Why are blood elves so popular?

[Mortis-arathor (Mortis)]

@Cashcollecta-emerald-dream

So here is what I don’t quite get.

To put it simply: They are very pretty people.

Humans are nowhere near as pretty.

Void Elves are close, but the Void deteriorated them a bit. For instance, most Female Void Elf hairstyles give them a receding hairline similar to DBZ’s Vegeta.

[Hoofhearted-ursin]

@Xinove-turalyon

The Zandalari just looks so much better in plate than any other race in the game.

I respectfully disagree, Although they have the best mount in the game, I need to wear shoes…

[Lannisterian-tichondrius]

@Hoofhearted-ursin

@Lannisterian-tichondrius

Blood Elves are High Elves and on topic with this thread that theme is another reason why they appeal to people.

It’s silly to expect the entire race to join forces with races of the Horde that they’ve been fighting for generations, regardless of what lore I’ve forgotten.

What does this even mean?

I pointed out Blood Elves are High Elves and have that thematic as to why they are popular in response to

@Hoofhearted-ursin

Blizz didn’t want to cave in to the demand for High Elves

[Dalfurane-frostmourne (Dalfurane)]

@Hoofhearted-ursin

It’s silly to expect the entire race to join forces with races of the Horde that they’ve been fighting for generations, regardless of what lore I’ve forgotten.

The lore was basically:

1. Garithos.

2. “You’re sayin’ we gotta join up with these fractions of our former enemies who butchered us openly and blindly trust them because they don’t care about our addiction to the Sunwell? Sign me up!”

[Drygo-garona (Drygo)]

I can only give you my personal perspective. I never liked any of the race models in Vanilla/Classic because I’m kinda vain and want my characters to look hot. And, to me, “hot” is not huge and muscular like WoW humans. So, all through Vanilla, I basically just played gnomes because I thought…well, if I can’t be hot, I’m gonna at least be cute.

Then Blood Elves came in TBC and I’m like…FINALLY. So, I’ve mained Blood Elves ever since. As far as Void Elves go, my guess is simply that they were added in much later, and in an era of lots of allied races. They don’t have the historical weight of people playing Blood Elves for 14 years. There’s simply less of a reason to choose Void Elf if you’ve been playing for a long time and already have well established characters or want something different.

[Hoofhearted-ursin]

@Lannisterian-tichondrius

What does this even mean?

I honestly don’t remember why they joined the Horde, something about a mana addiction. But I was under the impression that there were quite a few high elves that were helping the humans out in various roles, etc. Seems dumb that the lot of them holed up in a corner of the continent feeding a mana addiction.

You can’t tell me there are more elves willing to risk complete madness of the void than high elves groups that wanted no part of the horde or a mana addiction.

Again, I haven’t read much on the Lore… I generally side with the dwarves!

[Chroesire-bleeding-hollow (Chroesire)]

Elves are basically the “Goldilocks zone” of fantasy races. Familiar enough to not put anybody off but also different enough to add some intrigue. They’re also idealized humans in a lot of ways, and we all know how attracted we are to idealization.

As for elves other than belves:

• Nightborne aren’t popular because their models stink
• Void elves aren’t as popular because up until recently, they were permanent impossible-to-transmog-for blueberries, and even now their hair colors are severely restricted
• Night elves have a less intense version of the old Velf blueberry problem, plus their male models are a bit goofy

[Hoofhearted-ursin]

@Chroesire-bleeding-hollow

Elves are basically the “Goldilocks zone” of fantasy races.

True, I’ve known a couple people who didn’t care for the Tolkien/D&D universes, but like the “prettiness” of the elves.

[Dalfurane-frostmourne (Dalfurane)]

@Chroesire-bleeding-hollow

They’re also idealized humans in a lot of ways, and we all know how attracted we are to idealization.

It’s basically looks. Plain and simple.

How many people would have chosen Kul’Tiran like “huge” elves with pointy ears?

[Skaniev-wyrmrest-accord]

“Warlord whose forces, outnumbering you roughly 8 to 1, decided to slaughter nearly a fifth of the entire surviving population of your country” is a pretty good reason to not trust humans.

Or are you implying you believe in human potential enough that he did it singlehandedly?

Also while I hate the current faction setup, the BC-era horde was different.

[Mortis-arathor (Mortis)]

@Hoofhearted-ursin

It’s silly to expect the entire race to join forces with races of the Horde that they’ve been fighting for generations, regardless of what lore I’ve forgotten.

1 - They are Elves. They are a long lived race. The Horde hasn’t even existed for the length of one generation of Elves.

