Elves are a fantasy genre staple, earning their popularity from novels such as Lord of the Rings, but every setting has a different take on them. Some elves are associated with magic and aristocratic society, while others share ties with nature and live in the forests. Whether elves are thriving or in decline, they are always a highlight in their respective fantasy settings, and Warcraft is no exception.
Night Elves, also known as Kaldorei, are among the universe's most popular and beloved races. They were first introduced in Warcraft 3 and immediately presented as a force to be reckoned with. Native to the continent of Kalimdor, Night Elves were able to push back against the combined forces of orcs and humans to defend their forests. Eventually, they joined forces with humans, joined the Alliance and recently moved to a new city.
World Of Warcraft: Best Orc Characters, Ranked
In the Warcraft franchise, these Orc characters remain some of the most memorable to fans. Here's how they rank up.
10 Jarod Shadowsong
A Stalwart Guard
- First Appearance: World of Warcraft
While not as well-known as his sister, Jarod Shadowsong is as much of a dedicated warrior as she is. During the War of the Ancients, he fought with Kur’Talos Ravencrest and other notorious heroes. Jarod didn’t entirely approve of the Druids holding as much influence over the Night Elf society as they did, which caused him to separate from them for a while.
However, during World of Warcraft, he came back to aid his people during crises, such as Ragnaros attacking Mount Hyjal during Cataclysm or when he had to battle the forces of Nightmare during the Val’Sharah storyline. Eventually, Jarod earned his place as a powerful Night Elf warrior.
9 Shandris Fearhermoon
A Loyal Commander
- First Appearance: Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos
One of the first Night Elf characters to ever appear was Shandris Feathermoon. She was a skilled archer in Warcraft 3 and loyal to Tyrande, but her story was not explored until later. Shandris is the adopted daughter of Tyrande Whisperwind, who took Shandris in after her family was killed by demons during the War of the Ancients.
Shandris remained a prominent figure in World of Warcraft, one of the night elves who maintained good relations with other Alliance races and often fought alongside them. Nevertheless, Shandris maintained loyalty towards her people and reappeared in other expansions, such as Dragonflight.
8 Fandral Staghelm
The Druid Of The Flame
- First Appearance: World of Warcraft
Fandral appeared in World of Warcraft and quickly rose to prominence. He was the leader of the Druids in Malfurion’s absence, but was very different from his predecessor. Arrogant and distrustful of other races, Fandral wasn’t shy about his skepticism towards Kaldorei’s bond with the Alliance.
During Cataclysm, Fandral disapproved of the neutrality many Druid circles maintained and caused many Night Elves to suffer. Eventually, his radicalism led Fandral to join Ragnaros and become a Druid of the Flame. He was a formidable foe, but eventually fell before the heroes of Azeroth.
7 Kur’Talos Ravencrest
A Warrior Of Old Times
- First Appearance: War of the Ancients
Kur’Talos Ravencrest is an ancient hero who is long dead by the time the main events of the Warcraft storyline begin, but he made a lasting impact on history. During the War of the Ancients, Kur’Talos became a figurehead and one of the first elves to rebel against Queen Azshara when she allowed the Burning Legion on Azeroth.
In World of Warcraft, players can encounter his legacy. In the Legion expansions, the Black Rook Hold dungeon contains a ghost of Kur’Talos, and the players will fight side-by-side against the final boss of the instance. Many major night elves who are still alive know him personally.
6 Xavius
The First Satyr
- First Appearance: War of the Ancients
Xavius is among the vilest and most devious of night elves, which has been shown ever since the War of the Ancients. As an advisor to Queen Azshara, Xavius is eager to contact the Legion and usher in their power, not caring for the consequences that many others will suffer. He was defeated by Malfurion and eventually reborn as a satyr.
Ever since, Xavius has remained a consistent thorn in Malfurion’s side, becoming the main driving force behind the corruption of the Emerald Dream and the spread of Nightmare. His last appearance was in the Legion expansion, where Xavius held Malfurion hostage and corrupted Ysera before ultimately falling to the heroes.
5 Queen Azshara
A Fallen Idol
- First Appearance: War of the Ancients
Queen Azshara is one of the most important characters in the Warcraft universe. She is responsible for most of the problems that Kaldorei faced during the War of the Ancients. Her deal with the Legion led to the first mass-scale invasion of Azeroth and the eventual sundering of the world into four separate continents.
She sank deep underwater along with the Empire's capital city, but her story doesn’t end there. She met the old god named N’Zoth and made a deal with him, transforming her and many of the night elves loyal to her into Naga, an underwater snake-like creature that remained a threat throughout Warcraft history.
4 Maiev Shadowsong
A Restless Hunter
- First Appearance: Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos
Maiev is an elite Warden, and is one of the protagonists in the Frozen Throne expansion of Warcraft 3. She is the protagonist of the Night Elf campaign, and is hellbent on hunting Illidan Stormrage. This hunt leads her to commit some questionable acts, such as lying about Tyrande’s death and running after Illidan into Outland.
As her backstory was explored more, the players learned that she had bad blood with Illidan after he killed some of her people. This campaign ended when she helped kill Illidan in Outland, but after his resurrection in Legion, they had to work together when fighting against the demons of the Burning Legion.
3 Malfurion Stormrage
The Arch-Druid
- First Appearance: Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos
The iconic hero of the Kaldorei and the first known Druid on Azeroth, Malfurion Stormrage, was one of the legendary twins found in Val’Sharah and destined for greatness from birth. He was a figurehead in the War of the Ancients, who turned the tide and played a crucial part in saving the world.
Malfurion went into a long slumber until Tyrande woke him up in Warcraft 3, calling the old Druid into the fold. He devised the plan to defeat Archimonde. Throughout World of Warcraft, Malfurion continued to protect his people against threats such as the Horde and Ragnaros’s flame elementals. In Dragonflight, he returned to make a major sacrifice.
2 Illidan Stormrage
The Betrayer
- First Appearance: Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos
One of the most controversial and iconic characters in the Warcraft universe is undoubtedly Illidan Stormrage. His story spans multiple novels and game expansions. During the War of the Ancients, he joined the Legion to better understand them, which caused a fallout with Malfurion and Tyrande. After attempting to restore the well of eternity, Illidan was imprisoned for 10,000 years.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic - All Starting Zones, Ranked
With the fallout from World of Warcraft Classic: Cataclysm, several starting areas got upgrades, and two new areas were added to the game.
After being freed, Illidan followed his ultimate goal of destroying the Burning Legion no matter how many sacrifices that would entail, eventually becoming the first Demon Hunter. Despite his loss in the Outland, Illidan managed to survive and eventually returned in the Legion expansion to make one final sacrifice and stop Sargeras for good.
1 Tyrande Whisperwind
A Burdened Priestess
- First Appearance: Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos
Tyrande has experienced tragedy and trauma ever since she saw the tremendous losses her people suffered during the War of the Ancients. After playing a key part in defeating the Legion, Tyrande became the high priestess of Elune and led the Kaldorei for ten thousand years until her meeting with orcs and humans.
Tyrande was skeptical of all those who set foot on Kalimdor, but eventually let go of this prejudice so that the combined mortal forces could defeat the Legion. After that, Tyrande joined the Alliance and became the Kaldorei representative. She was reborn to prominence in the Battle for Azeroth expansion, where she mastered the dangerous power of the Night Warrior. In Dragonflight, Tyrande is finally able to find some peace.
World of Warcraft
- Released
- November 23, 2004
