History OurElvesAreDifferent / VideoGames

** Feir'Dal: Wood Elves: Descendants of the original elven race created by the God of Nature, Tunare. They live in the treetop city of Kelethin in the Greater Faydark forest. Naturally (no pun intended), they are more in tune with nature, with a society consisting mainly of Druids, Rangers, Rogues (who work for the city itself,) Bards, and Warriors. They have a very friendly position towards outsiders, and get along well with Humans. They stand 5 feet tall and have a tan complexion and hair colors running the normal human gambit between black, brown, blond, and red. They typically live to be about 650-700 years old.

*** In ''VideoGame/EverQuestII'' (which takes place 500 years in the future and in an alternate timeline,) the city of Felwithe had undergone significant changes as a result of their own king being assassinated during a war with the Dark Elves. This lead the ruling council to declare that the High Elves must revert back to the original elven race they once used to be. Through the use of magic and [[RoyallyScrewedUp inbreeding]], the High Elves turned themselves into the Renda'Dal, or "New Elf". They grew slightly shorter and have more prominent elvish features such as longer ears and thinner faces, and shortened their lifespan to about 150 years (in order to ensure their racial survival by enforcing the need to procreate more often). They have also shunned all outside contact with other races. Even other High Elves who lived outside of the city were no longer welcome. Everyone who entered "New Tunaria" were treated as hostile.

* In ''VideoGame/KameoElementsOfPower'', the elves have retractable fairy-like wings which allow them to fly.

* ''VideoGame/ZanZarahTheHiddenPortal'': The elves in Zanzarah are short humanoids with PointyEars whose village Endeva and city Tiralin are located right next to the enchanted forest. They are peaceful nature-lovers who rarely venture outside their home, though they do show some [[FantasticRacism prejudice]] against dwarves, goblins, and humans.

* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'': The elven races have a long and convoluted lineage. According to WordOfGod, they originated from a specific tribe of [[AllTrollsAreDifferent trolls]], evolved by the magic of the Well of Eternity into the first night elves. At their pinnacle, their civilization surpassed the widespread troll tribes through mastery of both arcane and natural magic, putting them square in the middle of High and Wood Elf archetypes. Then their queen desired even more power and tried to strike a bargain with demons, which was barely thwarted at the cost of a WorldSundering. The survivors split into several factions:

** High elves (''quel'dorei'', "children of noble birth"), on the other hand, were aptly named. They descend from the ancient night elf upper classes who, after the Sundering, refused to let go of arcane practices and sailed to the eastern continent, where they founded a flourishing kingdom. Unfortunately, they became dependent on a source of magical power known as the Sunwell; it was eventually corrupted by [[ZombieApocalypse the Scourge]], causing them more casualties than any other race. While some still remained high elves, many of the survivors named themselves "blood elves" (''sin'dorei'', "children of blood"), declared a policy of ruthless pragmatism, and even aligned themselves with the Horde when their former Alliance allies failed to come to their aid. While a few true high elves still remain here and there, they've largely vanished as a major race.
** The nightborne from the ''Legion'' expansion, or ''shal'dorei'', are Dark Elves played straight: an extremely isolationist race descended from an old night elf population that shielded itself from the consequences of the Sundering in the magically protected city of Suramar. Much like ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' drow, they are dark-skinned, mistrusting, and {{Stripperiffic}} (even moreso than the other elves). They also have a bond with spiders; some of them are transformed into [[WasOnceAMan spider-like creatures]] as a result of Valewalker Farodin's failed attempt to grow an arcan'dor tree. Much like High Elves, they are also dependent on their own magical source, the Nightwell, to the point that a civil war over the rights to access it broke out. During the war, however, one faction discovered a less addictive mana source, and for the most part abandoned the Nightwell. Upset with the haughty attitude of the Night Elves when they helped liberate Suramar, they decided that they connected better with the Blood Elves and when War flared up, threw their lot in with the Horde.
** [[PowerOfTheVoid Void elves]] or ''ren'dorei'' ("children of the void"), introduced in the space between ''Legion'' and ''Battle for Azeroth'', are another Dark Elven race. The first technical void elf seen in-game is Alleria Windrunner, who absorbed the power of a fallen naaru, giving her the ability to change into a form with white hair and star-patterned skin. The later, playable void elves are blood and high elves who studied the Void, which led to the former group being exiled from Silvermoon, and were nearly enslaved by ethereals, but their transformation was stopped halfway through and they became blue-skinned elves (later given options for more natural tones) with shadowy, stylized energy "wings", slender tentacles in their hair, and newfound power from being TouchedByVorlons. As the blood elf members had already been exiled for their experiments, they side with the Alliance.
** Felbloods, harpies, satyr and naga are elven derivatives mutated through exposure to wild, demonic, or Old God magic. The naga are admitted to be based on drow, with their leader Azshara taking inspiration from Lolth, although the [[BizarreSexualDimorphism males no longer look the part]].

