Invisible Tolkienism
The Tolkien influence over High Elves is no reason to not make them playable
Another common argument against playable high elves is that, since they conform to classic Tolkien fantasy, they do not belong anymore to the Warcraft setting, which has been evolving away from classic fantasy ever since Warcraft III. To make high elves playable would be giving importance to an unoriginal idea that should have been excised long ago.
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True, it’s undeniable that Warcraft II and its elven archers (called “high elves” only in later games) were heavily influenced by Tolkien’s Middle Earth mythos. It’s also true that the Warcraft setting has always tried to revamp, renew or twist classic ideas. It brought innovation with gun-wielding dwarves, magic-addicted elves, and nocturnal druidic purple elves.
However, what the argument can’t (or don’t want to) acknowledge is that the Warcraft high elves have moved away from their classic roots just as well.
In Tolkien’s works, the elves are the firstborn of the gods, the wisest and fairest of the race of Arda, children of the very creator of the world. In essence, Tolkien’s elves are the highest, most evolved, and gifted race.
In Warcraft, however, the high elves are the opposite of all that. They are a fallen race. They lost their home and were broken by arrogance and inner turmoil. Their flaws brought them ruin, and their survival was only possible because of their few redeeming merits: loyalty to their allies and firm adherence to their values, which helped them overcome their crippling addition.
In essence, Warcraft deconstructed the Tolkienian elves. They were stripped them of everything that made them blessed and untarnished. As a playable race, they would be ready to evolve into their own thing. They’d be able to rise from the ashes of their failures and reenter, reinvigorated and renewed, the World of Warcraft.
