What Do The Lord of the Rings Characters Really Look Like? 

The thing is. Teleri Elves' hair is described as silver white, dark hair is typical - and maybe exclusive for - Noldor

In that case try Tolkien channel 'The Red Book'.

Definitely! He puts out some great stuff.

I'm hooked

_Hobitit_ has a Boromir who would make a great Beleg Cúthalion (Strongbow) or similar.

How is Sean Bean not exactly what you described? Like wtf

The earliest differencing I've seen comes across more like job descriptions: dvergar were makers, miners, builders; alfar were artists, singers, players. In elemental terms the dwarves were earth and fire, elves were water and air, solid vs fluid, etc. Not 100% obviously but you get the idea.

Gimli does not wear a helmet in the book until the defence of Helm's deep where he aquires one, and a fairly serious wound to his head I think I remember.

@@treebeardtheent2200 Gimli also refers to it as a "cap" so I would assume that it was a cervelliere, a simple iron skull cap.

@@kimpurcell8851 I reckon he must not have been decked out in anything remarkable in appearance. He spent a lot of time in close proximity to Eomer (also not in the movie), including saving Eomer's life on the causeway by killing two orcs that were playing dead. In the intense attack by Aragorn and Eomer, Gimli was hardly noticed.

The fairy feast (where we meet Thranduil) was a powerful motif for Tolkien. He used it again in the feast with Gildor. Out-of-universe it might come from a dedicatory poem which Andrew Lang wrote for a limited edition of 'The Blue Fairy Book', To Elspeth Angela Campbell. Tolkien references this in drafts for On Fairy-stories:: And you once more may voyage through The forests that of old we knew... And sit at feast with fairy kings And taste their wine, ere all be done Ay of that feast shall tales be told The marvels of that world of gold Fairy king, gold hair?

I suspect there will be some rare blondies among all of the kindreds, but perhaps it's more straw colored, whereas the Vanyar have a very distinct brilliant gold.

Few elves would kill for blond hair, but some would dye for it?

_"And it always buffeled me where did that came from."_ Technically, when Tolkien wrote the passage, he had not decided that only the Vanyar and those with Vanyarin descent were blond (which leads into a couple of inconsistancies in LotR as well).

I think it might have been a change made subconsciously with the power of the Ring.

None but the brave deserve the fair.

He is also the oldest of them, about fifty or so.

True but likely looks as young as any of them due to “good preservation”. ;)

@@TolkienLorePodcast Yes, but starting to develop a bit of middle-aged spread! When he sees his reflection in the mirror upon awakening at Rivendell he is startled to see a much thinner reflection of himself, one that looks again like the young nephew of Bilbo who used to go hiking in the Shire. Frodo received the Ring when he was 33, which is probably the hobbits' equivalent of about 25 for a human. When he set out from Hobbiton he was fifty, which would normally be about the hobbits' equivalent of thirty-five - but he looked much younger, even if not quite as unchanged as a few characters remark.

@@brettevill9055 "he was 33, which is probably the hobbits' equivalent of about 25 for a human": more like 21, since 33 is the coming of age for hobbits, and at Tolkien's time the coming of age was at 21 years old.

I’d never made that connection; I’d have to think about it.

I know there’s a hint of it buried somewhere either in his letters or the History of Middle-Earth series, but if memory serves it’s a hint, not a direct statement.

I recall a letter from Tolkien saying the elves' ears were "leaf-like," by which I presume he meant slightly pointed, and not, y'know, oak leaves or palm fronds.

@Earl Wajenberg That's a great point - the leaf of which tree? Scholars, get on it please.

Going by the letter description of leaflike and comparing to the human (and presumably Hobbit) upside down egg shape, the image I get is of larger, longer, ears with the _lobes_ pointed.

It's in a letter. He mentions that Hobbit ears are less pointed than Elf ears.

No, I don't remember this being the case. Balrogs weren't huge.

😂I’m really not sure how that managed to avoid the editing process….

