The Hobbit is a classic piece of fantasy literature, a novel that manages to appeal to both children and adults. It also contains some of the most fascinating characters to have ever graced the pages of a fantasy novel.
Part of what makes them so engaging is how thoroughly Tolkien describes them in physical terms, capturing the particularities of their bodies, their clothes, and their mannerisms. Here are some of the key characters of The Hobbitand how they’re supposed to look.
Bilbo
Bilbo is the titular hobbit, who is living in the fateful place known as Bag End in the Shire. Like almost all of the hobbits that we meet in the later The Lord of the Rings, Bilbo is described at the beginning of The Hobbit as being short, with an ample belly (hobbits love to eat), large feet covered in brown hair, and curly brown hair. Given his own class status, he is also shown, at the beginning of the book, as being dressed in fine clothes (though this of course changes as he goes on the quest to defeat the dragon). The film skirts fairly closely to this description, with Martin Freeman really looking a lot like we always imagined Bilbo. This fan art of Bilbo is by sharkieboo, check them out on Deviantart!
Gandalf
When he first appears in the book, Gandalf is described as a wise old man, with a white beard and eyebrows that stick out beyond the brim of his large hat (the book draws particular attention to the eyebrows). His pointed hat is described as blue, and he is also described as wearing a silver scarf. Altogether, he appears exactly as one would expect a wizard to look and, in the film version, Ian McKellen manages to capture his mannerisms and look perfectly. The incredible rendition of Gandalf used for comparison here is by LucasGraciano.
Thorin
The grandson of the last King Under the Mountain, Thorin is a Dwarf who is always very much dignified, always aware of his fine heritage and his social status. In the extended editions of the novel, he is described as having white hair (he was already getting on in years by the time of the events of the book). Upon arriving at Bag End, he was wearing a blue hood with a silver tassel. Richard Armitage’s Thorin is a bit different from the book, with more of an epic hero vibe. The fan art of Thorin used here is by elven21.
Bard
The descendant of one of the great kings of the destroyed land of Dale, Bard is one of the heroes of the novel. The narrator doesn’t give us a great amount of physical description, but it does make it clear that Bard is a man of somber temperament, much less likely than his compatriots to give in to the celebration that accompanies the Dwarves’ arrival. He is also described as a strong leader of men, such as when he leads the company of archers against Smaug. The films had a lot of flexibility with how they depicted Bard, but Luke Evans does manage to capture the character’s rather dour disposition. The interpretation of Bard on the right is by Shockbolt.
Smaug
Smaug is the mighty dragon that is the primary antagonist of the novel. Though we don’t get much description of his actual physical properties, Tolkien’s own illustrations show him as quite large, with red-gold scales. Additionally, the time he had spent lying on his hoard had embedded diamonds and other gemstones into his scales.
He was truly a terrifying physical specimen, for even though he is prone to bragging about his abilities, it is true that he could breathe fire and that destroy stone with his tail. Unfortunately, there was also a bare spot in his armor right above his left breast, which would ultimately lead to his downfall. The films nicely capture his menacing presence, aided of course by Benedict Cumberbatch’s motion capture performance and sinister vocals. The fan art we’re using for comparison here is by the talented moonxels.
Elrond
As a person descended from some of the greatest of Elven heroes, it should come as no surprise that Elrond (also known as Elrond Half-Elven) should be described in the novel as being both noble and fair of countenance. Though this is a rather sparse description, it does give us the sense that he was a person whom one could well imagine fighting the great battles of the distant history of Tolkien’s world. He is described in The Lord of the Rings as having dark hair. Though not as handsome as we might expect from an Elf, Hugo Weaving does capture Elrond’s nobility and stoic presence. This captivating piece of fan art is by Domerk.
Beorn
One of the most fascinating things about the character of Beorn is that he is described as being a shape-changer, a man who can transform himself into a bear. Unsurprisingly, then, when Bilbo first sees him, he observes a large man with a beard and arms and legs that bulge with muscles. Through this description, Tolkien manages to show us how this seemingly normal man could easily transform himself into one of nature’s most formidable creatures. The film takes some liberties with his appearance, and at times he looks more like a badger than a bear. Fan art here by Ninni-V, visit them on Deviantart!
The Great Goblin
When Bilbo and his companions are taken captive by the goblins in the Misty Mountains, they are taken before the malicious creature known as the Great Goblin. Like so many of the other goblins that appear in Tolkien’s works, he was no doubt a creature that was like a twisted and ugly version of the beautiful Elves.
In this instance, Tolkien specifies that he had an unusually large head, meaning that he would have been even more grotesque than the regular goblins. His appearance isn’t much different in the films, although interestingly Barry Humphries is the man behind the mask – perhaps better known for his Dame Edna Everage character. The fan art used for comparison here is by Sceith-A.
Thranduil
Though he is given no name in the text of The Hobbit, in later writings it was specified that the Elvenking in Mirkwood is in fact Thranduil, the father of the heroic Legolas. In the novel, he is described as being golden-haired (one may assume that he was also beautiful, given that there doesn’t seem to be such a thing as an ugly Elf in Tolkien’s lore). He also wears different crowns depending on what the season happens to be. When they first see him, he is wearing a crown of berries and red leaves. Again, the filmmakers had a lot of flexibility, but Lee Pace does a fine job capturing the king’s hauteur and icy Elven beauty. Fan art by Athena-chan – check them out!
Gollum
Of all of the characters that appear in The Hobbit, arguably none leaves as much of an impression as Gollum, the miserable wretch that Bilbo encounters at the heart of the Misty Mountains. The narrator describes him as slimy, with large hands and feet, as well as lantern-like eyes. Notoriously, he is also missing most of his teeth, as is revealed when he guesses the answer to one of Bilbo’s riddle about horses. Now that we’ve seen him portrayed by Andy Serkis, it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. The fan art in this image is by Benef, make sure to show them some love!
