Setting-wide: Peoples and Races, Sauron The Silmarillion: Eru and the Ainur, Enemies, First-Generation Elven Royalty, the House of Fëanor, the House of Fingolfin The Hobbit The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Free Men, the Elves, the Forces of Sauron, Other Characters
The Elves
O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
We still remember, we who dwell
In this far land beneath the trees,
Thy starlight on the Western Seas.
We still remember, we who dwell
In this far land beneath the trees,
Thy starlight on the Western Seas.
A proud and ancient race of immortal beings, possessing great knowledge and sorrow accumulated over thousands of years. By the time of The Lord of the Rings, they are diminishing, having grown weary of Middle-earth and preparing to leave it for good. But before they go, they still have a part to play in the War of the Ring, aiding the other Free Peoples in beating back Sauron's machinations.
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Elves in General
- The Ageless: Elves do not suffer from old age or decrepitude and can live more or less indefinitely. That being said, Elves do eventually age, as evidenced by the existence of Círdan the Shipwright (one of only two elves known to have grown a beard) and a poorly defined "third cycle of life." Many individual Elves are explicitly described as such:
- "The face of Elrond was ageless, neither old nor young, though in it was written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful."
- Regarding Elrond's daughter Arwen: "Young she was and yet not so..."
- Regarding Celeborn and Galadriel: "...no sign of age was upon them, unless it were in the depths of their eyes..."
- Dying Race: Most of the tribes of Elves have been slowly but steadily declining since the First Age, as a result of constant wars against the forces of the darkness, a low birth rate, and their living members steadily trickling away and West and leaving Middle-earth forever. By the time of the War of the Ring, the High Elves who crossed the sea to arrive in Middle-earth or are descended from them are in the last gasps of their people's presence in Middle-earth — and they're fully aware of this.
- Elves Versus Dwarves: Somewhat of an Ur-Example, but largely an Unbuilt Trope as it's heavily nuanced and played with. Generally, while the peoples certainly aren't bosom buddies, and there's plenty of Fantastic Racism to go around, they do share numerous common enemies who are often much stronger than they are (Morgoth, Sauron, the Orcs), and there's never any hesitation on either side to unite against these threats. There's only one example of an actual battle between Elves and Dwarves (not including any occasion when Elves might have fought an army of Morgoth or Sauron that happened to include evil Dwarves), which is covered in The Silmarillion; even then, it's a specific tribe of Elves fighting a specific tribe of Dwarves (and this is after another tribe of Dwarves attempted unsuccessfully to talk their kin out of going to war against the Elves). By the Third Age, with both races in decline, they largely prefer to stay out of each other's way, sometimes (as in the case of Gimli and Legolas pre-Character Development) engaging in mutual Passive-Aggressive Kombat when forced to work together. It helps that Durin's Folk (the Dwarven tribe that includes Thorin, Dáin, Glóin, and Gimli) is described as being the tribe that is most friendly to the Eldar.
- In The Hobbit, Thorin and Company have no problem whatsoever with availing themselves of the hospitality of Elrond Halfelven. (And later, in The Lord of the Rings, Dáin dispatches Glóin and Gimli to Rivendell for the express purpose of seeking Elrond's counsel regarding the threat of Mordor.) While their interactions with the Wood-elves are much more tense, to the point of almost spilling into open warfare, it's still a relatively private spat between a kingdom of isolationist Elves and a bunch of hangry Dwarves (during the Council of Elrond, Gandalf summarizes the conflict as "a regrettable misunderstanding, long set right," and Glóin — who had brought up the topic — doesn't press the point). Dáin initially arrives to reinforce Thorin and Company against the Wood-elves, but he allies himself with the Wood-elves without any fuss when the goblins attack. And the very end of the book includes a throwaway line about there being "friendship in those parts between elves and dwarves and men."
- Unfinished Tales reveals that the legendary Elven smith Celebrimbor (who made, among other things, the Rings of Power) had a deep friendship with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, especially one Narvi. In fact, the West-gate of Moria (AKA the infamous "Speak Friend and Enter" door) was made to facilitate traffic between the Elves of Eregion (Hollin) and the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. Thousands of years after Celebrimbor and Narvi's deaths and the ruin of Hollin and Khazad-dûm, the doors remain, along with the inscription: "I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs."
- Inhumanly Beautiful Race: Elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's works are almost invariably described as being good looking. The three best-looking females in Middle-earth are all Elves or part Elvish. But that's only according to non-elves, as there are elves in The Silmarillion that are described as plain or even ruddy.
- Our Elves Are Different: Despite being by and large the Trope Maker for modern fantasy elves, Middle-earth's Elves are an interesting sort. They are ageless and potentially immortal, but can be killed from excessive physical trauma or will themselves to die from grief; linger in the world as faint shadows upon death, but can reincarnate; and are less a Dying Race and more properly just in cultural decline and leaving the world for the earthly paradise of the Valar. Physically it's unclear if they actually have pointed ears, their skin colors have a lot of variety and have been described as anything from somewhat dark to glowing and nearly translucent. The ancient elves particularly were noted to have glowing eyes as a side effect of growing up in Valinor and come up to around six or seven feet tall on average.
- Vestigial Empire: In the Elder Days, and even in the Second Age, Elven kingdoms were extensive, powerful and widespread. Almost all have fallen by the books' time, and all that's left of the greatest civilizations in the world are a bare handful of city-states and isolated households left over as their former states slowly crumbled away. According to the text, this was more or less inevitable but the wars with Sauron certainly sped the decline along.
