My opinion of most of the Elfquest characters
As a sort of addition to my pages devoted to people's favourite and least favourite elves, I thought it might be interesting to give my opinion of all the Elfquest characters, and not just my absolute (least) favourites. Maybe no one is interested, but I generally follow the saying 'do unto others what you would have them do unto you,' and as I am always interested in the thoughts of other people on the elves, I'll provide mine for the general public to read.
I have attempted to put all the elves in order of favouriteness, though in some cases the difference might be slight to none. I'll say in advance that my opinion is for a large part based on appearances; I'm shallow like that. Hopefully I can redeem myself by adding that I do take note of their character as well.
A last remark: some characters, such as Pool and Sust, are not mentioned here, since I simply do not know enough of them yet. I hope somebody will take the time to read this, and I am always interested in reactions. My e-mail address is at the bottom of this page.
Strongbow
The Elf of Elves, the sun and the moons... Avaunt, all ye unfaithful! I worship the ground on which he walks. But seriously, I adore Strongbow. He's good-looking beyond compare, I love the way he never speaks but only sends, the way he stands for something he believes in
and won't give in; I love his devotion to Moonshade and the fact that he's proud, but not too proud to admit that he was wrong. Apart from that, he manages to look good even with face-fur, though admittedly not nearly as handsome as without. Ah, if only I could be Moonshade...
Summary: I'm in love
Kahvi
Quite a controversial elf, as I understand. As with Rayek, there are people who could drink her blood and others who love her to bits. Although I'll admit she has a lot of character faults, I belong to the latter group: I love Kahvi. Ok, for a large part this is because she has the coolest hairstyle ever, but I admire her dedication to her tribe and her willingness to do anything she thinks is necessary for their benefit. Yes, she has a ruthless personality; yes, she can be a bitch, but I suppose that in a way this is necessary if you want to survive in a harsh climate when you have a tribe to rule. I just can't help liking her.
Summary: bitchy, but very cool
Clearbrook
If I could choose the looks of any elf, I'd probably go for Clearbrook. Either her or Kahvi. I've always had this thing for hair, so Clearbrook's is the ultimate. Apart from that, I just love the way she is. She's calm, wise, devoted... And even with her hair cut off she still looked cool. I'm not too fond of her having hooked up with Treestump, since he isn't really one of my favourites, but it was understandable. She's definitely an elf worth having around when you're in trouble.
Summary: the ultimate in wisdom
Ember
I love Ember, she's wonderful. A delightful child with a true Wolfrider personality who loves to be in the thick of things and is understandably angry when she's not allowed to. A beautiful woman when she grows up with a hair colour that every redhead should be blessed with, and again understandable struggles to gain a reputation of her own rather than simply being Cutter's daughter. It seems to come with chieftainship: trying to avoid comparison with your predecessor. Cutter should know what it's like...
Summary: absolutely lovely
Shale
Now there's what I call a cute elf. If Skywise does to other people what Shale does to me, I think I can understand the attraction, but to me Skywise pales in Shale's light. Such a caring lad too, taking care of Eyes High as best as he could even though he wasn't even sure she'd let him be near at the birth. What a loss.
Summary: cute!
Teir
A very interesting elf. Dark, attractive looks, cool hairdo, mysterious past... That in itself would be enough to like him, but he's got a cool personality too. He truly loves Ember (always a good thing) and wouldn't abandon her even if it costs him his place in the pack. Good qualities I'd say.
Summary: nice and mysterious
Moonshade
Ah, Moonshade...the luckiest elf alive... Many have been the times when I wished I was her. Not just because of Strongbow, honest, I like her for herself too. Really. She has dark hair (a definite bonus), she has beautiful violet eyes... Personality-wise she's cool too. She'll never let Strongbow down, but doesn't do it in the way of someone with no opinion of her own. She simply feels it's what she needs to do: be with her lifemate at all times, even if she knows that he is wrong. A great woman indeed.
