Much can be said about Mithralan. And indeed, much is said about him by those who meet him. Firstly, a stellar example of elven virtues, he is not.
Mithralan wasn't raised among elves, and it shows.
He is crude, joyful and open as only a sailor can be, traits that usually earn him the universal scorn of most civilised elves.
Other races mostly find him novel, much like one would be surprised and fascinated at a bobcat walking around on two legs and smoking a pipe.
Something Mithralan has actually done once, being a druid, just to see how people would react. so, you know, he knows what he's talking about.

Mithralan wears his heart on his sleeves, when he actually wears something with sleeves. Most of the time his state of dress is in a state of benign chaos, the only real constant being his totem necklace of shark teeth and owl feathers (Something he proudly admits that he made himself, flashing a grin that showcases his naturally occuring mouthful of sharp shark teeth).
Other than that he wears whatever loose fitting pants he can find, along with his well worn and used leather vest and arm guards. He's usually barefoot, with messy, unkempt hair and scraggly mutton chops. But then, who has time to tangle with his hair when two magnificent stag antlers grow out of it? trying to sort that out is a sisyphean task at best.
Aside from the teeth and antlers, his most notable feature is probably his eyes, which contain a wisdom beyond his apparent age. And it's not the usual "I've seen so much, I know so much. And I'm slightly bored with it" wisdom that elves usually get along with their growing holier-than-thou-ness. No, this is a much more practical and energetic "Sure, poke life in the eye and see what happens. I know, because I poked it years ago and survived" wisdom.
it is a wisdom that pairs naturally with barely restrained amusement and mischief.