The Fellowship in The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-known teams in pop culture history. Each and every one of them is an icon. We’re talking Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, Pippin Took, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir. While we know all their names, apparently, they might not know each other as well as we thought.
Yes, we’re talking about the long-running fan theory that Frodo doesn’t know Legolas’ name. The theory has gained lots of traction over the years. And to be fair, there are a few big reasons behind it. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s original work, Frodo directly cites Legolas in his book, confirming that yes, he did know his name. However, in the film adaptation, Frodo never directly refers to Legolas by his name.
In fact, at the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Frodo appears to deliberately avoid saying Legolas’ name. This has been long discussed and chronicled on sites like Reddit (where people have also been arguing otherwise). Now Frodo himself, Elijah Wood, has weighed in on the theory.
Whether you believe or disbelieve it is down to personal opinion, but Wood is certainly intrigued by it. “He doesn't say his name. I know. He must, though. It comes from that scene where he is reunited with The Fellowship. He says everyone's name except for Legolas. He just smiles at him,” the actor told Screen Rant, while promoting his new movie The Toxic Avenger alongside Peter Dinklage and director/star Macon Blair at San Diego Comic-Con.
He continued: “At the Council of Elrond, I feel like he is named. ‘You have my bow.’ I suppose he doesn't say, 'I'm Legolas, you have my bow.' I don't think he knows his name.”
In addition, Blair also threw in the idea that it was simply too late for Frodo to ask Legolas' name, saying, "It's like after you've gone through all of that, then it's too late to ask," to which Dinklage jokingly replied, "We've all been there. They were roommates. It didn't end well."
If one thing is for sure, the sheer longevity of this theory speaks for its possible accuracy. It’s fun to ponder. “I don't know,” Wood concluded. “But I love this theory.”
Wood stars as Fritz Garbinger in The Toxic Avenger, a remake of the cult classic 1984 horror-comedy, which is set for theatrical release on August 29, 2025.
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