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->''"Mithril! All folk desired it. It could be beaten like copper, and polished like glass; and the Dwarves could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel. Its beauty was like to that of common silver, but the beauty of ''mithril'' did not tarnish or grow dim."''
-->-- '''Gandalf''', ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Book II, Chapter 4 "A Journey in the Dark".

Mithril is a fictional metal from Creator/JRRTolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings, with the name meaning "grey glitter" in [[{{Conlang}} Sindarin]]. It's silvery and stronger than steel but much lighter in weight. The author first wrote of it in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', and it was [[OrwellianRetcon retconned]] into the second, revised edition of ''Literature/TheHobbit'' in 1966. In the first 1937 edition, the mail shirt given to Bilbo was described as being made of "silvered steel".

The name "mithril" or similarly spelled variations (mithral, mythril, mythral, and others) is present in other fictional contexts like role-playing games, since the term is not trademarked, unlike "[[Literature/TheHobbit Hobbit]]" or "Balrog". The name is usually used for a special type of metal (often used as armor), or as a denomination of currency, or as a name for a project or device. It's very useful to have an exotic trope metal that is more rare and valuable than mundane metals like steel or gold. Citadel Miniatures even produced a color of (metallic) paint named Mithril Silver.

As to whether Mithril was ever based on a real metal, Tolkien never said. Guesses for this metal have been aluminum, titanium, naturally occurring titanium-molybdenum alloy and platinum (and yttrium silver [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermetallics if you want to get technical]]). Titanium comes closest in lightness, hardness, toughness and resistance to tarnishing, yet it is not found whole in nature, it has to be extracted from minerals via a complex process which could not be discovered and put in practice by a pre-industrial civilization. (Unless, perhaps, if they had magic....)

Subtrope of FantasyMetals. Compare with ThunderboltIron, {{Orichalcum}}, {{Hihiirokane}}, {{Unobtainium}}, SilverHasMysticPowers. Contrast with ColdIron.