** The Bosmer, or Wood Elves, of Valenwood are the shortest race in Tamriel and possess darker reddish/brown skin than their Altmeri cousins. They are nimble and quick as a race, making for excellent scouts, thieves, and hunters. The Bosmer are considered [[ArcherArchetype the finest archers]] in all Tamriel, with it even being said that they were inventors of the bow. Their ancestors rejected the formal traditions of Aldmeri culture, splitting off to live simple lives more in tune with nature. They struck an agreement with [[OurGodsAreDifferent Y'ffre, the Forest God of Valenwood and the first et'Ada to transform into the Ehlnofey]], known as the Green Pact; in exchange for Y'ffre's patronage, they have sworn never to harm any plantlife in Valenwood (though they can import timber from other regions of Tamriel when necessary), and must live on an almost exclusively carnivorous diet (with a few {{loophole|Abuse}}s. They have been assimilated or subjugated by every incarnation of the Aldmeri Dominion, in which they are treated as [[EnslavedElves second-class citizens (at best)]] to the Altmer. They are led by the "Silvenar", who is a literal representation of the Bosmer people, changing in both body and mind to match the current state of the Bosmeri people.

** The series has other races similar to elves. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' has the Kokiri, who seem to be rather traditional examples of wood elves, complete with nature-based deity and seemingly eternal childhood. The Sheikah can have lifespans of centuries and are one of the oldest races in Hyrule. They exhibit great magical prowess, as well as amazing fighting skill, [[TribeOfPriests spiritual knowledge]], and, in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'', an innate proficiency with {{Magitek}}. However, they do physically age like any other human race in the series, with the oldest of them looking no better than a dried-up corpse.

** Link's original design looked rather elf-like due to his fairy-like clothes and PointyEars. According to Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto, this came from ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan.'' All subsequent games show Link is a Hylian, who despite their pointy ears aren't actually elf-like, but are for the most part [[HumansAreAverage mundane humans]]; the ''Legend of Zelda Enyclopedia'' even describes the round eared [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTriforceHeroes Hytopian humans]] had more wizards than Hyrlue.. Occasionally the elf confusion slips into advertising, as a UK advert for ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'' described Link as a "medieval elf".

** Link's original design looked rather elf-like due to his fairy-like clothes and PointyEars. According to Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto, this came from ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan.'' All subsequent games show Link is a Hylian, who despite their pointy ears aren't actually elf-like, but are for the most part [[HumansAreAverage mundane humans]]; they are, however, supposed to be more attuned to magic and the gods than the round-eared humans who also appear. Occasionally the elf confusion slips into advertising, as a UK advert for ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'' described Link as a "medieval elf".

* ''VideoGame/{{Majesty}}'' has an unusual take on elves. While they are primarily archers and known for being light on their feet, they are also highly prone to drinking, gambling and general [[SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll debauchery]]. Their main benefit to the kingdom is an economic one, as they significantly boost the gold output of your Marketplaces and raise revenue when they [[WanderingMinstrel perform as bards]]. And they're [[{{Elfeminate}} quite androgynous-looking]].

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': The elves are [[CreaturesByManyOtherNames also known as]] the races of Mer. All descend from a {{Precursor|s}} race known as the Aldmer (Old or First Elves) who are said to have come to Tamriel from the [[{{Atlantis}} lost continent of Aldmeris]]. The Aldmer split apart into distinct sub-races during the earliest eras of Tamriellic history, typically over [[OurGodsAreDifferent religious differences]]. All of the races of Mer are generally humanoid in shape and appearance, but all [[DemiHuman have traits outside the normal range for humans]], including [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation unusual skin tones]], PointyEars, mildly elongated skulls, and angular facial features. Most are known to be [[LongLived longe lived]] in comparison to the races of Men, with average lifespans lasting several centuries and extreme examples [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld lasting 1000 years or more]] (though most of these examples [[WizardsLiveLonger have used magic to extend their lives]]). They also have an ImmortalProcreationClause, typically producing fewer offspring than the races of Men, and it is implied that there is a maximum number of children that any Mer woman can bear, with few having more than three. Each race of Mer believes themselves to be a SuperiorSpecies to the other races of Mer, and ''ALL'' believe themselves [[FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence to be superior to the races of Men]], leading to much CulturalPosturing. Additionally, each race of Mer has [[BlueAndOrangeMorality traits, beliefs, and practices which come across as very alien to a human observer]]. Ranges from being played completely straight to Downplayed, but is extant within almost every race. Below is a summary of each race of Mer arranged alphabetically, and additional details can be found in the "Races of Mer" section on the ''The Elder Scrolls'' [[Characters/TheElderScrollsTheRacesOfMer Races of Mer]] sub-page.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', on the other hand, clearly took the basic idea of elves and hammered it into the RuleOfSexy mold as fiercely as possible: the Viera are a race of magical, [[WeAreAsMayflies nigh-immortal]], [[OneGenderRace all-female]], dark-skinned blondes with [[PlayboyBunny bunny ears]] who [[SexyWhateverOutfit wear lingerie all the time]]. The result is a race of [[MsFanservice Ms. Fanservices]].