Head-canon is great, but it's worth noting that when Tolkien wrote The Hobbit, he hadn't really taken great pains to connect that world to his greater mythology, and neither the character of Gollum nor the One Ring existed as a part of that mythology. Gollum was just some odd fantastical character who lived in a lake in a cave for no known reason, and he could have been seen as perhaps part of a cave-lake-dwelling species, naturally adapted to water. It was only in LOTR that Gollum needed to be a changed creature, having come from a Stoor, and it was only then that the One Ring was retconned to be the most powerful magical object in Middle Earth. Before, it was just a magic ring that turned its wearer invisible.

That is what Tolkien suggest (in a late (1970) writing): "Gollum was according to Gandalf one of a riverside hobbit people-and therefore in origin a member of a small variety of the human race, although he had become deformed during his long inhabiting of the dark lake. His long hands are therefore more or less right. Not his feet. They are exaggerated. They are described as webby (Hobbit 88), like a swan’s (I 398), but had prehensile toes (II 219)." NoMe, Descriptions of Characters

How goes the transformation ? Have you had gollum cough yet ?

@@aumatomos7811 Ironically I have developed a cough.

Yes, Cirdan has a long beard in the Lord of the Rings because he was already in the third stage there. Mathan, father of Nerdanel, strangely enough, already had a beard in his second year. According to Tolkien he was an exception.

That gave me a stunning mental image.

@@AshleighBaggins yup, it was beautiful black hair, and he also didn't have no beard

@@anti-liberalismo Beard or no beard, he’s friggin beautiful. I actually prefer less hair on his face because at the end of ROTK, his beard was more full, and I like the stubble better.

Yeah, another fact no movie gets right.

@@TolkienLorePodcast I believe a truly white horse would be albino with red eyes.

A Gray that sometimes appeared more like silver.

Probably.

I wanted to do that but I just didn’t have the time for all that editing, unfortunately.

Or Boromir has longer collarbones, wider rib cage, and a wider pelvis.

Aragorn is described as “fair and noble” when he was younger, and when Galadriel dresses him up, he looks more like an Elven-lord than a Man (The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen). Sure he's described as grim and stern when Frodo meets him at the Prancing Pony, but he has been out in the wilderness and wasn't trying to impress the hobbits by looking glamorous.

He definitely did not wear a helmet when the fellowship left Rivendell.

Trouble is I’m way out of touch with pop culture so I’d be hard pressed to make a good list. I don’t even recognize 3 of the names you mentioned. 😂

In fact, there are four pictures made by J.R.R. Tolkien himself (although two of them are just sketches) that show us that dwarves wear pointed hats. On this one where I know it sounds strange but we live in a “different time” today than Tolkien did. Accordingly, it should also be taken into account that the author (1892 - 1973) has been dead for more than 51 years. This tells us clearly (and I wonder if there is anyone out there who would dispute this) that his works and therefore the world (whose first origins date back to 1915 - most likely even earlier) are already old and very accomplished . But such a fact raises many questions. One of them and probably the most comprehensive: Could the world as the author foresaw it be a completely different and far larger and more powerful world than we believed for decades?

Hey there! Tolkien later described the elves ears as 'leaf shaped' when he remarked on the similarities between the elf words for 'ear' and 'leaf' which both stem from the same root word lassë in Quenya. He also described Hobbit ears as 'slightly pointed and elvish' and drew his hobbits with pointed ears, leading us to believe elves would also have pointed ears. As elves probably just wore their hair loose, Legolas' ears could easily be covered by his hair :) The blond for Legolas comes from his father Thranduil, who in the Hobbit was described as having a crown of leaves upon his golden hair ^_^

@@Vexarax Well I can honestly say I've never been more happy to be corrected. The Quenya etymology bit is exactly why we are all here in the first place. Tolkien is just the coolest.

