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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.
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Anthropomorphic species
Many anthropomorphic species can be found in fantasy fiction, such as:
Cartoons
Comics
Dungeons & Dragons
The fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons has created and compiled a large number of monsters and species. Lists of these monsters are available in various Dungeons & Dragons works. Additionally, the various campaign settings feature their own unique monsters, such as:
Other role-playing games and settings
Books
- After Man: A Zoology of the Future
- Man After Man: An Anthropology of the Future
- The New Dinosaurs: An Alternative Evolution
Gamebooks
Several series of single-player fantasy gamebooks feature extensive bestiaries, such as:
Fantasy films
Fantasy films often feature unique species that are mythical.
Fantasy novels
Fantasy novels are a source of bestiaries, such as:
- China Miéville's Bas-Lag
- Beowulf's Grendel
- H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos
- Edge Chronicles
- Harry Potter
- Imaro
- Inheritance Cycle
- Lord of the Isles
- Tolkien's Middle-earth
- Mithgar series
- The Riftwar Saga
- Shannara series
- Tamora Pierce's Tortall
- The Wheel of Time
Magic: The Gathering
The collectible card game Magic: the Gathering accommodates several hundred "creature types."
Television series
Video games
Video games based in fantasy settings often have extensive lists of monsters, such as:
- AdventureQuest
- Avernum series
- Age of Wonders
- Diablo series
- Dungeon Keeper
- Dungeon Siege
- Halo (series)
- The Elder Scrolls
- Fire Emblem
- Kingdom Hearts
- Final Fantasy
- The Legend of Zelda
- Mario series
- Master of Magic
- Might and Magic and Heroes of Might and Magic series
- Shadowspawn series
- Sonic the Hedgehog series
- Starcraft series
- Thief series
- Warcraft series
- Wizardry series
- Xenosaga series
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games
A large number of massively multiplayer online role-playing games are based in fantasy settings. These games typically have their own bestiaries.
Species list
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This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Chumpatar
| Species | Source |
|---|---|
| Angel | Various |
| Archangel | Various |
| Banshee | Various |
| Basilisk | Various |
| Centaur | Mythical |
| Chimera | Various |
| Chupacabra | Various |
| Cyclops | Various |
| Dragon | Various |
| Drow/Dark Elf | Various |
| Dryad | Various/Mythical |
| Dwarf | Various |
| Elementals | Various |
| Elf | Various |
| Fairy | Various |
| Fay | Various |
| Genie | Various |
| Ghost | Various |
| Giant | Various |
| Gnome | Various |
| Goblin | Various |
| Golem | Various |
| Gorgon | Various |
| Griffin | Various |
| Halfling | Various |
| Half-elf | Various |
| Harpy | Various |
| Hippogriff | Various |
| Hydra | Various |
| Kraken | Various |
| Kobold | Various |
| Leprechauns | Various |
| Manticore | Various |
| Mermaid | Various |
| Minotaur | Various |
| Naiad | Various |
| Nightmare | Various |
| Nymph | Various |
| Orc | Various |
| Ogre | Lore |
| Ogrillo | The Acts of Caine |
| Pegasus | Various |
| Phoenix | Various |
| Pixie | Various |
| Roc | Various |
| Salamander | Various |
| Satyr | Various |
| Siren | Various |
| Sphinx | Various |
| Sprite | Various |
| Titan | Mythology |
| Troll | Mythical |
| Unicorn | Various |
| Vampire | Various |
| Werewolf | Various |
| Wraith | Various |
| Witch | Various |
| Warlock | Various |
| Wyrm | Various |
| Wyvern | Various |
| Zombie | Various |
See also
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