Barbarians are one of the best classes in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition for players who enjoy combat. Most of their kit revolves around dealing and taking as much damage as possible, with subclasses like the Path of the Berserker or Path of the Beast Barbarian to add as much complexity as desired.

Many races and lineages in D&D 5e have invaluable combat abilities and a few ways to flex their muscles non-violently. However, the Barbarian’s effective list of races is shorter than many other classes. Due to Rage’s unique mechanics, almost nothing that offers combat spellcasting is useful.

For Barbarian races in D&D 5e, players want effective nonmagical combat options – or at least nothing that requires casting or Concentration. Fortunately, several of the game’s races fit the bill, helping cement the Barbarian as a combat monster.

Updated November 1st, 2024: The D&D 2024 Barbarian has made a lot of changes, but the D&D 5e best choices are still important. I’ve updated this article to bring it more in line with recent content and to highlight some other quality Barbarian races.

Variant Human and Custom Lineage Are Still Top-Tier

Whenever there’s a list of the best D&D 5e races for any class, Variant Human and Custom Lineage enter the conversation. I believe in going against the orthodoxy to some extent, but not when all competing evidence is staring me directly in the face.

Variant Human and Custom Lineage are two of the best Barbarian races in D&D 5e, much like they are for any other build.

A free feat is simply invaluable for any character. A Barbarian is spoiled for choice with the options available to them. Great Weapon Master or Polearm Master make them deadly threats from the very start (albeit heavily reliant on Reckless Attack) with the former.

Other D&D 5e feats for Barbarians are available. Tough elevates the class’s staggering durability to a ridiculous degree. Resilient (Wisdom) provides an invaluable ability score bonus that protects a Barbarian from most effects that would take them out of combat.

Variant Human and Custom Lineage are even better for the D&D 5e Barbarian due to the class’s high ability score requirements. With Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution to worry about, they can be limited in their feat choices. One extra is even better for the Barbarian than anyone else.

Goliath Offers More Than Brand Recognition

Goliath Barbarian builds in D&D 5e are popular for several reasons. An undeniable one is the existence of Grog Strongjaw, one of Critical Role‘s most well-known and beloved characters. However, it’s an incredibly solid combination even without its claim to fame.

The Little Giant feature gives the Barbarian proficiency in a skill they were inevitably going to take, effectively opening up the entire skill list for another choice. Its bonus to carrying helps when your Barbarian has to shoulder the Wizard’s loot.

However, the Goliath is one of the best Barbarian races in D&D 5e for its defensive features. Mountain Born lets them shrug off a reasonably common damage type on top of their Rage bonuses, helping them in other fights (albeit being less helpful for certain Totem Warrior or Storm Herald Barbarians).

Stone’s Endurance is the cream of the crop. Its damage reduction uses one of the D&D 5e Barbarian’s core stats and happens after Rage has halved the damage. It’s possible to reduce even a strong attack to single-digit damage – just enough to keep Rage going.

Centaurs Hit Fast and Hard

Centaurs are an unconventional adventuring race in D&D 5e. Their unusual body type makes certain parts of dungeoneering, such as climbing ladders, very difficult. However, Barbarians can lean into their unique strengths for a powerful combination.

Centaurs have significantly faster movement speed than most D&D 5e Barbarian races. Coupled with the Barbarian’s other movement bonuses, this makes for a lightning-fast character who can cross the battlefield in seconds. This is ideal for a melee warrior.

As a small bonus, the Centaur’s Fey creature type helps avoid certain spells. A Centaur Barbarian in D&D 5e doesn’t have to worry about Hold Person knocking them out of their rage.

The free skill can be somewhat wasted on a D&D 5e Barbarian build. Nonetheless, Survival suits many characters’ flavour well and is never unhelpful to have.

The Centaur’s charge is the real boon. Centaur is one of the best D&D 5e Barbarian races because it offers a bonus action attack with no feats. This can clash with Rage and other abilities, but it’s well worth it when it lands. Furthermore, the build’s high movement speed gives more flexibility with landing Charge, such as backing up and still being able to move 30 feet toward a target.

Aasimar Help the Barbarian Branch Out

Discussing the D&D 5e Aasimar is a challenge. Its two versions, despite having the same core abilities, diverge more than most in the game. Nonetheless, both the Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse Aasimar are top-tier D&D 5e Barbarian races.

