Thranduil

Thranduil, also known as the Elvenking, is a Sindarin elf, King of the Woodland Realm, and father of Legolas. He was the leader of the wood-elves of Northern Mirkwood for more than three thousand years in Middle-earth, seeing his realm through attacks by the great spiders and the orcs. Thranduil was known for disliking the dwarves, a trait common among many of his kin. He is perhaps the most well-known of the Elvenkings among non-elves, if only because of Bilbo's exploits and tales.

First and Second Ages
Thranduil was the only son of Oropher. He was born sometime during the end of the First Age and lived in Doriath with Thingol and Melian. At the beginning of the Second Age, Thranduil lived in Lindon with Gil-galad while his father lived in Greenwood. After Oropher died in the war of Last Alliance, Thranduil went east to claim his inheritance and sometime before TA 1000 he established a kingdom in Greenwood the Great.

Third Age
When Thorin Oakenshield and his party of dwarves entered northern Mirkwood, they were captured by Thranduil's guards and locked up when they refuse to divulge their intentions, before being freed by Bilbo Baggins. It was revealed that Thranduil had had a quarrel with dwarves over some jewels, although it is possible that this statement may relate to Thingol. After the death of the dragon Smaug, Thranduil supported Bard the Bowman's claim of a share of the treasure the dwarves recovered from Erebor. Bard was a descendent of Lord Girion of Dale and the treasure of that town was also taken by Smaug to Erebor. Thorin resented the presence of the elven forces, due to their previous captivity by the elves, and refused to negotiate with Bard until Bilbo gave Thranduil the Arkenstone (which meant more than a river of gold to Thorin).

Thranduil led the elven forces in the Battle of the Five Armies, and during the War of the Ring he repulsed an attack from Dol Guldur. His actions were in concert with the dwarves and the Men of Dale against the Easterlings who attacked from the east.

The gradually-established friendship between Legolas and the Dwarf Gimli, the son of Glóin of Thorin’s company, helps to reconcile Thranduil's people and the Dwarves.

Fourth Age
After the fall of Sauron, Thranduil fixed the southern boundary of his realm as the Mountains of Mirkwood, and the Woodland Realm flourished well into the Fourth Age. He may have stayed on as the king of the Great Forest or left Middle-earth.

In Literature
King Thranduil is a supporting character in The Hobbit and is referenced in The Lord of the Rings.

In Film
Lee Pace will portray Thranduil in Peter Jackson's adaption of The Hobbit to be released in 2012 and 2013.

Adaptations and Video games
In the 1977 animated version of The Hobbit, Thranduil is voiced by Otto Preminger. In the 1968 BBC radio series he is voiced by Leonard Fenton. He is also one of the playable elven heroes in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II real-time strategy game.

External link

 * Thranduil at Tolkien Gateway