_"I also remember them saying the Dunedain having tanned skin (at Bree I believe)."_ The Dunedain are described as pale: "As Frodo drew near he threw back his hood, showing a shaggy head of dark hair flecked with grey, and in a pale stern face a pair of keen grey eyes. ‘I am called Strider...". At the Sign of the Prancing Pony "They took off their masks now and again to cool them, as the day-heat grew, and Frodo saw that they were goodly men, pale-skinned, dark of hair, with grey eyes and faces sad and proud." Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit Regarding pointed ears,as Vexarax notes, Tolkien does write in one place that Elven ears are more pointed than human. Thiis is in the (pre-LotR) Etymologies. Post LotR in Words, Phrases and Passages, however, he does not say that when noting the etymology of lasse and las. I don't recall Gimli ever being said to wear a green cap. It sounds like some confusion from this passage: "But he [Gimli] chose a cap of iron and leather that fitted well upon his round head; and a small shield he also took. It bore the running horse, white upon green, that was the emblem of the House of Eorl." King of the Golden Hall (Though not stated in LotR, Gimli wore white).

True but that’s not guarantee.

@@TolkienLorePodcast I just said "assumed." But I only commented b/c the father of Legolas - who was specifically noted to have golden hair - wasn't mentioned at all.

True but he’s described as emaciated so clearly not with a distended belly.

Gollum eats fairly well, though he complains otherwise, and maybe less often when sneaking around Mordor. His sunken look is more an effect of owning the ring - "stretched thin" as Bilbo puts it.

Yes, I agree with you, but I don't think (especially with all the effort Tolkien put in throughout his life) that it was unimportant to him. If it's just a film, a kind of theater, then I'll follow you. However, Tolkien's world can hardly be compared with today's fantasy novel that is purely intended for literary pleasure. You first have to understand this world to realize what a miracle Tolkien really created there. It is truly as if the world could really exist out there, but those who do not consider its indescribable depth and its true indescribable and unimaginable diversity and beauty important do not understand this. Personally, I think the most important thing is to pay attention to every tiny detail, be it the hair texture, the slightest differences in eye colors, the sizes, the exact skin tone and much more. Even if it proves impossible for the screen. In fact, it is also very important to know the exact meanings of the many names of the characters. In many old versions Glorfindel is called “locks of hair” or “locks of gold”. This is interesting because Inwe also had golden curls.

That's a life long venture. My guess is. .they will get little right. 😄

Lol it’s definitely there in the text. No one ever seems to remember it though (including me!). 😅

Hey, Tolkien never tells us Aragorn is fair-skinned 😂

Is short-shorts Aragorn fine? Boromir's cow-horn helmet cracks me up, however.

Hmm I do seem to recall a passage saying that he was pale. Though I'd wager that could mean anything.

@@silentasher2390 "...a shaggy head of dark hair flecked with grey, and in a pale stern face a pair of keen grey eyes." At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

Well in fairness he wasn’t a vagabond setting out on a quest but rather a diplomat’s son but that would be a nice touch. 😂

@@TolkienLorePodcast I'd have presumed that the hooded mantle was standard gear for dwarves when on travel.

Certainly possible. You’d think it might have gotten a mention though given the connection.

Actually though he is said to cast his hood over his face after the escape from Moria.

Durin = Sleepy, so it is possible.

There are pictures painted by Tolkien himself. Gandalf and Bilbo can be seen on these. In these pictures, Bilbo has brown hair (not dark brown), pale skin, red cheeks, and is fat. Gandalf looks as he is described, especially in the picture of him raising his staff in the air to petrify the trolls. He looks much more powerful, magical and alive than in the films. He seems far more characteristic, but in a special way, as if only he could seem so unique and great in this way.

Where are those pictures?

Aragorn did play the likable scoundrel type so that’s not a problem. The real trick is finding someone who can do that AND the king.

@@TolkienLorePodcast Not in the book. Read it again.

Dude I’ve read it multiple times. Read the Prancing Pony chapter. He even describes himself as a “rascal.”

They looked as beautiful as he could make them

@@Galvatronover perhaps he tried his best.

