them with open arms.

The deep connection with the Force coinciding with a deep-set selflessness means that Miraluka make fantastic Jedi Consulars. Consulars are significantly more focused on the worship and study of the Force than Jedi Knights. They spend years attempting to deepen their connection with the binding energy field, something Miraluka have quite a head start on.

Ideal Jedi Consulars exhibit many traits which the Miraluka already possess. Selflessness, devotion to the Force, wisdom beyond measure, etc. In the Consular’s class story, they encounter many situations which necessitate personal aspects and values such as these. Consulars routinely engage in galactic diplomacy and introspective journeys into what the Force truly is and what it means. Extremely gifted in these respects and more (as well as being an undeniably cool, interesting species), Miraluka are a wise choice for any players looking into the Jedi Consular.

Sith Inquisitor: Rattataki

Rattataki are a brutal people whose culture revolves around competition, mostly in the form of gladiatorial combat. They excel in the art of killing – ingenuity in finding new ways to achieve the death of another is in no short supply on their homeworld of Rattatak.

Until pretty recently before SWTOR, the Rattataki were an exclusionary people who never ventured far from their planet. This changed when a large number of them were enslaved by the Sith Empire, forcing them to enter Galactic society at large. Since then, they have joined the Twi’leks in being among some of the most persecuted and marginalized species in the Empire.

That said, the Rattataki maintain somewhat of a difference from their other ostracized brethren. Their brutality has not faltered since their capture from Rattatak. It’s hard to keep a Rattataki enslaved for very long, revolt and escape is almost inevitable.

The Sith Inquisitor begins their story as a slave and gradually climbs the ranks of the Sith Order from there. As most of the Rattataki seen throughout the galaxy are either slaves, escaped slaves, or the descendants of escaped slaves, they fit perfectly into this origin story. In addition, there’s something very satisfying about seeing a member of a species so routinely ostracized reach the point of commanding the very people who persecuted them once before.

Aside from this, there’s not really any other default race that works as well for the Sith Inquisitor’s origin story. The closest other match would be the Twi’lek, which could work. But the Rattataki’s penchant for cruelty and brutality makes them work better than the Twi’leks for a class all about torture and malice in the name of the dark side.

Sith Warrior: Zabrak

For those who want a Darth Maul roleplay, the Zabrak Warrior has you covered. Zabraks have been an iconic Star Wars species since 1999. They play a much more prominent role in SWTOR than in its predecessor KoTOR (where there was only one important Zabrak character).

In The Old Republic, players are given a choice between Zabraks like Darth Maul (pictured above) and those similar to Eeth Koth (human-like skin tones with less prominent facial markings). We heavily applaud the addition of this species into the larger Old Republic galaxy.

For clarity’s sake, this list will refer to the Darth Mauls as Zabraks and the Eeth Koths as Iridonians. We’ve picked the Maulish variety for the Sith Warrior because we feel the deep red skin tone, black tattoos, and piercing yellow eyes just work so well for a Sith Lord.

We wanted to include the Zabraks somewhere on this list for both factions. Being the only alien normally available to every player, we would be remiss not to include them somewhere. That said, this choice isn’t one made simply by default. Of all the races in SWTOR, Zabraks are by far the most suited race for the Sith Warrior. Their appearance seems tailor-made for warriors of the Dark Side (and in-universe, they kind of are).

Zabraks could work as Sith Inquisitors, were it not for the aforementioned Rattataki swiping that particular placement. Many argue that Warriors are best as Pureblood Sith, however we feel there’s nothing particularly interesting about that pick. The Warrior’s storyline is all about continuously fighting an uphill battle, growing in power as you ascend to lofty heights. If the player is already at the top of the fascist racial hierarchy, this struggle doesn’t feel nearly as desperate or gripping. That intense struggle is what makes the Warrior’s story great, and we feel something of it is lost if the Warrior is a Pureblood.

Trooper: Iridonian

Following the Warrior, we have the second variety of Zabrak for the Republic Trooper. Iridonians have far more human-like skin tones than the red or yellow types. Additionally, their facial tattoos are far closer to the color of their skin, as opposed to the jet black coloration of the others.

As a whole, the Iridonians seem more fitting for a Light Side character. In fact, as mentioned before, there is an Iridonian Jedi Master (Eeth Koth) serving on the Council during the Prequel films. Though they look different, there’s not actually any deeper biological dissimilarity between them and the Zabraks. Iridonians still have the iconic horns, get facial tattoos, and they have mostly the same general society. Our distinction here is mostly for the fact that Republic players cannot normally choose the Zabrak (and vice-versa for Imperial Iridonians).

Iridonians are a good choice for Troopers mostly because of their lore. Iridonian society is very focused on self-determination. They are a driven people, laser-focused on achieving any and all of their goals. Aditionally, they have two hearts and a natural resistance to physical pain. Cultural and biological aspects such as these are beneficial to Troopers fighting on the Republic’s front lines, and Iridonians are expert warriors who get the job done right.

All these traits are ideal for any soldier, but especially for the Trooper’s role as the commander of an elite squad. We believe the Iridonians exemplify the character of the Trooper. This is both in the sense of head-canon lore, but also in visible practice during the game’s story itself.

Smuggler: Human

Capping off this list is the wisecracking Smuggler. We’ve decided that the best race for the Smuggler is the most basic, default one. Amusingly, lists which seek to determine the best race/class combos in SWTOR seldom include humans. Most players entirely overlook our own species in the game, preferring instead to choose one of the many cool aliens (or to just go with a cyborg).

While we do agree that the aliens are indeed cool, we also believe this view misses some of the neat aspects that playing a human brings with it. To name a big one, it gives players a better opportunity to make their character look like them. We know this isn’t a huge deal for everyone, but for those whose goal is to sort of cast themselves in the role of a Star Wars adventurer, humans are probably the best way to go.

We’ve chosen humans specifically for the Smuggler for a number of reasons. Chief among them is the fact that the Smuggler often gives off a sort of “stranger in a strange land” vibe in their class story. Each SWTOR story takes inspiration from different genres, and the Smuggler’s is most definitely a weird western. Having the player character not be one of the strange aliens encountered on the journey accentuates the Smuggler’s mystification.

While human Smuggler is our favorite choice, we do also acknowledge that the Twi’lek Smuggler is another great pick. However, while we do like the Twi’leks (and we always love to see them as protagonists), we’ve still gotta go with the humans here. If nothing else, human Smugglers are another opportunity for free-to-play players to join in on the fun.

Join the High Ground!

We hope you enjoyed reading our picks for the best race/class combos in SWTOR. Equipped with this knowledge, you should hopefully be ready to craft your perfect Star Wars protagonist.

Do you have any extra thoughts on our list? Did we miss one of your favorite race/class combos? Feel free to let us know in the comment section below. Also, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more SWTOR content and gaming guides.

Happy gaming, and may the Force be with you!