Elves of Rivendell
Elrond
The Half-Elven, Master of Rivendell, father of Arwen, and bearer of one of the three elven Rings, Vilya the Ring of Air, given to him by Gil-galad before the latter's death at the end of the Second Age. He was a great warrior during the Second Age, and is a great healer and scholar as well as a cunning strategist; however, while he declines to participate directly in the War of the Ring, he has a much more personal stake in the conflict than is immediately noticeable.
- Alliterative Family: Elrond's brother is Elros, his mother is Elwing, and his sons are Elladan and Elrohir.
- Badass Bookworm: He fought in the Last Alliance under Gil-galad, and is famous for his learning.
- Bittersweet Ending: It's said in the Appendices that for Elrond, "all chances of the War of the Ring were fraught with sorrow." Either Sauron prevailed, or Aragorn became king and he lost Arwen. In the end, the Fellowship defeated Sauron, restored the kingdom of Gondor and Arnor, and saved Middle-earth, but Elrond had to part with his daughter Arwen forever, even beyond the end of the world. His sons may have become mortal as well, which would leave him with no surviving children.
- Cultured Badass: A renowned loremaster, he also led Gil-galad's army against Sauron in the Second Age.
- Divine Parentage: His ancestor Melian is a Maia.
- Elemental Powers: The Ring of Air presumably gives him these, though his main demonstration is in making the river Bruinen flood.
- Engagement Challenge: Demanded that Aragorn become king of both Arnor and Gondor before marrying Arwen. At the time the books take place, Gondor hadn't had a king for almost a thousand years, and Arnor hadn't even existed for even longer.
- Happily Adopted: By Maglor. Rather remarkable, considering that Maglor took him and his brother prisoner (when they were about five years old), and was among the people who tried to kill his mother and successfully killed his grandparents. It helps that Maglor and Maedhros were compelled by the Oath of Feanor, the most reluctant about it, and tried to atone for their actions — with Maedhros in particular regretting his failure to save Elrond's uncles, Elured and Elurin — and decided that Evil Parents Want Good Kids.
- Heinz Hybrid: Hence Elrond the Half-Elven. Technically, he's 9/16 Elven, 3/8 Man, and 1/16 angelic, but that's too long for a nickname. Unlike his brother, he embraces his Elf side and lived for a long time as a result.
- Heroic Lineage: His ancestors were mostly famous heroes in Beleriand in the war against Morgoth. His brother Elros became the first King of Númenor, so he's also closely related to the Heroic Lineage that produced Aragorn. Counting his adopted father, he is also connected to the House of Fëanor, which some might call heroic.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Notably, his applies to both his daughter Arwen and his foster-son Aragorn. While he does set the Engagement Challenge mentioned above, the context suggests that he almost expects Aragorn to meet it. And while he's not thrilled at the prospect of being separated from Arwen beyond the end of the world, he's more concerned that she might not be able to stomach the Doom of Men (death). (And he's right.) Nonetheless, he's the one who places Arwen's hand in Aragorn's when they get married.
- Living Distant Ancestor: A many times great-uncle of Aragorn via his brother Elros. Justified due to his Elvish immortality.
- Medical Monarch: While not technically a monarch, he's indisputably the Lord of Rivendell and arguably the most capable healer in all of Middle-earth. He's good enough to prevent the Morgul-knife wound from turning Frodo into a wraith. Later, in the aftermath of the Siege of Minas Tirith, Aragorn (a Medical Monarch himself) laments that Elrond isn't present to help heal the victims of Witch-king exposure.
- Parental Abandonment: His parents were both chased out of his homeland by an invasion when he was a little kid, and his father then became the Morning Star. It Makes Sense in Context.
- Parental Substitute: For Aragorn, whom "he came to love as a son." He also fostered several of Aragorn's ancestors.
- The Philosopher King: People of all races and from all around Middle-earth will go to Rivendell to seek his counsel.
- Psychic Powers: He communicates without speaking with Galadriel, Celeborn and Gandalf using Telepathy at the end of the book.
- Raised by Rival: Elrond and his twin brother Elros were raised by Maglor and Maedhros, the last sons of Fëanor. In other words, one of the most prominent and beloved leaders of elves in the second and third ages was raised from a very young age by the most hated of all elven families.
- Really 700 Years Old: More like Sixty-five Hundred Years Old.
- Stellar Name: "Vault of the Stars" or "Star-dome."
- The Strategist: Heavily downplayed, but during the Last Debate, after Gandalf proposes assaulting the Black Gate, Elrohir mentions that Elrond had devised this very strategy. As it's highly unlikely that Gandalf managed to communicate with Elrond off-page, it seems that Elrond came up with the idea on his own.
- Theme Twin Naming: Theme Twin Naming is a thing with Half-Elven twin boys, one he kept up with his own sons.
- There Are No Coincidences: Invokes this near the beginning of the Council of Elrond: he didn't organize it, but a group of delegates of all the Free Peoples just so happens to have gathered under his roof at about the same time (notably, Boromir only arrived in Rivendell that morning).Elrond: That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so.
- The Three Faces of Adam: Aragorn is The Hunter, seeking a place for himself in this world and to prove himself worthy to get what he wants, Elrond is The Lord, well-established, striving to maintain a balance and preserve what he has, Gandalf is The Prophet, the guide who tries to impress his wisdom on the young ones.
Arwen
Arwen Undómiel, the Evenstar, is a half-elven woman of great beauty whom Aragorn hopes to marry. Unfortunately, she shows up in only three chapters of the story, the second one being her wedding to the King of Gondor. Tolkien rectified by including more about her romance with Aragorn in the appendices.
- Alphabetical Theme Naming: Arwen and Aragorn.