The main boon comes from how much flexibility they add without distracting from the D&D 5e Barbarian’s core features. An Aasimar Barbarian can hit harder than most other race options while having new tools.

Barbarians are never going to be one of D&D 5e‘s best support builds. Nonetheless, Healing Hands is an invaluable back-pocket heal that can avert disaster. At its very worst, it can top up the Barbarian’s hit points after a hard fight.

Celestial Resistance is a situational race feature in D&D 5e. Nonetheless, it can be a lifesaver in fights where Rage’s typical resistances are less helpful.

The main benefit comes from either each Aasimar’s unique transformation (in Volo‘s) or their Celestial Revelation (Mordenkainen Presents).

Once per day, the Barbarian can change form for a minute. This lets them deal bonus damage on one attack per turn and gives another ability. Either flight or area-of-effect damage are top-tier for the Barbarian, which struggles with flying enemies or hordes.

The Fallen Aasimar or Necrotic Shroud Celestial Revelation are less helpful, however. A D&D 5e Barbarian build simply cannot afford enough Charisma to make it worthwhile.

Half-Orc is the Classic Choice for a Reason

The Half-Orc Barbarian is a time-honoured combination throughout D&D history. It comes as no surprise that the Half-Orc is one of the best D&D 5e Barbarian races in the entire edition, then.

The two are almost built to synergise together, encouraging players to revisit this classic combo. Most Half-Orc abilities in D&D 5e benefit the Barbarian immensely in some way.

Intimidation skill proficiency can be somewhat underwhelming given the average Barbarian’s low Charisma. It’s still a free skill, one that can work well with high Strength or Constitution, depending on a DM’s calls.

Savage Attacks reward critical hits, something Barbarians in D&D 5e achieve more often than most characters due to Reckless Attacks. It also stacks with Brutal Critical, letting a D&D 5e Half-Orc Barbarian build hit for eye-watering damage on a Natural 20.

Relentless Endurance is another solid feature for any frontliner. Given the D&D 5e Barbarian exists to take damage, a race that lets them avoid unconsciousness is like gold dust. They might not have any way to heal themselves, but that last-minute reprieve might let them strike a killing blow.

Eladrin Aren’t as Delicate as They Look

Elves, particularly the more Fey Eladrin, don’t feel like a natural Barbarian race. With the new rules in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything for ability score increases, however, they’re no less capable than anyone else. The Eladrin makes for a particularly good D&D 5e Barbarian race.

Fey Step is the obvious benefit of an Eladrin Barbarian build in D&D 5e. A bonus action teleport is invaluable. It can simply close the gap for a far-off enemy, or it can let the Barbarian cross obstacles to get into melee that much quicker.

Only the Spring and Summer rider effects of the Eladrin’s Fey Step are useful for a D&D 5e Barbarian build, given their probable low Charisma. Nonetheless, extra damage or utility are always welcome.

Keen Senses gives Barbarians proficiency in D&D 5e‘s best skill, something they always want to make use of when possible. Trance also prevents Rage from being ended prematurely by magical sleep effects.

It’s easy to think that the Eladrin’s benefits as a D&D 5e Barbarian race are more hands-off than other races. That perception typically lasts until the Barbarian closes with an enemy nearly a hundred feet away and starts murdering them.

Owlin Is the Best Flying Race for Barbarians

Some of the very best races in D&D 5e, including for Barbarian builds, are those that give flight. The ability to fly lets a character pick and choose their fights, pursue almost any foe anywhere, and bypass countless obstacles in the adventuring day.

Owlin have advantages as a D&D 5e Barbarian race over most other flying creatures. They can be medium-sized, thus bypassing the Fairy’s struggles with heavy weapons. Furthermore, they don’t give spellcasting that proves very unhelpful in combat, like the Fairy or new Aarakocra.

Barbarians are also better equipped to handle flight’s limitations than many classes in D&D 5e. Unarmored Defense is rarely the best available choice, but it becomes far more attractive if it lets the character fly at will.

A Barbarian with high Constitution can remain reasonably well-protected without armour, while still having light pieces as an option. Furthermore, their high movement speed allows for even faster flying.

Flight really is the selling point for the Owlin as the best Barbarian race in D&D 5e. It is hard to exaggerate just how good it is, or how much it can warp the game.

