With the character of Legolas, J.R.R. Tolkien undeniably popularized the figure of the Elf. Immortal and majestic, skilled with the bow and full of wisdom, Elves are often a race in decline, who cast a melancholy gaze on the world. Here are the 15 Elves who have left the greatest impression on us.
Please note: in order to avoid a selection revolving primarily around the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, we have chosen to include only four characters from the creator of The Lord of the Rings. This explains the absence of Arwen and Luthien Tinuvel, whom we nevertheless mentioned below. Moreover, when we lacked an official image, we preferred to use illustrations from the covers of the novels mentioned.
#15 The Elf (The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, from Pen of Chaos)
Like any self-respecting high-fantasy story, the humorous mp3 series The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk had to have an elven character. But The Elf is far removed from the stereotypes to which J.R.R. Tolkien's successors have accustomed us. While certainly attractive, the Elf is a more than clumsy and very naive archer. She feels an aversion to the Dwarf, who reciprocates. She dies and is resurrected during season 4, before becoming queen of the Wood Elves of Folonariel following the murder of her cousin.
#14 Brendel (The Fionavar Tapestry, by Guy Gavriel Kay)
Probably because he helped Christopher Tolkien complete and edit J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, the first fantasy saga by the great Guy Gavriel Kay remains deeply influenced by the work of the creator of Middle-earth. This is particularly evident in the description of his Elves (the Lios Alfar). Brendel is one of these beings, characterized by their great beauty, their intelligence, their ancient wisdom and their immortality. Noble and loyal, Brendel will be the guide of the five protagonists of The Fionavar Tapestry, and more particularly Jennifer Lowell. As in Tolkien, Guy Gavriel Kay's Elves live in the melancholic memory of their past glory. Although The Fionavar Tapestry is a great high fantasy saga, our choice to rank Brendel so low in our ranking is explained by its close kinship with the Elves of The Lord of the Rings.
#13 The Elf Queen (The Annals of the Discworld, by Terry Pratchett)
In the fourteenth volume (Nobliaux and Witches) of the hilarious The Annals of the Discworld saga by British author Terry Pratchett, fans were introduced to the Elf Queen. Her extraordinary, almost frightening beauty is the only characteristic she shares with the Elves inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's work. She is a powerful, manipulative, and cruel entity who desires to dominate humans. In Pratchett's work, the Elves are both stupid and evil, and completely inept when it comes to the Arts. Moreover, they kidnap human artists so they can entertain themselves.
#12 Lara Dorren (The Witcher, by Andrzej Sapkowski)
Although she never appears in Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher, Lara Dorren has Shiadhal is very important in this fantasy universe. Known as an Elven magician, she fell in love with the human Cregennan of Lod, also a magician. Their union caused great unrest within the races. Some time after the death of her husband, Lara Dorren gave birth to their daughter, before dying in turn. The half-elf would be adopted by the Queen of Redania and named Riannon. Among Lara Dorren's descendants is Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, better known as Ciri. Like all of Lara's descendants, she has Old Blood and possesses very powerful magical gifts. Lara Dorren appears as Irish actress Niamh McCormack in season 2 of The Witcher, produced by Netflix.
#11 Puck (Berserk, by Kentarō Miura)
Present from the first chapter of the legendary manga Berserk, Puck is the first companion Guts meets after the trauma of the Eclipse. This Elf from Elfhelm has the appearance of a small, androgynous, naked being with blue hair and dragonfly wings. His deep empathy and humor contrast radically with the darkness of the manga and its main character. Since Guts became more human after reuniting with Casca, Puck has been increasingly confined to his role as comic relief. It's a shame for the character, who loses his role as a reassuring light in a universe of rare violence.
