Kenshi Races
Compare all 9 playable Kenshi races — Human, Shek, Hive and Skeleton — across hunger, healing, limb HP, combat and every skill. Pick your playstyle and the tool ranks the best race for it, straight from the in-game stats.
The nine playable races
What actually sets each race apart — food, healing, armour and what they're best at. Tap ⇄ to drop a race into the radar below.
Human
- Food:Normal appetite
- Healing:Bed rest
- Limb HP:100
- Equipment:Wears all gear
- Food:Eats little
- Healing:Bed rest
- Limb HP:100
- Equipment:Wears all gear
Shek
- Food:Eats a lot
- Healing:Heals slowly
- Limb HP:125
- Equipment:Most gear (some hats blocked)
Hive
- Food:Eats little
- Healing:Bed rest
- Limb HP:80
- Equipment:No shoes, limited shirts
- Food:Eats little
- Healing:Bed rest
- Limb HP:75
- Equipment:No shoes, limited shirts
- Food:Eats little
- Healing:Bed rest
- Limb HP:100
- Equipment:No shoes, limited shirts
Skeleton
- Food:None — never eats
- Healing:Self-repair at Repair Beds
- Limb HP:200
- Equipment:No hats, shirts or shoes
- Food:None — never eats
- Healing:Self-repair at Repair Beds
- Limb HP:200
- Equipment:No hats, shirts or shoes
- Food:None — never eats
- Healing:Self-repair at Repair Beds
- Limb HP:200
- Equipment:No hats, shirts or shoes
Compare playstyles
Each spoke is a playstyle; the further out, the better this race fits it (scored from its real stats). Pick up to 3 races above.
Peaks at Melee bruiser / tank
Peaks at Low upkeep (no food)
Peaks at Farmer / base worker
Scores are the same honest, stat-derived weighting the recommender uses.
Best race for your playstyle
Pick how you play — every race is ranked by a score computed from its actual in-game stats.
Frontline fighter who soaks hits and hits back hard.
Full stat comparison— all 43 attributes
Green = best in row, red = worst. Toggle races to compare a subset.
| Attribute | GreenlanderHuman | ScorchlanderHuman | ShekShek | Hive PrinceHive | Hive Worker DroneHive | Hive Soldier DroneHive | SkeletonSkeleton | P4 UnitSkeleton | SoldierbotSkeleton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Stats | |||||||||
| Combat Move Speed | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Bleed Rate | 1 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Heal Rate | 1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Hunger Rate | 1 | 0.9 | 1.25 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | Do not require food | Do not require food | Do not require food |
| Max Speed | 120 | 120 | 110 | 140 | 140 | 130 | 110 | ||
| Blood | 75 - 150 | 75 - 150 | 75 - 150 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Limb HP | 100 | 100 | 125 | 80 | 75 | 100 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| Armour Slots | |||||||||
| Hats | YES | YES | MOST | MOST | MOST | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| Shirt | YES | YES | YES | LIMITED | LIMITED | LIMITED | NO | NO | NO |
| Shoes | YES | YES | YES | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| Attributes | |||||||||
| Strength | 1 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dexterity | 1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 1 |
| Perception | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 |
| Skills | |||||||||
| Weapons | |||||||||
| Katanas | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 1 |
| Heavy Weapons | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 |
| Combat | |||||||||
| Melee Attack | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dodge | 1 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Martial Arts | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| Ranged | |||||||||
| Turrets | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 |
| Thievery | |||||||||
| Stealth | 1 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Lockpicking | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Thievery | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Athletics | |||||||||
| Athletics | 1 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sciences | |||||||||
| Field Medic | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Engineer | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 |
| Robotics | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1 |
| Science | 1.2 | 1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 |
| Trades | |||||||||
| Weapon Smith | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 |
| Armour Smith | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 1 | 1.2 | 1 |
| Labouring | 1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Farming | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooking | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
The 9 races
Greenlander
HumanPrimarily from farmer cultures, they still tend to be an aggressive race and are easily led astray. The worst of them live in ignorance, knowing only greed and fear, reacting to anything different with hatred and violence, but the best of them are some of the greatest civilised scientists, engineers and warriors in the land.
Best for: Farmer / base worker
Scorchlander
HumanScorchlanders tend to value personal freedoms above all else. They don't tend to get along well with rules, regulations and religions, and as a result have a reputation as social misfits and are often found in more adventurous professions. Despite this however, they are highly creative, making them natural-born traders and skilled weaponsmiths. Honest to a fault, laughing in the face of manners, moderation and anything sensible, they make loyal friends, passionate enemies, and are great fun to drink with.
Shek
ShekA warrior society that values strength and hardiness above more intellectual pursuits. They are sometimes a little humourless and have a reputation as dumb brutes, but this is not always the case. Their external skeletal plates provide a natural armour but hinders more dexterous pursuits like sneaking around.
Best for: Melee bruiser / tank
Hive Prince
HiveThe highest ranking in a Hive and right-hands to the Queen. Nobody has ever seen an actual Queen, it is the Princes that run everything. Free Princes are usually the result of losing command to a rival Prince, or exiles sent away as punishment for some kind of failure. They are much more intelligent and free-willed than normal Hive types.
Best for: Stealth assassin
Hive Worker Drone
HiveExpendible workers born to labour for the good of their Hive, they know only obedience and value service to the Hive above any personal benefits, saftey or comfort. If separated from the controlling influence of the Hive they usually die, but in rare cases become free individuals. Bewildered by their newfound freedom and loss of a predetermined purpose they wander lost and seek meaning, but usually just find death or exploitation.
Best for: Ranged / turret gunner
Hive Soldier Drone
HiveSoldier drones created to protect their Hive and enforce control over the workers. Stronger and less intelligent than a worker, freedom-seekers are rarer and usually end up finding mercenary work.
Skeleton
Skeleton · no foodThe Skeletons are a complete mystery, nobody knows where they came from and how they were made but they are suspected to be thousands of years old. Fully sentient and capable of feeling sadness, anger, excitement, compassion, thrill and enjoyment, although they don't posess the ability to express anything visually. This combined with their dry sense of humour often confuses the other races, whom the Skeletons see as somewhat volatile and unpredictable. They have no prejudice or fear of death, and make for brutally effective warriors.
Best for: Ranged / turret gunner
P4 Unit
Skeleton · no foodThe Skeletons are a complete mystery, nobody knows where they came from and how they were made but they are suspected to be thousands of years old. Fully sentient and capable of feeling sadness, anger, excitement, compassion, thrill and enjoyment, although they don't posess the ability to express anything visually. This combined with their dry sense of humour often confuses the other races, whom the Skeletons see as somewhat volatile and unpredictable. They have no prejudice or fear of death, and make for brutally effective warriors.
Best for: Crafter / smith, Solo survivor
Soldierbot
Skeleton · no foodThe Skeletons are a complete mystery, nobody knows where they came from and how they were made but they are suspected to be thousands of years old. Fully sentient and capable of feeling sadness, anger, excitement, compassion, thrill and enjoyment, although they don't posess the ability to express anything visually. This combined with their dry sense of humour often confuses the other races, whom the Skeletons see as somewhat volatile and unpredictable. They have no prejudice or fear of death, and make for brutally effective warriors.
Best for: Solo survivor, Low upkeep (no food)
About this data
Every race stat is pulled from Kenshi Wiki (Fandom) (official game data (Kenshi v1.0.68)). The multipliers are factual game data; the "best race for a playstyle" ranking is computed from those stats, not from opinion. Descriptions are licensed CC BY-SA.