Other than that, free proficiency in Stealth is always nice. It comes up in almost every campaign, and Barbarians likely have the Dexterity to pull it off.

Shifters Get Offensive and Defensive Boosts

The Shifter is one of D&D 5e‘s most unconventional, interesting, and fun races to play. Fortunately, it’s also an excellent race choice for a Barbarian.

Either version of the D&D 5e Shifter revolves around taking on an altered form a limited number of times per day (once per short rest in Eberron: Rising from the Last War, proficiency bonus per day in Mordenkainen Presents). Many of these benefit the Barbarian significantly.

Every shift gives temporary hit points, something the D&D 5e Barbarian almost doubles with their Rage damage resistance. On top of that, they have unique benefits.

Beasthide gives even more temporary hit points and Armour Class, ideal for one of D&D 5e‘s best tank classes. Longtooth gives a bonus action attack that can benefit from Rage bonuses. Swiftstride buffs the D&D 5e‘s impressive movement further. Wildhunt makes it almost impossible for enemies to attack with advantage – something that goes beautifully with Reckless Attack.

The only downside comes from the fact that both Rage and Shifting are a bonus action. A D&D 5e Shifter Barbarian build takes two turns to come fully online. Nonetheless, the bonuses are well worth the set-up time, especially as the character can still attack throughout those two turns.

Gem Dragonborn Complements Raw Power

Barbarians are often the best at what they do in D&D 5e. However, what they do is often pretty limited. When a D&D 5e Barbarian can get up close and personal with a single enemy, they usually walk away alive and victorious.

What about all the times that isn’t an option? What if enemies are behind hazards, airborne, or simply too numerous?

That’s where Gem Dragonborn comes in.

Almost every bit of the Gem Dragonborn’s kit fills a gap for a Barbarian build in D&D 5e. A breath weapon, particularly of a rarely-resisted damage type like Psychic or Force, is the perfect fallback option when you get swarmed.

Even better, the breath weapon’s saving throw DC is determined by Constitution, something Barbarians have more reason to boost than any other class. If there are too many enemies to kill one by one with a big weapon, tear them apart with gravity instead.

Gem Flight is once per day, but that’s hopefully all the times you’ll need it. If enemies are out of reach, on the other side of a chasm, or stubbornly refusing to land and get killed, you can go to them instead.

It will bite if you have multiple fights against flying enemies. Nonetheless, one bout of flight for a D&D 5e Barbarian per day is infinitely better than zero.

Getting resistance to every D&D 5e damage type is somewhat overkill, but you can do it with a Gem Dragonborn Barbarian build. If you’re a Bear Totem Barbarian and pick Emerald Dragonborn, nothing in the game will deal full damage to you.

Psionic Mind isn’t an essential feature, but it’s got plenty of utility – something many Barbarians lack.

Bugbear Is D&D 5e’s Highest-Damage Race

Bugbears have shot to prominence as one of D&D 5e‘s best race choices since Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse.

This is because their Surprise Attack feature lost one of its major limitations. It is no longer once per combat. Instead, it adds 2d6 damage to every attack a character makes against a creature that hasn’t acted in combat yet.

Barbarians are at their best in D&D 5e when they’re doing as much damage as possible. Feral Instinct and reasonable Dexterity make it very likely that they’ll go before a fair few other creatures in combat. This is like a buffet to a well-armed Barbarian.

Barbarians can’t abuse Surprise Attack as well as some other classes in D&D 5e. Nonetheless, it’s still a welcome damage bonus that makes them even more fearsome in combat. The Path of the Beast Barbarian in D&D 5e can make the best use of it with their claws, but it’s ideal for almost any build.

Sneaky gives proficiency in one of D&D 5e‘s best skills. Long-Limbed lets a Barbarian threaten enemies from even further away. Fey Ancestry helps avoid Charm effects that can take a Barbarian out of combat.

Bugbear is one of the best D&D 5e Barbarian races because it pairs a menagerie of good features with Surprise Attack, something that is almost good enough to be a race in its own right.

These have been ten of the best races for Barbarian in D&D 5e, but there are many more good choices available. For other class-specific build tips, check out ‘The Best Paladin Races and Lineages in D&D 5e‘.

If you want to vaporise your enemies even faster, ‘D&D 5e: High-Damage Subclasses to Ruin Your Foes‘ has some advice for you.

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