Summary: devoted to the end
Mender
Such a surprise to come from gentle Woodlock and Rainsong! A pleasant surprise, I must say, they've generated one true Wolfrider at least. I like his quick temper, it's a nice contrast with his healing ability, and he's rather fit for a blond bloke too. I like the curls.
Summary: yummy!
Nightfall
A beautiful name, a beautiful elf. Nightfall is everything you could want to be: she's a skillful hunter, she's good-looking, she has a devoted lifemate and she knows who she is and what she stands for. She's there for her friends and you can always count on her. The only downside I can mention is that I've never really liked her outfits, but that obviously is a very minor thing.
Summary: both huntress and woman to the core
Cutter
I suppose I started off like most adolescents who start reading Elfquest: Cutter was the hero and I never really questioned that. Okay, he's blond and I never was very fond of blond guys, but he's pretty good-looking for a blond guy, something which I still think, though I don't like him as much as I did before. Something I initially never really noticed is that Cutter is a bit too serious. This may sound silly from someone whose absolute favourite is Strongbow, but for some reason I don't mind it from him. It's also not that I don't understand why Cutter is this serious; I mean, having the responsibility of an entire tribe thrown upon you at age seventeen is enough to make anyone serious, but especially after he had to do without Leetah for so long there's no smile to be got from him anymore at all. Shame. I will say that his face-fur looks amazing though. It suits him very well.
Summary: too serious these days
Vaya
Didn't make a very long appearance, but I definitely liked her from what I saw. She must have had a very hard time with a mother like Kahvi, but she managed to develop enough spirit to dare to oppose her mother rather than just going along with anything she said. A good girl, and her death was definitely a loss to the Go-Backs.
Summary: very brave
Dart
Dart used to be a cute kid; bit of a copy of his father maybe, but seeing as that's Strongbow this can't possibly be bad. I also admire him for taking the decision to stay in Sorrow's End, as it can't be easy to oppose a father like that, but what on earth did he do to his hair? He looks like a thistle allright! Apart from the dubious hairdo he's nice though, he at least stayed a Wolfrider in spite of remaining in Sorrow's End, and he's brave enough to go and help his tribe when they might need him. I don't much like his sullen side, but hopefully it'll get better with him returning to the woods.
Summary: nice, but lose the hairdo.
Trinket
She's so cute when she's crying! A little spoilt brat, of course, but in that sense obviously a good troll, and she's just too cute to dislike.
Summary: another cutie!
Picknose
Picknose is cool. He has the best fashion item in the entire series, i.e. the little red bow at the tip of his beard. The first time I
noticed it, I thought it was the most charming thing I'd seen so far. Apart from that he has a cool personality, for a troll of course. He's honest in his greed, sincerely devoted to Oddbit and rather intelligent too. For a troll, that is.
Summary: very cool for a troll
Joyleaf
I always thought that Joyleaf was one of the main reasons why Bearclaw's chieftainship amounted to something, and reading Wolfrider! has confirmed this suspicion. She was wise, beautiful (though too blond for me to want to look like her), yet independent and cheerful, despite her lifemate's shortcomings, and she didn't let him walk all over her either. All in all a likeable elf.
Summary: Bearclaw was lucky to have her
Krim
A tough, no-nonsense, cool chick. Kahvi should be proud of her, even though she chose to leave the Go-Backs and join the Wolfriders. She may not really think things through before doing them, but she wouldn't be a Go-Back if she did. I like Krim.
Summary: a true Go-Back
One-Eye
First of all, I like One-Eye better as Clearbrook's lifemate than Treestump. I quite liked the way he looked, the tassled hood gave him a certain flair. In my opinion it's quite a shame that he died, I rather liked him. He was uncomplicated, knew what he liked, what to do, that sorta thing.
Summary: nice and uncomplicated
Tyleet
A wonderful addition to the Wolfrider tribe. She's beautiful, has a very sweet personality and is very likeable (although the polls seem to suggest differently). I like her compassion too, the way she will risk anything to help someone. Lovely girl.
