Why So: Anti-Elf?

[Sarah Frazier]

Elves, dwarves, and even orc types get little love from me because they've hardly changed since Tolkein hit it big.

Elves: Take your pick of the list below.

Much longer lived than other races by centuries or whenever an accident/fight kills them.
Use that time to master one thing after another until they get bored.
Their trash is usually said to be better than what other races can hope to make.
Have some mystical property that makes them resistant/immune to disease or magic.
Have a more innate understanding of magic, if magic exists in the setting.
May share a special bond with an aspect of the world that other races 'will never get'.
Often shown or described as being the most physically attractive of races.
They have found a way to wiggle into settings across time and space in some form or other.

In other words, they're not very good at hiding their Mary Sue levels and people get annoyed the more often the stereotype is used.

 

[ThePenguinKnight]

I'm actually a pretty big fan of Elves, I think people who play them often stick to close to stereotype in games like D&D.

In Skyrim my Wood Elf is a filthy, rugged, murdering alcoholic scumbag with only his loose sense of honor keeping him from driving his sword into the smug characters he despises so much.

 

[SnakeoilSage]

It's just over-saturation. They're in every fantasy, put in the forefront even more than Dwarves (going all the way back to Tolkien), and people are just lashing out at them.

 

[DoPo]

But recently, I've found that hating elves comes directly from current games we have. In The Witcher 2, elves (and dwarves) are despised and treated as second-class citizens, because it's an interesting plot device which cleverly dodges/addresses racism. This happened in Dragon Age as well. I believe people are hating elves because our perspective of them is changing in the fantasy genre.

...are you actually claiming that people don't like elves because of two games we've had so far? (or maybe several more) And that the dislike for elves is a totally recent thing? That is somehow tied to somebody just deciding to portray them negatively? Because I can assure you that the elves have been disliked for a long time with a reason and portraying them negatively is sometimes an expression of that dislike.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I like the God-Children of impossible beauty but, I don't care too much for the cookie-baking tree-dwellers. Ironic when you consider how much I love cookies. I've never had a real problem with either though to be honest. I don't understand why they can't be in other fantasy settings though like in a Sci-Fi fantasy (I suppose for that we have Ugnaughts) or, modern fantasy. That would be pretty bad ass; a modern Elf wearing the latest from (insert label here) shooting a Dragon from the Space Needle with a high velocity sniper-rifle sounds like something we should have seen by now.

 

[Veylon]

Because they are so often depicted as being better than humans. It's almost impossible to love a group whose every act and line is a form criticism. Author often double-down on the offensiveness by also having the main villain be elf-related.

So what you end up with is a group that screwed up the world way back when, wants the (human) hero to fix it for them, can't bring themselves to admit wrongdoing while complaining about everything human-related, and yet we're expected to admire them. Naturally, you'd expect said hero to call them on this, but he almost never does so you don't get to purge the bitterness by seeing the haughty elves taken down a notch.

Once again, this is another one of those things that's lifted from Lord of the Rings but nearly almost fumbled. In Middle Earth, the Elves have a backstory of greed, rebellion, ambition, bloodlust and folly that makes human history look benign by comparison. The only reason the Elves are even in Middle Earth is because they are engaged in a long-standing uprising and rejection of their gods. They are fading away because they made magic rings that linked themselves to Sauron. They've slaughtered each other and the dwarves over shiny gems. So by the time Frodo & co. come by, they've learned to eat some humble pie.

 

[Metalix Knightmare]

Play Baldur's Gate 2. There's your reason.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

Yes, but the movies made up for that with Liv Tyler being Arwen... mmm.. Human/Elf relations >.>

WHAT?!?

That wretched woman allowed arwen to become a major character. There is no defense for this

 

[00slash00]

i think its just because elves are so overused

 

[soren7550]

Eh, I have no problem with elves as a whole. But yes, I have hated certain individual elves.

But it does irk me how they're often portrayed with a holier than thou, and are better than everyone.

 

[Radoh]

I love myself some elves, or at least the Dragon Age kind.
I think they do get stale however, much in the same way Dwarves do.
Elves are oppressed by humans one two, Dwarves are nearly extinct three four...

