TV - Movies
Why Legolas' Hair Raised Accuracy
Debates Among
Lord Of The Rings
Fans
By CAITLIN STEPHENS
There are bound to be differences between a book and its on-screen adaptation, and Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy is no exception. Changes may be made due to budget limits, time constraints, or safety risks, but fans still found some choices in “The Lord of the Rings” questionable, including the color of Legolas' hair.
In the book, Legolas' hair color is never specified, but J.R.R. Tolkien did detail certain rules for which Elves have which hair colors since all elves are descended from two lines: the Noldor, who have dark hair, and the Teleri, who have either dark or silver hair. As a Sindar Elf, descended from the Teleri, it seems that Legolas should have either dark or silver hair.
Redditor u/roguefrog pointed out that blond hair is very rare among the Elves in Middle-earth, arguing that since Legolas' hair color is not specified, it should be presumed to be dark, the most common color for Elf hair. However, Legolas' father is described as having golden hair in "The Hobbit," so this may be why the character has blond hair in the movies.