Also known as: Son Of Gloin, Elf-Friend, Lord Of The Glittering Caves, Lockbearer
Gimli is the Dwarf member of the Fellowship of the Ring and one of the most celebrated Dwarves in the history of Middle-earth. Son of Gloin (one of Thorin's companions), Gimli traveled to Rivendell with his father and volunteered for the Fellowship to represent the Dwarves. He is fierce, proud, and loyal, a formidable warrior with his axes.
Gimli's most significant character arc is his friendship with Legolas, the Elf. The enmity between Dwarves and Elves stretched back thousands of years to the sack of Doriath and the treachery of the Petty-dwarves, yet Gimli and Legolas forged a bond that transcended this ancient prejudice. Gimli fell in love with the beauty of Galadriel when the Fellowship passed through Lothlorien, and she gifted him three strands of her hair (a gift she had refused Feanor himself). This act deeply moved him and softened his heart toward the Elves forever.
During the War of the Ring, Gimli fought at Helm's Deep (where he and Legolas famously competed in counting their kills), at the Pelennor Fields, and at the Black Gate. After the war, he led a colony of Dwarves to the Glittering Caves of Aglarond behind Helm's Deep and became Lord of the Glittering Caves. His Dwarves crafted new gates of mithril and steel for Minas Tirith. According to tradition, after King Elessar's death, Gimli sailed to Valinor with Legolas, the only Dwarf ever permitted to enter the Undying Lands, a testament to his friendship and to Galadriel's grace.