List of species in fantasy fiction
Fantasy fiction tends to draw upon a common set of creatures that are easily recognizable to fans of the fantastic genre and have some pre-determined traits. Most are based on mythology, legends, fairy tales, or classical literature. (For such species, see List of species in folklore and mythology.) Fantasy writers and authors have also created a number of monsters and races unique to their particular tales and worlds. Some of these monsters have become quite popular even among those not familiar with the writer's actual body of work, and in a few cases their popularity has spread to other media and genres.
Many fantasy worlds' humanoid species are referred to as "races". In particular, in role-playing games, "race" often refers to a species that can be played as a player character. In general, such races are humanoids of size, strength and intellect approximate to that of a human. Species available only to non-player characters are often called monsters, regardless of the actual nature of the species in question. The Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual is the most prominent RPG monster reference; many other games have similar rulebooks.
This list only includes fictional species from works of fantasy fiction. This list does not include fantasy stories' names for species more properly included in other lists, such as Atani (Humans of Middle-earth) or Melnibonéans (Elves of Michael Moorcock's Elric cycle), nor does it include fictional races of humanity unless they are physiologically different enough to merit separate consideration. For otherworldly species from science fiction and cross-genre fantasy/science fiction works, see list of aliens in fiction. For non-fictional species, see Category:Tree of life. For purported species such as those found in cryptozoology, see Category:Cryptids.
A
- Aarakocra (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Aasimar (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Abishai (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Aboleth (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Acromantula (Harry Potter)
- Adamant (Final Fantasy)
- Aelfinn (The Wheel of Time)
- Ainu (Middle-earth)
- Akki (Magic: The Gathering)
- Angel (various)
- Ankheg (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Antica (Final Fantasy)
- Anurid (Magic: The Gathering)
- Archon (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Argonian (The Elder Scrolls)
- Armoredillo (Asheron's Call)
- Assassin Vine (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Atog (Magic: The Gathering)
- Aven (Magic: The Gathering)
- Azrac (Age of Wonders)
B
- Baatezu (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Bakali (Dragonlance)
- Balrog (Middle-earth)
- Banderling (Asheron's Call)
- Bandersnatch (Lewis Carroll)
- Bangaa (Final Fantasy)
- Barghest (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Barrow-wight (Middle-earth)
- Beeble (Magic: The Gathering)
- Beholder (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Behemoth (Final Fantasy)
- Blink Dog (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Boo (Super Mario Bros.)
- Boojum (Lewis Carroll)
- Broo (Runequest)
- Bowser (Super Mario Bros.)
- Bugbear (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Buomman (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Burun (Asheron's Call)
- Bullette (Dungeons & Dragons)
C
- Cactuar (Final Fantasy)
- Carenzi (Asheron's Call)
- Carrion Crawler (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Cave troll (Middle-earth)
- Celestial (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Centaur (various)
- Cephalid (Magic: The Gathering)
- Changeling (various)
- Chaos Beast (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Charr (Guild Wars)
- Cheshire cat (Lewis Carroll)
- Chittick (Asheron's Call)
- Chocobo (Final Fantasy)
- Cloaker (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Couatl (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Cyclops (Homer/various)
D
- Damork (The Elenium)
- Dark Beast (RuneScape)
- Darkhound (The Wheel of Time)
- Dark Ones (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Dauthi (Magic: The Gathering)
- Death knight (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Deep One (Cthulhu Mythos)
- Deishling (VGRP Forums)
- Deku Scrub (Legend of Zelda)
- Delrith (RuneScape)
- Demon (various)
- Dendroid (Heroes of Might and Magic)
- Derro (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Devil (various)
- Devourer (Guild Wars)
- Displacer beast (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Doppelgänger (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Draconian (Dragonlance)
- Draghkar (The Wheel of Time)
- Dragon (various)
- Drakeling (ADOM)
- Drider (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Dromite (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Drow/Dark elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Drudge (Asheron's Call)
- Dryad (various)
- Duergar/Daergar (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Dwarf (various)
E
- Eelfinn (The Wheel of Time)
- Elans (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Elder Things (Cthulhu Mythos)
- Elemental (various)
- Elf (various)
- Empyrean (Asheron's Call)
- Ent/Treefolk (Middle-earth)
- Esper (Final Fantasy)
- Ettercap (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Ettin (Dungeons & Dragons)
F
- Feyr (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Fiend (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Flind (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Floating Eye (Final Fantasy)
- Flumph (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Fragment (Asheron's Call)
- Frostling (Age of Wonders)
- Frost Worm (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Fungus (various)
G
- Gargoyle (The Fantasy Trip)
- Gelatinous cube (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Gelidite (Asheron's Call)
- Genasi (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Genie (various)
- Ghast (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Gholam (The Wheel of Time)
- Ghoul (various)
- Giant (various)
- Giant Kin (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Gibbering Mouther (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Gibberling (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Githyanki & Githzerai (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Glynn (Excelsior)
- Gnoll (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Gnome (various)
- Goblin (various)
- Goblinoid (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Gog (Heroes of Might and Magic)
- Golem (Asheron's Call)
- Goomba (Super Mario Bros.)
