The Elder Scrolls' Redguard are among the most culturally complex, yet surprisingly familiar races found throughout the franchise. This race of sword-slinging poets are known for their Middle Eastern aesthetic, but the Redguard people also have a strange history that speaks to the depth of Bethesda's worldbuilding.
A cursory glance of the Redguard people might not make it look like they offer more than basic references to real-world Middle Eastern culture, but much of the series' lore digs much deeper. The history of the Redguard is actually one of the deepest found in The Elder Scrolls, offering unique insights on certain concepts not found anywhere else in the games.
The Mysterious Abilities of the Original Redguard
The Elder Scrolls' Redguard originally hailed from a continent called Yokuda, which was said to be much larger than Tamriel. The Yokudans lived a relatively similar life as they would come to in Hammerfell, being an incredibly martial race that leaned into warfare. This warfare would culminate into the destruction of Yokuda as a whole, sinking to the bottom of the sea so that its inhabitants were forced to seek a new home - eventually settling in Hammerfell.
There are clues to suggest that the sinking of Yokuda was due to a form of tonal magic. The Elder Scrolls' tonal magics are known to be among the strongest, and the Yokudans were known for their ability to summon swords known as Shehai from their souls in a process known as Sword-Singing. The mortal incarnation of the Warrior constellation in The Elder Scrolls Online claims a Shehai is what sank Yokuda. Rada al-Saran, a powerful Sword-Singer said to have power comparable to the gods, also claimed he could use the same technique that sank Yokuda.
The Redguard's Origins May Extend to Previous Worlds
Sword-Singing is not the most interesting ability that the Yokudans wielded. They also had a unique understanding of Kalpas, which are essentially the cycles the world goes through before it begins again. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim's Alduin, who is also known as Satakal the Serpent God in the Yokudan pantheon, consumes the world whole as a way of ending it. Despite all life beginning anew, the Yokudans still have knowledge of this cycle.
Their understanding stems from a unique tradition of avoiding the end of the world. The Redguards and Yokudans have an afterlife known as the Far Shores, where they are said to travel as a means of avoiding the devastation. The player character in The Elder Scrolls Online can even visit this location, which suggests the Redguard race as players know it are from a previous Kalpa. This makes them possibly one of the oldest races found in The Elder Scrolls.
One of the interesting aspects of the Redguard race is their natural affinity with the sword. This infatuation could possibly be explained by the Far Shores, as rather than traveling to the Far Shores using physical bodies, it is possible that Redguard spirits return to the Far Shores when they die at the end of a Kalpa. This is supported by the fact that the Far Shores are an afterlife known to be full of "glorious challenges to keep a warrior-spirit engaged forever." Perhaps even in death, their souls are training with swords. This would also make the Redguard one of the few races that goes to their afterlife in The Elder Scrolls' Aetherius, only to return later.
Even among fantasy creatures like lizards, elves, and cat people, the Redguard prove that human races can still be interesting. The races of The Elder Scrolls are all full of nuance and intrigue, and Redguards continue that trend. After so many years, it's clear that the diverse inhabitants of Tamriel are a large part of why The Elder Scrolls succeeds as a franchise.