#10 Mankar Camoran (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, by Bethesda Softworks)
The main antagonist of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the cult game from Bethesda Softworks, whose remaster was recently discovered, Mankar Camoran is responsible for the assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII at the beginning of the story. A High Elf who is both charismatic and manipulative, he wants to open portals leading to the plane of Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric Prince of Destruction. Mankar Camoran is a very powerful wizard, who perfectly illustrates the darkest dimension of the Elves. He nevertheless remains a particularly important and memorable character in the universe of The Elder Scrolls. #9 Dobby (Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling) At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the young wizard with glasses meets Dobby, the Malfoy family's house-elf, who seeks to protect him from returning to Hogwarts. Small and dressed in rags, Dobby does not fit the usual image of Elves; his species is enslaved by wizards. Although the little being will cause trouble for Harry Potter by trying to protect him throughout the second novel, he will become a friend and a loyal ally. The question of House Elves will also take on a more political dimension thanks to Hermione, who will found the SALE (Society for the Aid of Elf Liberation) in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Even today, Dobby's death in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows remains a painful experience for fans of J.K. Rowling's cycle.
#8 Avallac'h (The Witcher, by Andrzej Sapkowski)
A well-known elf to fans of Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher universe, Avallac'h first appears in the novels The Tower of the Swallow and The Lady of the Lake. His real name is Crevan Espane aep Caomhan Macha, and he has the ability to pass between the world of the Aén Elle and that of the Aén Seidhe. He was originally supposed to marry Lara Dorren, who preferred a human magician. An enigmatic and manipulative character, acting in the interests of his people, he is also very close to Ciri. In The Witcher III: Wild Hunt by CD Projekt Red, Avallac'h helps the adopted daughter of Geralt of Rivia escape the Wild Hunt.
#7 Legolas (The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien)
An iconic member of the Fellowship of The Ring, Legolas Greenleaf is the only Elf in the group of adventurers who accompanies Frodo to destroy the Ring in Mordor. While his name is mentioned in The Fall of Gondolin, it is truly the Lord of the Rings trilogy that allowed him to become one of the most iconic Elves in fantasy literature. Blessed with keen eyesight that allows him to see hundreds of miles around, Legolas is also known for his almost unrivaled mastery of the bow, his physical strength, and his robustness, which will allow him to make the difference during the great battles of the Third Age of Middle-earth. His friendship with Aragorn and the dwarf Gimli also touched many readers of Tolkien's work and viewers of Peter Jackson's trilogy. He became the mold from which heroic fantasy authors developed a whole gallery of Elves.
#6 Frieren (Frieren, by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe)
The main character of the manga that bears her name, Frieren is an Elf who was part of the group of adventurers who put an end to the reign of the Dark Lord. But a ten-year quest doesn't pass the same way for men and dwarves as it does for elves. For the immortal magician, ten years represent mere days. When, 50 years after their journey, Frieren discovers the death of one of her teammates, she decides to embark on a journey to the far north, where the souls of the deceased are said to reside, in order to say goodbye to her former friend. A fantasy tale full of poetry and melancholy brilliantly adapted into an animated series by Madhouse, Frieren captures the figure of the Elf to reflect on the meaning of life and our relationship with time.
#5 Annoeth the Minstrel (Gagner la Guerre, by Jean-Philippe Jaworski)
Present for the first time in several short stories from the collection Janua Vera (Le Conte de Suzelle, Comment Blandin fut perdu), Annoeth the Minstrel is one of the most fascinating characters in the cycle Récits du Vieux Royaume by Jean-Philippe Jaworski. Originally from the Five Valleys, he was the disciple of Gilliomer the Clairvoyant. Always accompanied by his lute, he is endowed with a devastating gift of seduction. Two hundred years after the Battle of the Listrelle, he joins the Mad Company, a troupe of boozing entertainers led by another Elf, Eirin Silverhand, who calls himself The Grand Duke of the Scoundrels. Don Benvenuto, the protagonist of Winning the War—who was one of our favorite anti-heroes—will get up to mischief with the Mad Company during his escapade in Bourg-Preux, before meeting up with these merry fellows and the two Elves at the Lyndinas Tournament in the second part of the Knight of Thorns trilogy. Once again, the armed wing of Podestà Leonide Ducatore of the Republic of Ciudalia and member of the Guild of Whisperers finds himself under the influence of Annoeth the Minstrel and the Grand Duke of the Scoundrels, which - given the character's personality - says a lot about the seductive power of the two Elves.
