| Tauriel | |
|---|---|
| |
Vital statistics
| |
| Birth | TA 2341 |
| Death | Died of a broken heart. This was due to Kili's death |
| Age | 600 |
| Fate | Returns to Mirkwood after the Battle of Five Armies |
Physical attributes
| |
| Hair color | Orange |
| Eye color | Green |
| Gender | Female |
| Weapon | Elven Bow and Two Elven Daggers |
| Race | Elf |
| Actor | Evangeline Lilly |
Tauriel was a Silvan Elf of Mirkwood. She has been described as a warrior and head of the Woodland Realm guard.
When the Woodland Realm captures Thórin and Company, Tauriel takes a bit of an interest in the young Kíli. When she learns of his being struck by a poisoned arrow by Bolg in the Company's escape from custody in wine barrels, she goes after him in hopes of healing his wound. Legolas (who is shown to be protective of her) joins her in pursuit of the Orcs who were after the company. The two of them manage to reach them in Lake-town and kill many of them, while Tauriel also manages to heal Kíli with athelas found on the premises.
After healing Kíli, the dragon Smaug attacks Lake-town. Luckily, she manages to escape the dragon's fiery wrath. Later on, during the aftermath of Smaug's attack on Lake-town, Kíli confesses his love for her. After that, she accompanies Legolas to Gundabad to discover another Orc army heading for the Lonely Mountain, as well as thousands of bats. They return in time for the Battle of Five Armies. She kills many Orcs and Goblins. However, during the battle, she witnesses Kíli's death at the hands of Bolg. After the battle, she confesses her love over Kíli's body.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Born in TA 2341 of the Third Age, Tauriel was the daughter of Tauressar and Calmiriel. During that year when she was born, her parents went on a scouting mission to the southern borders of Mirkwood until they were ambushed by Orcs that probably spawned from the old fortress of Dol Guldur. After hearing news of their deaths, Thranduil decided to look after Tauriel. While growing up, Tauriel was insightful into the changing nature of Middle-earth like her parents had during the Third Age. Despite Thranduil's isolationism, she had become very interventionist, and recognized the growing evils of the world and the need to eradicate them, rather than withdraw into the safety of the elven city.
At adult age, Tauriel began her training and was mentored by Thranduil's son Legolas Greenleaf. Moderately effective in infantry combat, Tauriel had proven her proficient in both archery and hand-to-hand combat. Thranduil was impressed by her skills and promoted her to Captain of the Guard.
Quest of Erebor[]
Encounter with the Dwarves[]
In the year TA 2941, the company of Thórin Oakenshield had been instructed by Gandalf to follow the path of Mirkwood. However, the dwarves and Bilbo Baggins suddenly got lost and end up ambushed by spiders that had lurked in the sickned forest ever since Sauron had been regaining his strength and spreading the sickness all over the forest. Tauriel was aware of the terrible sickness, and was destined to try and put an end to it, but Thranduil would reject her plan. While guarding the trees, Tauriel followed Legolas and a band of elves to hunt down spiders that were getting closer to the Woodland Realm. That was when they encounter the dwarves while Bilbo had used his magical ring that he found in the Goblin tunnels and disappeared in the knick of time before the elves could spot him.
During the fight, Tauriel saw that one of the dwarves, Kíli, was in terrible trouble when he got himself pulled away. She jumped down and demonstrated her skills to save the helpless dwarf from captivity. Just as the last spider coming towards them, Kíli asked her to pass him one of her daggers, but Tauriel declined and threw the dagger directly at the spider that was coming at the dwarf. Under Legolas's orders, she and the other guards take the Dwarves back to the Elven cavern fortress and confiscate their weapons. As the dwarves remained imprisoned due to Thórin's refusal in accepting Thranduil's deal, Tauriel becomes curious of Kíli's talisman and the two began to talk. While unknown to them, Legolas had been watching them talk from the distance.
Ambush of Mirkwood[]
Later, Thranduil confronts Tauriel, telling her that, as a captain of the guard, she must drive the Giant Spiders out of Mirkwood. She explains that new spiders continually enter the kingdom after the previous ones were wiped out. She suggests sorties to destroy the spiders' source outside the kingdom's boundaries near Dol Guldur, but this idea is quickly dismissed by Thranduil. When she asks what will happen to other lands after the spiders are driven from Mirkwood, Thranduil continued to say that he doesn't care about other lands, and that his kin should remain where they are in the Woodland Realm. Much to Thranduil's refusal, Tauriel walked away in disgust when the elven king mentioned that Legolas had grown fond of her, but that she should not give him hope where there was none since the elven king would not allow his son to pledge to her being a "lowly" Silvan Elf.