** Elves/Wood Elves/Light Elves (all three terms were used at different points and in different contexts), a mix of the standard Wood and High Elves, but without the classic elven superiority (both in morality and in attitude), being pretty much human in those respects. Notably ''not'' subject to PermaShave.
** Dark Elves, quite possibly the ''least'' Dark Elf-like dark elves in a video game ever (as a civilization), aside from a liking of dark colours for their clothes and not being subject to PermaShave. Their hostility with their Light Elf kin is long in the past, and nowadays they are a surface-dwelling ProudMerchantRace and by-and-large one of the ''most'' ethical groups on the continent they've settled down on.

[[caption-width-right:350:Clockwise from the top left, an Altmer (high elf), Bosmer (wood elf), Dunmer (dark elf) and Orsimer (orc). Not pictured: [[AbusivePrecursors Ayleids]] (Wild Elves), Dwemer (dwarves - yes, dwarves are an elf subrace), Falmer (snow elves), and Maormer (Sea Elves)]]

** The Altmer, or High Elves, hail from the Summerset Isles in the southwest of Tamriel. They are tall with golden skin and lean frames, and are the primary descendants of the Aldmer, the first race of Mer. As such, determining when Aldmer history ended and where Altmer history began is nigh impossible. Though non-Altmer scholars are loathe to admit, the truth is that Tamriel [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas owes much of its art, science, philosophy, language and religion]] to the Altmer, who are also the [[MageSpecies most magically-gifted of all races]]. However, they are often viewed as [[CulturalPosturing haughty and snobbish]], looking down on the other races of Mer as "degenerates" and believing [[FantasticRacism the races of Men to be even worse]]. For centuries, they led a mighty empire known as the [[AntiHumanAlliance Aldmeri Dominion]]. In the late 2nd Era, their empire was crushed in a CurbStompBattle by [[GodEmperor Tiber Septim]] and the [[HumongousMecha Numidium]], forcing them to join an Empire of Men by conquest for the first time in history. During the reign of the Septim Empire, they quietly bode their time and rebuilt their shattered nation. When the Septim Dynasty ended as a result of the Oblivion Crisis, the Dominion rose once again, this time led by the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Thalmor]] of the Aldmeri Dominion.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' was [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness essentially a loose adaptation of]] ''TabletopGame/AdvancedDungeonsAndDragonsFirstEdition'' and as such had the standard High Elves living in the kingdom of Elfheim, as well as the Dark Elves which were loosely based on D&D's Drow and resembled tall goblins along with being AlwaysChaoticEvil. Another Dark Elf serves as a boss in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' but no normal ones are present.

* ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'': Due to limited character interaction, normal elves ([[NinjaPirateZombieRobot armed with machine guns]]) are mere random encounters. However, the dark elf Dorothy is the HotScientist who developed [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement bullets that can break Einst crystals]]. She also sells the game's best accessories (...which are also the most expensive).

** The elves have more of their past revealed in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok'' - when the protagonists have to return to Alfheim, [[spoiler:the roles have been reversed and the Light Elves are the ones attacking the Dark Elves and acting as enemies after having reconquered the light in the previous installment]]. [[spoiler:It is explained both races of elves have a common ancestor and were once ruled by the Vanir god Freyr, but they got separated once the Light Elves learned to harness the light for their own means, provoking the war. The Light Elf Biggvir and the Dark Elf Beyla, however, protested against their respective leaderships and left the war, getting into a relationship with each other and joining Freyr in Vanaheim.]]