Tolkien specifically gives the 5’6” figure so he must have meant average modern man.

I think it was a slip but it’s been a while since I recorded this lol

@@TolkienLorePodcast I mean Gimli is short but come on man ;p haha happens time to time i was still having a coffee and had to replay it a few times to make sure i caught that right

That was something Tolkien played with at one point, though it’s not clear where he finally landed I don’t think.

Aragorn II, you mean. 😉 But Aragorn in _Khraniteli_ looks like Eragon in Eragon.

Less well known lol.

@@TolkienLorePodcast _Khraniteli's_ promotional budget would not buy Peter Jackson a single carrot.

I would have liked to see them too, though I think they strayed even further from the books in terms of character design.

Gandalf as Leonid Brezhnev?

If Denethor and Faramir are beardless the odds of Boromir not being so are very slim, and his mother is theoretically part Elf to boot.

He specifically mentioned Boromir: "But not Denethor, Boromir, Faramir, Aragorn, Isildur, or other Númenórean chieftains." NoMe, Beards, fn1

Deliberately so i recall. Basically he's a fit Santa / Father Christmas.

@@nealjroberts4050 if you consider the Norse god like Santa.

@@jkhristian9603 Well, the Northern European image that became Santa appears to be Odin/Woden/Wotan

@@nealjroberts4050 Do you mean the tall thin Santa? I could see some Odin influence there. Never really thought about it before.

Golem is a monster made from clay animated by a Rabbi.

@@tominiowa2513 you are correct "voice to text "will do you wrong

Except Gollum wasn't a hobbit. His kin were somewhat akin to Hobbits, however...id guess it's a sub-race that is now extinct or absorbed.

@@tominiowa2513 silly rabbi kicks are for treads

I’ve watched many of his videos, the war bow ones in particular. ;) but I also have some personal experience with bows myself.

@@TolkienLorePodcast Ah, ok, I haven't ...

I don’t get “weak female” from PJ’s Galadriel or Eowyn. Not sure where you get it….

Completely backwards. Eowyn was primarily only covered in footnotes and appendicies in the book.

Yeah sorry the Warrior Galadriel never existed other than in the rings of power amazon bs...

@@Ales_Dei_Nuntius From the books. Try rereading them paying attention to the descriptions of Sam. Tolkien *never* calls Sam "fat." Gollum never calls Sam "fat." Alone among the four, his job was manual labor. And by the end of the quest, both Frodo and Sam were thin.

@@Ales_Dei_Nuntius Maybe not quite as fat??? "Sam was now struck most by the leanness of his face and hands. 'Too thin and drawn he is,' he muttered." "When Frodo was asleep Sam bent over him and listened to his breathing and scanned his face. It was lined and thin", "As for himself, though weary and under a shadow of fear, he still had some strength left. The lembas had a virtue without which they would long ago have lain down to die. It did not satisfy desire, and at times Sam's mind was filled with the memories of food, and the longing for simple bread and meats." 'Don't be a fool, Sam Gamgee,' came an answer in his own voice. 'He won't go another day like that, if he moves at all. And you can't go on much longer giving him all the water and most of the food.'

@@Ales_Dei_Nuntius I was specific about them being thin at the end of the quest. Try reading closer. Also, Sam, in particular is thought of as fat. Look at the casting for the movies. Yet there's nothing in the books to back that up.

@@Ales_Dei_Nuntius That explains a lot. I've read LotR more times than the years you've been alive. Here's a hint for you if you get into this fandom. There are people who've been in it for decades. Four decades for me. And there are plenty who've been in it longer than that. We know the books better than you. And we don't confuse the books with the movies.

In PJ’s version he picks up some shoulder armor but not much else. I think he only uses it in the final cavalry charge.

@@TolkienLorePodcast We see them all gearing up at helms deep just before the elves arrive do we not?

We see Aragorn and Gimli do it but I don’t think we see Legolas pick out any armor. He just has it on later.