dragonborns

Dragonborns are a term used in fantasy to describe humanoid beings with dragon ancestry. They appear in multiple fictional settings and are not a single, uniform race. The most widely recognized depictions are in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and in The Elder Scrolls series, though the idea of dragon-blooded humanoids appears in other worlds as well.

In Dungeons & Dragons, dragonborn are a race of humanoids descended from dragons. They typically stand between about six and seven feet tall and have scales in a variety of colors that reflect their draconic lineage. Key abilities often include a breath weapon shaped by their ancestry and resistance to the energy type associated with that dragon lineage. They commonly possess physical prowess and are encouraged to pursue personal honor, family, and service to a greater good. Societies of dragonborn may be organized into clans or lineages and their cultures vary with campaign setting, but they are frequently portrayed as disciplined, stoic, and martial.

In The Elder Scrolls, the Dragonborn is the prophesied individual who inherits the power of the Thu’um, or dragon speech. This Dragonborn can absorb dragon souls and learn new shouts, influencing events within the game’s world. The term here refers to a unique hero rather than a race, though the concept centers on draconic power and voice-based magic.

Other settings use dragonborn as a general label for dragon-blooded humanoids, with diverse appearances and customs. Across media, dragonborns are typically depicted as combining draconic heritage with human-like agency, resulting in varied social roles from outcasts to leaders.