Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Ghost of Yotei gameplay showing Atsu sitting on her horse between bright pink cherry blossoms, looking at a distant fortification built against a mountain
Open World Games Best open world games to play in 2026 and completely forget real life exists
Best PC games: Screenshots of Baldur's Gate 3, Helldivers 2, Split Fiction and the Resident Evil 4 Remake
PC Gaming The 25 best PC games to play in 2026
A screenshot of Gustave in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, one of the best RPGs you can play in 2026
RPGs The 25 best RPGs worth playing in 2026
Best Ps5 games
Games Best PS5 games: The 25 greatest PlayStation 5 games in 2026, ranked
Mass Effect 2 - Garrus
Adventure Games The 25 best video game stories of all-time
PS3 photo taken by Future Studios
Games The 25 best PS3 games of all time
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Action Games The 25 best Metroidvania games you can play in 2026
Where winds meet character codes
Action RPGs The best Where Winds Meet character creation codes
Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2
Adventure Games 25 best adventure games in 2026 to get swept up in
The lighthouse looks at a twisting tree in Keeper
Games Best Xbox exclusives you need to own
Best single player games: Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Games The 25 best single-player games to play in 2026
Four pictures of games from our selection of the best Switch 2 games list, showing Donkey Kong, Cloud from Final Fantasy, Mario and Luigi, and three starter Pokemon.
Games The 20 best Switch 2 games to play in 2026
Best Batman games: Batman getting ready to punch someone with Gotham in the background.
Action Games Ranking the best Batman games
A picture of a Nintendo 3DS console next to several of the best 3DS games and Nintendo cards.
Games The 25 best Nintendo 3DS games of all time
Games like God of War Ragnarok: Kratos fighting a giant monster on a mountain top.
God of War 10 Games like God of War Ragnarok you should play next
  1. Games
  2. Action

Gaming's greatest elves

Features
By Jason Fanelli published 24 December 2013

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Ho ho ho, ho ho ho, these are gaming's elves!

At this time of year, we hear a lot about some big fat guy dressed all in red who delivers toys to the good children of the world. However, there'd be no Santa without his elves: the tiny little workers who toil night and day to make the gifts Santa is delivering. While there's no easy way to increase elven awareness for the holidays, we can pay tribute to the best elves gaming's ever seen, so let's do that!

This list celebrates the best examples of an elven presence throughout video game history. Some of them are debonair with a tongue as sharp as their blades, while others are valiant warriors who boast impressive battle resumes. Whatever their accolades, these are some of the best elves we've had the pleasure of knowing.

Zevran (Dragon Age: Origins)

After fending off his ambush, some players may have chosen to kill Zevran instead of recruiting him. That was a bad move, as he quickly becomes one of the best members of the party, putting his training from the Antivan Crows to good use. We love Zevran for his fighting prowess, but we love him even more for his sharp wit and lurid tongue. Quotes like "Just once I'd like to walk into one of these places and discover a lively dance, or a drinking festival. Or an orgy. But alas, no." make Zevran one of the best party members in all of Dragon Age lore.

You may like
  • Best Lord of the Rings games: a screenshot of Talion on a dragon in Middle-Earth Shadow of War. The best Lord of the Rings games to help you have a Middle-earth adventure
  • The Great Deku Tree Lego set on a wooden table, in front of a shelf of board games I've reviewed a lot of Lego, but I still think this the greatest gaming set ever made
  • Games like Skyrim: Gerlat giving a thumbs up during the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. The best games like Skyrim to play in 2026

Stallion (Suikoden)

Stallion is one of the 108 Stars in the first two Suikoden games, and his abilities could not be more welcome. Stallion is training to be the fastest man in the world--the Suikoden version of Usain Bolt, as it were--making him a quick and lethal ally. Whenever he's in your party, your walking speed is doubled, and because of his lightning speed, he attacks first in almost every battle. Want a quick head start against a powerful enemy? Bring Stallion.

