The Lord of the Rings is one of the most classic fantasy series of all time, and this series has influenced so many fantasy, and other genres, stories since. In both the movies and the films, romantic relationships aren’t always the focus as it’s more of an epic adventure. However, romance and relationships are a part of life, so they do play a role in the stories.
Some relationships like Aragorn and Arwen’s becomes more of an important plot point while others, like Rosie and Sam, are more of a side thing. However, one thing lacking from the series is any LGBT representation. While this might make sense given the time period the books were written in, there weren’t any additions even in The Hobbit films which already deviated from the book greatly. However, there are many potential LGBT relationships the movies could have made canon.
Arwen and Tauriel
This is probably the most out there inclusion on the list, but it’s still within the realm of possibilities. The fact that Tauriel is a completely new character means that anything could happen.
If The Hobbit trilogy could make up a love triangle between Tauriel, Kili, and Legolas, they could just have easily have put her with another elf such as Arwen.
Haldir and Legolas
This is another pairing that isn’t necessarily the most popular in large part because Haldir is more of a side character who gets a bigger role in the movies than in the books.
However, when Haldir arrives at Helm’s Deep with the army from Lothlorien, it’s clear that he knows Legolas, and they embrace rather emotionally. While this would never have been a big focus in the movies, there’s no reason they couldn’t have had a relationship.
Merry and Boromir
In Lord of the Rings fandom, there is some debate about the validity of cross-species pairings. However, as long as all parties involved are adults, there isn’t necessarily much of a problem.
While Merry is younger comparatively, he is definitely more mature than Pippin and goes through a lot of growth in the series. While Boromir seems to see himself more as a mentor or protector of those two, if he had lived longer, there’s no reason this relationship couldn’t have evolved.
Thorin and Bilbo
This is a pairing that has definitely arisen in fandom because of the movies. While in the book, Thorin is a rather old king and not traditionally attractive, the movies took a different direction with the character.
The fact that these two don’t seem far off in age and interact a lot more in the movies makes the pairing seem more realistic than it would have been in the books. Bilbo and Thorin also grow from a place of distrust and dislike to a place of friendship and trust which would make for a compelling romantic storyline.
Arwen and Eowyn
Given that so many of the main characters in The Lord of the Rings franchise are men, it’s unsurprising that many of the popular non-canon pairings are between two men.
There just aren’t that many women to ship with one another in a way that would make sense in the narrative. However, there’s an argument to be made for having Arwen and Eowyn end up together as a more progressive ending to the love triangle situation with Aragorn.
Thranduil and Thorin
This relationship is one that might not make sense in the regional context of the books, but, given how things played out differently in the films, it’s not that out there.
The Hobbit movies clearly tried to create an interesting narrative of an elf/dwarf relationship with Kili and Tauriel, but a potentially more interesting one would be with Thranduil and Thorin. This wouldn’t necessarily have to change the fact they are rivals and sometimes enemies, but it would make all of that even more interesting.
Thranduil and Elrond
While Thranduil and Thorin might be a popular fandom pairing, one that makes even more sense is Thranduil and Elrond. While these two don’t necessarily really interact in the movies, they are both elf lords who both lost their wives years ago.
They have a lot more in common than they have not in common, and they could both be in a place where they are looking for companionship after so many years of being alive.
Legolas and Aragorn
Given that the entire Fellowship is made up of men, some of the most popular and obvious pairings from the series are between two men. Legolas is one of the most attractive characters by traditional standards, and he has some close relationships with his companions.
Many people feel that Legolas and Aragorn had good chemistry, and there is also a canon basis for the fact that they have a long-lasting friendship. They are good friends who knew each other even before the fellowship.
Legolas and Gimli
While Aragorn and Legolas might make some sense, Aragorn does have a romantic storyline with Arwen that is a big part of his motivations. So, the pairing that makes the most sense for Legolas is with Gimli. These two represent a mending of the hatred between elves and dwarves, and they grow from rivals to close friends.
They even end up sailing to the Undying Lands together after their time in Middle-Earth is over. This really does make it seem like their relationship could be more than just friendship.
Frodo and Sam
One of the most popular and talked about potential pairings from The Lord of the Rings is between Frodo and Sam. There are definitely subtextual queer readings of their relationship that are easy to make. Their relationship is the core of the story in many ways, and Sam is absolutely vital to Frodo’s well-being and his ability to make it to Mordor.
After the One Ring is destroyed, these two continue to remain extremely close and have one of the deepest bonds of any two people from the series.