Summary: very sweet
Shenshen
Lovely girl, nice bubbly personality, seems to be happy almost all the time but not in an empty-headed sense. At least not after she came to live with the Wolfriders. I can understand that she always felt herself to be in the shade of Leetah, but I think that I myself like Shenshen above her sister. She has such a wonderful name too, I really like the sound of Shenshen.
Summary: cheerful and nice
Leetah
Another one of those difficult ones. Like Dewshine (see below), I didn't really like her at first, but this time because of her personality. I thought she was a softie, someone who starts whimpering after accidentally swatting a fly. I thought she was arrogant too,
thinking herself so much better and especially more civilised than the Wolfriders. Again though, my opinion has changed somewhat. She'll never be one of my favourites, but she does have courage and will do what she thinks she needs to do when necessary. Plus, she'll help anyone who is in need of healing, regardless. Compassion can't possibly be a bad thing. Oh, and she's most definitely beautiful.
Summary: compassionate, but too soft
Redlance
I used to really like Redlance. I liked the colour of his hair, the way he wore it with the cute braids at the front, his calm personality, his devotion to Nightfall... All was well until he turned into a garden gnome. My apologies to people with face-fur, but I do not like it. Apart from that he's not had much attention focused upon him lately. There's no trees being threatened, no children to be guarded... The overall sentiment is that I liked him as a young elf, but he's just a non-event these days.
Summary: garden gnome
Pike
I didn't really have much of an opinion on Pike until I read Dreamtime. Pike was just one of those elves who were there and
nothing more, though I felt for him when he was mourning Vaya. Dreamtime has given me a new appreciation of him though, I like the way he behaved all through that storyline. I don't even mind his garden-gnome beard too much, I never really thought of him as attractive anyway, so it doesn't spoil his looks. Yeah, Pike is quite cool.
Summary: a late bloomer
Timmain
Weird person. Hard to fathom, which I suppose is no more than understandable concerning someone who's probably several million years old and has spent the last handful of millennia as a wolf. She's beautiful in a weird way too. A bit too thin, probably, but at least she doesn't wear her hair in a bun like Aroree. Which would be a real shame of such amazingly long hair anyway, of course. Interesting person, just a bit 'not there' most of the time.
Summary: out with the fairies
Venka
Nice girl, but a bit too dispassionate for me to really like her. I admire the way she developed into who she is now though, the way she's completely at ease with who she is and where she came from. Still, of Kahvi's daughters my favourite is Vaya, not Venka.
Summary: too dispassionate
Ekuar
I wonder if it's possible not to like Ekuar. He has this calmness around him, ready to like everyone despite what they did to him and with a certain childish charm that just makes you like him back. I wouldn't say he's one of my favourites, but I definitely like him.
Summary: what a sweetie!
Scouter
A difficult one, of whom I don't have a very fixed opinion. Let me start with the fact that I thing he looks quite cute, I like the dark hair and eyes. I suppose I initially wasn't too fond of him because of his association with Dewshine, but that feeling has left together with my dislike of Dewshine. I don't think I can say more than that my feelings are indifferent, leaning towards liking him, although he shows a bit too much of an irrational temper at times. I'm glad that his face-fur has stuck to sideburns, by the way, sideburns are quite cool.
Summary: nice, though too much of a temper
Dewshine
Dewshine is an odd case for me. I started off not liking her at all, which might be because in looks she reminded me too much of myself in a time when I was not at all happy with the way I looked. Recently I've adjusted my view though; when objectively looking at her, I can't help but admire her for her guts, which it takes a lot of to face Winnowill when you know she can use your soul name against you. She's also got a happy personality and a really cool dress (the one she's wearing
when the Wolfriders take out Madcoil) which I still want a copy of. In spite of all this though, I still can't bring myself to really like her. Must still be the looks. (I told you I was shallow!)
Summary: brave and spunky
Skot
As with Pike, I never had much of an opinion on Skot until I read Dreamtime. Skot was there, I liked nor disliked him, but the
scene in Dreamtime where he shows throat to Cutter is definitely one of the funniest I've seen in the entire Elfquest series. It put
Skot on my liking-list. Shame that he died I guess.
