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ABOUT LEGOLAS
PERSONALITY
Legolas is a scout, a hunter, a woodland elf, with deep personal connections to the natural world. Born and raised in Mirkwood during the Watchful Peace, his childhood would have been a relatively pleasant one, spent learning the lore and crafts of his people, the Wood Elves. Despite his skill with bow and arrow, he does not present himself as a warrior, wearing only leather armour- and his mindset is not that of a warrior. Legolas is a woodsman and watchman, who has centuries experience defending his homeland and the assurance in his skills which comes with that.
He is cheerful, lighthearted and brave; a singer of songs, undaunted and usually cheerful. This is due, in part, to his youth. Elves become more serious as they see more of the world and it's evil, but Legolas has seen little of the world outside of Mirkwood and the surrounding lands. He looks forward to new places and experiences, and even battle cannot dampen his spirit; competing with Gimli in an effort to slay more orcs than the other. He has enough good cheer that he is able to share this with his companions when they become disheartened, and he is in fact quick to do so. Even in the midst of a snowstorm he is able to smile and make a joke to encourage his companions on a little further.
His relative youth means that he has yet to gain the absolute serenity other elves have. He loses his temper with Gimli when he refused to go blindfold alone into Lorien. He argues with Aragorn over the futility of fighting at Helm's Deep. He loses heart in Moria when he is faced with a Balrog, dropping his arrow in absolute terror as he senses it's approach. He learns from that experience, however. Later, when faced with a Ringwraith on a Nazgul he takes courage despite his fear and shoots it in the dark, a tremendous feat.
At Helm's Deep he shows his youth and his inexperience with death. He is afraid, faced with the prospect of his very soon and very probable death, and he wants no part of it. But again, he overcomes his fear and is soon back to gaming with Gimli over who can slay the most Uruks. Whenever faced with the death of his companions, first Gandalf and then Boromir his saddness is mixed with curiosity- where do mortals go when they die? How would he feel not to know that his resting place will be in Valinor? But Legolas is not a philosopher, too young to dwell long on these matters.
Though he is the son of a king, Legolas does little to claim any rights that might bring his way. He usually refers to himself as a dweller or Mirkwood, and it is only Celeborn, Lord in Lorien, who calls him a song of Thranduil. This disregard of propriety, the utter lack of need of recognition or acclaim marks him as a younger son and not heir. He has, however, inherited his father and grandfather's need to protect the things which they hold dear- the reason he has worked so hard at his fighting skills.
Like most elves he is loathe to give advise, to give a clear yes or no. Unlike his grandfather before him he does not hold the Noldor in suspicion, treating Elrond, Celeborn, and Galadriel as he does any other he would deem worthy of respect. He hasn't had much to do with humans/races other than elves. In this respect he's very naive towards them, prone to rely on stereotype and stories he has heard. This is especially true of Dwarves.
He has compassion for all peoples, save orcs, goblins, and those aligned with darkness. Greenwood, his home, was tainted to the point where it was called Mirkwood because of Sauron's evil influence. To Legolas, who values trees and nature above almost all else, this is a sure sign of the irredeemable and corrupting nature of evil.
HISTORY
Legolas' history pre-joining the Fellowship is never stated in any of the books, and so is completely headcanon'd. The dates of events from The Hobbit/LotR are canon.
THIRD AGE c.2400 - Born. Legolas was the child of Thranduil, King of the elves of Greenwood. It is unknown if Legolas had any siblings, if he did, this would not be uncommon. Being the child of the King, Legolas likely had an easy youth, where he was educated in the ways of wood elves and in the basic lore of their people. He learned woodcraft, as well as how to fight with a bow, knives and a sword.
Elves were able to walk and even dance after their first year, though they did not begin reach their full physical stature until around the age of fifty. Puberty ended around the age of 100.
TA2450-2900 - Legolas never travelled far outside of Mirkwood, but there was never much cause to. His Father had seen the horrors of war during the War of the Ring at the end of the Second Age, and kept his kingdom safe and separated from the outside world. Though he was a prince, he joined the borderguard when he was of age, there becoming exceptionally skilled with a bow and his knives. He travelled to Rivendell on more than one occasion, taking news between Elrond and his father. In TA2460 Sauron, under the guise of the Necromancer, returned in the south of Greenwood and began to regain his strength, making the southern part of Greenwood a dangerous place. Soon the name of the forest was changed to Mirkwood.
TA2590 - Dwarves, under Thrór, son of Dáin I, come to live in the Lonely Mountain. Their kingdom lasted only until TA2770, when Smaug the Great Wyrm came to claim their treasures as his own. The Dwarves were driven out and into exile. This added another threat to the East of Mirkwood.
TA2941 - Battle of the Five Armies. Legolas would have been 500ish, and coming into his own as a young elf lord. The Elves were not expecting the war and Legolas would have been allowed to accompany the elves who rode out with his father. It was his first experience of fighting on a large scale, as well as his first time meeting Dwarves.
TA3017 - Gollum is captured and brought to Mirkwood to be guarded. Legolas, now around 650 years old, was given this task as a serious responsibility.
TA3018 - Gollum escapes (June) captivity. Legolas and the other elves charged with keeping him (and Aragorn?) follow his trail all the way to the gates of Mordor. There the trail is lost. Legolas returns to Mirkwood, then heads to Rivendell to tell what has happened. While there the Council of Elrond is held and he is chosen to accompany Frodo and the Ring. Legolas would have asked to accompany Frodo, both as an opportunity to see the world and because he had heard stories of the ring, and the opportunity to bring an end to the suffering Sauron had brought to the world.
