Favorite Creatures in Fantasy

[Stranger]

Gryphons - for some reason, not a very common race in fantasy novels.

Creatures from Hayao Miyazaki's films. From the God of Death in Princess Mononoke to Nausicaa's pet squirrel thing. They're all awesome.

Fairies in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. (They're not your typical sugary fairies, I promise!)

Dragons. Except Barney-the-dinousaur "let's sing songs and have a picnic!" kind of dragons.

The Firebird - From Russian mythology. It's similar to the Phoenix, but it doesn't get reborn. (What an OP ability, am I right?)

Leshii - also from Russian mythology. Forest tree-like people, similar to Tolkien's Ents.

 

[Edgemaker]

For me right now. With the little Fantasy that I have read I think there are several. The Griffin I think has always been my favorite from the Start. The WereWolves in Stuart Hill's Trilogy are interesting. But I think the one Fantasy Creature that has always been an interest to read about has been the Fantasy Foundational Staple: The Dragon. From the Dragon Riders of Pern, to Smaug.

 

[Edgemaker]

Creatures from Hayao Miyazaki's films. From the God of Death in Princess Mononoke to Nausicaa's pet squirrel thing. They're all awesome.

That dude has an Imagination that is unlike anyone else in the world. The things he comes up with are amazing in every category.

 

[Telcontar]

The Dzur from Steven Brust's works; especially Tazendra, a Dzur warrior and mage.

Strictly speaking she was a Dzurlord, a person of the house named after a creature - she wasn't the creature itself.

In terms of actual creatures (I'll include Undead as well) my favorite is, like most, Dragons. Dragons all day, every day.

Also love Vampires, but I can't stand the sissyfication of them going on in popular fiction right now. I intend to right that wrong sometime in my own writing...

The Lich (D&D style) is another favorite.

Finally, I really like gryphons as well. No doubt I'm forgetting some favorites, but those are the common ones.

 

[Jess A]

I adore unique creatures, but I have a soft spot for shape-shifters, certain kinds of dragons and gryphons/griffins.

I quite enjoyed the Icarii from Sara Douglass' novels (winged magical people), and also Robin Hobb's take on dragons. Katherine Kerr's take on elves. Some of the hexapedal Tsunari beasts from Feist's books. There was a species in Maggie Furey's novels which I loved as a kid - they were dragon-men which absorbed light from the sun and converted it to energy - like photosynthesis.

I quite liked the griffins in Rachel Neumeier's books. They were creatures made of fire.

Among others.

 

[thenavdeepdahiya]

There's this image of a proto Shiva from harappan remains which looks really scary.
Kinda like Hades from god of war

 

[PlotHolio]

Trees.

Don't laugh. Those of you who have read Wise Man's Fear know how scary trees can be when the author really wants them to be.

I'm an Evil Tree Hipster. I liked evil trees before it was cool.

 

[Jess A]

Trees.

Don't laugh. Those of you who have read Wise Man's Fear know how scary trees can be when the author really wants them to be.

I'm an Evil Tree Hipster. I liked evil trees before it was cool.

Mate: I had a dream a few weeks ago about a tree whose roots attacked me. Think it'll go in my book.

 

[Ireth]

Vampires and Fae are my faves at the moment. (As if nobody could tell from reading my stuff in the Showcase, or my various discussion threads. )

 

[PlotHolio]

Mate: I had a dream a few weeks ago about a tree whose roots attacked me. Think it'll go in my book.

Trees can be terrifying! You just need good imagery, like this:

 

[Ophiucha]

I am also in the 'weird' camp when it comes to the monsters I love. First thing that came to mind were the Ariekei from Mieville's Embassytown, though from his works the golems of Iron Council are a close second. From mythology, my favourites are werewolves and angels. Angels here being the proper, Biblical angels with thousands of eyes that need to warn people not to panic the second they appear before them. And werewolves are interesting from a psychological standpoint - the beast inside and all. The creature from John Carpenter's The Thing gets a special mention. Also, anything from Junji Ito's Uzumaki. Medusa lady, the snail people, the... serpents... mmm, I have developed a certain wariness of spirals because of this manga. I dissect cinnabuns before I eat them for personal comfort.

Also, I like dragons. Who the heck doesn't like dragons?

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

Also, the myrddraal (fades) from the Wheel of Time. Pale, eyeless men, deadly with a sword, and their cloaks aren't stirred by the wind. That last detail makes no sense but is awesome.

 

[Zero Angel]

I like all sorts of creatures. Always enjoy a good death knight from D&D

 

[ThomasCardin]

I am afraid it has to be dragons for me. I created my own for dungeons and dragons games...I hated to see them as something that players tried to kill. Oh there were still the regular dragons, tough and deadly. but I also added a race of dragons called Great Dragons, the last survivors of a universe destroyed by undeath.

unfortunately my love for dragons also made me very picky about movie and book reditions of dragons that didn't measure up. Some are just lizards with wings, or humans in dragon suits, or (gasp) pets.

 

[Fyri]

I personally like the pheonix. I feel common dragons are too big and muscular for my taste. Phoenixes are more slender and graceful. Also I love flying and fire. Bit of a pyro here. But my favorite element of the pheonix are the healing tears. That is just awesome. Plus they're reborn from their ashes. How convenient!

 

[Fyri]

But, when Dragons and pheonixes are overplayed. I love Momo, Aang's flying lemur from Avatar. Either those or the Kodama from Princess Mononoke.

 

[MauEvig]

I realize this is an old thread, but I enjoy any type of cat races, be they something like Khajiit from the Elder Scrolls Series, to any types of were cats or anthro felines. I also enjoy talking cats.
I also like dragons.
Elves typically mark "fantasy" for me as well, if done right. I've seen so many different interpretations of both elves and dragons, I don't really have a favorite depiction.
And don't forget unicorns. Phoenixes are also fascinating, and they play a part in the world my OC is from.

 

[Maker of Things Not Kings]

Ahhh this is a great old thread! Well, of late, I've been sucked into the endless wealth of creatures from world folklore that we don't often here about. Many would fall under more general headers (elf, brownie, fairy etc) but each individual folk/type/tale is so fascinating and the more I dig, the more I come up with: Stromkarls, Näkki, Hobs, Vitta, Lauru, My main WIP is set in a world that brings a dozen of these lesser known/written about fair folk together in one place.

But I am also a huge fan of fauns, trolls and any animal familiars or anthropomorphic beings.

 

[MauEvig]

Oh that's fascinating! I like learning about fantasy creatures I'd never heard about.
Fauns lend themselves to C.S. Lewis's work don't they?
And most definitely familiars and anthropomorphic beings. My stories for the most part (with exceptions) usually involve those in some way, shape or form.
I almost forgot...I also enjoy Japanese lore and overall Eastern type creatures like the bakeneko and the kitsune. Then you have Native American beliefs in spirit animals.

 

[Maker of Things Not Kings]

Ohh yes, Kitsune!

I love the stories that include them. I have a world, not yet ready for storytelling, where there are nine varieties of fox (kit fox, fennec fox, swift fox etc) who guard wooded groves on an island continent. I'm seeing it as more of a graphic novel/comic so I have been making the nine figurines of the foxes for an artist to work from for me. In the end, it may be an alternate origin story of what we know as Kitsune though I won't use the term in the story itself, just the nine tails and foxfire. I also love the stories of Kawauso, the shape shifting and very mischievous river otter.

Japanese lore and Russian lore in particular are both so rich. Native American, of course, is very strong in animal lore as well. I can see your draw to it.