Although legolas does not appear anywhere in the novel the hobbit, he has a significant role as the son of the elven king thranduil within their mirkwood realm. Legolas is never specifically mentioned in the book. Although thranduils name is never mentioned in the actual hobbit book hes only referred to as elven king, he plays quite a large part in the story. Similarly thranduil character, the elvenking in the hobbit book in lotr is retconned to be given name and son legolas as those elements are not mentioned in hobbit proper narrative, and the version of him coming to start his kingdom from west is only drafted in appendices. Commentators have noted that legolas serves as a typical elf in the story. But legolas wasnt even mentioned in the book, only his father was and even then. Jan 25, 2015 76 videos play all the hobbit the battle of the five armies teresa tsz ki chow legolas greenleaf epic character history duration. But legolas wasnt even mentioned in the book, only his father was and even then the name wasnt used. Thranduil is once again seen when legolas and tauriel return with an orc hostage, narzug. Legolas appearance in peter jacksons adaptation of the hobbit is an example of creative license, as legolas is not mentioned in the actual book but does hail from the setting of mirkwood. R tolkien that takes place in the fictional world of middle earth, which is the setting of most of the authors works. None of tolkiens works makes any mention that legolas and bilbo ever met.
Hell, you could easily have him in there without changing the plot an ounce. The name legolas greenleaf first appeared in the book the fall of gondolin, one of the lost tales, circa 1917. Thranduil mentioning strider aragorn at the end of the. After the story, gandalf delivered galadriels messages to each of them. Prince among equals article, an indepth biography and character analysis of legolas in j. In fact, the king isnt even named in the book, not to mention any sons he.
Nov 24, 2014 similarly thranduil character, the elvenking in the hobbit book in lotr is retconned to be given name and son legolas as those elements are not mentioned in hobbit proper narrative, and the version of him coming to start his kingdom from west is only drafted in appendices. In the movie, the dwarfs help themselves and clean out bilbo. Mar 11, 2020 legolas is a playable character, skilled in both ranged and melee. With his keen eyesight, sensitive hearing, and excellent bowmanship, legolas was valuable to the fellowship in their journey across middleearth. However, radagast is the only one of the three to be mentioned in the book. May 27, 2011 legolas doesnt actually appear in the hobbit book, prompting some responses on jacksons facebook page such as. He and gimli accompany aragorn through paths of the dead, later he fights on pelennor fields and at the black gate. Though inherently cautious, he eventually committed his kingdom to fighting against sauron in the war of the ring. Just because she wasnt mentioned in the lord of the rings, doesnt mean that she wasnt waiting for him back in mirkwood. His role in the death of bolg in the films is a further liberty, as in the books beorn was responsible for bolgs demise. There also was no love story between a dwarf and an elf. There is no mention of legolas, the son of the elvenking thranduil, in the hobbit book. Technically, legolas does not appear in any version of j.
Bloom reprised his role as legolas in jacksons 20 release the hobbit. The quenyaform mentioned in the book of lost tales in the context of another character of that name is laiqualasse. Why did they put legolas in the hobbit the tolkien forum. The quenya form mentioned in the book of lost tales in the context of another character of that name is laiqualasse. Book film film in the books, it is all of the white cousil members who see shadows in dol guldur.
To make the book into three films, the writers added legolas into the story to better bind the two movie trilogies together. Strideraragon wouldnt have been born yet, so how is thranduil making a reference to strider. Although legolas is more well known for his skills as an archer, he was a wellrounded warrior, and could effectively utilize knives in battle. Legolas was the prince of the woodland realm of mirkwood. However, he may very likely have been present in mirkwood at the time that thorins company was imprisoned there. He was wellknown for becoming friends with the dwarf. Is legolas in the real the hobbit book like the movie the desolation of. The fact is, legolas was probably present for many of the events in the hobbit, simply because his father, thranduil the elvenking in the hobbit was a fairly major secondary character. The characters in the book consist of a hobbit, thirteen dwarves, a wizard in the. However, christopher tolkien, writing in the book of lost tales i suggests that the golden hair was given only to those elves of noldor descent. His father, thranduil, is the king and therefore makes legolas a prince.