- Author Appeal: Of the Raven Hair, Ivory Skin variety. She's the second-most beautiful woman ever born (after her ancestor Lúthien, whom she greatly resembles) and like Lúthien, her hair is very black and her skin very white.
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished: While Aragorn aged fairly normally if gracefully (for a 200-year-old guy), Arwen remained youthful right up until her death. She still hadn't become weary of Middle-earth by the time Aragorn died.
- Bittersweet Ending: She gives up her immortality to stay with Aragorn, and they lived together 122 years. But Aragorn eventually dies, and though she could still have lived much longer, Arwen follows him not long afterward by dying of grief.
- Deader than Dead: Like Luthien before her, she claimed the human gift of mortality and died in truth, her soul following Aragorn's beyond the walls of the world.
- My Girl Back Home: For Aragorn during most of the book.
- Heroic Lineage: Descended from Galadriel, Celeborn, Eärendil, Tuor, Idril, Dior, Beren, Lúthien, Barahir, Turgon, Fingolfin, Thingol, and other famous characters.
- Hero's Muse: She functions in this role for Aragorn: the driving force behind his striving to regain his crown is his love for Arwen and the fact that he can only marry her once he is king.
- The High Queen: Of Gondor. Notably, The Tale of Arwen and Aragorn lists her title as "Queen of Elves and Men."
- Kissing Cousins: Aragorn is technically her first cousin, albeit sixty-seven times removed. This was made possible since Arwen herself is really 2700 Years Old. For reference, she would be as closely related to Aragon as a 34th cousin making this a really downplayed Trope note . The generation gap would be the odder part of their relationship.
- The Lady's Favor: Wove a flag for Aragorn; gave him the Elfstone via Galadriel.
- Mayfly–December Romance: With a mortal, leading her eventually to give up the Elvish immortality which she'd had for the past 2700 years.
- Missing Mom: Her mother Celebrían, unable to endure the woes of Middle-earth any longer, had sailed West centuries ago.
- Mysterious Waif: Not a very developed character in the books, and she seems mostly like a trope device serving as a call to adventure for Aragorn.
- Nice Girl: While she barely has enough lines to establish much about her personality, she shows her kindness when she gives Frodo some sort of mystical necklace that will ease his lingering sufferings, as well as offering him a chance at greater healing.
- Not So Above It All: A particularly tragic/bittersweet example. When Aragorn lies on his deathbed, it's stated that for all of Arwen's wisdom and lineage, she can't forbear to plead with him to stay a little longer. (Like the ancient Kings of Númenor, Aragorn has the ability to lay down his life whenever he wants, although he does have a maximum lifespan.) When Aragorn gently refuses, she responds with the "Not So Different" Remark below.
- "Not So Different" Remark: She confesses a variant of this at Aragorn's deathbed: she had previously scorned his Númenórean ancestors as being fools for clinging to life, but now she finally understands why they were so reluctant to die.
- Out of Focus: Since she was only created late into the writing of LOTR, Arwen's role is fairly minimal. The Tale of Arwen and Aragorn in Appendix A would flesh out her story and relationship with Aragorn.
- Princess Classic: Not really a princess in title, but in everything else.
- Proper Lady: Nearly her defining trait.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: A family trait.
- Really 700 Years Old: Twenty-seven hundred years, to be precise. And like an elf, she looks eternally youthful.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Her biggest on-page contribution to the story occurs after the War of the Ring has been won: she offers Frodo a special gift — the opportunity to sail to the West in her place, should he desire. Frodo eventually accepts. (A note in letter #246 of The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien elaborates on this: having noticed Frodo's lingering discomfort, Arwen came up with the idea of sending him to the West and made the request of Gandalf, using her own forfeiture of her immortality as a supporting argument, and Gandalf authorized it in his capacity as an emissary of the Valar.)
- Uneven Hybrid: Predominantly Elven (25/32), but through her father, she also had human ancestors (6/32), and at least one Maiar ancestor.
- Who Wants to Live Forever?: When Aragorn decided to die of old age 120 years after the War of the Ring, she finally understood how unpleasant dying can be. By then it was too late to change her mind, and she has to come to accept the fact that she will endure such a fate.
- World's Most Beautiful Woman: Literally (after Lúthien died). Although Gimli would beg to differ (his vote's on Galadriel), he'll agree to disagree on this point.
Elladan and Elrohir
Elrond's sons and Arwen's older brothers. While never actually stated to be twins, most of the fandom assumes they are given that they were born in the same year and twins run in Elrond's family.
- Always Identical Twins: Few could tell them apart.
- Back for the Finale: They show up to fight alongside their foster brother at Pelennor Fields.
- The Dividual: They are never described apart from each other, and for all intents and purposed are the same.
- I Choose to Stay: Both remain in Middle-earth after their father and other relatives have left. Some interpret this as choosing a mortal life, but it is never clarified.
- It's Personal: They've been ardent orc-hunters ever since their mother was captured and tortured by them.
- Out of Focus: Despite being Aragorn's foster brothers, the two receive little characterization and are essentially (as far as we see) alike in every way.
- Revenge by Proxy: They continue to despise all Orcs, hunting and killing them, five hundred years later for what other members of their race did to their mother.
- Save the Princess: It was their mother, and it didn't quite work out but still.
Glorfindel
An Elf-lord of Rivendell.
- Back from the Dead:
Tolkien's letters stated that Glorfindel from Gondolin and Glorfindel from the Lord of the Rings was the same elf, just reincarnated. Although technically this happens to all Elves; the real "back" part is that he returned to Middle-earth as opposed to staying in Valinor. - Big Damn Heroes: He arrives to help bring Frodo safely to Rivendell, and directly fights off the Nazgûl at the ford of Bruinen.
