Legolas is known as an extremely adept archer in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and in Peter Jackson's movie adaptations, fans get to see him in action. From armies of orcs to giant oliphants, Legolas has no fear when he has his bow and arrow. But there's one particular shot that he didn't fire that began one of the biggest battles in The Lord of the Rings lore -- the Battle of Helm's Deep.
Any avid fan can't forget this iconic moment: the Men of Rohan trapped behind the impregnable stronghold while thousands of orcs amassed in front of them, with the tension building until the moment of battle. But this moment is quickly ruined when an old man lets an arrow fly across the Hornburg and into an orc's neck, instigating the fight.
However, a fan theory on Reddit suggests that the old man's shot wasn't simply an accidental misfire but a display of skill. The theory notes how accurate the shot was, landing precisely in an orc's neck between two pieces of armor. In fact, the shot is so excellent that even Aragorn assumes an Elf let the arrow loose, so he calls out in Elvish to "hold fire."Men don't typically understand Elvish, so the man who actually shot it wouldn't even understand the reprimand.
It's pretty incredible how, at a pivotal moment in Middle-earth's history, the first arrow shot wasn't from an Elf, even though Legolas was on-site -- and in Peter Jackson's films, many others. While it was rash for Aragorn to simply assume an Elf fired the shot, everyone else would have thought the same. But if one looks closely at that moment in The Two Towers, it shows the old man pretty clearly.
While it may be considered typical of a Man to fumble a shot at such a pivotal moment, the old man looked as surprised as anyone. There's even a quick shot of the old man before he fires the arrow, and it's evident that his arm is shaking from holding it in place. So even though his arm probably just felt weak and the arrow flew from the bow, it still landed perfectly, killing the orc, starting the battle and demonstrating his skill.
It can be argued that Legolas is the best archer in The Lord of the Rings, but at the Battle of Helm's Deep, this random old man of Rohan took the spotlight. He began one of the most legendary battles in the Third Age of Middle-earth, and he didn't even mean to. Later in the battle, Legolas tallies up his kills in competition with Gimli, but maybe he was boasting about kills because a mere Man stole the show as the most impressive shot of the night.