halfElf

Half-elves are a fictional humanoid race resulting from the union of humans and elves in many fantasy settings. The concept is attested in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, where children of humans and elves are called half-elven (peredhil) and may choose mortality or immortality. In contemporary fantasy and role-playing games, half-elves are a common playable race.

Appearance and abilities: They typically inherit a mix of human and elven features—taller than humans, slender build, pointed ears, keen senses; their lifespans are longer than humans but shorter than elves. They are often portrayed as adaptable, skilled in social interaction, multilingualism, and versatile in various careers such as diplomacy, scholarship, or adventuring. In some settings they face prejudice from both sides.

In popular culture, half-elves appear across fantasy literature, role-playing games, and video games. Notable examples include Tolkien's Elrond and Elros as half-elves and the widespread use of half-elves as a player race in Dungeons & Dragons and other games. The exact rules and traits vary by setting and edition, but the core idea remains a character straddling two ancestral heritages, often seeking belonging or purpose beyond human and elven worlds.