The Lord of the Rings movies do a great job adapting J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy story, but that doesn’t mean they include all the details from the books. The director of the original films, Peter Jackson, has to omit some aspects of the narrative to keep the pace moving quickly and ensure that the most important parts of the plot take center stage. However, one of the best parts of Tolkien’s work is how immense and comprehensive the lore is. Every race in Middle-earth has a rich history, and all the characters’ actions have deeper motivations that we never see in the movies.

For example, there are many Gimli details that the Lord of the Rings movies leave out, making the dwarf more mysterious. When we first meet Gimli in The Fellowship of the Rings, he makes his presence known, and his dynamic with Legolas is established quickly. In the films, John Rhys-Davies brings Gimli to life brilliantly, communicating that he’s a deep and complex character. The fact that he does this without the backstory of Gimli’s motivations and the relationship between the dwarves and Sauron speaks to Rhys-Davies’ skills and demonstrates why we love Gimli and want to learn more about him.

Gimli Was In Rivendell Because Sauron Sent An Emissary To The Dwarves In LOTR

Gimli went to Rivendell for a much more vital purpose than we see onscreen

Gimli’s presence at the Council of Elrond in The Fellowship of the Ring is positioned as the voice representing the dwarves called to discuss what to do with the One Ring and how to organize against Sauron. However, Gimli and his father, Glóin, were already on their way to Rivendell, sent by their leader, King Dáin​​​​​​. In the books, Sauron had already been in contact with the dwarves, having sent a representative to Gimli and his people to convince them to join Mordor once again.

Fortunately, this messenger ended up serving the opposite purpose, making King Dáin aware of Sauron’s rise and realizing that he needed to communicate with Elrond to formulate a plan to stop him. The fact that Gimli and Glóin get there at the same time as Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship is more of a happy accident in the novels. Sauron was making more movements behind the scenes, putting his plans into motion, which the movies don’t touch upon as concretely. Since the films focus primarily on Frodo, details like this are left out.

The Movies Change The Council Of Elrond & Omit This Gimli Detail

The Fellowship of the Ring film moves past this element of the story

The infamous chapter in the first Lord of the Rings Book, “Many Meetings,” is packed with discussion and information as the various characters and emissaries arrive in Rivendell. Unfortunately, the nature of film adaptations is that filmmakers must prioritize action and adventure, cutting down the exposition and world-building so that only the most necessary explanations are included. This is likely why Gimli’s background, as well as Glóin’s interactions with Bilbo and the other members of the council, which tie into The Hobbit​​​​​​, aren’t seen onscreen.

Out of all the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies ranked, The Fellowship of the Ring is highly rated for a reason, as it tackles enormous amounts of lore with ease. However, the film couldn’t spend precious minutes exploring why every member of the Council had come and touched upon why Gimli was a more complex individual than we ever knew. This wasn’t the last example of portions of Tolkien’s tale that didn’t make it into the movies, but it is interesting to examine how this alters Gimli as a character and makes him even braver.

The Lord Of The Rings Movies Don’t Mention The Dwarves’ History With Sauron

The omission of this detail doesn’t just affect how we see Gimli

It’s hard to believe that the dwarves, who are such vital allies throughout the central trilogy, would ever side with Sauron, but this is why he sent an emissary to them in the first place. In the past, the dwarves worked with Sauron and fought against the elves, which explains some of the animosity between the two races that we see in The Lord of the Rings​​​​​​. While this is a major piece of history that the movie doesn’t tackle, it makes sense that Jackson wouldn’t want to confuse audiences by including that the dwarves have had multiple allegiances.

Fortunately, King Dáin was loyal to Elrond by the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, and Gimli was able to lend his services to the Fellowship, becoming a huge part of the fight against Sauron. There are many Lord of the Rings book stories that would make great movies, and the dwarves’ history and their politics throughout the different ages would make an interesting tale. These details are what make The Lord of the Rings a definitive work of fantasy, as every aspect of the universe is well thought out, leaving no plot holes or missing explanations.

The Lord of the Rings

Movie(s)

The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Created by

J.R.R. Tolkien

First Film

The Lord of the Rings (1978)

Cast

Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt

TV Show(s)

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

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