tolkien
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise “Sam” Gamgee is a main character in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is a Hobbit who joins the Fellowship of the Ring and its quest to destroy it and defeat Sauron. He is a gardener in the Shire. When Gandalf catches Sam eavesdropping on his conversation with Frodo, he demands he partake in the journey. He becomes Frodo’s closest companion, and carries him up Mount Doom to cast the Ring into the fire. Sam is not affected by the Ring’s persuasion because he is morally good. In the movie adaptations of Tolkien’s novels, Sean Astin plays this role.
Gimli
Gimli is a character in The Lord of the Rings. He is part of the Fellowship of the Ring, the group that journeyed to Mordor to cast the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. He is a dwarf, namely the son of Glóin, who had been one of Bilbo Baggins‘ companions in The Hobbit. As a result of his friendship with Legolas, he is one of the only dwarves who willingly fight alongside the elves. His preferred weapon is an axe, and he seems to enjoy battle. After their victory, he was given lordship of the Glittering Caves at Helm’s Deep. John Rhys-Davies plays this role in the film adaptation.
Elrond in The Hobbit
Elrond is a minor character in The Hobbit. He is the wise and noble half-elf who rules Rivendell, as its original founder. He is also the father of Arwen. He offers shelter to Bilbo Baggins and his company of dwarves. He befriends Bilbo and gives him advice for his quest. When Bilbo leaves The Shire for good, Elrond gives him permanent residence in Rivendell. In the film adaptation, Hugo Weaving plays this role. Elrond appears again with a more pivotal role in Lord of the Rings.
Boromir
Boromir is a supporting character in Lord of the Rings. Heir to Denethor II, Boromir is a noble man who loves his kingdom, Gondor. His stamina and physical strength make him a fierce warrior and commander of the Gondorian army. His father preferred Boromir to his other son, Faramir. But despite the admiration from his father and fellow soldiers, his desperation to save his country ultimately drives him to try and seize the Ring from Frodo. Spoilers: He dies at the start of the second book, but he does apologize for his betrayal. In the film adaptation, Sean Bean plays this role. You’ve probably seen him in the “One does not simply walk into Mordor” meme.
Merry Brandybuck
Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck is a main character in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is a Hobbit who joins the Fellowship of the Ring and its quest to destroy it and defeat Sauron. Although Merry is actually one of Frodo‘s cousins, Pippin is his constant companion. They like to adventure and pull pranks together, and while more silly than resourceful, they’re the ones who form an alliance with Treebeard. Merry himself even fights in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, and helps Eowyn kill the Witch King. He likes boats and ponies, while also taking interest in the maps of Middle Earth. In the movie adaptations of Tolkien’s novels, Dominic Monaghan plays this role.
Elrond in Lord of the Rings
Elrond is a minor character in Lord of the Rings. He is the wise and noble half-elf who rules Rivendell, as its original founder. He is also the father of Arwen. When Gandalf resists asking more from Frodo, he persuades Fellowship to continue its journey of destroying the Ring. This leads to his formation of the Council of Elrond. In the film adaptation, Hugo Weaving plays this role. This look requires some minor crafting, as you’ll need the silver puff paint to draw the pattern on the coat. Tuck the red scarf into the brown cummerbund so it drapes over.
Éowyn from the Lord of the Rings
Éowyn (played by Miranda Otto) is the sister of Éomer in The Lord of the Rings. She is a minor character introduced late in the series. She is at first enamored of Aragorn, though she eventually goes on to marry Faramir. Éowyn is incredibly strong-willed and eventually impersonates a man in order to fight with her fellow countryman. She saves King Théodon’s life and kills the Witch-King of the Nazgul, who a prophesy had said could be killed by no man. If you’re willing to really commit to your costume, feel free to dirty up your outfit and tatter your cloak for a more authentically used look.
Éomer
Éomer is a minor character in Lord of the Rings. As the son of King Theoden, he leads the Riders of Rohan, who serve as calvary to the army of Gondor led by Aragorn. He is an ally for the forces of good, as he fights alongside the Fellowship and other men against Mordor. When his father dies in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, he becomes King of Rohan. His sister is the shieldmaiden Éowyn. In the movie adaptations, Karl Urban plays this role. For this costume, sling the brown belt around your shoulder to cross over your body.
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character in The Lord of the Rings. Possessing exceptional beauty and wisdom, she is one of the greatest elves of Middle Earth. She is also extremely powerful. In fact, her magical abilities are akin to that of Gandalf. This is in part to her possession of one of the Great Rings, Nenya, or the Ring of Adamant. She is admired by everyone, especially Gimli, who is in awe of her magnificent presence. Her mirror allows seekers to see possible events of the future. Galadriel gives each member of the Fellowship an Elven cloak as well as a gift. She gifts Frodo with a phial that shines bright in the dark. You can use a crystal rose quartz as her phial. In the film adaptation, Cate Blanchett plays this role.
Tauriel from The Hobbit
Tauriel (played by Evangeline Lily) is a career soldier. She is loyal to her people and the Middle Earth as a whole. Her loyalty to good is so strong that it lands her at odds with her own leader but she still has to do what’s right.
Cosplaying Tauriel is much the same as cosplaying any Tolkien. A green tunic, brown braces, brown quiver, brown leather vest, and brown boots make up her clothing. An elven bow and blade are her weapons of choice. And of course no Tauriel costume would be complete without her long ginger hair and pointy ears. The ears featured above are blue as a base color so that ever cosplayer can customize them to their specific skin tone.