2 - The Blood Elves joined the Horde because in their biggest moment of need, Sylvanas sent them help while the Alliance sent spies.

3 - This sort of thing happens IRL all the time. A few decades ago the US and Japan were bitter enemies, now they are close allies. The whole “yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend” thing happens more often than most people realize.

[Chroesire-bleeding-hollow (Chroesire)]

@Dalfurane-frostmourne

How many people would have chosen Kul’Tiran like “huge” elves with pointy ears

Walrus elves

[Elynnthiel-stormrage]

Also easier to get a decent mog with them. I’d play undead more but the posture issues are a turn off. It makes mogs look goofy amongst other things.

[Lannisterian-tichondrius]

@Hoofhearted-ursin

But I was under the impression that there were quite a few high elves that were helping the humans out in various roles

@Hoofhearted-ursin

You can’t tell me there are more elves willing to risk complete madness of the void than high elves groups that wanted no part of the horde or a mana addiction.

A High Elf on the Alliance is supposed to be a rare site so I guess that is what Blizzard is telling you.

It still doesn’t change the fact that Blood Elves are High Elves, and have since had a redemption story.

@Softsong-wyrmrest-accord

many High elves who were stranded in Outland joined the Blood elves among the Scryers, many other blue eyed blood elf npcs were present before the Sunwell was ever restored. There’s many examples of them in game.

@Softsong-wyrmrest-accord

Blood elf is the base/standard Thalssian elf template, your history as a High elf, or a Blood elf is entirely up to the player.

@Softsong-wyrmrest-accord

A blood elf could literally be anyone, as there’s no real association between them and the fel besides eye color, which is now a togglable option.

And like Softsong pointed out player BEs have player agency for their characters thanks to Blizzard, so even beyond recognizing Blood Elves are High Elves there is now room to believe formerly neutral HEs are returning to Quel’thalas too.

That rich story +player agency is to answer OPs question a reason why they are so popular, and to touch on what you said

@Hoofhearted-ursin

Blizz didn’t want to cave in to the demand for High Elves,

Players already have the option to be those High Elves.

[Dalfurane-frostmourne (Dalfurane)]

@Skaniev-wyrmrest-accord

“Warlord whose forces, outnumbering you roughly 8 to 1, decided to slaughter nearly a fifth of the entire surviving population of your country” is a pretty good reason to not trust humans.

Or are you implying you believe in human potential enough that he did it singlehandedly?

Also while I hate the current faction setup, the BC-era horde was different.

Garithos was the defacto leader of the surviving forces and he was the one who gave orders to send the Blood Elves into stupid situations (because of his hatred of how the Blood Elves didn’t send help when his village was massacred during a time where Humans and Elves had a formal alliance).

So yeah…Human potential. Humans are stupid like that randomly carrying out orders

[Chroesire-bleeding-hollow (Chroesire)]

@Hoofhearted-ursin

But I was under the impression that there were quite a few high elves that were helping the humans out in various roles, etc.

Prior to the mana bombing, well over half of the Alliance aligned population of Theramore + Dustwallow was high elven. Just use Zidormi and take a stroll around that area to see what I mean.

Dunno how that translates to lore but they were certainly represented in-game.

[Skaniev-wyrmrest-accord]

His troops were following orders you say?

[Klowdywilde-area-52 (Klowdywilde)]

I don’t think we’re having the same conversation. That seemed like it was meant for someone else maybe?

[Trissaleaf-moon-guard]

I like Orcs and Undead the best, followed up by Tauren. For me, they were always the true face of the Horde when I first started playing. I’d love to see lots more Orcs, Undead, and Tauren around. I would like Orcs and Undead to have the ability to be pally though, which I’m aware isn’t Lore friendly

[Magnificent-wyrmrest-accord]

@Hoofhearted-ursin

Again, I haven’t read much on the Lore

However, a few high elves did not rename themselves blood elves. High elves and blood elves are physiologically the same race, and the difference between high and blood elves is only political.[10] …high elf remnants have chosen to rejoin the Alliance in recent years, arriving to a cold reception.[2] Modern high elves are a rare sight, and are commonly mistaken for blood elves.[[12]]In consequence, there are very few high elves left on Azeroth today. High elves did not gather in any significant numbers and are a very small group of individuals

so theres barely any around and they always get mistaken for blood elves. as well as the game director as recently as 2018 saying the same thing again which syncs with the lore: “theres only a couple and that they arent out there like the void elves are, if you want to be a high elf that IS a blood elf and the horde is waiting for you”