 

[Tratchet]

This might have already been said, but the big reason that Elves bug me so much in fantasy is because Lord of the Rings did them well enough, in my opinion, that almost every other portrayal of Elves pales in comparison. It's not that I can't handle stories with Elves, it's just that I strongly prefer it when the creators come up with actually original races.

To put it in perspective, what if a huge amount of science fictions had Klingons. Some had different interpretations of the Klingons, and they were often in different settings, but they were definitely Klingons, not just a generic warrior society. Personally, that'd feel a bit off to me.

 

[Daverson]

Nuffink wrong wiv' elves, 'course, you could improve dem somewhat... make dem bit bigger an' 'arder... get rid of dat silly hair... and den make 'em green! Dat sounds proper good dat does...

 

[snow]

I don't hate elves. I hate any "perfect race" as Elves are all to often portrayed to be. One of my favourite parts of the Dragon Age settings is that they are far from perfect in that world.

You can honestly blame Legolas for that. He's one of the most popular elves, and most tend to forget that he was pretty extraordinary in comparison to his race. They want to create something elf related, and use him as inspiration. Which is silly to be honest.

Elves aren't supposed to be perfect in any regard.

Edit: I love elves. I honestly believe a lot of the anti-elf mentality comes from some popular iconic figure stating that he/she is sick of them. I just can't remember who the heck that was... Crap, if I end up finding myself searching all over previously watched youtube videos for it, I'm gonna be annoyed. >:\

 

[Smeggs]

Elves are usually portrayed as pretty, perfect beings who use magic.

And they seem to be in just about anything they can be.

I'm just tired of seeing them.

 

[Buleet]

The only import i WANT from the elves is giant snarling tamed animals, not pieces of fucking cloth.
My only export i give them is copious amounts of magma and swords through throats and faces.

If i keep them happy they bring in more cloth, if i keep them unhappy they send animals or, if I'm lucky,war. Yay military training!
Really, fuck elves. i want to chop as many wood as i want, you daft treehumpers!

Dwarf fortress is a wonderful game. So many ways to get creative with things.

 

[Prosis]

I have a number of problems with elves.

They are perfectly attractive, perfectly behaved, masters of the woods and animals and magic, with lives that will outlive all others by centuries. Which means that either elves are better than all other races at any given task, or they were lazy for a century or two.


But my biggest problem with them? If its fantasy, it will have elves. They are freaking everywhere. It's like vampires. Overused. Honestly, it seems more likely to find an elf in a fantasy setting than it is to find a dragon, which is wrong to me.

 

[Taunta]

I like elves. I really really like elves. I've just started reading LotR again and oh my god there are so many elves that were dropped from the movie I am drowning in them. It's wonderful.

But I hate that they've become staples of the fantasy genre. Why do all elves have to be beautiful, delicate, perfect people? Why do all dwarves have to be abrasive drunken Scotsmen?

 

[Diddy_Mao]

I have a very thin tolerance for most of the standard fantasy tropes. Not just elves.

One of the things I've actually rather enjoyed about the Warcraft series is the fact that they killed of the High Elves (your standard Archery and Magic fantasy elves) and replaced them with the Night and Blood Elves. both of whom have a much more interesting background and culture to them than most fantasy games would give to an elf.

There was also a comic series that I used to read called "Elfquest" which took a much more tribal and savage approach to the elvish society and I remember quite enjoying that.

Beyond those few examples I just find that the standard fantasy elf archetype is just played out and boring and if you can't bring something to the table beyond the bog standard asexual pretty boys or cave dwelling "dark elves" then just don't bother.

 

[Shuguard]

Generally I get annoyed with all-pure attitude of high elves, but my favorite elves have to be the Dark Elves from Warhammer fantasy. I Loved reading Malekith and the chronicles of Malus Darkblade. The Dark elf society was very grim and I would hate to live there, but I like the blood-thirsty psychopaths with very interesting murder cults. I also loved the artwork of their troops usually the very gorgeous use of black, red, purple colors. I also played a Blackguard from Warhammer Online: the age of Reckoning, terrible game, but awesome class to play.