If you’re a fan of fantasy films, chances are, you’ve seen your fair share of elves. In fantasy films such as Lord of the Rings or The Dark Crystal, elves are depicted as good, magical beings who are tall, slender, and have pointed ears and long flowing hair. In Christmas films such as The Polar Express or Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, elves are shorter than humans and enjoy working and making toys.
However, not every elf is good, as there are darker elves like the ones who help Krampus inflict punishment on naughty children on Christmas, or the demonic titular characters in Elves from 1989 or the newer Danish series on Netflix. This is actually more in line with traditional Germanic folklore that depicts elves as tiny mischievous creatures who spread diseases or steal human infants and replace them with changelings, which are weak or grotesquely deformed elf or fairy children, something depicted in the recent horror movie You Are Not My Mother.
Today, when we think of elves, we often think of Santa’s helpers. We don’t typically think of evil creatures wishing to do us harm. That’s because elves have become stereotyped to fit our overly commercialized Christmas. Besides their holly jolliness, elves actually have a pretty wide representation in film, though. Whether holly and jolly or creatures of fantasy, these are the best elves in movies.
6 Ian and Barley in Onward
Disney Pixar is known for making family-friendly animated adventure films, and Onward is no exception. Teenage elf Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) never got to meet his father who died shortly before he was born. On his 16th birthday, his mother gifts him and his older brother, Barley (Chris Pratt) a magical staff, a rare Phoenix gem, and a letter describing a “visitation spell” that can be used to bring back his father from the dead for a single day.
Ian attempts the spell but is unable to complete it, thus resulting in only the lower half of his father resurrecting. Now, the brothers have just 24 hours to find another gem before all hope of ever seeing their father again fades. Overall, Onward explores the relationship between the two brothers when Ian discovers just how much his older brother means to him.
5 Buddy the Elf in Elf
"Buddy the Elf what’s your favorite color?" This list just wouldn’t be complete without everybody’s favorite Christmas elf, Buddy (Will Ferrell). After accidentally crawling into Santa’s sleigh as a baby, Buddy is discovered back at Santa’s workshop and is raised among the elves, spending his entire childhood thinking he is an elf. After discovering that he is actually human, Buddy travels to New York City to meet his real father, and shenanigans soon ensue in the modern Christmas classic Elf.
Christmas elves are supposed to be giddy and excited, and Buddy the Elf takes the cake on both accounts. Besides being a funny film and one people's favorite Will Ferrell movies, Elf also has all those feel-good, warm, and fuzzy vibes that Christmas movies are supposed to have. "SANTA! I KNOW HIM."
4 Jen and Kira in The Dark Crystal
Jim Henson’s puppet masterpiece The Dark Crystal follows the story of Jen (Stephen Garlick) and Kira (Lisa Maxwell) as they try to save their world from the evil Skeksis. They journey takes them on an epic quest to return a lost crystal shard to the dark crystal with the hopes of restoring balance to the universe. Both Jen and Kira are Gelflings, an elf-like being unique to their planet of Thra. Their breed often celebrates with music and dancing as they love to be happy and create joy. In addition, Kira varies from typical elves as she has wings and can float in the wind.
3 Hermey in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
"Hermey doesn’t like to make toys." As this list is all about elves, it’s only natural that several Christmas films would make the cut. We can’t forget about everyone’s favorite reindeer Rudolph, and his best friend sidekick, Hermey the Elf; both misfits, both unique in their own special way. After being kicked out of reindeer training in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rudolph leaves disgraced, without a friend in the world until he meets the fun and lovable, Hermey, who aspires to be a dentist despite being a Christmas elf.
The pair soon form a strong friendship and help each other realize that their own uniqueness is what makes them special, resulting in one of the best Christmas movies for families. Rudolph goes on to lead Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve and Hermey pursues his passion for teeth, proving that elves and reindeer can do anything they set their minds to. "Well, sir, someday, I’d like to be a... a dentist."
2 Dobby in the Harry Potter Series
In J.R.R. Tolkien’s world of Middle Earth, elves are fashionable, clean, and always well-groomed with flawless hair, even right after a battle. However, in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, elves couldn’t be more opposite. Meet Dobby (who makes his first appearance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), a small, shabby elf who wears barely a stitch of clothing. Not only that but the shirt, dress, or whatever it is barely covers his entire body. That’s because Dobby is a house-elf and is enslaved to work for a family until he is set free by being gifted with an article of clothing. While Dobby doesn’t always have the best plans, he does have a kind heart and good intentions, especially when it comes to protecting Harry from danger.
1 The Elves in The Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit
The world of J.R.R. Tolkien is heavily populated with a wide variety of magical creatures such as hobbits, dwarfs, orcs, and elves. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films are combined for this entry, as both trilogies contain their share of elves and even some overlaps, such as Legolas, Galadriel, and Elrond. The elves play a big part in both stories. In The Lord of the Rings, Legolas is a prominent elf who fights in several key battles alongside his companions, Aragorn and Gimli. In addition, we can’t forget about Arwen Undómiel who saves Frodo Baggins’s life.
Likewise, her father Elrond plays an important role in both trilogies, as he helps to establish the Fellowship of the Ring and shelters Thorin Oakenshield and his dwarves in The Hobbit films. While not in J.R.R. Tolkien’s original book, Tauriel was created by director Peter Jackson to expand the elves of Mirkwood Forest and to add another female character to a mostly male cast.