- Cool Horse: Asfaloth. He understands Glorfindel's commands, and if Glorfindel orders him to bear a rider, he won't let the rider fall.
- Hyper-Competent Sidekick: Dialog states that he was possibly the most powerful Elf in Rivendell at the time the Fellowship was there. Gandalf implies that for the Fellowship's mission of stealth, his degree of power would have been a case of Cursed with Awesome: too obvious to avoid attention from Sauron but not powerful enough to overcome him.
- Minor Major Character: A very important Elven lord and a major figure in the history of Middle-earth. His role in the main narrative however is fairly small, though impactful.
- Taking You with Me: His death in the backstory.
- Uniformity Exception: Glorfindel is perhaps the only named Elf in the entire Legendarium who died, went to the halls of Mandos, resurrected in the Undying Lands, then came back to Middle-earth. Even more, his return was at the behest of Manwë, who's effectively the Top God of the settingnote .
- You Shall Not Pass!: When the refugees of Gondolin were escaping, he barred the way to the group of orcs and the Balrog that were chasing them. He killed most of the orcs and killed the Balrog as well, at the cost of his own life.
- You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry!: A noble, wise, and kind elf lord. His wrath terrifies the Nazgûl horses enough that they plunge into a raging river to escape. Previously, he'd sent the Witch-king running for undead existence after the Fall of Angmar.
- In the backstory, Glorfindel is one of the few who took on a Balrog and killed it, even at the cost of his own life.
Elves of Lothlórien
Galadriel
- "In Dwimordene, in LorienSeldom have walked the feet of Men,Few mortal eyes have seen the light,That lies there ever long and bright.Galadriel! Galadriel!Clear is the water of your well,White is the star in your white hand,Unmarred, unstained is leaf and land,In Dwimordene, in Lorien,More fair than thoughts of Mortal Men."
- Action Girl: In her youth. According to one version in Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, she fought for the Teleri in the first Kinslaying. And that she was an Action Girl actually means a lot more than it sounds like — the elves believed women had a special role as healers, a task no less critical than that of warriors, most of whom were men (Elrond was a bit unusual, being both a masterful warrior and a great healer). Women could fight (and certainly trained to know how), but it was believed that the act of fighting endangered their abilities as healers. And it's hinted in the novels that she still is an Action Girl, if single-handedly destroying Dol Guldur in the War of the Ring is anything to go by.
- Tolkien wrote that she was the "only female to stand tall in those days" and wrote in one of his letters that Galadriel had something of an "Amazon" disposition in her youth, though this was in peacetime before any Elven wars happened, and she often "bound up her hair as a crown when taking part in athletic feats".
- Battle Couple: Galadriel and Celeborn. While Frodo and Sam are on their way to Mordor, Celeborn marshals the forces of Lórien to cross the Anduin and lay siege to Dol Guldur. After a long battle, Celeborn captures the fortress and Galadriel throws down its walls and purifies it.
- Big Good: Frodo even offers her the Ring because of this, although this turns out not to be a good idea. Her title of "the Lady of Light" also puts her in direct thematic opposition to the Big Bad Sauron, who is known as "the Dark Lord".
- Dream Weaver: Owns a magic pool that shows the person who looks into it visions of the past, present, and possible futures.
- Not to mention that she was single-handedly responsible for the transformation of a fairly ordinary woodland realm into the Golden Wood of Lothlorien (a name that even means "Dream Blossom" or "Land of Dreaming Blossoms") a living memory of old Eldamar in which the effects and even perception of time are nigh nonexistent.
- The Dreaded: She's this to the Dwarves and the Forces of Evil. Galadriel is one of the most powerful Elves that still exist in Middle-earth and is spoken of as an elf witch or sorceress. In reality they're not far off, but she is unquestionably benevolent.
- The Dulcinea Effect: Actually averted. She actually wins Gimli over by gently rebutting Celeborn's insensitive remarks, including referring to Dwarven landmarks by their Khuzdul names rather than their Sindarin names (e.g. Khazad-dûm as opposed to Moria). This unexpected kindness touches Gimli profoundly, causing him to consider her worthy of his admiration.
- Elemental Powers: Wields Nenya, the elven Ring of Water, and uses its power to keep her kingdom more or less frozen in time.
- The Fair Folk: The Rohirrim think of her as this, and she isn't entirely sure she isn't one herself.
- Fantastic Light Source: The phial that she gifts to Frodo contains water from her mirror that has been infused with the light of the star of Eärendil which itself is a Silmaril being pulled around the night sky in a ship by Elrond's father, Eärendil. The phial ends up being invaluable to Frodo and Sam later on as they use it to escape Shelob's lair.
- The Final Temptation: When Frodo offers her the Ring, she speculates what she could become if she took it.
- Fisher King: Over Lothlórien, thanks to Nenya. When the Rings fail and she leaves, its beauty and enchantment quickly fade.
- Foil: In several ways she's Sauron's mirror opposite. Both she and Sauron rule over mighty regions primarily kept running by their own power, both are immensely powerful creatures whose spiritual influence echo through Middle-earth and affect character's psyches often and both possess rings of power. This is most noticeable when Frodo and Sam are making their way through Mordor, and they often describe a dark influence storming their spirit (implicitly, Sauron's will echoing) but also a light power arising within them (implicitly, Galadriel's influence).
