The Lord of the Rings: What happened to Gimli after The Return of the King ended?

It is March 25, 3019 of the Third Age of Middle-earth. After years of trying to enslave every free people in the world, Sauron, the Dark Lord, is finally broken thanks to the courage of Frodo and his companions.

With the destruction of the One Ring, Mordor’s dominance ended, and the inhabitants of Middle-earth now enjoy centuries of peace. Aragorn, Isildur’s heir, will soon be crowned the new king of Gondor. Sam, Mary and Pippin will return to their home county to spend their peaceful days there. And Frodo follows Gandalf on his final journey across the seas to the undead lands of Valinor.

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And Gimli?

But what happens to Gimli, a true hero of the War of the Ring and a prominent member of society? If the Peter Jackson films don’t specify what happens in Middle-earth after the events of the most famous dwarven Lord of the Rings, we can at least find out by looking at the original pages of JRR Tolkien.

Indeed, by reading the appendices of The Return of the King, we learn what happens to Gimli. Know that after the fall of Sauron and the ascension of Aragorn, the dwarf began to honor the promise he made to his friend Legolas.

Journey with Legolas

During their quest, he swore that he would agree to accompany the elf deep into Fangorn Forest if the latter agreed to accompany him to the glittering caverns of Aglarond beneath Helm’s Gap. This journey, which the two companions made together on the back of their steed Arod, enabled them to marvel at the magnificence of which they had no doubt.

Gimli, for his part, returned to the glittering caverns, mesmerized by their beauty. Accompanied by some dwarves from Erebor, he established a new kingdom there and became its first lord. He then put all his knowledge to the service of Rohan and Gondor, helping his former allies rebuild the cities after the war against Sauron, and notably creating a new mithril gate for the city of Minas Tirith.

To the undead lands of Valinor

Finally, as Tolkien is quick to point out in his notes (though without confirming that this actually happened), Gimli would leave Middle-earth and sail with Legolas towards Valinor (to once again contemplate the beauty of Galadriel. ) and thus become the first (and only) Dwarf. , who set foot on the immortal lands.

What do you think of Gimli’s fate after The Lord of the Rings?

(Re)discover all the hidden details in ‘Return of the King’…