18 races exist in AoW's lore: the 9 in Age of Wonders 3 (6 in the base game, 1 from the Golden Realms expansion, and 2 more in the Eternal Lords expansion), and another 9 that only exist in previous instalments of the series. These races make up a key part of the game's history and universe; if future races are added, there is a strong likelihood that they will be be drawn in part (if not in full) from this pool of pre-existing options.
All AoW races and their fates[]
| Archons | I | II | SM | Called "High Men" in AOWI; Left for the Shadow Realm (QJR384)[1]. (Present in AoWIII as the, now-undead, Archon Revenants) | |
| Azracs | I | Empire destroyed by Humanity; Became Nomad race in Shadow Magic. | |||
| Dark Elves | I | II | SM | Most "mended" into High Elves (YC150), although many had already left for the Shadow Realm under Meandor (QJR390); a (relatively) small group believed to be in hiding somewhere in the Blessed Continent under the rule of Hester (last seen in YC1)[1] | |
| Draconians | II | SM | III | ||
| Dwarves | I | II | SM | III | |
| (Wood) Elves | I | II | SM | "Mended" into High Elves (YC150)[1] | |
| Frostlings | I | II | SM | EL | Refused to join the Commonwealth; later retreated to "the north" (YC66)[1]. Added to AoWIII in the Eternal Lords expansion |
| Goblins | I | II | SM | III | |
| Halflings | I | II | SM | GR | Most killed in the Heartwood massacre (YC173)[1]. Added to AoWIII in the Golden Realms |
| High Elves | III | Replaced Wood and Dark Elves during "The Mending" (YC150)[1] | |||
| Humans | I | II | SM | III | |
| Lizardmen | I | Wiped out by their ruler, Nimue, between the first and second games (as revealed by Merlin in the Syron campaign in Shadow Magic). | |||
| Nomads | SM | Replaced Azracs in Shadow Magic. Fate unknown. | |||
| Orcs | I | II | SM | III | |
| Shadow Demons | SM | Driven out or the world of Athla (QJR384) (but still exist in the Shadow Realm)[1]. Eldritch_Horror seems to be based on them. | |||
| Syron | SM | Left for the Shadow Realm (QJR384)[1]. | |||
| Tigrans | II | SM | EL | Refused to join the Commonwealth; later left the continent en mass (in CY94)[1]. Added to AoWIII in the Eternal Lords expansion. | |
| Undead | I | II | SM | EL | Initially partially present in AoWIII as the Revenant minor race. Added to AoWIII in the Eternal Lords expansion, albeit in a different form (each race has its own undead counterpart, producing ghouled units). |