- Goron (Legend of Zelda)
- Great Old Ones (Cthulhu Mythos)
- Great Race of Yith (Cthulhu Mythos)
- Great spiders (Middle-earth) (high fantasy)
- Grick (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Grievver (Asheron's Call)
- Griffin (various)
- Groll (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Gromnie (Asheron's Call)
- Grue (Zork)
- Grindylow (Harry Potter)
- Guado (Final Fantasy)
- Guardinal (Dungeons & Dragons)
H
- Hag (various)
- Half-Celestial (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Half-Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Half-elf (various)
- Half-giant (various)
- Hammer Beast (Anarchy Online)
- Harpy (various)
- Hassat (Dungeon Siege)
- Hell Hound (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Hobbit/Halfling/Hurthling/Pheriannath (Middle-earth and others)
- Hobgoblin (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Hollow Minion (Asheron's Call)
- Homarid (Magic: The Gathering)
- Hook Horror (Dungeons & Dragons)
- House-Elf (Harry Potter)
- Hypello (Final Fantasy)
- Hurrok (Tamora Pierce)
I
- Iksar (EverQuest)
- Illithid/Mind Flayer (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Inevitable (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Invisible Stalker (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Irda (Dragonlance)
J
K
- Ka'Dalun (Artemis Fowl)
- Ka Po'Tun (The Elder Scrolls)
- Kamal (The Elder Scrolls)
- Kavu (Magic: The Gathering)
- Kender (Dragonlance)
- Kenku (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Khajiit (The Elder Scrolls)
- Klackon (Master of Magic)
- K'nath (Asheron's Call)
- Kodama (Princess Mononoke)
- Kokiri (Legend of Zelda)
- Koopa (Super Mario Bros.)
- Korok (Legend of Zelda)
- Kremling (Super Mario Bros.)
- Kuo-toa (Forgotten Realms)
- Kvetch (Discworld)
L
- Lammasu (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Lemure (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Leonin (Magic: The Gathering)
- Lernaean Hydra (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Lhurgoyf (Magic: the Gathering)
- Lich (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Licid (Magic: the Gathering)
- Lizardfolk (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Locathah (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Loxodon (Magic: the Gathering)
- Lugian (Asheron's Call)
- LeShay (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Kobold (Dungeons & Dragons)
M
- Maenad (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Maiar (Middle-earth)
- Malboro (Final Fantasy)
- Margul (Asheron's Call)
- Mattekar (Asheron's Call)
- Mephit (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Metathran (Magic: The Gathering)
- Mi-go (Cthulhu Mythos)
- Mimic (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Mite (Asheron's Call)
- Moarsman (Asheron's Call)
- Mobian (Sonic the Hedgehog, but only certain universes)
- Moblin (Legend of Zelda)
- Modron (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Mogg (Magic: The Gathering)
- Monouga (Asheron's Call)
- Moogle (Final Fantasy)
- Moon Dogs (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Mosswart (Asheron's Call)
- Mul (Dark Sun)
- Mu-Miyah (Asheron's Call)
- Myr (Magic: The Gathering)
- Myrddraal (The Wheel of Time)
N
- Nazgûl (Middle-earth)
- Nantuko (Magic: The Gathering)
- Nefane (Asheron's Call)
- Neo-Otyugh (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Nephilim (Avernum)
- Nezumi-Bito (Magic: the Gathering)
- Niffis (Asheron's Call)
- Nightgaunt (Cthulhu Mythos)
- Night elf (Warcraft)
- Nim (Magic: The Gathering)
- Noki (Super Mario Bros.)
