Why are Half-Elf/Half-Race Heroes so Common in Fantasy?

[Deleted]

Did you look it up before writing, or are you now the most impressive poster on MMO-C? :P

I read the books two decades ago, and I've loved Drizzt ever since.

The Icewind Dale Trilogy was written before the Dark Elf Trilogy.

Yes, but the Dark Elf is a prequel trilogy to the Icewind Dale, and Drizzt is from Menzoberranzan, and since the discussion was about where Drizzt is from, that's all that matters.

This is what it was referring to:

Drizzdt from Icewind Dale

He's from Menzoberranzan, not from Icewind Dale.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

He's from Menzoberranzan, not from Icewind Dale.

"Gandalf is from the Hobbit, not Lord of the Rings!"

[Tzalix]

On Eragon: After he got that huge back scar that hampered him immensely, the dragon race gifted him a new body, effectively making him half-human and half-elven. He was born fully human, yes, but by the middle of the series is no longer such.

I'd argue that doesn't really count, I see that more as a magical modification and less of a change of his actual race, but fair enough.

[ro9ue]

Say you're an average human male in a fantasy world strolling through the forest. Suddenly, from the corner of your eye you see something jump down from a tree. You turn to look and are faced with this:



...that's why there are so many half-elves.

Came here to say this.

I think in general Elven people are like "fucking up". Cleaner, smarter, stronger, etc. So they are sought after.

[Teebone]

People fucking sheep, horses and dogs are peculiarly common. So fucking an elf is a no-brainer.

hehe, I needed that laugh =D

[frogger237]

Because they are more relatable to the reader but still get that power boost(usually) of being more than human. Its the reason why the twilight vampires are sparkly daywalkers and not Nosferatu looking mother fuckers.

[Icaras]

Say you're an average human male in a fantasy world strolling through the forest. Suddenly, from the corner of your eye you see something jump down from a tree. You turn to look and are faced with this:



...that's why there are so many half-elves.

I dub this post the winner!

[Halicia]

Are half-race heroes really that common though ?

How many half-dwarves can you name ? Even if they can't commonly crossbreed, there should be at least a few series that buck the norm and say they can, so there should be some.

Honestly, aside from Tanis, I can't really think of many front & center halfbreeds. Occasionally as supporting characters, but usually as more tangential love-interests or objects of pity.

Aside from the more common tropes, I think that half-humans in general are a way to take the fantastical, but make it more accessible and easier to understand by injecting it with a bit of humanity. And if the Buffyverse is any indication, people LOVE to find that spark of humanity in everything.

If you stick with "just elves", than to keep their mystique, they have to have certain aspects that are generally beyond comprehension, because "as a human" the reader shouldn't be able to really understand that. I think Tolkien had a pretty firm grasp on that, but more recent authors kinda ignore that part of fantasy, and just let everything act the same as humans.... even if they're immortal, or lived a couple thousand years or so.

RA Salvatore's bucked that trend a little, (altho even he is restrained from straying too much from that in his unowned d&d characters). When he writes of dragons & demons, they are truly foreign beings.

[Puupi]

How many half-dwarves can you name ? Even if they can't commonly crossbreed, there should be at least a few series that buck the norm and say they can, so there should be some.

Tom Cruise, Napoleon, All F1 drivers.

[Easo]

Because men want to fuck things with pointy ears.

/thread

/thread indeed

Or just anything resembling woman.