Why I write Legolas-centric fics?
By: Shadow Chaser

Yes, its been a long time and here's another edition. Legolas. The elf that was made popular by Peter Jackson's movie, all because of the handsome Orlando Bloom (who is a good actor, but needs some more movies under his belt before I can really consider him a good actor - give him a few years like Leo DiCaprio and it'll turn good).

The Legolas in Tolkien's novel was more of a background character. Sometimes providing information, other times just so damn annoying because of his hyperness (you see how he acts in Lothlorien - creepy). Personally I think the real reason he's in the Fellowship is because he lost Gollum. He was supposed to be taking responsibility for Gollum and lost him in the woods of Mirkwood - thereby allowing the Nazgul to capture him. Hmph. He's only in the Fellowship to make up for his accident.

But that doesn't mean I like him anyways. I've always had a facination with Elves, and particually latched onto whatever Elf was mentioned in Tolkien's books (the fact that Jackson doesn't include Glorfindel in the movie just pisses me off to no end). Legolas just so happened to be part of that facination.

But I'll admit. It was the movies that made me see Legolas in another light. Jackson portrayed the sprightly 2,000-something year old Elf as a different character, somehow a stronger character with more knowledge and backbone. It didn't hurt that he got the cute Orlando Bloom to play him. ^_^ (Yes yes all you fan girls can go glomp on Orlando, I don't really care)

I found that in combining what Tolkien mentioned about Legolas and his family and what Jackson re-interpreted about the Elf made it for an interesting combination. It made for some forgotten history that screamed, "LEGOLAS NEEDS A BACKGROUND TO BE WRITTEN". So there. I decided I was going to write about the early years of the 3rd Age, before Bilbo Baggins left the Shire on his adventure with Gandalf in "The Hobbit".

Besides, being a history buff and facinated with Middle Earth's history I felt there was a need to put into a story what happened, especially in Angmar and Dol Guldur after Sauron. ^_^

I digress... So what's with "The Shadows that Remain" you ask? It's my own twisted history on life. ^_^ My brainchild for screwing up Middle Earth and making Tolkien roll a bit in his grave (sorry good sir, but I had to).

Magic was only hinted in the books and movies. I love magic and anything that had spells or casting powers. Anything that was mystical or science fiction-like I loved. And so I felt that Elves, through a certain time, had to have innate magical powers and had to use them to defend themselves. I mean check out Elrond Perendil. He heals...there's use of magic in there. ^_^

And so I made Legolas and all of the Elves of Middle Earth and of Tolkien's world have magic. After all, Elves were mystical, weren't they? But I made Legolas special. Because I felt that after a few thousand centures, he would have changed his bright and sprightly outlook on life and digressed into more cynical and hardened ways. I mean just look at the times he's living in, in my fic.

I wanted Legolas to be special. To be someone that I can write for. A hero of sorts that goes through suffering and pain just to emerge as strong as ever, if not stronger. So I put him through torture, pain, and suffering.

Now you can guess what my next essay's about. Why I torture my favorite characters. ^_^

-Shadow Chaser is signing off...
posted by Shadow Chaser at 1:15 PM