When word was reached that the Dwarves had escaped, thanks to Bilbo Baggins who managed to enter the city invisble, Tauriel returned to the dungeons and demanded to know where the keeper of the keys was. She led a group of elves down to the cellars, only to find out that the Dwarves had already escaped there. She regrouped with Legolas to lead a large band of elven warriors and guards to pursure the dwarves before they could escape down the river. The plan was successful, but that was when they enounter another enemy that had been tracking dwarves for days.
During the brief fight between the Dwarves and Orcs, Tauriel was running downwards first until she saw Kíli running up the stairs to open the gate, but that was when he gets himself injured by Bolg, who shot a Morgul Arrow at him. Tauriel managed to save the injured dwarf once again, and engages the Orcs. Just as Kíli jumps back in his barrel and safely escapes with the rest of the dwarves out of the Woodland Realm, Tauriel followed them as she continued to slay dozens of orcs that were trying to pursue the company. Once the dwarves had fled down the river and Bolg leading his remaining orcs to continue chasing them, Tauriel managed to save Legolas' life from an orc named Narzug, who nearly made his attempt to kill the elven prince. Before she was about to finish him, Legolas ordered her to take the orc captive.
Later on, Tauriel and Legolas take Narzug back to the palace for interrogation. While trying to get a lot of information out of him, Narzug mocked Tauriel about the impending death of Kíli, and that the Morgul Arrow which stuck the dwarf was poison and that he would soon die. Tauriel was enraged of hearing this and made an angry attempt to kill him, only for Thranduil to stop her and orders her to leave him be. While hearing Thranduil's comment in not caring for the dwarf, Tauriel decided to disobey the king and leave the palace without the elven king's permission.
Skirmish in Esgaroth[]
While searching for the Dwarves, who had recntly made their way into Esgaroth, she was soon confronted by Legolas, who asks her to come back with him so that Thranduil may forgive her, but Tauriel insists that the fight also involves them, and argues that the king's isolationist policies blind them from larger issues affecting the entire world, and that since Kíli will die from the poisoned arrow if he is not helped, she must find him and tend to the wound. Seeing that she was making sense, Legolas was forced to agree to Tauriel's words, and follow her into Esgaroth to pursue the Hunter Orcs and Bolg.
Personality[]
Tauriel is ruthless when it comes to Orcs or giant spiders (if she hadn't been stopped by Thranduil she would've killed the captured Orc with her daggers, though Thranduil later beheaded the Orc after Tauriel had left), but she can be kind and caring, especially when it comes to Kili or Legolas. She is also rebellious and she tends to disobey orders if she doesn't agree with them.
Appearance[]
Tauriel has green eyes, fairly pale skin and and long, red hair. Her hair is probably dyed since her eyebrows and roots are dark brown. She wears either a dark green tunic which is split at the bottom for movement or a medium green tunic which is about the same length and the bottom resembles giant leaves. She also wears dark brown leather bracers and is often seen wearing one of the two dark brown leather bodices which she owns, one of which she wears for most of her two films, and the other she only wears once in The Desolation of Smaug with her medium green tunic. They could also be used as light armour, though neither offer an extensive amount of protection. She either wears medium brown tights (with her dark green tunic) or, less often, teal tights (with her medium green tunic). She also has a light green, long coat, which, like both her tunics, has splits at the side, front and back for movement. Out of these many clothing combinations, she wears (with two if them) a brown belt with a gold Elven buckle. She is also (in one scene) seen wearing a silver Elven necklace. Her tunics are often referred to as dresses, though they are the same length as Legolas' Hobbit outfit, and his is usually referred to as a tunic. She has two pairs of almost knee high boots, one pair are a greeny-brown colour with an Elven symbol and buttons at the sides, while the other pair are much simpler, and are made of a medium brown leather.
Etymology[]
Tauriel means "daughter of Mirkwood" or more literally, "daughter of the forest"
Behind the scenes[]
- Tauriel was portrayed by Evangeline Lilly in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and the upcoming There and Back Again.
- Tolkien fan reaction to Tauriel's inclusion in the films was parodied in the comedy music video Who The 'Ell Is Tauriel? by The Esgaroth Three.
Appearances[]
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (First appearance)
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- LEGO The Hobbit: The Video Game
Sources[]
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Chronicles: Art & Design
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Chronicles: Cloaks & Daggers
- LEGO The Hobbit sets