Its him though, and peter jackson seized on this tiny thread to capitalize on both legolas and orlando blooms popularity. He actually died almost 150 years before the book begins. Son of the elvenking thranduil of mirkwood, legolas was mirkwoods prince, a messenger, and a master archer. Now, more than 70 years after tolkien first published those words, the hobbit himself, bilbo baggins, is set to appear in a third movie inspired. But in the films, legolas plays a role as a loyal admirer of tauriel, a hater of dwarves and a skilled warrior killing off the orcs in the desolation of smaug and the battle of the five armies movies. Legolas greenleafthranduil works archive of our own. Battle of the five armies, thranduil mentions to legolas that he should go meet a wanderer called strider.
Legolas will be in the hobbit movie but is legolas in the hobbit. Legolas isnt discussed in the hobbit, but as far as tolkien is. Thranduil, son of oropher, was an elven king who ruled over the woodland realm in the second and third ages. The character, who guides survivors of the sack of the city to safety, is mentioned only once. Legolas doesnt actually appear in the hobbit book, prompting some responses on jacksons facebook page such as. How desolation of smaug adds elves who dont appear in the. As a legolas fan, may i also say that i think peter jackson owed us the legolas of the hobbit, after creaming off some of his best bits in lotr to boost aragorns image horsewhispering, singing in elvish etc. Is legolas in the real the hobbit book like the movie quora. There are also some stories that either dont mention legolas at all or focus on him. How desolation of smaug adds elves who dont appear in the hobbit. Rateliff speculates in the history of the hobbit that had tolkien gone on. Flies and spiders, legolas may therefore, have inherited the golden hair of his father. An archive of our own, a project of the organization for transformative works.
Turiel, as previously mentioned, is not a creation of tolkien and was added into the film. As for tauriel, its quite possible that legolas and her, or another female elf, had a relationship. The inclusion of legolas he isnt really needed in the movie but i think it is to link the hobbit more directly with lord of the rings, again not really needed with gandalf the grey in the film which should be enough but obviously as well for eye candy, i would have liked the story to explore further into the possible romance with tauriel, with thranduil forbidding the pairing with. In the hobbit, thranduil is referred to only as the elvenking.
Hollywood may occasionally downplay christian themes in a movie like prince caspian, 42, or mandela. Anyway, although legolas is not mentioned in the hobbit by name, he was. Movies always change aspects of books that theyre based on. Orlando bloom reprised his role as legolas in peter jacksons adaptation of the hobbit. The book is packed with more than 1,000 images of concept artwork, photographs and development paintings by the artists working behind the scenes to. Dec 16, 20 legolas was immortal, so it makes sense that he would appear in the hobbit movies. In the film, radagast is the one who sees the shadows in dol guldur.
Legolas was the son of thranduil, king of the woodland realm of northern mirkwood, who appeared as the elvenking in the hobbit. While legolas is never mentioned in the hobbit, his father is, the king of the wood elves living in mirkwood forrest. Jan 09, 2015 as a legolas fan, may i also say that i think peter jackson owed us the legolas of the hobbit, after creaming off some of his best bits in lotr to boost aragorns image horsewhispering, singing in elvish etc. Legolas was immortal, so it makes sense that he would appear in the hobbit movies. Legolas was a sindarin elf who was part of the fellowship of the ring in the third age. So we are shown scenes only mentioned in the book, or implied later on, rather than written out wholesale. He is a sindarin elf of the woodland realm and one of the nine members of the fellowship who set off to destroy the one ring. Orlando bloom on the return of legolas in the hobbit and how. Instead, he gets offhandedly mentioned at the end of the third movie, setting up how legolas and aragorn know each other a bit.
Bloom joins ian mckellen, ian holm, andy serkis, christopher lee, cate blanchett, hugo weaving and elijah wood from the lord of the rings trilogy. Legolas wasnt even in it, and tauriel was created to add a bit of female strength and a bit more story line. Dec 12, 2014 the inclusion of legolas he isnt really needed in the movie but i think it is to link the hobbit more directly with lord of the rings, again not really needed with gandalf the grey in the film which should be enough but obviously as well for eye candy, i would have liked the story to explore further into the possible romance with tauriel, with thranduil forbidding the pairing with. Legolas scrunched up his nose in disdain of the nickname, but a smile soon found his way onto his face.
