Hermey the Elf is one of the major characters in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Rankin/Bass. He’s a little underwhelming on paper, but he’s such a lovable little elf.

He’s one of the many elves who work at Santa’s gift shop at the North Pole. It becomes very clear that he obviously does not fit in, as he is far more interested in dentistry than creating holiday magic.

So he quickly finds Rudolph after immediately giving up and resorting to homelessness, somehow thinking that living in the snow was going to be a wise idea. But he decides to become BFFs with Rudolph and run away.

And he’s there for most of the adventure, from meeting neglected toys to almost being eaten by the Bumble Yeti, and he even plays a part in taming the beast.

And he finally becomes the North Pole’s only dentist. I wouldn’t trust him, though; I don’t think he went to an accredited dentistry college. But I guess it’s better than literally nothing, lol.