Legolas and Gimli are two of the most iconic characters from The Lord of the Rings thanks to their charisma, epic battle scenes and friendly banter, including the wholesome kill count at Helm's Deep and Minas Tirith. Their relationship evolves from the standpoint of hatred to an earnest friendship by the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Ring.
The history between Elves and Dwarves in Tolkien's lore is one of the most conflicted and complex rivalries set in Middle-earth and stems from ancient times. Their natural traits aren't complimentary and lead to numerous conflicts throughout the Ages. However, the relationship between Legolas and Gimli establishes the possibility of fellowship and friendship between both races, and it's essential to unite people from different backgrounds and rivalries to fight together for the greater good.
Legolas and Gimli Bond Over Their Differences
At the Council of Elrond, the tension between Elves and Dwarves is evident, and it comes from thousands of years of hatred and conflict. The Fellowship of the Ring is a mixture of people who don't fit together theoretically: the Hobbits, who are insular and don't acknowledge the world outside of the Shire; Men from Gondor, whose ideals and focus don't complement each other; and of course, an Elf and a Dwarf who embrace the hate between their races. While on the surface, Legolas and Gimli aren't essential to the overarching plot of the story, their relationship provides the peace that the Free Folk has been seeking for ages, and their evolving companionship is proof that in times of despair, anyone can put aside their differences and fight for the same goal.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Legolas and Gimli rarely engage in friendly competition or conversations. Still, their journey together makes them realize what is essential and that they must seek out their differences for the greater good. The evolution of their relationship represents what's unique about The Lord of the Rings: accepting each other's differences, fighting for each other, embracing goodness and overcoming hardships. While being secondary characters and not as crucial as Frodo or Aragorn, the relationship between Legolas and Gimli thus establishes what The Lord of the Rings truly represents.
Legolas and Gimli Don't Crave Power and Aren't Greedy
One of the main themes of The Lord of the Rings is lust for power, reckless greed and the corruptible nature of all races. Legolas and Gimli come from descendants who waged war for glamor, relevance and superiority. For centuries, the Elves and Dwarves' stubbornness and unlimited cravings depicted the world as a place wherein fellowship, companionship and trust weren't possible. All that mattered was succumbing to lifeless objects that gave them the notion of power without regard for what was actually important.
The Hobbit film trilogy depicts their turbulent relationship perfectly, although dramatically (in comparison to the book). The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey provides a clear perception of the relationship between Dwarves and Elves right at the beginning when Smaug appears to conquer Erebor and King Thranduil retreats his troops, refusing to aid the Dwarves. The tension between both races is palpable throughout the trilogy, but there are signs that peace can be obtained at the gates of Erebor in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Nonetheless, even though they fight together again to dispatch the armies of evil in the final movie of The Hobbit trilogy, their relationship never reaches the kind of friendship that Legolas and Gimli share by the end of The Lord of the Rings.
Legolas and Gimli Break the Wheel of Hatred
Since the creation of both races, disruption, animosity and hatred were bound to exist. The Elves, created by the God of Middle-earth, Ilúvatar, are the mythical and superior existence between races, creating the illusion of complete supremacy. The Elves are graceful creatures -- tall, slim, strong and beautiful, in many ways the definition of perfection. Conversely, the Dwarves were created by Aulë -- a lesser being compared to Ilúvatar. From a physical standpoint, the dwarves are the opposite of elegance, beauty and grace. The contrast between races, their lust for power, the lack of humility from the Elves and the stubbornness of the Dwarves dictate their destinies from the start despite their ability to come together to fight evil.
Before the events that destroyed the peace between Elves and Dwarves, there was friendliness and cooperation between them. Their cordial relationship allowed them to fight together against the Orcs of Melkor (Morgoth). Despite the goodwill to fight evil throughout Middle-earth's history, the bond between Elves and Dwarves isn't as significant as in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Legolas and Gimli mirror the common traits of their races, both mentally and physically. However, they distinguish themselves by adapting perfectly to each other.
Most of the audience remembers them for their banter and friendly competition, which adds comedic relief to the dark themes and high stakes of the trilogy. Still, the characters represent much more than simple comedic moments. For instance, the moment before the Battle of the Black Gate shows their friendship consolidated. The relationship between Legolas and Gimli comes as a full circle for the Dwarves and Dlves after thousands of years of animosity between these races.
On the surface, Legolas and Gimli seem standard secondary characters that help Frodo and Aragorn in their journey to fulfill their destiny and defeat evil. However, the history behind their races magnifies their bond throughout the trilogy and highlights their importance in unifying all races. After thousands of years of conflict between Elves and Dwarves, Legolas and Gimli break the wheel of hatred, bringing peace to a cycle of dispute and fateful chaos.
Legolas and Gimli's personalities are similar in their flaws -- both are competitive and stubborn. However, unlike their descendants, they aren't greedy or selfish and don't crave power or luxury, allowing them to settle their differences, fight together and eventually bond to a point of genuine friendship. Their journey together allows Middle-earth to understand that there's always a solution to tconflict, even after thousands of years.