Summary: great at showing throat
Zhantee
A nice bloke, but a bit annoying sometimes in his adoration for Leetah and a bit of a softie too. Still, he adores Leetah in quite a
charming way and is not afraid to admit that he loves her like none else. Or to admit any of his feelings, for that matter.
Summary: nice, but a tad annoying
Rayek
Strangely enough I don't have much of an opinion on Rayek. Sure, I disliked him throughout the original quest for his airs, his arrogance and his contempt for the Wolfriders, but it hasn't made me start hating his guts, and the overall feeling has remained mainly indifferent. He did some bad things, but he did what he believed in, and I can sympathise with him, though not to an extent that I can really like him. My feelings are just neutral. This counts for his looks too; even though I generally fall for dark-haired people, Rayek doesn't do it for me for some reason. I suppose his hair is too long and too straight, I like a bit of spring in it, like Strongbow has.
Summary: doesn't do it for me
Old Maggotty
I like the way in which this shrewd old woman is secretly in charge. A troll, but apart from that a valuable ally. Yeah, I like Old Magotty.
Summary: the power behind the scenes
Oddbit
Now there's a woman who knows where to get her gains. Always on the side of the money, and in that sense obviously a model troll maiden. Good comic relief.
Summary: materialistic as only a troll can be
Bearclaw
Now there's an interesting character. I'm not really sure I like him, but he's definitely interesting. He was a difficult chief, hot-tempered, stubborn to the extreme and a bit too easy on the smacking-someone-around-the-head side, and my view on that has only become stronger since reading Wolfrider! My opinion is that he maybe wasn't really suited to being a chief because he had a tendency to ignore his responsibilities. Joyleaf is probably the only reason that the Wolfriders are still alive 'today' and not slaughtered by the humans. So yes, I don't think I actually like him, but a colourful personality nonetheless.
Summary: interesting but irresponsible
Winnowill
A truly classy villain, though a bit two-dimensional nowadays. The most amazing hair ever, though in Blue Mountain she spoilt it with that stupid feather headpiece. I think she's very interesting; the way she became what she is now, her motives, her thoughts... Just like Bearclaw I can't really classify her into like or dislike, she's just amazingly interesting.
Summary: the ultimate villain
Suntop
The least appealing member of the Cutter family. He has interesting powers, sure, but, like Savah, he's a bit too timid. I won't say that I don't like him, but I'm not particularly fond of him either.
Summary: not enough of a personality
Savah
Savah is another difficult one. I don't think I really like her, but it's hard to put my finger on why that is. Maybe she's a bit too timid for my liking, there's no anger in Savah. I know it's not necessary to become angry about everything, but even when Winnowill threatens to capture the spirits of Suntop and her again she doesn't become angry. It doesn't seem natural to me.
Summary: too timid
Treestump
If I went on looks alone, I wouldn't like Treestump, as he's a stocky, blond garden gnome. As for personality he's ok though, but I think I'll never really get used to his relationship with Clearbrook. Treestump is just another of those elves that are just there, and Clearbrook should have someone as amazing as herself to match her. Ok, maybe One-Eye didn't live up to that either, but I prefer him over Treestump.
Summary: the original garden gnome
Lord Voll
Now what can you possibly say about Lord Voll? I feel sorry for him, really, having effectively locked himself up for so long and becoming apathetic. I guess he's actually better off dead...
Summary: Mr Apathy
Windkin
Can't say much of Windkin, as the most I've seen of him was when he was still a cub. He seems a bit arrogant and inconsiderate though. For now all that I can really say is that I don't like his name.
Summary: change the name please
Tyldak
Umm, now what do you say about Tyldak? Looks hideous, personality could be better... Don't have much of an opinion on him though. At least he did his best in trying to keep Kahvi in check.
Summary: ugly
Wing
A non-personality if ever there was one. Wing doesn't say anything to me, he's just another of those unimposing Sun Villagers, even though he was born a Wolfrider.