Firiona Vie (EverQuest)

Firiona is the iconic face of EverQuest, the royal high elf that appears on the cover of every EverQuest expansion on the market. We're sure you've seen her long blond hair and revealing blue armor before, even if you've never played a second of EverQuest in your life. Firiona is the Chosen of Tunare, the deity known as the "Mother of All," and she's played a major part in the immense lore of EverQuest. Without Fironia and her many battles, we're not sure EverQuest would still be as important as it is today.

The Adoring Fan (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion)

We love being cheered on, showered in encouragement from others who want us to succeed in whatever we're doing. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion plays to these emotions with the Adoring Fan, a young Bosmer who becomes your personal groupie once you achieve the rank of Grand Champion in the Arena. He literally asks to follow you around and "worship the ground you walk on" upon victory, giving you your own virtual cheering section any time you're in Cyrodiil. After such a hard-fought battle to get to the top of the Arena ranks, we certainly don't mind a little adulation from a (figuratively) big fan.

Legolas (The Lord of the Rings)

Yes, we know, Legolas is more of a MOVIE elf and not a VIDEO GAME elf, but we can't deny the elven archer's presence in many of our favorite Lord of the Rings games. The Two Towers, The Return of the King, the Battle for Middle-Earth series, and even Lego Lord of the Rings all feature Legolas, so we're pretty confident he qualifies as a video game elf too. Few characters in the LotR lore posses the cunning and archery skills of Legolas, who sets the standard for the "elven archer" archetype in all of gaming. Long live Legolas!

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Xan (Baldur's Gate)

We love Xan because he likes to keep our confidence in check, never letting us get too full of ourselves as we venture through Baldur's Gate. Of course, his method of doing so is being a total pessimist, showing zero confidence in any of the decisions we make--but hey, we're not going to get on his case about it. Though Xan may say things like "Let us save our effort and just lie down and die!" we're still happy to have him around.

Corvus (Heretic)

id Software cut its teeth on Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, but it also released a lesser-known medieval FPS called Heretic, which told the story of an Elven tribe called the Sidhe. Corvus is the lone Sidhe to swear vengeance after the massacre of his people, and he seeks out those responsible with a massive arsenal of weapons. Doomguy might've achieved more fame over the years, but we think Corvus could hold his own against a space marine any day of the week.

Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind (Warcraft)

The power couple in the world of Warcraft, Malfurion Stormrage and his bride Tyrande Whisperwind preside over the Night Elves just as Simba and Nala lead everything the light touches. Tyrande is the chosen high priestess of the goddess Elune and a former general of the night elf sentinels, while Malfurion played a major part in the War of the Ancients, ascending to the rank of arch-druid soon after. Basically, these two are a force of nature. Just ask Malfurion's brother...

Illidan Stormrage (Warcraft)

Illidan Stormrage is a potent sorcerer and the twin brother of Malfurion, wielding extreme dark magics after he absorbed the Skull of Gul'dan. Unlike his twin brother, Illidan is pure evil, committing horrible acts against his own kind in his quest for arcane power. One interesting note: Illidan harbored very strong feelings for Tyrande Whisperwind as well, but after she chose Malfurion as her mate, Illidan quickly turned to the dark side. That's quite the love triangle.

  • 1
  • 2

Current page: Page 1

Next Page Page 2
CATEGORIES
Android iPad iPhone PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation PS4 Xbox Xbox One Platforms Mobile Gaming
PRODUCTS
Skylanders Giants Skylanders Swap Force The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Dragon Age: Origins LEGO Lord of the Rings Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition
Jason Fanelli
WHY HELLO THERE! Name's Jason, hailing from right outside Philadelphia. I've been playing the vidya games for well over 20 years, starting with the NES and making my way all the way up to the Wii U. My mother tells people that I taught myself to read at age 3 using Wheel of Fortune Family Edition on the NES. I'm the type of guy that will try anything once, but I do have a few favorite genres, fighting and RPG being at the top. I've been writing about video games since I finished my Broadcast Journalism degree at Temple University in December 2008, mostly for www.gamernode.com. Since then I've been to three E3s, two New York Comic Cons, the first ever PAX East, and many more to come (I hope). I hope everyone enjoys my stuff as much as I love producing it. Hit me up on Twitter @bigmanfanelli, I love talking games with anyone and everyone.
Read more
Best Lord of the Rings games: a screenshot of Talion on a dragon in Middle-Earth Shadow of War.
The best Lord of the Rings games to help you have a Middle-earth adventure
 