#4 Elrond (The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien)
Father of Arwen and Lord of Rivendell, Elrond is one of the most iconic characters created by Professor J.R.R. Tolkien. In The Hobbit, the author describes him with these words: "He had the nobility and beauty of an Elven lord, the strength of a warrior, the wisdom of a wizard - venerable as a dwarven king and as sweet as summer." But Elrond is above all one of the most tragic characters to have walked Middle-earth. Son of the half-elven mariner Eärendil, he was given the opportunity by the Valar to embrace the immortality of the Elves as a reward for his father's role in the fall of Morgoth. For his part, his brother chose to remain a man, while his father became a star. His wife Celebrian left Middle-earth for the Undying Lands following a trauma, and his daughter chose to become mortal and died by marrying Aragorn in the Third Age. Elrond's life seems to prove right this famous phrase that Victor Hugo wrote in The Man Who Laughs: "Life is but a long loss of all that one loves." (Note that Arwen's absence from this selection is explained by her limited presence in the work of J.R.R. Tolkien; we recognize, however, that the ethereal beauty that Peter Jackson and his interpreter Liv Tyler were able to confer on her could have justified her presence.)
#3 The Adventurers of the Birdwood (The Knight of Thorns, by Jean-Philippe Jaworski)
Appearing in The Tournament of Valor, the first part of the The Knight of Thorns trilogy by Jean-Philippe Jaworski, the Adventurers of the Birdwood are three Elven warriors who wear bird masks to remain anonymous. Participating in the Lyndinas Tournament, they call themselves respectively the Knight of the Magpies, the Knight of the Jays, and the Knight of the Cuckoos. As charismatic as they are gifted in combat, they played a major role in the Pas d'armes of the Tournament of the Immortal. But their irruption into the courtly intrigues of the nobility of the Duchy of Bromael served the interests of the mysterious Lady of the Blue Forests and had disastrous consequences for the Old Kingdom of Léomance. As usual with Jean-Philippe Jaworski, these Elves fascinate humans - and readers alike - with their beauty, their gallant manners - they express themselves with rhymes in the hemistich - and their mystery.
#2 Galadriel (The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien)
Daughter of Finarfin, Galadriel is the niece of the famous Feänor. Born during the Years of the Trees, she is one of the most powerful characters in the universe developed by J.R.R. Tolkien. Her ambition and thirst for power led her to join the exile of the Ñoldor led by Feänor, following Morgoth's theft of the Silmarils. She was the disciple of Melian, the powerful Maia who ruled Doriath. Despite the pardon of the Valar at the end of the First Age, Galadriel chose to remain in Middle-earth with her husband Celeborn. They would rule Lothlorien together, protected by the ring Nenya. By welcoming the Fellowship of the Ring when they passed through Lorien and giving each of its members a gift, Galadriel played a major role in the destruction of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power series chose to make Galadriel a more warrior-like character, inspired by certain descriptions made by J.R.R. Tolkien. Another female elf, Lúthien Tinuviel, deserved to be included in this selection.
#1 Feänor (The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien)
In more ways than one, Feänor is one of the most important characters in J.R.R. Tolkien's work. Prince Ñoldo, the only son of King Finwë, Feänor was an Elf whose exploits were at the heart of the First Age of Middle-earth.As intelligent as he was charismatic, gifted with exceptional power, Feänor was also a great linguist and the most gifted of all craftsmen; He is notably responsible for the creation of the Palantirí and the Silmarils. When Melkor/Morgoth steals them from him, he swears with his sons to reclaim the precious jewels from the Dark Lord, whatever the cost. His excess, his passion, and his pride will not only cause the Elves to leave the Undying Lands, but will also bring about the ruin of his House.
And you, which Elves have left the biggest impression on you? Please tell us in the comments section. If you liked this article, be sure to check out our selection of the eight best anti-heroes in fantasy.
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