Summary: who?
Ahdri
When I first started reading Elfquest I didn't feel much for the Sun Villagers. Next to the exciting and interesting Wolfriders they were placid, uninteresting people, and to be honest, not much has happened to change that opinion. Ahdri falls into that category: an uninteresting girl whose sole purpose in life seemed to be the serving of Savah. She didn't really have a personality to me, she was just an overprotective serving girl. She might have changed after gaining her rock-shaping ability, but I haven't really noticed it. My attitude towards Ahdri is indifferent; I can't say I like her and I don't care enough to hate her. Please note that because of this, her position in this list is a bit arbitrary. I don't care enough to position her anywhere.
Summary: boring
Rainsong
I've always felt a bit of contempt for Rainsong. I suppose if you're a mother devoted solely to your children, you will want to stay in a place where they are sure to be safe, but I just don't like the way she turned into a Sun Villager as if she'd never been a Wolfrider. Never liked the weird hats she wore either.
Summary: too maternal and soft
Woodlock
Another one of those traitors to the Wolfrider way. I suppose it's just me, but I simply can't understand that someone will give up that life for a place like Sorrow's End, which seems terminally boring to me.
Summary: traitor
Eyes High
I suppose it's a bit difficult to say much about Eyes High, as there's only one episode to base your opinion on, but I'll say this much: she sat alone up a tree, thereby endangering both herself, her lifemate and her child, just because she wanted her child to be born close to the sky. She must have known it was dangerous; more elves had been killed by the humans recently, yet she chose to leave the relative safety of the Holt. I also don't think it's very nice to let Shale wait so long before finally allowing him to be present at the birth; that should be an undisputed right for him. She was a loner allright, in my opinion in rather a selfish way, although she did avoid getting the tribe involved after she was caught, and managed to get Skywise to safety.
Summary: selfish and irresponsible
Kureel
More evil than Winnowill, in my opinion. At least Winnowill had the excuse of being mad. Kureel is one of those people who go 'but I was only obeying orders' when charged with something. Either that or he's one of those people who enjoy executing the cruelties they're ordered to perform. Despicable being, and ugly too.
Summary: scum of the highest order
Newstar
I don't like Newstar. She was born a Wolfrider, but never seemed to want to bother to live up to that. By the looks of it, she never had a wolf-friend either, as she's riding a zwoot when she accompanies Dart and his Jack-wolfriders. At the time she also has the stupidest hairdo I've ever seen, and to top it all off she has a tumble with Skywise, of all people! No, I don't like Newstar.
Summary: ditzy blonde
Aroree
Poor Aroree... Used to be at the top of my least favourites, though she has recently been overtaken by Skywise. Still, I really don't like her. She looks like the elf version of Kate Moss (i.e. a broomstick in clothes) with a hairstyle that I traditionally associate with grandmothers: no, I don't like buns. I don't like what she wears either. Apart from her appearance I don't like her personality. The first thing she does when meeting the Wolfriders is flocking to Skywise. Ok, maybe she just has an uncanny talent for locating any unattached males in a group of people, but still: I just don't like Skywise either. Then she attaches herself to him so much that she can hardly do anything without him anymore. I'll admit that I have never been under Winnowill's influence, but she really gets on my nerves with her whining. The only positive thing I can say about her is that she seems to have gained a bit more personality during her stay with the Wolfriders.
Summary: what a whinger
Skywise
I never was particularly fond of Skywise, but recently that indifference has developed into active dislike. As I mentioned before,
I've never understood his appeal, and his attitude is getting to me as well. He's fickle, won't commit and would surely even avoid Recognition if he could, only because he doesn't want to be tied to one person. He carelessly had his wolf-blood removed (yes I know that he'd been having doubts about not being able to choose his time of death for a long while, but surely he could have thought it over more) and then starts complaining about his senses not being as sharp anymore and no one letting him do anything. And I won't even start about his attraction to someone like Aroree. I hope he Recognizes someone, that should teach him.
Summary: empty-headed and fickle
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