 
The Great Deku Tree Lego set on a wooden table, in front of a shelf of board games
I've reviewed a lot of Lego, but I still think this the greatest gaming set ever made
 
 
Games like Skyrim: Gerlat giving a thumbs up during the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt.
The best games like Skyrim to play in 2026
 
 
A screenshot of Gustave in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, one of the best RPGs you can play in 2026
The 25 best RPGs worth playing in 2026
 
 
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
The 25 best GameCube games of all time
 
 
Julian, a light blue horse with a unicorn-like horn, in Animal Crossing: New Horizon poses in front of the mayor's office, with the GamesRadar+ On The Radar frame
The best Animal Crossing: New Horizons villagers have been our faves since day one
 
 
Latest in Action
Bizarre Lineage codes
Bizarre Lineage codes (March 2026) for free Stat Point Essence, Rare Chests, and more
 
 
Kratos approaches Aphrodite's bedchamber in God of War 3
"The God of War sex mini-games were designed by women," which is why Aphrodite's bed looks "like a labia"
 
 
GTA 6
Some of GTA 6's big ideas are likely hiding in GTA 5, ex-Rockstar dev predicts – and you can look at GTA 4 to see why
 
 
Screenshot from Ratcheteer DX, showing a GBC-style cave with four pixelated characters finding warmth around a fire.
The Legend of Zelda-esque game mimics the GameBoy to GameBoy Color transition, goes from retro handheld to PC and Switch
 
 
Musashi examines the oni gauntlet with a confused expression in Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Not content with stopping the avalanche of AAA games Capcom teases even more unannounced games before April 2027
 
 
A crop of the MindsEye key art for a review header
"Overwhelming evidence of organized espionage": MindsEye CEO blames launch on "corporate sabotage" amid more layoffs
 
 
Latest in Features
Photo of a Mario nendoroid figure holding a microSD Express card with a Turtle Beach Switch 2 case in the background.
These Mario Day-inspired Switch 2 accessories will power up your console more than a super star
 
 
Underside of Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop with glass viewing window and RGB fans
We could get a shock when 2026 gaming laptop prices are unveiled, here's what you need to know about buying this year
 
 
Emily Rudd as Nami and Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix's One Piece
One Piece season 2 ending explained: Who is Mr. Zero? Who dies? Will there be a season 3?
 
 
In Hitman World of Assassination, Agent 47 sits at the departure gate in an airport during the loading screen
After weeks spent locked into Hitman's Freelancer mode, I realize there's one vital thing 007 First Light needs to learn
 
 
Mario gadgets, accessories, and games on a blue background
The ultimate Mario Day starter pack, kit up for the plumber's big day
 
 
Glen Powell as Becket in How to Make a Killing
How to Make a Killing is Glen Powell's latest mid-budget movie, and I hope he never stops making them
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Virtual Boy for Switch 2 sitting on coffee table with TV in backdrop displaying Wario Land gameplay.
    1
    I respect the Virtual Boy as a collectable Switch 2 gadget, but it’s not exactly a retro console remake
  2. 2
    Bizarre Lineage codes (March 2026) for free Stat Point Essence, Rare Chests, and more
  3. 3
    The Thrustmaster T248R is making me question where a sim racing wheel with no direct drive and no modular wheelbase fits in the market in 2026
  4. 4
    These Mario Day-inspired Switch 2 accessories will power up your console more than a super star
  5. 5
    Pokemon fan artist alleges new Palworld clone Pickmon "stole one of my designs," saying "they didn't even try to change something and make it a bit less obvious"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...