Thranduil, one of the sindar or grey elves, ruled over the silvan elves or woodelves of mirkwood. In the films, legolas keeps them on his back, next to his quiver of arrows. The contradiction in this is that thranduil was not of the finfarin house. Legolas, while a major character from tolkiens lord of the rings trilogy, is not part of the hobbit. Now, the events in the hobbit are around 60 years before the events in the lord of the rings. The hobbit films problems go way beyond adding legolas to the narrative. Oct 29, 2019 this is a rewrite of my old legolas of mirkwood. At first, he appears to be a rather humorous addition who lightens the mood in dark places, far more akin to the hobbits rivendell elves than. Radagast featured a chase scene in his sled through dol guldur in order to evacuate gandalf while the. He was the father of the elven prince of mirkwood, legolas, who was a member of the fellowship of the ring. Legolas wasnt even in it, and that other elf girl doesnt exist. He mentions then that legolas, his son, has grown fond of her but that she should not give him hope, because she is a common silvan elf and legolas is the son of a king. Top ten differences between the hobbit book and films. In the book gloin mentions that the birthday party is on wednesday, but in the movie it isn.
Exactly how jackson will incorporate legolas isnt yet known. Speaking to ew for this weeks cover story on smaug, bloom says he was. Theres one example that is really down to detail and you really gotta pay attention. Tolkiens biblical themes it even expands upon them. According to the makingof book of the film, radagast and beorn were originally going to have much more screen time. While most of his backstory is unknown, lets take a moment to learn more about the agile wood elf from the lord of the rings, legolas greenleaf. Book and film differences the hobbit wiki guide ign. Legolas is the elf prince of mirkwood son of king thranduil, and the only elven member of the fellowship of the ring. The hobbit 2003 video game legolas makes a cameo as one of the woodelves that bilbo must avoid in the barrels out of bond level. The hobbit tells a fantastic story of adventure, danger, friendship, and courage, and serves as a prequel to the even more immersive and epic book series, the lord of the rings. Legolas was a sindarin elf who was part of the fellowship of the ring in the third. Feb 06, 2018 the hobbit films problems go way beyond adding legolas to the narrative. While legolas skill described in the book is mighty, the movie adaptations.
The events of the hobbit take place between 2941 to 2942 t. Just because she wasnt mentioned in the lord of the rings, doesnt. If book fans dont seem to remember azog the pale orc from the hobbit, theres a good reason for that. When legolas first realizes he is about to face durins bane in moria he clearly loses his cool. The elves of tolkiens the lord of the rings hobbylark. While not being mentioned in the original book, frodo elijah wood, saruman sir christopher lee, legolas orlando bloom and several others have cameo appearances in the film. If youre looking for legolas age, skim down to the how old is legolas. The elf legolas greenleaf is actually first mentioned in the fall of gondolin although we cant be too sure if this is actually the same legolas. See more ideas about legolas, the hobbit and lord of the rings. Is there much difference between legolas in the hobbit. Another example is that in the book, bilbo finds food and serves it to the dwarfs. The hobbit all characters book includes some characters who are only mentioned. Peter jackson just wanted something to connect the two series of films together. Jun 27, 2019 at first, he appears to be a rather humorous addition who lightens the mood in dark places, far more akin to the hobbits rivendell elves than to the retiring, somewhat melancholy legolas of the.
Does not include movieonly characters like legolas and tauriel. The character who is legolas does in fact appear in the hobbit book, though he is not named and is literally only mentioned once, simply as the son of the king of the wood elves. Not that aragorn cant do these things, but legolas is the elf of the fellowship. No, legolas does not appear in the original text of the hobbit, even though thorins. Yet in the book, radagast is only mentioned, and never actually appears. Legolas the one wiki to rule them all fandom lotr wiki. In the lord of the rings and the hobbit films, legolas is shown using a pair of long elvish knives. Never once is it mentioned in peter jacksons film adaptations of the lord of the rings exactly who legolas the elf actually is, what is seen is the elf warrior, the splendid archer, and the friend of the returning king, aragorn. Fanfiction you talk too much elfboy, arya muttered, her voice hoarse from all the screaming she had done due to the pain of her injuries.
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