What does every world need? People! If nobody lived there, it would be boring because nothing would ever happen. When it comes to fantasy, the sky’s the limit! These worlds such as Middle-Earth are filled with fantasy races. In fact, J.R.R. Tolkien set the standard for fantasy that is still inspiring people today to create their own unique worlds. That standard includes the various races.
Fantasy is home to wonderful and exotic species that come from their creator’s imagination. While they look different from humans in terms of physical appearance, they have the same flaws as humans do. These races also have the same emotions like humans.
The different races have their own outlook on the world. Some are nature-minded, wishing to preserve forests and the natural beauty while others are industrious, mining everywhere for gems and ores. Sometimes they work together, other times they work against each other. They’ve even gone to war with each other!
This article will look at what’s generally considered ‘good’ fantasy races, meaning those who stand against evil. While there’s a few individuals who serve the dark side, the majority of each species are willing to stop evil from prevailing. We start off with the most populous race, appearing in nearly every world: humans.
One of the ‘good’ fantasy races, humans play a central role in the drama of the world. In fact, they’re the ones who’ve suffered the most battling the servants of darkness. Despite their losses, they continue standing against evil, because they know what they stand to lose should darkness triumph. Their fantasy counterparts are identical to the ones found in the real world in physical appearance.
While both look the same, a major difference between the two is that humans in fantasy have shorter life spans compared to those of the real world. It’s because they didn’t have access to the technology we have, like hospitals and central air conditioning. Moreover, they had to actively hunt for food in all seasons, lest they go without food.
This species also suffered high mortality rates from diseases and war. Humans were susceptible to illnesses and used herbal remedies to cure them. However, for life-threatening illnesses, they had no chance for survival because the cure hadn’t been developed yet. For war, humans tended to clash, especially against each other, over territory. They also quarreled with other races for the same reason. In war, they use every weapon at their disposal, from bows to maces to swords.
But they were capable of great beauty. They created glorious civilizations like Numenor, which were filled with great works of art and splendid music. Musicians played their instruments on every street and statues of great figures stood in the plazas of the great cities. Elaborate paintings depicting people or landscapes hung in the walls of the castles.
These great civilizations wielded enormous power and used that power to stand firmly against evil. Though they would collapse due to humans’ desire to always want more, they posed a formidable threat to the dark powers and fought valiantly against them.
No other fantasy race have shaped the world as humans have. Despite their short lifespans, they achieved so much more than any other race. Memories of their great triumphs lie in the statues and other surviving great works seen all over the world.
What fantasy race appears in your mind when you think of Middle-Earth or any other world? Elves! They’re agile and deadly in combat due to their fighting prowess. They’re immortal, though they can perish in battle. They love nature, preferring to live in forests. It’s because Tolkien established the standard of the elf that’s been used for decades which continues to this day.
This fantasy race differs from humans in that they’re taller and have pointy ears. Their fair hair also goes long, running well past their shoulders, though they like to have their hair in intricate ponytails. They’re nimble, moving through lands without being detected.
Being nature-minded, elves call the great forests of the world home. Their homes take advantage of what forests offer, protection and building materials. A fusion of simplicity and beauty is used in designing their dwellings, with more elaborate ones reserved for their leaders.
Elves love art. While they create great statues of renowned figures, where they thrive is in gem crafting. They love bringing out the natural beauty in gems and their designs border on the elaborate. While they do simple designs, they prefer more detailed versions. They like to wear intricate jewels to showcase their wealth and influence.
Their immortality means elves are bound to the world. Unlike humans, who have a short lifespan and desire to leave behind a legacy, elves aren’t pressed for time to leave something for their heirs. They’re content to live their lives the way they want without the fear of dying a natural death.
War’s another story though. While they’re excellent fighters, this species is equally likely to die in battle as humans. Even though they dislike fighting, elves will stand against the forces of darkness if their home’s threatened. In war, they favor bows and arrows to attack from afar and use either daggers or swords in close combat.
The opposite of elves in every way, dwarves is one of the good fantasy races, willing to defy evil. Appearing in many worlds, dwarves are known for their great mining talents and fighting prowess. They’re small in stature, being as tall as the average human child. Their lifespan is longer than humans, being able to live for a few hundred years at most.
Across many worlds, dwarves share several physical characteristics. Firstly, they’re half the height as men. Secondly, they’re stocky and heavy from indulging in heavy meals. Thirdly, they have long beards. Fourthly, they can be smelly due to working long hours in the mines.
Dwarves and mines go hand-in-hand. They love to go deep in mountains with pickaxes and find veins brimming with gems and ores. Though they prefer to hoard their goods for themselves, they’re willing to part with them, for a high fee that is. They usually establish kingdoms in the mines.
Elves are elegant creatures and dwarves are anything but. They’re loud and obnoxious and love to get into fights. In combat, they prefer heavy weapons like battle-axes and maces to inflict massive damage on their foes. Here, their short stature benefits them for they’re harder to kill.
Dwarves love drinking. They get into contests over who can drink the most ale. Due to their high tolerance, such contests can go on for a while.
When it comes to longevity, this fantasy species is capable of living a few hundred years. While dwarves feel the desire to leave something for their heirs, they have more time to do so than humans.
Dwarves are fiercely loyal to their friends. When the need arises, they’ll come to their aid. And if their homes or friends are threatened, they’ll leap into the fray without a second thought. Against the darkness, they’re a stout ally, for they understand that evil winning means they’ll lose everything they cherish.
The last of the ‘good’ fantasy races, wizards play a pivotal part in the war against evil. Assuming leadership positions, they unite the various races against the rising darkness. While they’re renowned for their magic abilities, people associate them with tall, pointy hats and staffs.
In many works, wizards are another race, one that serves a deity, and assume a human form to carry out their deity’s will. In this form, they’re immune to disease, though they can catch a cold now and then. In some worlds like Middle-Earth, wizards are immortal and like elves, they can be killed in battle.
In other places like Harry Potter, they are humans and live as long as humans. This means they’re not immune to diseases. In most cases, they can use a spell or brew a potion to cure them of their ailment but there’s some situations where there’s nothing they can do. All they can do is delay the inevitable.
When people think of wizards, they think of tall, elderly men with pointy hats and a staff in their hand like Gandalf the Grey/White in Lord of the Rings. But in Harry Potter, wizards come in all shapes and sizes, from small children to the elderly.
Out of the four fantasy races, wizards live wherever they call home. Some reside in towers far removed from cities whereas others form their own communities and their decor reflects who they are at heart. Saruman’s abode in Isengard is filled with magical, advanced artifacts for studying and the Weasleys’ Burrow is full of household items from knives to beds to provide a warm, safe place for the family to live in.
Wizards are a stalwart ally in the war against evil. Due to their great knowledge, they assume leadership roles, working to turn the tide of war in their favor. They have a knack for choosing the right words to sway indecisive people into joining or bring two quarreling factions together. The different races of the world turn to them for advice and counsel.
In battle, wizards inspire morale in the ranks, telling them they’re fighting to create a better future for the world. They use their staffs to great effect, flinging fire and water against their enemies while healing their wounded allies.
Together, the four ‘good’ fantasy races have their own way of life, their own view of the world. While they bicker among themselves, they’re able to put aside their differences to stop evil.
The differences between the fantasy races help make a story interesting because the audience, alongside with the protagonist, has to navigate the politics of each race, which has its own agenda and schemes.
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