- Gold and White Are Divine: The description of her in the books is clearly meant to evoke this trope. Her famous hair is of the deepest gold woven with silver and she primarily wears flowing white gowns of the deepest white adorned with jewellery made from gold and/or Mithril. It is clearly meant to symbolize her divinity as one of the oldest, wisest and most powerful beings in all of the realm and perhaps the sole being (other than Gandalf himself) in Middle-earth that Sauron actually fears. Due to her own powers combined with her ring Nenya he cannot see into her mind without the power of the One Ring. Also, she is the Lady of Light and Light Is Good.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: Galadriel's temptation shows that she could be this, but she resists. Had she taken the One Ring for herself, she would have used it to become a tyrant who rules Middle-earth as "benevolently" as someone corrupted by it would.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Like all the House of Finarfin she has golden hair — in her case, gold intermixed with silver (inherited from her mother) to make her especially gorgeous. They were the wisest and kindest of the Noldorin royal houses (though Galadriel is still badly tempted by the One Ring), the most friendly to mortals, and the ones least guilty of wrongdoing in the rebellion. None of them took part in the Kinslaying even by accident. In his last writings Tolkien even decided that Galadriel didn't participate in the rebellion at all, but left Valinor separately.
- Hidden Depths: In her youth, Galadriel had a great sense of pride and a hunger for power. One of the reasons she came to Middle-earth at all was to have a kingdom of her own. In the Lord of the Rings, She too lusts after the Ring, but just barely manages to overcomes its temptation.
- The High Queen: Technically she is not a Queen as she and Celeborn did not wish to take royal titles, but she is still the leader of Lothlórien.
- As the daughter of Finarfin and the highest ranking Noldorin Elf left in Middle-earth, she could have become the actual High Queen after the death of her kinsman Gil-galad, but neither she nor Elrond (a descendant of her cousin Turgon) succeeded as monarch for unknown reasons. It is possible that the High Elves, unlike the Sindar, practiced Salic succession, which would mean that neither Galadriel as a female, nor Elrond whose descent was maternal, had a claim.
- I Have Many Names:
- Artanis, "noble woman," was her father-name, or the name given to her by her father Finarfin.
- Nerwen, "man-maiden," was her mother-name, or the name given to her by her mother Eärwen. This was in reference to her unusual tall height and strength for a woman.
- Alatárielle, "maiden crowned with a radiant garland," was given to her back in Aman by her Telerin lover Teleporno, in reference to her silver-gold hair.
- Altáriel was the Quenya semi-calque of Alatárielle. The full calque would have been Ñaltáriel, but this was not used as her Quenya form.
- Galadriel was the Sindarin calque of Alatárielle, after she and her husband went to Middle-earth. Teleporno took the name Celeborn, the Sindarin calque of his own name, presumably to stop everyone from snickering. If your name was Teleporno, you too would want to change it to anything else.
- Her titles include Lady of the Golden Wood.
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Played with. Galadriel seems so perfectly good that Frodo offers her the Ring (apparently forgetting Gandalf's reaction to the same offer). She reveals that she is not incorruptible — that Frodo has unthinkingly presented her with a terrible temptation. She overcomes that temptation long enough to send the Ring away.
- Intergenerational Friendship: With Melian (older than her) and later Celebrimbor and Elrond (younger).
- It May Help You on Your Quest: Significantly downplayed. She gives each of the Fellowship a gift at their parting, but while some are more blatantly supernatural than others, the story makes it clear that they were all thoughtfully chosen.
- Aragorn receives a sheath for his sword Andúril, and it's stated that the blade drawn from the sheath will never be stained or broken, even in defeat. It's rather obvious how practical this sort of enchantment is for a sword-wielding warriornote , but it's also more than likely (given Galadriel's history with Aragorn) that she knows of Andúril's origins as Narsil, the Sword that was Broken. (Aragorn also gets a green gem, and he's clearly aware of its significance.)
- Boromir, Merry, and Pippin get belts — generically useful gifts, as Galadriel is not shown to have any special knowledge or relationship to them.
- Legolas gets a bow and arrows — specifically, a longer bow than the one he brought with him from Mirkwood. Again, a practical gift for a Long-Range Fighter.
- Averted with Sam's gift, a box of earth from Galadriel's orchard. Galadriel herself lampshades how useless it'll be on the quest, and how it may only come in handy afterwards. It's almost certain that she chose that gift after witnessing Sam's rage and grief over the deforestation of the Shire that he witnessed in her Mirror the previous evening.
- Naturally also completely averted with Gimli, as Galadriel can't think of anything to give him and has to resort to asking him to request a gift from her. She graciously gives him what he desires (a hair from her head —
she gives him three), but it's also abundantly clear that it won't help him on his quest either. - Played straightest with the phial of light that she gives Frodo — but even then, as Galadriel obviously knows of Frodo's quest to Mordor (which literally means "Dark Land"), the practical applications of what's essentially a magical flashlight are quite obvious. And it should be noted that, while the phial more than proves its worth against Shelob and the Watchers of Cirith Ungol, it fails completely against the darkness of Mount Doom in the heart of Sauron's realm. (Not to mention that it's actually Sam, not Frodo, who is wielding the phial on all three occasions.)
- It's Personal: Galadriel had even more reason than most to want Sauron destroyed as he was directly responsible for the death of her older brother Finrod and much of the rest of her family (including her other brothers Angrod and Aegnor) were slain in the many battles against his former master, Morgoth.
- Just the First Citizen: Galadriel and Celeborn made the decision not to take royal titles (which is why they are the Lord and Lady of their realm rather than the King and Queen) as they saw themselves as the guardians of Lothlórien rather than its rulers.
- Last of Her Kind: Not the last Elf, but the last of the – named, at least – Noldor who were exiled from Valinor. Also, incidentally, the only one to return (without dying first).
- The Lady's Favor: Three golden hairs from her head. Which is more than Fëanor got, incidentally...