Not to be confused with HeavyMithril, or [[Literature/FullMetalPanic the fictional mercenary organization of the same name]].
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!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'': Mithril (known by a variety of names) is the fifth element, a metal created only in rare cases where meteorites strike Earth. An indigenous Russian wiseman tells Paperinik that it was used in days of old to forge the legendary swords and impenetrable gates. In less poetic terms, it's an extremely rare element with the unique property that applying pressure to it causes it to expand to hundreds of times its original size. The conflict of the issue revolves around a weapons manufacturer who wants to exploit this for, what else, warfare.
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[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/{{Pokedex}}'': This is the "steel" that makes Lucario a Steel-type. In ancient times, natural deposits were mined to make armor and weapons, but now they're tapped out and people hunt Lucarios for the mithril in their bones.
* ''Fanfic/{{Scootamom}}'': Luna's material of choice when forging is an alloy of mithril, adamantine and [[Franchise/MarvelUniverse vibranium]].
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[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/CampfireCookingInAnotherWorldWithMyAbsurdSkill'': Mukohda, being from our Earth, has heard of mithril from existing fantasy stories, but it legitimately exists in the new world he has been transported to. It's light, extremely durable, and can innately repel or diffuse magical energy. It's also fairly rare, having few places it can be naturally mined.
* ''Literature/TheDwarves'': In a wide variety of flavours. Every God in the setting created a metal with no earthly counterpart. These metals are all rare and precious, and used almost solely for ornamentation.
* ''Literature/TheReturnOfPaulTwister'': When Paul hears about the extraordinary properties of the [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarven]] super-metal ''èla'', it's not surprising that this is the word he chooses to translate it. If John is right, though, the truth is even more interesting: apparently the dwarves, despite having the same pre-industrial technology level as everyone else, have figured out a way to [[{{Magitek}} mix magic with their metallurgical and smithing skills]] in order to overcome the considerable difficulties inherent in smelting and forging [[spoiler: titanium]]!
* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'': The TropeMaker and TropeNamer. ''Mithril'' in Sindarin (Elvish) means "grey glitter", the ''-ril'' part being the same as in ''Silmaril''. In Quenya (the classical language of the Elves) it was '' mistarillë''. It resembles silver, is extremely light, and is much stronger than steel. Mithril chain mail provides incredible protection, while weighing almost nothing. As a result, mithril -- sometimes called "truesilver" in the CommonTongue -- is incredibly valuable and searched after. It was the reason for the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm's wealth and power, as large mithril veins extend beneath Moria and the Misty Mountains. Greed for this metal eventually led to the downfall of the dwarves when they [[DugTooDeep found a vein of mithril that led to]] a [[SealedEvilInACan sleeping Balrog]].
* The ''Literature/{{Deverry}}'' series calls it "Dwarven Silver", and a dagger made of the metal is a recurring theme: it's the key signifier of mercenaries in the setting. The first book in the series is even called The Silver Dagger. It's most notable property is to glow when touched by an elf or half-elf.
* ''Literature/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'': Mithril is a substance created from fusing silver with Magisteel (metal forged from ore that has been transformed by absorbing sufficient quantities of [[{{Mana}} magicules]]), and it's particularly effective as a weapon against TheUndead.
* ''Literature/IsekaiNiOtosaretaJoukaWaKihon'': Mithril is a silver precious metal sought after by the humans of the other world, and is known for being difficult to manipulate with magic due to its magic content. If stretched thin enough, it becomes transparent, and can be used as a substitute for glass panes.
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[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' uses it, of course (sometimes spelled "Mithral"), as well as other properties based on it. In ''D&D'', mithral weapons and armor are lighter and have reduced or even removed penalties to strength and/or stealth checks, though they are far more expensive due to the metal's rarity. Mithral dragons also exist, and are some of the rarest and most powerful.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Ryuutama}}'': Items made of Mythril are lighter, smaller and more durable than ones made from regular metals.
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[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''Franchise/DragonAge'': While mithril itself (or anything similarly named) doesn't appear to exist within the setting, its traditional role is taken by the metal silverite. It is exceptionally rare and valuable, is a beautiful, clear silver color, hard enough that it serves as the second best armor material in almost every game it appears in (normally surpassed only by dragonbone) and light/flexible enough that in Inquisition, armor made of it has the unique property of being wearable by members of any character class regardless of type (so even silverite plate armor could be worn by a rogue or a mage. Mind you, this is still rarely done as these classes aren't expected to need heavy armor anyway, wearing their own unique types mostly for the stat bonuses). In ''Origins'', it also appears to be extremely harmful to the darkspawn -- likely the reason that Grey Warden weapons and armor are traditionally made of it. Silverite is also not unbreakable, which leads to another reason it is usually only used by the rich: it is nigh impossible to repair completely. Any attempt will leave flaws in the armor or blade that will inevitably break again, and far more severely the next time. Hence, damaged silverite needs to be replaced completely, which is, naturally, expensive.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': Mithril is a fairly rare metal, usually either silvery or blue, that is sometimes used to make armor. It's light and very strong, but it isn't the highest-grade metal in the game -- that's typically Daedric. In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall'', Mithril is explicitly a mid-grade material.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': Mythril shows up at the beginning of the game in the form of mythril bags needed to safely carry the [[CosmicKeystone elemental stars]]. In ''The Lost Age'' and ''Dark Dawn'', it reappears as Mythril Silver, a material that can be collected and forged into special equipment pieces.
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'': Curiously, the series portrays mythril a very low-grade metal obtained in the early game.
* ''VideoGame/MoonDiver'': Mithril used to be fictional in-universe, but was made real through modern science and alchemy.
* ''VideoGame/PopfulMail'': Mithril makes up one of Venuncio's golems, and also the Overlord's host body.
* ''VideoGame/RealmOfTheMadGod'': Mithril is described as "the strongest and most desirable of all metals". In practice, mithril is mostly alluded to in a few items, and the GameBreaker Mithril Sword was removed relatively early in development, eventually being replaced by the Crystal Sword.
* ''VideoGame/RomancingWalker'': Appears as the "El Metal", mined by the elves of Elzcrown; it's very strong and very light, and Ryle uses it to upgrade his boat.
* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'': Mithril is stronger than steel and requires high levels of mining and smithing to work, and in the earliest days of ''Runescape'', it was the third strongest metal in the game, behind Adamantium and Runite. By today's standards it's a rather low-level armour, requiring only 30 Defense to wear. In accordance with tradition, though, it weighs less than other metals.
* ''VideoGame/ShiningForceII'': You'll find mithril in different places, and if you hold onto them for the whole game near the end the Dwarven blacksmith will forge powerful mithril weapons for your force.
* ''VideoGame/ShiningTheHolyArk'': You can find Mithril Ore and Mithril Ingots on your travels and, for a fee, they can be crafted by the blacksmith in Desire Village into useful equipment.
* ''VideoGame/SimonTheSorcerer'': In the first game you have to obtain milrith. Which, as the blacksmith helpfully points, "It's an anagram of mithril". It's that kind of game.
* ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons2014'': Mithril is treated more as a gem than as an ore, and required for crafting several high-end garden decorations and some jewelry (but not much else).
* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'': Mythril is a blueish-green metal used to craft decent gear and the ever-important Mythril Anvil. At the time of its addition, Mythril was the third-strongest metal in the game (beaten by Adamantite and Hallowed metal), but years of feature creep have left it basically a footnote, with worlds even having a 50% chance to generate largely superior {{Orichalcum}} instead.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': Mithril exists, but it's disappointing compared to [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings the original]] or in other settings. Due to the ExpansionPackWorld franchise and the [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame leveling process]] in general, gear is continually replaced. When the game was new, mithril was the second- or third-best naturally-occurring ore available. Players could make weapons and armor out of it and some of those weapons would probably last them until just before the endgame. Today, over a dozen better metals have been introduced, and mithril is just another relatively brief part of leveling.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': Mythril appears as rare blue and purple materials for the [[ItemCrafting synthesis]] of rare items such as the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Ultima Weapon]]. Mythril often comes as shards, stones, gems, or crystals. It can also be synthesized in all its forms in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. But, it takes rare materials in of itself.
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[[folder:Other]]
* In the extended ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' canon, Mithril is mentioned a few times as part of the body or weapons of the creatures, such as Garurumon's fur or Iikakumon's horn. Although it has much less relevance and power than other original fictional materials from the franchise itself such as the Chrome Digizoid.
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