The massive nature of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy neatly disguises just how much more complex author J. R. R. Tolkien’s original novels are. The sprawling works require a good deal of trimming to reach an acceptable movie running time. Even the director’s cut -- which stretches the total running time well beyond 11 hours -- leaves out considerable portions of the original text. As justified as the decision may be, the question of what to cut always engenders controversy, which continues even as the movie trilogy celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Much of that controversy centers around Tom Bombadil, the enigmatic forest dweller who helps Frodo and the other Hobbits in the early stages of their adventures. Jackson even slyly notes in the director’s commentary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Blu-ray that his version of the Hobbits could have easily run into Tom Bombadil offscreen. A tough as the cut was, however, that character played only a tangential role in the remainder of the story. Still, Jackson made another cut -- Glorfindel, an Elf in the House of Elrond -- which may have proven far more important to the plot.

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Who Was Glorfindel in The Lord of the Rings?

Arwen fighting the ringwraiths in Lord of the Rings

Glorfindel was an Elf-Lord in Tolkien’s original work, appearing in The Fellowship of the Ring in the service of Elrond. His history stretches back to Middle-earth's First Age and can be found in The Silmarillion, as well as various Appendices of The Lord of the Rings. He’s described as tall and handsome, with golden hair and a noble demeanor. Elrond sends him out in search of the wayward Hobbits, and he comes across them after Frodo has been stabbed with the Ringwraiths’ Morgul-blade. When Frodo comes close to succumbing to his wound, he puts the Hobbit on his horse and sends him to Rivendell where Elrond’s magic can protect him.

Glorfindel's also present at the Council of Elrond and sits at a seat of honor next to Elrond and Gandalf. He makes a number of suggestions for disposing of the Ring -- including giving it to Tom Bombadil and throwing it into the sea -- and is considered for membership in the Fellowship. He’s ultimately ruled out because the of the direct nature of his abilities, which wouldn’t serve a mission of stealth particularly well. Legolas -- who hails from Mirkwood and is accustomed to moving silently -- ultimately becomes the Elven representative in the Fellowship.

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Why Glorfindel Wasn’t in Peter Jackson’s Films

Orlando Bloom's Legolas eyes his target in The Lord of the Rings

Glorfindel effectively vanishes from Tolkien’s story once the Fellowship of the Ring is formed, leaving him present for a comparatively limited period of time. With a three-movie saga before him and a colossal amount of material to squeeze into the running time, it made an easy cut for Jackson and his team. Ralph Bakshi’s truncated animated version of the story made a similar cut, replacing Glorfindel with Legolas and effectively merging the two characters.

Like Bakshi, Jackson replaced Glorfindel with another character. In his case, Arwen finds the Hobbits and guides them to Elrond’s. He gave her an enhanced role in the flight to the ford, staying with Frodo until the end and summoning the magic that ultimately turns the pursuing Ringwraiths back. Unlike Glorfindel, she continued to make regular and important appearances in the remaining two movies. Her presence helped close the unseemly gender gap in Tolkien’s roster of heroes, and her connection to Aragorn tied her more closely to the story than Glorfindel was. As with Tom Bombadil, the decision ultimately improved the movie’s narrative flow and kept an already crowded cast list down. It cost The Lord of the Rings an interesting character, something it could spare, and left a quiet omission to compare with the celebrated work on which it is based.

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