- "Leave Your Quest" Test: Telepathically subjects each individual member of the Fellowship to this during their initial meeting. Only Aragorn and Legolas are able to endure her glance.
- Light Is Not Good: She's referred to as the Lady of the Golden Wood or Lady of Light, and while firmly on the side of good for the purposes of the story, has serious implicit (and in The Silmarillion explicit) power trip tendencies that she keeps in check to prevent herself from becoming this.
- Madonna Archetype: She is depicted as motherly, has a name which translates to "lady crowned in light" in her language (thus alluding to a halo), and was entrusted with one of the rings of power by a higher being- a great responsibility. Tolkien also stresses her purity, stating that she was "unstained" and "had committed no evil deeds." Some critics debate whether or not Galadriel is truly meant to resemble Mary in any way, but given Tolkien's strong Catholicism, these traits all suggest the parallels are intentional.
- Magic Is Feminine: If the account of her and Celeborn capturing Dol Guldur and throwing down its walls during the appendices of The Lord of the Rings is anything to go by, Celeborn is the one who leads the army of the Galadhrim, and Galadriel is the one who throws down Dol Guldur's walls and lays bare its pits. Unlike the First Age example where she fought with weapons, here she's implied to be a magical Person of Mass Destruction, but she apparently did her thing after the fortress is captured.
- Master-Apprentice Chain: Galadriel was taught by Melian the Maia during her time living in Doriath in the First Age, and interestingly seems to have employed her own version of Melian's magical and protective 'girdle' to protect her own kingdom of Lothlórien during the Third Age and the events of The Lord of the Rings.
- Meaningful Name: Galadriel is Sindarin for 'maiden crowned with a radiant garland'. It's actually not her birth name (her father-name was Artanis and her mother-name was Nerwen), but was instead bestowed upon her by Celeborn.
- Multiple-Choice Past: Tolkien never really came up with a background for her that he was satisfied with, creating revised versions as late as the last months of his life. Unfinished Tales furnishes a variety of them, with the main distinctions being in how complicit Galadriel was in Fëanor's rebellion and how and when she met her husband. Christopher Tolkien suggests that a very possible reason for his father's uncertainty is that it took a while for him to work out how important Galadriel was supposed to be in Middle-earth's history—notice, for instance, how she plays almost no part in the conflicts of the First Age, since they were likely mostly mapped out before Galadriel was even conceived of.
- In the former case, in some versions Galadriel was an uneasy ally to Fëanor who defended the Teleri during the First Kinslaying, but shared enough of his signature flaws, such as his great pride and lust for vengeance, that she was still defiant to the demands of the Valar and so refused to go home. Alternatively, she bore no allegiance to Fëanor but rode the wave of the rebellion anyway, as she was interested in carving out a kingdom of her own in Middle-earth. In these versions, her story has something of a redemption to it, where by the end of the Third Age, her turning down the Ring proves she has grown past her old arrogance. However, yet another version, late in Tolkien's life, has her being totally opposed to Fëanor from the beginning, taking no part whatsoever in his rebellion, and arriving at Middle-earth of her own will just before he did, before writing off the war as a lost cause and heading east, but fell under the ban anyway.
- In the latter case, in an early version, Celeborn is a Nandorin Teleri who lived in Lothlórien his whole life, and Galadriel met him there sometime in the First Age and stayed with him. This was then followed by a version where he is a Sindarin elf related to Thingol, whom Galadriel met in Doriath sometime in the First Age. In yet another version, he is a Teleri elf related to Thingol, and Galadriel met him before she even set out from Valinor, sailing to Middle-earth at his side.
- "Not So Different" Remark: A rare example where all parties are heroic. After Celeborn suggests that Gandalf needlessly threw his life away by venturing into Moria and indirectly blames Gimli for the tragedy, Galadriel chides him that Gimli just wanted to visit the ancestral home that he had never seen — and that, were Lothlórien ruined and abandoned, Celeborn would likewise brave any danger to glimpse it again. To Celeborn's credit, he immediately acknowledges the wisdom in his wife's words and retracts his earlier statements.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Her destruction of Dol Guldur is described in the Appendices with the other battles that took place concurrent to the ones depicted in the text.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Like many other Middle-earth characters, she is known in legends not by her birth name (Artanis Nerwen) but by the name given to her by her lover, Celeborn. Galadriel means Maiden Crowned With Radiant Garland, a reference to her hair that is considered wondrous even by Elven standards.
- Person of Mass Destruction: Galadriel is one of the most powerful characters in Middle-earth, at least those who aren't Maia, capable of even standing up to (at least in his diminished state) Sauron himself. A notable display of her power is leveling Dol Guldur by herself. It's implied her being corrupted by the One Ring would be comparably bad to it corrupting Gandalf.
- The Philosopher King: Probably one of the wisest still in Middle-earth.
- Pride: Her reason for going into exile, and later for refusing the pardon of the Valar. Her Final Tempation in The Lord of the Rings was the moment she overcame this flaw.
- Psychic Powers / Telepathy: She greets each of the Fellowship with a searching telepathic question, which greatly unnerves some of them. She also communicates without speaking with Gandalf, Celeborn and Elrond using Telepathy at the end of the final book.
- Appears to be a family trait, her brother Finrod could not only communicate telepathically, but was actually able to full-on read people's minds (he used it to become an omniglot).
- Put on a Bus: She apparently left Beleriand for Eriador with Celeborn at some point prior to Nargothrond's fall, explaining her notable absence from Quenta Silmarilion post Dagor Bragollach.
