Hailing from the mysterious lands of Elsweyr, the Khajiit are a race of humanoid felines known to wander Tamriel peddling their wares as part of land-based caravans.
In Skyrim, Khajiit make up a relatively small percentage of the population.
Which makes them a minority that often gets the short end of the stick.
And they were even overlooked by Bethesda developers who failed to include any authentic Khajiiti garb in the game. There are Orcish and Elven armor sets, but Khajiit?
Well not anymore.
Thanks to Skyrim’s amazing modding community, dressing up your Khajiit in fine threads has never been easier.
Before we get into all-new armor sets, let’s take a moment to improve vanilla sets with a pretty obvious adjustment: freeing Khajiit ears.
I noticed right away when I first started playing Skyrim that Khajiit’s ears didn’t go through any of the helmets. This made sense for some of them, like the heavier Dwemer or Daedric armor, but the lighter ones really have no excuse.
This nifty mod by Darth Supaku simply lets the cat-like species’ ears pop out from most armor.
I still haven’t decided whether Khajiit would prefer to hear better or protect their ears lore-wise.
But one thing is certain: everything looks better with cat ears.
Khajiit in Skyrim are a mysterious resourceful people, far away from their homeland, traveling from city to city peddling their wares.
They often prefer to keep covered with robes and hoods that protect them from the elements and keep their Khajiit identity hidden on the road, lest some especially patriotic Nord decides to get violent because “Skyrim belongs to the Nords.”
Cloaks of Skyrim by Nazenn introduces a wealth of cloaks and capes in various styles.
This includes some that announce your allegiance to a hold, a side in the Civil War, or another local organization.
Both races are especially attuned to nature, and the southern half of Elsweyr (the Khajiit homeland) is covered in lush forests and jungles, much like the Bosmer’s Valenwood.
As such, they have similar needs for clothing and armor. Stuff that’s easy to move in is greatly favored – like this Rogue Light Elven Armor by Gearshout.
Frankly, this armor set screams “wood elf”.
But it also looks fantastic on Khajiit.
Cultural exchange between Valenwood and Elsweyr must be booming.
Playing a mage often forces you to dress like your character has never stepped a foot outside a city.
Most of the vanilla mage equipment is comprised of flimsy light robes that wouldn’t protect you from the cold, the wind, or the sharp end of a knife – but not this Hedge Mage Armor by Elleh.
Thanks to the leather-bound chest and arms, this somewhat raggedy but stylish outfit should provide more protection.
It also looks much easier to move in than a robe.
It’s perfect for Khajiit who use their natural talents to sneak around and stalk their enemies, while preparing a devastating spell that’ll take them out swiftly.
Domestic cats are some of the best hunters in the animal world.
And there’s no reason to believe Khajiit would be any different.
The same fine-tuned reflexes and limber body that help little Milo kill those innocent birds whenever you let him out to the yard, can also make Khajiit extremely deadly and hard to evade.
Well this Regal Huntsman Armor by DreamBurrows brings together the rustic aura of an outdoorsman, with cues from Assassin’s Creed’s Assassin robes, highlighting the wearer’s identity as a natural-born killer.
Whether your Khajiit hunts game, monsters, or people, these robes will serve them well.
I like to think every ethnic group in Skyrim would go about things differently.
A Khajiiti mage wouldn’t just walk in through the front door and start casting spells – they’d skulk around in the shadows and prepare before landing one decisive blow.
Enter the Black Mage Armor by Reko.
Much like the Hedge Mage Armor, this somber set shines for adapting the usual mage fare to a Khajiit’s more dynamic style.
The all-black robes, cowl, and face mask are a godsend for sneaking around, and the fur “poncho” can keep an outdoorsy mage warm.
We’ve taken a look at many armor sets that would look great on any Khajiit – but what about sets explicitly made for them?
This Khajiiti Apex Armory mod features a complete set of Khajiit-inspired armor and weapons, all modeled from the ground-up with Elsweyr culture in mind.
Modder VickusDickus felt inspired by the Khajiit-style armor in ESO.
So they applied the same design principles to create an armor fit for Skyrim’s extreme environments.
And it’s available in several colors for extra customization, so you’ll definitely find something for your feline Dragonborn.
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
