Should Legolas have been wounded? How did Gimli remain unscathed?

[William Cloud Hicklin]

JRRT did consider killing Pippin off.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Your lack of faith in the prowess of Dwarves troubles and disappoints me, Matt.

I remember a discussion years ago about how the story would have felt had Frodo and/or Sam laid down and died after the destruction of the Ring. That too might have been realistic; but as Saucepan Man argued (I remember it ) such an outcome would have been unnecessarily grim in a story that is meant to delight the reader. Same goes for the Elf and the Dwarf - no need to harm them, we like them.

Besides, though it would have been beasting to see Legolas fight on with one arm severed and hanging off the shoulder, he displays possibly equal awesomeness in avoiding injury completely.

[Lindale]

And add the innate toughness of the Dwarves (Gimli) and the innate, erm, nimbleness of the Elves (for Legolas).

I related the Valinor Elves' being tough and nimble to Legolas, although on a much lesser scale. I've always pictured him such a nice warrior, not stocky like Boromir or Gimli, but a sort of Paris of Troy (totally coincidental guys, ok?) who, at the Iliad book, always shoots with his bow because it's much safer for him to do this rather than do actual swordfight.

But good point, why did those two remain unscathed in Moria? Although Gandalf fell, it would have been nice if there were more casualties brought to Lorien.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Nice?

[Groin Redbeard]

Originally Posted by Lindale

But good point, why did those two remain unscathed in Moria? Although Gandalf fell, it would have been nice if there were more casualties brought to Lorien.

Well Frodo was wounded, actually more bruised than wounded. But than again the Fellowship didn't know about this until they entered Lorien.

[Lindale]

^^ Oh I totally forgot that, Groin Redbeard! Hahaha. Now if the Fellowship would rush to Lorien with the news of the loss of old Gandalf, a Frodo they thought was wounded, and another really wounded Elf, that would be too complicated. It would not add much to the plot. Frodo "wounded" helped the mithril coat get out, which is kinda symbolic for "I'm not such a weakling" for Frodo. If Legolas gets wounded... hmm.

The bows of the Mirkwood elves aren't as good (one can say from reading and rereading but isn't directly stated) as the Lorien bows. But still, it should be better, being wrought by elves and all that, than the Orcs of Moria. I mean, these orcs were savages even compared to the orcs of Mordor and Saruman, right? So Legolas should get a really good advantage in this.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

It might have increased, and made more convincing,
the growing friendship of Gimli and Legolas, if Legolas
had been wounded in Moria and helped to survive by
Gimli, and made deeper the elf/dwarf rapproachment (sp.)
evinced by (Galadriel and friends to Gimli) in Lorien.

[Eönwë]

Yes, but rember, most of the hobbits in Moria didn't really do much: Sam was the only one who killed an orc, and look what happened to him.

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Lindale

The bows of the Mirkwood elves aren't as good (one can say from reading and rereading but isn't directly stated) as the Lorien bows. But still, it should be better, being wrought by elves and all that, than the Orcs of Moria. I mean, these orcs were savages even compared to the orcs of Mordor and Saruman, right? So Legolas should get a really good advantage in this.

This is a good point, but I still do not buy the whole "not good for the plot" deal. If Sam can have a cut from killing an orc mentioned more than once (which I am almost positive it is), Legolas could have been wounded. I do not think it would have taken away from the main story at all...

[Lindale]

Though in the movies, it would take a lot of minus-points if darling Orlando got hurt. Cheers, MatthewM