There are many points of contention with the creative license that the directors took when adaptingThe Hobbitbook into movies. From characters who were added or changed, to plot points and love stories that appeared out of nowhere, many fans were left with questions about why so much was embellished. And one of the most major of these is the scar on Thranduil the elf king’s face, and how he is able to make it appear and disappear at will.
This is an element of the story that many fans feel is just one step too far. It is definitely not accurate in terms of the book, as there is no scar mentioned in relation to the king of Mirkwood. However, this is hardly saying something, as there is a lot about the king that isn’t mentioned in the books that have been added to the films, including his name! He is never actually named inThe Hobbit, and this isn’t told until much later, during theLord of the Ringsbooks.
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There is also no mention of Thranduil’s son being Legolas, and lots of other small details that have been enhanced to enrich the story. This is in part because,when Tolkien originally wroteThe Hobbit, he didn’t know at the time that it was going to become part of a much bigger legendarium, and would have to tie in with stories that came both before it and after it. He then had a difficult time linking it up with theLord of the Rings, and had to go back and change several aspects of the original story to make the tone and the plot fit more in line.
So, discussing Thranduil’s scar in the context of the films rather than the books makes it a lot more plausible. But where did he get this gnarly disfigurement, and how is he able to conceal it? One possibility is that he got it during the great goblin wars many centuries ago, whenthe swords Orcrist and Glamdring earned their namesas the greatest goblin killing weapons of their time. It is well known that the goblin wars were lethal and that they raged on for years with many lives lost, until Dain Ironfoot eventually killed Azog the Defiler. Thranduil is believed to have fought valiantly in these battles, and it is definitely possible for him to havesustained a horrific wound during this violence. Unfortunately, this doesn’t quite fit into the context of the revelation in the movie though, because the scar is only shown in the context of dragons.
Thorin and the others are on theirquest to reclaim Ereborfrom Smaug when they are captured by the elves in Mirkwood. When Thorin and Thranduil enter a heated debate over rights to the treasure, and the ill-will shown in the past, Thranduil states “do not talk to me of dragon fire! I know it’s wrath and ruin. I have faced the great serpents of the north.” As he says this, he seems almost in pain whilst he removes the illusion from his face and reveals the exposed muscles and sinew beneath, as well as what looks like a blind eye.
This would suggest that he received the wound battling dragons in the north. When he then informs Thorin “I warned your grandfather ofwhat his greed would summon, but he would not listen”, it makes him seem like far more of an authority on the matter, having had personal encounters and near death experiences with dragons himself. Whilst it is known that there were indeed other dragons in Middle Earth, it seems strange that Thranduil of the wood would have need to fight them, as they are far more tempted by dwarven gold and by the virtue of human maidens than by anything that the elven king would have in his kingdom. The reference feels very out of place for many, and has become sorely debated among the circles of Tolkien’s followers.
According toThe Hobbitbook, the elves do actuallyhave the powerto use some elements of magic, and might be capable ofconjuring visions and illusionssuch as Thranduil’s concealment. When the dwarves first come across them as they wander lost and starving in the woods, the elves suddenly vanish into thin air, taking their feast and their firelight with them. They reappear once or twice in a different location, but vanish once more when the dwarves accost them each time. This shows that as a race of beings, they are capable of making things appear and disappear on demand, which might explain how Thranduil is able to hide this twisted section of his face, but most are still doubtful of the integrity of this moment in the movie adaptations, and whether or not it fits in with the larger themes of Tolkien’s stories as a whole.
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