Elves

The Elves were a race of humanoid beings native to Alfheim, the Realm of light among the Nine Realms of the World Tree. They were divided into two factions, the luminous Light Elves, who wore white robes, and the Dark Elves, winged beings of insectoid aspect clad in martial dress. For untold ages the two had warred against one another for dominion over the Light of Alfheim. (God of War (2018); God of War Ragnarök)

A divided people#

The Elves were intelligent and civilized beings with their own architecture, their own spoken and written languages, and great skill as builders. Yet for eons they had been split into two warring kinds, the Light Elves and the Dark Elves, forever contending over control of the Light of Alfheim. So long had the conflict endured that neither side had ever secured a permanent victory, and the endless war had made the Elves an isolated race, rarely interacting with the other peoples of the Nine Realms. It was not known which of the two kinds had come first, and that very uncertainty was said to have helped kindle their feud. (God of War (2018))

The war over the Light#

By the time Kratos and his son Atreus came to Alfheim, the Dark Elves held the advantage in the war. After the travelers fought their way through and took a portion of the Light for their own purpose, the Light Elves regained mastery over it and turned to searching for their missing lord. (God of War (2018))

Ragnarök later gives an origin for the divide: long ago the Elves had not been parted into light and darkness but had all been equal. A group of them discovered the light of the well of souls, and after dwelling in its magical waters for a great while they were changed into the Light Elves as they came to be known. From then on the Light Elves wished to go on wielding the Light of Alfheim, while the Dark Elves wished the Light to be left untouched, and from this disagreement their long war was born. (God of War Ragnarök)

Powers and the coming of Ragnarok#

The Elves possessed several magical gifts. Chief among them was the power of flight, achieved by the Dark Elves upon their wings and by the Light Elves through their will alone. They were formidable in close combat and accomplished builders besides. (God of War (2018); God of War Ragnarök)

After the return of Freyr, the Light Elves and the Dark Elves at last set aside their ancient enmity and made a truce to strike at Asgard during Ragnarok, for they had come to hate the Aesir even more than they hated one another. (God of War Ragnarök)