- Nu Mou (Final Fantasy)
- Nym (The Wheel of Time)
O
- Octorok (The Legend of Zelda)
- Ogier (The Wheel of Time)
- Ogrillon (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Ohmu (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind)
- Olog-hai (Middle-earth)
- Olthoi (Asheron's Call)
- Orch (Lord of the Rings)
- Orochi-bito (Magic: The Gathering)
- Orog (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Otyugh (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Ouphe (Magic: The Gathering)
P
- Pech (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Phase Spider (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Phasm (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Phyntos Wasp (Asheron's Call)
- Phyrexian (Magic: The Gathering)
- Pianta (Super Mario Bros.)
- Planetouched (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Progen (Earth and Beyond)
- Prootwaddle (The Fantasy Trip)
- Pseudo-Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Psionics (Earth and Beyond)
- P'Shog (Artemis Fowl)
- Purple Worm (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Pushmepullyou (Dr. Dolittle)
- Pow (Baten Kaitos)
Q
- Quadav (Final Fantasy)
- Quasit (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Qullan (Forgotten Realms)
- Quylthulg (Various Roguelike)
R
- Rakshasa (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Ratling (ADOM)
- Reedshark (Asheron's Call)
- Remorhaz (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Reptile Man (GURPS)
- Rift (Asheron's Call)
- Rito (Legend of Zelda)
- Ronso (Final Fantasy)
- Roper (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Rothé (Dungeons & Dragons)
S
- Sahagin (Final Fantasy)
- Sahuagin (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Saproling (Magic: The Gathering)
- Sclavus (Asheron's Call)
- Seeker (The Elenium)
- Serpent People (Cthulhu Mythos/Hyborian Age)
- Shade (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Shadowpeople (Dragonlance)
- Shallows Shark (Asheron's Call)
- Shambling Mound (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Shapeshifter (various)
- Shreth (Asheron's Call)
- Shoggoth (Cthulhu Mythos)
- Simulacrum (Asheron's Call)
- Siraluun (Asheron's Call)
- Sirbul (THOGS)
- Sirine (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Skale (Guild Wars)
- Skaven (Warhammer Fantasy)
- Skeleton (various)
- Skulk (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Slaad (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Slith (Magic: The Gathering)
- Slithis (Asheron's Call)
- Slithzerikai (Avernum)
- Sliver (Magic: The Gathering)
- Sload (The Elder Scrolls)
- Snark (Lewis Carroll)
- Snotling (Warhammer Fantasy)
- Spike (Magic: The Gathering)
- Squig (Warhammer Fantasy)
- Squiggoth (Warhammer Fantasy)
- Stirge (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Svirfneblin/Deep Gnome (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Stormwings (Tamora Pierce)
T
- Tanar'ri (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Tang Mo (The Elder Scrolls)
- Tarrasque (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Tauren (Warcraft)
- Tendriculos (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Terran (Earth and Beyond)
- Thalakos (Magic: The Gathering)
- Thanoi (Dragonlance)
- Thoul (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Thri-Kreen (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Thrull (Magic: the Gathering)
- Tiefling (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Tonberry (Final Fantasy)
- Treant (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Trolloc (The Wheel of Time)
- Tsaesci (The Elder Scrolls)
- Tumerok (Asheron's Call)
- Tusker (Asheron's Call)
U
- Umber Hulk (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Urgals (Eragon)
- Ursuin (Asheron's Call)
- Uruk-hai (Middle-earth)
- Utraean (Dungeon Siege)
V
- Vahnatai (Avernum)
- Valar (Middle-earth)
- Vampire (various)
- Vandal (Shining Force)
- Vedalken (Magic: The Gathering)
- Viera (Final Fantasy)
- Virindi (Asheron's Call)
- Viscerid (Magic: The Gathering)
W
- Warg (Middle-earth)
- Warrow (Variation of Hobbit in books of Dennis L. McKiernan)
- Wemic (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Wererat (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Wight (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Winter Wolf (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Wolf (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Worg (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Wumpus (Hunt the Wumpus)
X
- Xan ([NetHack])
- Xeph (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Xorn (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Xoroa (Fighting Fantasy)
Y
- Yagudo (Final Fantasy)
- Yalain (Asheron's Call)
- Yeek (Various Roguelike games)
- Yoshi (Super Mario Bros.)
- Yuan-ti (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Yugoloth (Dungeons & Dragons)
Z
See also
- Archive of fictional things
- Bestiary of Middle-earth
- Creatures of Magic: The Gathering
- Cryptozoology
- Final Fantasy Bestiary
- Legendary creature
- List of specific demons and types of demons
- List of species in folklore and mythology
- List of aliens in fiction
- List of creatures from Star Trek
- Monster
- Race (fantasy)