November 4, 2017 | Stephanie Kelsey

Deadly-Accurate Facts About Legolas


"...for Legolas was fair of face beyond the measure of Men." The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

 The origins of Legolas the Elf remain mysterious, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings don’t put too much focus on him. His background may be murky, but these facts will shed some light on the blonde beauty.


Legolas Facts

21. His Age Is A Mystery (But We Have Some Clues)

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J.R.R. Tolkien never actually specifies how old Legolas is, but the Elf calls Aragorn (87 to start) and Gimli (140) mere children compared to his own age, and says that he’s seen many oak trees go from being just an acorn to a “ruinous age.”

English oak trees can live for more than 1,000 years, and Legolas’s has been estimated at anywhere from 500 to 2,000 years old.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), New Line Cinema

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20. His Senses Are Stunning

As evidenced in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Legolas can hear what rocks are thinking, and can sense what trees are feeling.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Two Towers (2002), New Line Cinema

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19. What He Did After The War Of The Ring

After all the battles are won and the ring is destroyed, Legolas founds an Elf colony in Ithilien, helping to restore all of the devastated forests in that area.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Return of the King (2003), New Line Cinema

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18. Maybe He’s a Vampire?

Cold temperatures don’t bother Legolas, he doesn’t need to sleep as he’s never tired, and he has very good vision and hearing.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), New Line Cinema

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17. Daydreamer

Because sleep isn’t really a necessary thing for Elves, Legolas can actually dream while awake.

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Legolas facts LOTR: The Two Towers (2002), New Line Cinema

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16. A Prince Among Elves

Legolas is a Sindarin Elf. Though we know nothing of his mother, his father, Thranduil, was the King of the Elves of Northern Mirkwood. Legolas’s surname is Greenleaf.

Legolas factsThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), MGM

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15. The Messenger

Thranduil sends his son to the Council of Elrond to report on Gollum’s escape. It is there that Legolas chooses to be a member of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Legolas factsThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), MGM

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14. Gravity Schmavity

Elves don’t sink in snow, so Legolas can run right across tundras (like the Redhorn Pass during a magically-induced blizzard).

Legolas facts LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), New Line Cinema

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13. He Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts

When Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn must past through the Haunted Mountains, Legolas is unafraid—Elves have no fear of the ghosts of men. He is, however, pretty scared of Balrogs, ancient fiery monsters that were created by Morgoth, an evil demigod.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Return of the King (2003), New Line Cinema

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12. Behind the Fair Appearance

Legolas is portrayed on screen in all three Lord of the Rings movies and in The Hobbit movies by Orlando Bloom. Jude Law was also considered for the role.

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Legolas facts Getty Images

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11. No Pain, no Gain

While filming The Two Towers, Bloom fell off his horse and broke several ribs.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Return of the King (2003), New Line Cinema

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10. He Gives Katniss a Run for Her Money

Legolas has an uncanny accuracy with his bow and arrow. He also carries with him two long Elvish knives, which have vine-like designs running over the blades.

Legolas facts The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), MGM

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9. Sing Us a Song!

Legolas is known for expressing himself through song in the books, and when Boromir dies, he and Aragorn sing together in their friend’s honor.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), New Line Cinema

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8. A Handy Gift

Upon leaving Lothlórien, the members of the Fellowship are given gifts from Galadriel and Celeborn. Legolas receives a new longbow, which he ends up using to kill an evil beast with just one shot. Typical Legolas.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), New Line Cinema

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7. Extra Screen Time

Tolkien didn’t write Legolas into The Hobbit, but its screen adaptation adds him into two of the three films.

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Legolas facts The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), MGM

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6. Blue or Brown?

Bloom found the blue-tinted contacts lenses he wore as Legolas uncomfortable, so you may notice his eyes are Bloom’s natural shade of brown in some scenes throughout The Lord of the Rings.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), New Line Cinema

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5. The Silent Type

In the film series, the only time Legolas speaks to Frodo Baggins is in The Fellowship of the Ring, when the Elf says “and you have my bow.”

Legolas facts LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), New Line Cinema

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4. Where the Ocean Meets the Sky

When King Aragorn eventually dies, Legolas decides to leave Middle-earth for the Undying Lands, taking Gimli with him across the sea.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Return of the King (2003), New Line Cinema

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3. He Likes His Earth Tones

Legolas is more often than not dressed in green and brown, except for when he is in Lothlórien. There, he dresses in a blue tunic.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), New Line Cinema

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2. Almost Never Was

While Legolas is one of the most beloved characters in The Lord of The Rings, most fans don't realize he almost wasn't in the Fellowship of the Ring at all, and was instead replaced by another elf. That's right, in early drafts, Tolkien had that space filled by a different Elf, Glorfindel, but changed his mind during the final draft.

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J R R Tolkien.Getty Images

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1. Just a Little Friendly Competition Between Friends

Gimli and Legolas keep a running tally of how many orcs they kill during the Battle of the Hornburg. Though Legolas is beaten by just one (42-41 is the final count), the two gain a mutual respect for each other.

Legolas facts LOTR: The Two Towers (2002), New Line Cinema

 

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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