LotR History
Legolas is a scout, a hunter, a woodland elf, with deep personal connections to the natural world. Born and raised in Mirkwood during the Watchful Peace, his childhood would have been a relatively pleasant one, spent learning the lore and crafts of his people, the Wood Elves. Despite his skill with bow and arrow, he does not present himself as a warrior, wearing only leather armour- and his mindset is not that of a warrior. Legolas is a woodsman and watchman, who has centuries experience defending his homeland and the assurance in his skills which comes with that.
He is cheerful, lighthearted and brave; a singer of songs, undaunted and usually cheerful. This is due, in part, to his youth. Elves become more serious as they see more of the world and it's evil, but Legolas has seen little of the world outside of Mirkwood and the surrounding lands. He looks forward to new places and experiences, and even battle cannot dampen his spirit; competing with Gimli in an effort to slay more orcs than the other. He has enough good cheer that he is able to share this with his companions when they become disheartened, and he is in fact quick to do so. Even in the midst of a snowstorm he is able to smile and make a joke to encourage his companions on a little further.
His relative youth means that he has yet to gain the absolute serenity other elves have. He loses his temper with Gimli when he refused to go blindfold alone into Lorien. He argues with Aragorn over the futility of fighting at Helm's Deep. He loses heart in Moria when he is faced with a Balrog, dropping his arrow in absolute terror as he senses it's approach. He learns from that experience, however. Later, when faced with a Ringwraith on a Nazgul he takes courage despite his fear and shoots it in the dark, a tremendous feat.
At Helm's Deep he shows his youth and his inexperience with death. He is afraid, faced with the prospect of his very soon and very probable death, and he wants no part of it. But again, he overcomes his fear and is soon back to gaming with Gimli over who can slay the most Uruks. Whenever faced with the death of his companions, first Gandalf and then Boromir his saddness is mixed with curiosity- where do mortals go when they die? How would he feel not to know that his resting place will be in Valinor? But Legolas is not a philosopher, too young to dwell long on these matters.
Though he is the son of a king, Legolas does little to claim any rights that might bring his way. He usually refers to himself as a dweller or Mirkwood, and it is only Celeborn, Lord in Lorien, who calls him a song of Thranduil. This disregard of propriety, the utter lack of need of recognition or acclaim marks him as a younger son and not heir. He has, however, inherited his father and grandfather's need to protect the things which they hold dear- the reason he has worked so hard at his fighting skills.
Like most elves he is loathe to give advise, to give a clear yes or no. Unlike his grandfather before him he does not hold the Noldor in suspicion, treating Elrond, Celeborn, and Galadriel as he does any other he would deem worthy of respect. He hasn't had much to do with humans/races other than elves. In this respect he's very naive towards them, prone to rely on stereotype and stories he has heard. This is especially true of Dwarves.
He has compassion for all peoples, save orcs, goblins, and those aligned with darkness. Greenwood, his home, was tainted to the point where it was called Mirkwood because of Sauron's evil influence. To Legolas, who values trees and nature above almost all else, this is a sure sign of the irredeemable and corrupting nature of evil.
HISTORY
Legolas' history pre-joining the Fellowship is never stated in any of the books, and so is completely headcanon'd. The dates of events from The Hobbit/LotR are canon.
THIRD AGE c.2400 - Born. Legolas was the child of Thranduil, King of the elves of Greenwood. It is unknown if Legolas had any siblings, if he did, this would not be uncommon. Being the child of the King, Legolas likely had an easy youth, where he was educated in the ways of wood elves and in the basic lore of their people. He learned woodcraft, as well as how to fight with a bow, knives and a sword.
Elves were able to walk and even dance after their first year, though they did not begin reach their full physical stature until around the age of fifty. Puberty ended around the age of 100.
TA2450-2900 - Legolas never travelled far outside of Mirkwood, but there was never much cause to. His Father had seen the horrors of war during the War of the Ring at the end of the Second Age, and kept his kingdom safe and separated from the outside world. Though he was a prince, he joined the borderguard when he was of age, there becoming exceptionally skilled with a bow and his knives. He travelled to Rivendell on more than one occasion, taking news between Elrond and his father. In TA2460 Sauron, under the guise of the Necromancer, returned in the south of Greenwood and began to regain his strength, making the southern part of Greenwood a dangerous place. Soon the name of the forest was changed to Mirkwood.
TA2590 - Dwarves, under Thrór, son of Dáin I, come to live in the Lonely Mountain. Their kingdom lasted only until TA2770, when Smaug the Great Wyrm came to claim their treasures as his own. The Dwarves were driven out and into exile. This added another threat to the East of Mirkwood.
TA2941 - Battle of the Five Armies. Legolas would have been 500ish, and coming into his own as a young elf lord. The Elves were not expecting the war and Legolas would have been allowed to accompany the elves who rode out with his father. It was his first experience of fighting on a large scale, as well as his first time meeting Dwarves.
TA3017 - Gollum is captured and brought to Mirkwood to be guarded. Legolas, now around 650 years old, was given this task as a serious responsibility.
TA3018 - Gollum escapes (June) captivity. Legolas and the other elves charged with keeping him (and Aragorn?) follow his trail all the way to the gates of Mordor. There the trail is lost. Legolas returns to Mirkwood, then heads to Rivendell to tell what has happened. While there the Council of Elrond is held and he is chosen to accompany Frodo and the Ring. Legolas would have asked to accompany Frodo, both as an opportunity to see the world and because he had heard stories of the ring, and the opportunity to bring an end to the suffering Sauron had brought to the world.
LotR History