Gaming's greatest elves

Sumo Santa (ClayFighter 63 1/3)

As the timeless classic 'Twas the Night Before Christmas states, Santa Claus was "chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf." If he is indeed an elf, then we can't forget Sumo Santa, the yuletide terror from Clayfighter 63 1/3. This is no normal Santa; this is the evil twin of good ol' St. Nick, and he kicks some serious clay with powerful strikes and liberal use of his jelly-like stomach. His Claytality is particularly, er, "festive", as he jumps onto his opponent with such force that he consumes them, farting them out in pieces. Yup, that is indeed a move in his arse-nal.

Flameslinger, Hex, and Stealth Elf (Skylanders)

The Skylanders have taken the world by storm, selling like hotcakes to children all over the world. These three elven warriors--Flameslinger, Hex, and Stealth Elf--are very powerful choices perfect for those beginning their Skylanders journey this Christmas. Flameslinger is an archer, shooting fiery arrows at his foes; Hex is a sorceress specializing in the dark arts; and Stealth Elf is a ninja who can create decoys that also attack foes. This is a trio of very deadly elves; we don't think we'll be seeing them around the North Pole any time soon.

Santa's Elves (Elf Bowling)

This choice is for all you bah-humbuggers out there. We all played the old Flash game Elf Bowling back when it was first popular, and we all reveled in knocking those pesky little turds down a notch with every strike we threw. They'd hold up their signs, moon us, and jeer, but nothing could save them from the pain we were about to unleash. Take that, you little jerks; maybe next time you'll appreciate having a job in these tough times.

Link (The Legend of Zelda)

Alright, look: we know Link is technically a "Hylian" and therefore not an elf in the traditional sense. But those pointy ears and elven garb make him enough of an elf in our book. Really though, does being an elf or not influence how awesome he is anyway? This guy has repelled the forces of Ganon time and time again, armed with his trusty Master Sword and a bevy of items. Let him be an elf if he wants. We could've picked a different Zelda character, but we didn't want to scare anyone...

Any more elven elite?

We scoured all of gaming for the best elves we could find, but we have no doubt that we missed a few. If there's a particular elf you're fond of, let us know in the comments below. Happy holidays everyone!

For more holiday happiness, check out the Christmas lists of some famous video games characters. If you want more gaming goodness, take a look at the 100 most overlooked games of the last generation.