Bethesda's choice of beastkin

[MidbossVyers]

OK, I admit, I've been watching Thundercats recently, but I've just noticed that the two playable beastkin in the Elder Scrolls series are cats and lizards, compared to the Thundercats series, where the 2 most prominent animals are cats and lizards. Similarly, the Argonians are much more lizard-like, while the Ohmes Khajiit just have tails and facial markings. Was Bethesda thinking of Thundercats when they were first deciding which races to add into ESI: Arena?

[MARS]

"You know what we need? A fantasy RPG...with THUNDER. THUNDER. THUNDERCATS! HOOOOOOO!"

~ Bethesda employee and feared maniac, Brian Holden.

[Pilaf The Defiler]

Well, the Khajiits in Arena and Daggerfall did look quite a bit more like the Thundercats than in later games, that's true. I don't see a strong resemblance between the Argonians and the reptiles on that show, though. Only a slight one. I'd say the beast races were chosen from a variety of influences. I'd look directly to Dungeons and Dragons first and foremost since Tamriel began as a custom campaign for that game among early Bethesda employees.

[Xarnac the Conqueror]

Yeah, the first Khajiit didn't look like cats at all, so I doubt that is where the inspiration came from.

[Lynx]

Doesn't the look of a Khajiit depend on under which moon it was born? So I imagine some can look very human-like whilst other may look very muchy like cats.

[Xarnac the Conqueror]

That was a retcon of sorts to explain why the Khajiit looked different from Arena to Daggerfall to Redguard.

[MidbossVyers]

Yeah, the first Khajiit didn't look like cats at all, so I doubt that is where the inspiration came from.

No, that's the point. Have you seen Thundercats?

[Xarnac the Conqueror]

Yeah, the first Khajiit didn't look like cats at all, so I doubt that is where the inspiration came from.

No, that's the point. Have you seen Thundercats?

No, your point was were they thinking of Thundercats when they created Khajiit. Since they looked nothing like Thundercats much less cats in Arena, obviously not. Other than the word cat, alien nobles fleeing a dying Thundera doesnt really have anything to do with Khajiit. Going by cat alone, you could say they were inspired just as much or as little by the Kzin or Caitian as they were by Thundercats.