- Rebellious Princess: She is a Noldorin princess and was one of the most prominent leaders of their rebellion and revolt from Valinor, though she did not side with Fëanor in the Kinslaying but instead fought against him in defense of her Teleri kin.
- Reused Character Design: Literary example: the terms and attributes she is described with make her resemble strongly Goldberry, who was introduced before her and might even have been created earlier in Tolkien's mind.
- Royal Blood: Galadriel is of quite a complex mixed royal Elven heritage. She is the only daughter of Finarfin, who was at the time of her birth a prince of the Noldor who eventually ascended to be the High King of the Noldor in the Undying Lands. Finarfin himself is of both Noldorin blood (from his father Finwë's side) and Vanyarin blood (from his mother Indis's side). Also, Galadriel's mother and Finarfin's wife is Eärwen who (being the daughter of Olwë) was also a princess of the Teleri in the Undying Lands. Therefore, despite being identified as a Noldorin Elf, she is actually descended from the royalty of three separate Elven houses and is really part Noldor, part Vanyar and part Teleri. This is most likely how she got her infamously beautiful silver-gold hair when the Noldor are usually identified as being dark haired. The gold would be from her Vanyarin heritage and the silver from her Teleri heritage.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: She's one of the bearers of the three Elven Rings (Nenya the Ring of Water), and has kept Lothlórien free of stain for centuries with it. She also regularly assists in repelling Orc attacks against her realm and during the War of the Ring, she and Celeborn marshal their forces and cross the Anduin to lay siege to the armies of Dol Guldur where, following a long battle, Celeborn captures the fortress and Galadriel throws down its walls and purifies it of its evil.
- Ruling Couple: Galadriel and Celeborn have been Happily Married for thousands of years and co-rule Lothlórien together. The wood elves that they rule over seem to revere and love them both, most likely because they have made the Golden Wood a peaceful, safe and prosperous place to live for millennia.
- Sacred Hospitality: Galadriel and Celeborn aid and shelter the Fellowship in Lothlórien and supply them with many very useful supplies and parting gifts.
- Shipper on Deck: She supports the union of her granddaughter Arwen with Aragorn. In Appendix A, when Aragorn visits Lothlórien (where, unbeknownst to him, Arwen is also staying), Galadriel dresses him up in some fancy clothing, which plays a large part in Arwen's decision to marry him and forsake her immortality.
- Shrouded in Myth: She seems to have developed something of legend status amongst Dwarves and Men alike. Even some of the Elves who live in other realms of Middle-earth don't appear to know if she actually exists or is just a myth. Éomer comments that the people of Rohan call Lothlórien 'Dwimoden, the Haunted Vale' because every once in a while a member of the Rohirrim will go wandering in the Golden Wood and, if they return at all, they are 'changed somehow'. No non-Elf (besides Aragorn) had entered into the heart of Lothlórien for centuries until the Fellowship were allowed access by Galadriel and Celeborn.
- Spirit Advisor: Her "spirit" shows up to guide Frodo during his bout with Shelob.
- Statuesque Stunner: She's described as being incredibly beautiful and at, around 6'4, one of the tallest Elf women ever born and she was also said to be exceptionally beautiful.
- Time Abyss: Definitely qualifies, being older than the sun and the entire Man race. She was born in the Year of the Trees 1362, before the First Age of the Sun and the awakening of mortal Men. When the Fellowship meet her (depending on the length of First Age years and Years of the Trees), she's about 8,370 solar years old.
- Water Is Womanly: Of the three Elven rings, Narya the Ring of Fire, and Vilya the Ring of Air are borne by Gandalf and Elrond respectively, but Nenya the Ring of Water (also known as the White Ring or Ring of Adamant) is borne by Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien.
- World's Most Beautiful Woman: Galadriel's granddaughter Arwen was often said to be the most beautiful Elf in Middle-earth at the time of the War of the Ring, but Galadriel's great beauty was every bit as much the stuff of legend. Tolkien described her as being 'the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves that remained in Middle-earth'.
- The subject of Galadriel and Arwen's beauty, and whose was greatest, actually nearly brought Gimli and Éomer to blows. In Book II, Éomer speaks ill of Galadriel, remarking "few escape her nets." Gimli declares that if Éomer ever sees Galadriel in person, he must admit her to be the fairest lady that lives; otherwise their friendship will end. In Book III, Éomer finally sees Galadriel, but says he cannot say she is the fairest woman that lives. Gimli says then he must call for his axe, but Eomer swiftly pleads this excuse: he has now also seen Arwen, and expresses his own readiness to do battle on her behalf. Shall he call for his sword? Gimli, however, bows, saying, "Nay, you are excused. You have chosen the Evening; but my love is given to the Morning."
- Worlds Strongest Woman: Lady Galadriel is one of the mightiest and physically strongest elves left in Middle-earth, and the most powerful female in the entire story. Her presence in Lothlorien is the sole thing keeping the forces of evil from taking the place over, to the degree that Sauron himself would have to come through and face her. The narrative implies that if she were to take the Ring, she'd be just as big a threat as a corrupted Gandalf.
Celeborn
The great-nephew of Elu Thingol, High King of the Sindar, Celeborn was a prince of Doriath who is the Lady Galadriel's husband and Lord of Lothlórien. He and his wife aid and shelter the Fellowship on their quest. After the destruction of the One Ring, he and Galadriel lead an attack on Sauron's citadel of Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood, destroying and purifying the last of the Dark Lord's strongholds. The prologue states that Celeborn was the last of the 'Wise' to sail west for the Undying Lands and with him left "the last living memory of the Elder Days in Middle-earth".
