Home » Reading & Literature » J.R.R. Tolkien » Legolas, You're Just So Darn...CUTE!

Legolas, You're Just So Darn...CUTE!

© Michael Martinez

Last month I wrote about the movie starring Orlando Bloom. I forget who else appeared in that flick, but in case you missed it, he played an elf named Legolas. Okay, I know who else appeared in the movie. Orlando had a supporting cast and all, but it was his movie. I know this because starting somewhere around December 20, 2001, my email began to explode with anxious queries from young ladies about that gorgeous elf in the movie. One of the oldest articles for the Suite101 Tolkien and Middle-earth topic is Speaking of Legolas.... I wrote that essay in March 2000. Almost 2 years ago. Since December 19, the most favorable reaction to that essay has been something along the lines of a lot of email saying, "Can you write anything else about Legolas?" The least favorable reaction to that essay has been something along the lines of a lot of email saying, "I LOVE LEGOLAS!" When I first saw Orlando Bloom dressed as Legolas, I said to myself right then and there, "That is the DEFINITIVE Legolas." A lot of people complained about the blond hair. Why is he blond? Almost overnight, the Great Hair Color Debate raged across the Internet. What color should Legolas' hair be? The book doesn't say and, quite frankly, I never really cared that much, although I always pictured him as being dark-haired myself. Why? No idea. That's just the way I saw him...until Orlando Bloom (who is himself dark-haired) stepped into the pointy shoes of nearly every Tolkien fan's favorite Elf (in the movies). Luthien has always been my favorite Elf, but I liked Beleg, too. Of course, my favorite Tolkien story is the tale of Luthien and Beren. But Legolas is an enigma. A lot of people have devoted a great deal of time to trying to figure him out. The color of his hair isn't the only question people have asked about him. How old is he? Is he married? Does he have any brothers or sisters? Was he at the Battle of Five Armies? The answers to all these questions are: Don't know. What do you think? and Whatever you want the answer to be. Tolkien at one point said of Legolas that, of all the members of the Fellowship, the Elf had achieved the least. Many people have disagreed with Tolkien about that assessment. After all, Gimli didn't bring down any flying Nazgul. Nor, for that matter, did Aragorn or Boromir. Even Meriadoc only earned honorable mention for sneaking up behind the Lord of the Nazgul and stabbing him in the rear of the leg. Of course, Legolas didn't kill the Nazgul (he was dead already) -- just the flying steed.