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'': Ljósálfar (light elves) and Svartálfar (dark elves) from [[Myth/NorseMythology Norse myths]] appear when Kratos and Atreus explore Alfheim. In contrast to the typical "humans but with pointy ears" portrayal, the Ljósálfar are depicted as floating ethereal angelic beings in white robes, akin to elves and fairies in paintings such as ''[[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Dancing_Fairies_%28August_Malmstr%C3%B6m%29_-_Nationalmuseum_-_18226.tif/lossy-page1-800px-Dancing_Fairies_%28August_Malmstr%C3%B6m%29_-_Nationalmuseum_-_18226.tif.jpg Dancing Fairies]]'', while the Svartálfar are dark humanoids with insect wings and power over darkness. The Svartálfar have in fact conquered the light of Alfheim and are seen killing helpless civilians, but Kratos warns Atreus to not be too quick to think the Ljósálfar are entirely innocent in this affair, since they don't know anything about what started the conflict and only saw its ending. According to Mimir, both races are more related than it seems, and they've been fighting for the light of Alfheim for many centuries.
** The elves have more of their past revealed in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok''; when the protagonists have to return to Alfheim, [[spoiler:the roles have been reversed and the Light Elves are the ones attacking the Dark Elves and acting as enemies after having reconquered the light in the previous installment]]. [[spoiler:It is explained both races of elves have a common ancestor and were once ruled by the Vanir god Freyr, but they got separated once the Light Elves learned to harness the light for their own means, provoking the war. The Light Elf Biggvir and the Dark Elf Beyla, however, protested against their respective leaderships and left the war, getting into a relationship with each other and joining Freyr in Vanaheim.]]

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'': Ljósálfar (light elves) and Svartálfar (dark elves) from Norse myths appear when Kratos and Atreus explore Alfheim. In contrast to the typical "humans but with pointy ears" portrayal, the Ljósálfar are depicted as floating ethereal angelic beings, while the Svartálfar are dark humanoids with insect wings with power over darkness. The Svartálfar have in fact conquered the light of Alfheim and are seen killing helpless civilians, but Kratos warns Atreus to not be too quick to think the Ljósálfar are entirely innocent in this affair, since they don't know anything about what started the conflict and only saw its ending. According to Mimir, both races are more related than it seems, and they've been fighting for Alfheim for many centuries.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', on the other hand, clearly took the basic idea of elves and hammered it into the RuleOfSexy mold as fiercely as possible: the Viera are a race of magical, [[WeAreAsMayflies nigh-immortal]], [[OneGenderRace all-female]], [[DarkSkinnedBlond dark-skinned blondes]] with [[PlayboyBunny bunny ears]] who [[SexyWhateverOutfit wear lingerie all the time]]. The result is a race of [[MsFanservice Ms. Fanservices]].

** It's been argued that ''World of Warcraft'''s revamp of the draenei count as "SpaceElves", what with being a ProudScholarRace from another world and all—-but they don't physically fit the elf stereotype much. (They have pointy ears, true... but they also have tails, horns, and hooves. And while the ''females'' are certainly lithe, [[BizarreSexualDimorphism their brothers are built like bank vaults]]... and are permitted not only facial hair, but catfish whiskers.)

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', on the other hand, clearly took the basic idea of elves and hammered it into the RuleOfSexy mold as fiercely as possible: the Viera are a race of magical, [[WeAreAsMayflies nigh-immortal]], [[OneGenderRace all-female]], [[DarkSkinnedBlond dark-skinned blondes]] with [[PlayboyBunny bunny ears]] who [[SexyWhateverOutfit wear lingerie all the time]]. The result is a race of [[MsFanservice Ms. Fanservices]].

** The nightborne from the ''Legion'' expansion, or ''shal'dorei'', are Dark Elves played straight: an extremely isolationist race descended from an old night elf population that shielded itself from the consequences of the Sundering in the magically protected city of Suramar. Much like ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' drow, they are dark-skinned, mistrusting, and {{Stripperiffic}} (even moreso than the other elves). They also have a bond with spiders; some of them are transformed into spider-like creatures to augment their abilities. Much like High Elves, they are also dependent on their own magical source, the Nightwell, to the point that a civil war over the rights to access it broke out. During the war, however, one faction discovered a less addictive mana source, and for the most part abandoned the Nightwell. Upset with the haughty attitude of the Night Elves when they helped liberate Suramar, they decided that they connected better with the Blood Elves and when War flared up, threw their lot in with the Horde.

*** If you compare night elf males with their human counterparts, you'll notice they're actually ''relatively'' slender. It's just that the men in practically every species in the game appear to be built out of barrels. Still, the overall effect does leave night elves rather resembling the local trolls in shape, which makes sense as they're related.