VENKA
She's dark, she's mysterious, and she's the most beautiful elf on Abode. How can you not love the softspoken daughter of a Go-Back chieftess and the former Master of the Palace? A hint of a Wolfrider, with more than a little of Savah's influence in her smile. She loves Rayek unconditionally, and forgave him for his mistakes right away even though the supposedly live-and-let-live Wolfriders held a grudge. She's able to see that people like Rayek and Two-Edge and even Kahvi aren't so much evil as deeply troubled. With her keen intuition and warm heart she'll probably start a whole new breed of Go-Backs. And need I mention her phenomenal blocking powers?

EMBER
Finally, a cool chieftain of the Wolfriders, who knows the Way isn't static and who knows the Now of Wolf-thought is sometimes simply more trouble than its worth. She made some real shaky choices in the beginning, and she can be a raging tyrant now and then, especially to Teir. But she has the good grace to admit her mistakes and stand firm to her convicitons, even when the tribe turns against her. By the end of the current Wild Hunt she's really come into her own as a leader.
 
 

YUN
She's Skywise's daughter, how could I resist? She loves quests, howls, and hanging out with Pike. She can kill a cuphorn with one her knife, and she's a much better scout than Scouter himself. She's almost always smiling and fun-loving, in contrast to the typical Krim-esque Go-Back. IMHO, she combines the best traits of Wolfriders and Go-Backs, plus that little extra something she inherited from Skywise that doesn't fit into either tribe. The love of stars and the sky, and the tendency to think a little deeper than most at times. I'd definitely want her as a second-chief in my tribe.
 

 
 
 
 
EYES HIGH
Skywise's head-in-the-clouds mother and Shale's sweetest lifemate. Beautiful and brave - she was willing to die with her unborn child rather than risk the lives of the entire tribe. I really wish ElfQuest had done more with her. She didn't have to die. She could have been a strong Wolfrider huntress all throughout the Original Quest, and a semi-elder Cutter could rely on for advice. Failing that, she could certainly have popped up to guide Skywise during his rough times. Cutter can't be the only one who has spirit guides!
 
 
 
 
 

VAYA
There seems to be a definite pattern in ElfQuest of killing off its women, which I find more than a little disturbing. However, I find Vaya's death scene one of the most heroic moments in the Elfquest saga. Her fierce Go-Back nature, her bravery, and her ability to admit stronger emotion than her mother Kahvi could ever reveal, all these traits make Vaya one of my favorite characters from the Original Quest. Had Kahvi been the one who died in the war, I think Vaya would have made a much more complex character as the Go-Back chieftess (but then of course, we wouldn't have Venka.)
 
 
 
 

CRESCENT
Crescent would have made an incredible archer-huntress if only she had escaped the hunters' clutches. I can just picture her leading the Jackwolf Riders in Dart's place. To say nothing of how differently Strongbow might have turned out if he hadn't lost his firstborn. It also looked like she was pretty cozy with Pike - judging by Pike's grief at her death. I know I can't say "they shouldn't have killed her" since she was originally created as a ghost, but still, I can't help but feel somewhat manipulated as all these strong and beautiful women are created simply to be murdered.

CLEARBROOK
Calm, wise, and (before he died) possessing of a very cool lifemate. Clearbrook really hit her stride as a character during the worst part of her life, following One-Eye's death. Rather than simply accepting her lifemate's death as the Way dictated, she went through an arduous healing process which - with its highs and lows - defined her as a very multi-faceted character.  I liked Clearbrook a lot more in the old days of the Original Quest and the Siege of Blue Mountain sagas. She became a real "generic Wolfrider" in the later series after KoBW (or, after she lifemated with Treestump, if you prefer.) Nevertheless, she was one kick-ass warrior during the Shards War, proving a 1,000 year old Wolfrider is by no means past her prime.
 

AROREE
She might not seem like such a great character - she weeps, she's always afraid, and she spent years defining her life by Skywise. But Aroree's made one of the bravest transitions in Elfquest. From being Winnowill's emotionally abused "minion" to a Wolfrider elder and a flying warrior in the Shards War, Aroree's come a long way.  She was terrified most of the time through the war on the Citadel, yet she managed to overcome it every time - much more impressive IMHO than these Wolfriders who show no fear. Now she's off learning to be a Go-Back while searching for Tyldak and Kahvi - and from the look one of those Go-Backs was giving her in Shards #16, she won't long for companionship.
 

WINNOWILL
If Aroree will forgive me for putting Lord Winnowill next to her, I think Winnowill's a very interesting character (hence why she's topping my villain's list.) But she loses points by being overworked to death. I liked her a lot more in the Original Quest and the Siege at Blue Mountain series when we really got a better look at what made her tick. But by the Shards War she's nothing but a relentless villain, and by Rogue's Curse she's pretty boring. Frankly Rogue's Curse would have been much more interesting if Winnowill had actually begun to reform - with many bumps and pitfalls along the way, of course. Wouldn't it be neat to watch Rayek slowly coax Winnowill back into the smiling girl we saw in Book Three? Maybe it'll happen if Rogue's Curse ever picks up again.
 
 

KRILL
She's Brill twin sister and one of the main characters of the New Wavedancers. She's another character I admire for her strength. She doesn't say  much, but what she does say matters. She seems to be quite quietly in love with Darshek, and she's one of the few Wavedancers not willing to leave him for dead. We haven't seen her fight against humans, but I'm sure she'd be deadly. Unfortunately we haven't seen much of her yet - too much has focussed on Brill so far. But Krill's story of rescuing Darshek is still waiting to be told.
 
 
 

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