The Lord of the Rings: 5 Things That Still Make No Sense About Legolas & the Other Elves

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I’ve always been captivated by Legolas and the elves in The Lord of the Rings – they’re such a vital part of what makes Middle-earth so magical. It’s amazing to me how much influence they had, especially considering their role in the fight against Sauron. They weren’t just part of the victory; characters like Galadriel and Elrond were secretly working towards it for thousands of years, setting everything in motion long before Frodo even began his journey. It really makes you appreciate their subtle power and importance.

J.R.R. Tolkien put amazing effort into creating the world of his stories, even inventing complete Elvish languages! While elves are central to his work, the movies sometimes make them feel a bit inconsistent. Here are 5 things about elves, and Legolas specifically, that don’t quite add up in The Lord of the Rings.

The Term “She-Elf” Was Added To The Movies…For No Reason

One small but odd detail in the Lord of the Rings films is the use of the term “she-elf.” Tolkien never used this phrase in his books; it was created for the movies. While Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is widely considered brilliant, this change was confusing and didn’t add anything to the story.

Calling elves simply “elf” suggests it’s a male-only term, which isn’t true. Even if we assume other characters, like orcs, used it as a put-down, it’s strange that pointing out a female elf’s gender would be offensive. While Jackson likely didn’t intend any harm, this detail feels out of place and doesn’t align with Tolkien’s original work.

No One Cares That Legolas Is A Prince (Including Legolas)

The idea of kings and rightful rulers is central to many characters’ journeys in The Lord of the Rings, especially Aragorn’s path to becoming king of Gondor. The very title of The Return of the King emphasizes how important royal heritage is in the story. However, Legolas is also a prince – the son of the Elvenking Thranduil and heir to Mirkwood – and this aspect of his character is largely overlooked, particularly in the first three films.

You know, Legolas’s princely background is something the Lord of the Rings films kind of gloss over. Gimli gets in one quick jab at him, calling him a ‘princeling,’ but that’s about it. It’s the Hobbit movies – even though Legolas isn’t in the book itself – where we get a bit more of a sense of his royal life. Honestly, given his status, it feels a little strange that it’s not a bigger deal in the original trilogy. It’s a detail that feels surprisingly overlooked.

Tauriel Is Never Seen, Heard From, Or Spoken About Again

Evangeline Lilly’s character, Tauriel, was created specifically for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit movies. She doesn’t appear in the original books, but plays a significant role in the film trilogy, even becoming a love interest for Legolas before falling for a dwarf. What’s unusual about Tauriel is that her story ends very suddenly at the end of The Hobbit, and she isn’t mentioned at all in The Lord of the Rings trilogy – her fate is left completely unresolved.

Tauriel wasn’t part of Tolkien’s original stories; she was created for The Hobbit trilogy, which came after the first Lord of the Rings films. This caused a problem: Legolas never mentions her again, making her feel unimportant to the overall story. It’s surprising, because she was the only romantic interest for him shown in the movies, and you’d expect someone he cared for to be more significant, but she’s essentially forgotten.

Legolas’ Hatred Of The Dwarves Wasn’t Diminished Despite The Hobbit Trilogy

In The Lord of the Rings, the elves and dwarves are portrayed as strong rivals, a conflict consistently shown throughout the movies. This made the eventual friendship between Legolas and Gimli particularly impactful. However, Peter Jackson’s inclusion of Legolas in The Hobbit films created a continuity problem not found in J.R.R. Tolkien’s original stories. In The Hobbit, Legolas battles alongside dwarves and appears to change his views on them, but this development is completely ignored in The Lord of the Rings, making his later friendship with Gimli feel less earned.

It’s strange that Legolas meets Gimli’s father, Glóin, and even sees a picture of young Gimli in The Hobbit, but this is never mentioned in The Lord of the Rings movies. You could try to explain it away by saying it happened off-screen, but that feels like an easy way out. Regardless, it’s still odd that Legolas goes back to distrusting dwarves in The Fellowship of the Ring after having a different experience with them in The Hobbit.

Legolas And Frodo Never Speak Directly 

A funny theory about the Lord of the Rings movies focuses on Legolas and Frodo. Fans point out that after the Ring is destroyed, Frodo greets everyone by name in Rivendell… except Legolas! While it’s probably not that Frodo actually forgot Legolas’ name, it’s strange that the two characters never really interact directly throughout the films.

Legolas and Frodo share only one brief exchange – when Legolas mentions having Frodo’s back as the Fellowship comes together. After that, they don’t speak to each other at all. While their connection isn’t central to the story, it’s surprisingly noticeable – and amusing – how little they interact throughout the films.

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2026-04-06 17:11