Gimli (Middle-earth)

Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth.

Gimli, son of GlÃÂÃÂ³in, is a Dwarf of Durin's Folk chosen to accompany Frodo Baggins on his quest to destroy the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings. Initially suspicious of Elves, he became an ardent admirer of Galadriel and a close friend of Legolas. According to the Red Book of Westmarch, some say that he travelled with Legolas into the West, the first Dwarf to visit the Undying Lands.

In Peter Jackson's movie adaptations Gimli is played by John Rhys-Davies, who was deliberately chosen because he was taller than the actors playing the Hobbits. Thus in scenes where Gimli and the Hobbits appear together their respective sizes remain in proportion, whereas in scenes where they have to interact with human-sized characters tricks of scale had to be employed.

Quotations:

"Sleep! I feel the need of it. Yet my axe is restless in my hand. Give me a row of orc-necks and room to swing and all weariness will fall from me!"
"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens."

One very un-Tolkienish line from the movie is, "No one tosses a dwarf!"

See also: The Hobbit, Middle-earth