- Battle Couple: Celeborn and Galadriel. While Frodo and Sam are on their way to Mordor, Celeborn marshals the forces of Lórien to cross the Anduin and lay siege to Dol Guldur. After a long battle, Celeborn captures the fortress and Galadriel throws down its walls and purifies it.
- Big Good: With Saruman defecting from the White Council and Gandalf killed by the Balrog, Celeborn and his wife take over as the strongest forces of good.
- Fantastic Racism: He's still holding a grudge against the Dwarves for killing Thingol. When Galadriel and Celebrian crossed the Misty Mountains through Khâzad-dum, Celeborn stuck around in Eregion because he refused to enter the Dwarvish realm. He goes so far as to say that Gimli shouldn't have been allowed into Lórien after being told of Gandalf's fall. Galadriel rebukes him for that one; when the full tale is told, Celeborn does apologize for automatically blaming Gimli.
- The Good King: To both the Elves of Lothlórien and those who live outside of his kingdom's borders. One of the main reasons why Celeborn and his wife remain in Middle-earth is to prevent Sauron from returning, and they assist both the Fellowship and surrounding kingdoms of Men at numerous points.
- Heroic Lineage: He's a Sindarin prince of Doriath and the nephew of Elu Thingol, who was the Elven Lord of Beleriand and instigated the Quest for the Silmaril.
- I Have Many Names: Teleporno is his original Telerin name, meaning "Silver-tall".
- Just the First Citizen: Celeborn and Galadriel made the decision not to take royal titles (which is why they are the Lord and Lady of their realm rather than the King and Queen) as they saw themselves as the guardians of Lothlórien rather than its rulers.
- Meaningful Name: Celeborn in Sindarin means 'Silver Tree' (Celeb = Silver, Orn = Tree) referring to his silver hair and great height. He may have also been named for the White Tree in Tol Eressëa (home of the Teleri in Valinor) which is also called Celeborn.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: He's considered the wisest of the elf-lords of Middle-earth, a great leader and a survivor of the First Age. However, he mostly gets overlooked in favour of his more dynamic wife, who founded the White Council and ultimately flattened Dol Guldur.
- The Philosopher King: Known as one of the oldest and wisest Elves in Middle-earth, Galadriel calls him 'Celeborn the Wise'.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Celeborn's a former prince of Doriath and the Lord of Lothlórien, and he's more than willing to team up with his wife to assist the Fellowship and kingdoms of Men in destroying the One Ring. He also defends the Golden Wood against numerous Orc invasions and leads the final attack on Dol Guldur, beating the enemy into submission while Galadriel razes Sauron's stronghold to the ground.
- Ruling Couple: Celeborn and Galadriel have been Happily Married for thousands of years and co-rule Lothlórien together. The wood elves that they rule over seem to revere and love them both, most likely because they have made the Golden Wood a peaceful, safe and prosperous place to live for millennia.
- Sacred Hospitality: Galadriel and Celeborn aid and shelter the Fellowship in Lothlórien. Celeborn in particular is known as a giver of very useful gifts.
- Time Abyss: Although Celeborn's exact age is uncertain, he was born some time before the First Age, which puts him at around the same age or slightly younger than his wife. And since most estimates place Galadriel's age at around 10,000 years, it's likely that Celeborn is also one of the oldest elves still left in Middle-earth.
Other Elves
Gildor Inglorion
The leader of a band of wandering Elves of Eriador.
- Actually Pretty Funny: At one point, after Gildor provides him with a number of mixed messages and cryptic advice and sayings, Frodo grumpily notes that it is said "go not to the Elves for counsel for they will answer both no and yes." Gildor cheerfully laughs at this.
- Big Damn Heroes: In one of the calmest examples of this trope, Gildor and his companions save Frodo and the other Hobbits from a Ringwraith simply by wandering by and and singing.
- Forest Ranger: He and his companions have the trappings of Woodelves; they know the secret paths of the forest, have contact with nature spirits like Tom Bombadil and seemingly transform a clearing into something like a hall for feasting by their mere presence. However, they are in fact Noldor(or at least Gildor is)
- Magic Music: Uses Elven song and the invoking of the Name of what amounts to the Patron Saint of the Elves to chase away a Ringwraith. This is not surprising considering his possible lineage (see below.)
- Multiple-Choice Past: Introduces himself as "Gildor Inglorion of the House of Finrod", which depending on where in Tolkien's notes you look could make him the son of the legendary King of Nargothrond and brother to Galadriel and/or Gil-Galad or Galadriel's (great-)nephew, or the son of a servant of the King of Nargothrond. Cue much fan speculation and fan fiction concerned with his identity.
- Mysterious Informant: In the typical elvish way he seems to have knowledge about what is going on in the Shire, despite never being seen. He also spreads information about Frodo's journey as far as Rivendell and Tom Bombadil, which is even weirder given that he and his group are explicitly traveling in the exact opposite direction.
- Riddle for the Ages: Who is Gildor really? He's a Noldor and claims to be a member of the House of Finrod, but trouble is Finrod never had any children. Whether he's lying about his identity or is a walking Retcon is widely debated to this day.
- Time Abyss: A standard trope with Elves in the Lord of the Rings, but Gildor spells it out to Frodo and the other Hobbits when he reminds them "But it is not your own Shire, others dwelt here before hobbits were; and others will dwell here again when hobbits are no more."
- The End Is Nigh: Continues the above quote with: "The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.” thus somewhat foreshadowing Saruman's takeover of the Shire. It could also be a read as a simple warning, but Tolkinian Elves often have a knack for prophecy.
- Wacky Wayside Tribe: One of many in this early part of the story. The Hobbits spend an evening with Gildor and his Elves and never see them again until the end of the story, though they are mentioned a couple of times.
