Many fantasy settings contain elves, often, particularly in western fantasy elves are divided into multiple different kinds. High elves are one of the most common sub-types of elf appearing in many different fantasy settings.

High elves are distinguished from other fantasy elves by their place of living, as they usually dwell in stone cities, instead of woods, like wood-elves. High elves and dark elves can be used to contrast respectively the good elves and the evil elves, as done in Warhammer. High elves could never be evil. Typically high elves consider themselves the most purely good race of all, and view all other races beneath them, especially lower elves, and they are usually the most magically developed of all elves.

Many fantasy worlds have High Elf races:

• Calaquendi are the High Elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
• The High Elves are a race in the Warhammer Fantasy setting.
• Eldar of Warhammer 40,000 present a science-fictional aspect to the High Elf concept.
• High Elves, or "Quel'Dorei" in their native tongue, are the pale-skinned magic-addicted descendants of Night Elves in the Warcraft Universe that were exiled from Kalimdor.
• In the Elder Scrolls universe, High Elves - or Altmer - the golden-skinned elves from Summerset Isles, are noted for their pride and arrogance as well as their potent magic.
• In Everquest, they are very proud and arrogant, developed for magic instead of combat.
• In the DOS game, Master of Magic, they are powerful long-range fighters, but inferior in magic to the dark elves.
• One exception to the rule where High Elves could be considered 'bad' is in the Flintloque world of Varlon. Here they march under the banner of the Emperor Mordred, who dreams of world domination. (They are an exact parallel of the French Napoleonic forces).

• In Record of Lodoss War, Deedlit is a High Elf shaman (spirit magic user in some versions).
• In Dungeons and Dragons, High Elves is one of the terms for Gold Elves or Sun Elves.
• In D&D 4th edition, the Eladrin (aka high elves) are a core player race.