Gimli’s first comedic scene in The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a far deeper moment than it seems. Gimli’s attempt to destroy the One Ring is played for laughs, but it is truly a character-defining moment for the heroic dwarf. The moment may have been absent from the books, but it speaks to the inherent strengths of Middle-earth’s dwarves and Gimli in particular.
The One Ring is one of the most powerful and dangerous objects in Middle-earth. The simple-looking gold ring contains the power and malice of the Dark Lord Sauron, making any who comes in contact with it susceptible to its corrupting nature. The One Ring’s power is highly addictive and its sinister influence makes it extremely difficult to let go of and nearly impossible to destroy.
In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gimli is one of many attendees at the Council of Elrond in Rivendell, where he learns of the danger that the One Ring poses to Middle-earth. In the film, Gimli wastes no time in grabbing another dwarf’s ax and trying to destroy the ring, only for it to shatter the ax and send Gimli flying back (leading Elrond to explain that it can’t be destroyed by conventional means). The scene is notably created for the film and while it appears to be a humorous example of Gimli’s direct tactics and lack of patience, it is actually a definitive moment for his character, showcasing his indomitable willpower, as he’s the only character to directly attempt to destroy the ring without hesitation.
Gimli's Defining Moment Was Created For The Movies
The moment’s addition is one of several notable changes made to Gimli in the Lord of the Rings films. While Gimli was a more serious and contemplative character in the books whose defining characteristics are his strong sense of honor, loyalty, and sentimentality, the films make him more of a comic relief character. Despite this, Gimli’s personality traits from the books are still present, and his attempt to destroy the One Ring is a perfect example of this. The moment humorously showcases the ring’s near-indestructibility while also being the only instance of a character being completely immune to its corruption.
The seven Dwarf Lords of Middle-earth were notably not placed under the control of Sauron when he used the One Ring on their rings of power, though the rings did exacerbate their negative personality traits, making Gimli’s actions impressive by even dwarf standards. Gimli’s attempted destruction of the One Ring was most likely added to visually demonstrate to viewers that the ring could only be destroyed by the fires of Mount Doom, but it unintentionally became one of the most important moments for one of the trilogy’s heroes. Gimli might have failed to destroy the One Ring, but his underrated moment proves that he may have the strongest will in The Lord of the Rings film franchise.