Paladin has one of the smallest race pools in WoW Forever, but the Alliance choice still matters because Human and Dwarf solve very different problems. Human is the best overall Alliance Paladin thanks to consistent offensive value and strong crowd-control utility, while Dwarf becomes especially attractive for Protection and encounters where Stoneform can remove dangerous effects. Horde Paladins have a simpler decision because Undead is currently their only racial option.

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Best Race for Paladin
Best Alliance Paladin Race
Best Horde Paladin Race
Best Race for Holy Paladin
Best Race for Protection Paladin
Best Race for Retribution Paladin
Best Paladin Race for PvP

Best Race for Paladin in WoW Forever

Human is the best overall Alliance Paladin race in WoW Forever, while Undead is the Horde choice because it is currently the only Horde race that can play Paladin. Human's Ruthless racial gives 2% Critical Strike chance regardless of weapon, which means Holy, Protection, and Retribution all receive value from the same passive rather than forcing the character toward one particular build.

Best Alliance Paladin: Human
Best Horde Paladin: Undead
Best Holy Paladin: Human / Undead
Best Protection Alternative: Dwarf
Best Retribution Paladin: Human / Undead
Best Alliance Defensive Alternative: Dwarf

If Paladin is only one of the classes you are considering, our WoW Forever Best Race for Each Class guide compares the strongest Alliance and Horde options across all nine classes. The Paladin breakdown below focuses on where Holy, Protection, Retribution, and PvP change the value of Human, Dwarf, and Undead.

Best Alliance Race for Paladin

Human is the best Alliance Paladin if you want one character that can comfortably move between all three specializations.

Ruthless provides permanent Critical Strike chance without requiring a certain weapon type, so the racial remains relevant whether you are healing as Holy, tanking as Protection, or dealing damage as Retribution. That consistency is the main reason Human wins the overall comparison.

Will to Survive gives Human another way to remove a stun, which becomes particularly valuable in PvP or any situation where being unable to use a defensive or heal is more dangerous than losing a small amount of throughput.

Dwarf is much more specialized. Stoneform removes Bleeds, Poisons, and Diseases while reducing incoming Physical damage, which can be dramatically stronger than Human's passive advantage when a specific encounter actually gives you something important to cleanse.

That makes the choice fairly clear: Human is the stronger general Paladin race, while Dwarf is the Alliance option for players who specifically value defensive utility.

Best Horde Race for Paladin

Undead is currently the only Horde race that can play Paladin in WoW Forever, so there is no Horde race comparison to make.

That does not leave Horde Paladins without useful racials. Will of the Forsaken removes Charm, Fear, and Sleep effects, giving the class another answer to crowd control. Touch of the Grave adds passive combat value, while Cannibalize provides an additional recovery tool between fights.

The importance of those racials changes by specialization. Retribution benefits more directly from additional offensive pressure, Protection values another way to recover or escape control, and Holy gets the most from avoiding crowd control that would otherwise stop healing entirely.

Best Race for Holy Paladin

Human is the best Alliance Holy Paladin because its racial value does not depend on the healer taking damage or encountering a specific debuff.

Critical Strike contributes directly to healing throughput, so Ruthless provides something useful on every pull rather than only when a defensive racial is needed. Will to Survive also has obvious healer value: breaking a stun can let you immediately resume healing instead of watching the group take damage while you are unable to cast.

Dwarf becomes more attractive when the content contains Bleeds, Poisons, or Diseases that Stoneform can remove. The value here is not necessarily raw healing output. Removing a dangerous effect from yourself can prevent a situation where you are forced to spend additional resources stabilizing your own health before helping everyone else.

Undead Holy Paladins have a similar PvP advantage through Will of the Forsaken. Fear or Charm effects that remove the healer from the fight can be more dangerous than a small throughput loss, so the racial has a very clear use even though Horde has no alternative race to compare against.

Best Alliance Holy Paladin: Human
Best Horde Holy Paladin: Undead
Best Alliance Defensive Alternative: Dwarf

Best Race for Protection Paladin

Protection is the specialization where Dwarf comes closest to overtaking Human.

Stoneform gives the tank a separate answer to Bleeds, Poisons, and Diseases while also reducing incoming Physical damage. That can effectively become another defensive cooldown when a boss or trash pack uses the right mechanic, giving Dwarf something Human cannot replicate with a passive Critical Strike bonus.

The tradeoff is consistency. If Stoneform has nothing meaningful to remove, Human's Ruthless continues contributing throughout the entire encounter while Will to Survive remains available against stuns.

That makes Human the better general recommendation for a Paladin that sometimes tanks, but Dwarf can be the better dedicated Protection choice when you care specifically about defensive encounter utility.

Undead Protection Paladins instead lean on Will of the Forsaken for control-heavy fights. Breaking Fear can be particularly useful on a tank because losing control of the character can also mean losing positioning or allowing enemies to move where you do not want them.

Best General Alliance Protection Paladin: Human
Best Defensive Alliance Alternative: Dwarf
Best Horde Protection Paladin: Undead

Best Race for Retribution Paladin

Retribution gives Human the clearest Alliance advantage because the spec can consistently use Ruthless without needing the encounter to trigger a particular defensive racial.

A permanent 2% Critical Strike bonus contributes across the entire fight and does not care which weapon your Paladin happens to be using. That makes Human an uncomplicated offensive choice for Retribution while still retaining Will to Survive for PvP and control-heavy encounters.

Dwarf remains useful, but its advantage is defensive rather than something that specifically amplifies Retribution's damage profile. Stoneform can save you when a dangerous physical debuff is involved, but it does not provide the same continuous offensive value as Human.

Undead is the only Horde Retribution option, with Touch of the Grave providing additional passive pressure and Will of the Forsaken giving the spec another way to avoid being taken out of an offensive sequence by Fear, Charm, or Sleep.

Best Alliance Retribution Paladin: Human
Best Horde Retribution Paladin: Undead
Best Alliance Defensive Alternative: Dwarf

Best Paladin Race for PvP

PvP makes the Human versus Dwarf decision less about damage and more about which type of control or pressure you want your race to answer.

Human's Will to Survive removes stuns, which is useful for all three Paladin specs because a stun can stop a heal, interrupt a defensive response, or completely shut down a Retribution offensive window.

Dwarf instead excels against physical pressure. Stoneform can clear Bleeds, Poisons, and Diseases while reducing Physical damage, making it especially useful against opponents whose pressure continues even after you try to disengage or heal.

Undead brings a different control break through Will of the Forsaken. Fear, Charm, and Sleep effects are the problem it solves, so Horde Paladins gain a racial answer that can be extremely important in the right matchup even though they do not have another race to choose from.

The overall recommendation therefore remains consistent with our broader WoW Forever Best Race for Each Class guide: Human is the best Alliance Paladin and Undead is the Horde Paladin race. Holy favors Human's consistent healing value, Protection gives Dwarf its strongest argument through Stoneform, and Retribution is where Human's permanent Critical Strike bonus is easiest to recommend without qualification.