Why is it that whenever the guys and gals show up on game night to play D&D (or any other fantasy RPG ) that inevitably, the majority want to be elves? I’m not kidding — the last time we started a new campaign I had a party of 4 elves, 2 half-elves, a human and and a dwarf (and I had to bribe someone to be the dwarf — never underestimate the power of bribery and a +2 battleaxe in these types of situations). Heck, even our Dark Elf Dice website is named after an elf.
So why is it that we can’t seem to get enough of these guys? Is it their fitness model physiques that make us gaga (no potbellies here)? Or perhaps it’s simply their magical nature (ancient race and all that jazz)? I’m not certain if I can really put my finger on it, but needless to say gamers like elves. And it’s for this reason that we salute 4 of our favorites:
Legolas
For me, Tolkien’s Legolas has always been THE prototypical elf for gamers. What’s not to like about the guy? He’s one of the original members of the Fellowship, is a kick-butt archer, and has really cool hair. Heck, he even overcame his dislike of dwarves and counts Gimli as his best friend. Can we all just get along, people?
Link
OK, I realize that Nintendo never calls Link an elf (he’s called a Hylian), but who do they think they’re fooling? Let’s count the stereotypes: pointy ears (check), goofy pointed hat (check), angular facial features (check), forest green getup (check). No doubt about it — the dude’s an elf. And we love him of course because he’s been hacking and slashing since 1986 and Ocarina of Time is arguably the best N64 game ever.
Ernie the Keebler Elf
Earlier in the post I mentioned that elves had fitness model physiques. Well, Ernie won’t be appearing on the cover of Men’s Health anytime soon. He’s not exactly buff, but it doesn’t matter. Know what trumps rock solid abs? Charisma baby, and this little dude has plenty of it. Also, he has access to a tree house full of cookies, crackers and other sugary snacks (THIS is the reason why he won’t be a cover model, but who in their right mind can resist a plateful of Chips Deluxe and an ice cold glass of milk?). In my book Ernie is (dare I say it) uncommonly good.
Hermey the Dentist
You have to respect a guy who’s willing to buck the trend and do things his way. Hermey had his whole life laid out in front of him — a dull career making toys. But he basically told The Man to buzz off and became a dentist. You can check out the exchange here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=day3yvj3f7s Just remember people, be true to yourself and don’t be afraid to follow your dreams. Especially if those dreams earn you upwards of 100K a year. So who’s making toys now? Bwahahaha!
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