Ori (Tolkien)

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Character
Name: Ori
Occupation: Scribe, Artist
Relationships: brother of Dori and Nori
Fandom: The Hobbit, The Hobbit (film series)
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Ori is a dwarf from The Hobbit, a member of Thorin's Company. He is the youngest brother of Dori and Nori. He survives the quest to retake Erebor, but in Lord of the Rings, he is briefly mentioned as having travelled with Balin to retake Moria, meaning he dies about 3 decades before the Council of Elrond.

Canon

Very little information is given about Ori in the books, except that he was (probably) the youngest of a trio of brothers and later travelled to Moria with Balin, where he died. The movies flesh out his character substantially, both on screen and in supplementary materials. The Warner Brothers app says:

Younger brother to Nori and Dori, Ori is a talented artist, and can often be found drawing and writing in his journal. It is Ori who chronicles much of the journey through The Wild to the shores of the Long Lake and the slopes of The Lonely Mountain. Polite and well-bred, he is used to be being bossed around by his older brother Dori and is usually biddable, although occasionally he can surprise his fellow companions with his courage and determination.[1]

In the movies, Ori wears a knitted scarf and sweater, plus sometimes a hooded cloak, which he almost seems to shrink into. He fights with a slingshot, a distance weapon that keeps him out of the thickest part of fighting. In a scene in An Unexpected Journey, Ori is said to be the youngest of the dwarves on the quest, though he is much older than Kíli and Fíli in the books.[2]

In the Fellowship of the Ring movie, the Company of the Ring finds a skeleton by Balin's tomb, holding the Book of Mazarbul. This skeleton is presumed to be Ori.[3]

On the movie set, some additional characterization was added by the actors and film crew that didn't appear in the movies themselves. These included the brothers being orphans and having separate fathers (to explain their very different appearances). This is also the origin of the idea that they belong to the line of Durin, but from the wrong side of the sheets.

Actor Adam Brown said in an interview with Empire Online:

"Ori is the youngest, so he’s kind of the baby and his brothers are Dori and Nori. He looks up to Nori a lot, and Nori’s a bit of a rebel, while Dori’s the “stay at home and look after yourself” one. The concept is that Dori’s come to bring me back home, but we end up going on this adventure with Bilbo. What Philippa (Boyens) and Fran (Walsh) were saying, “We’d like him to be a fish out of water.” He really shouldn’t be on this journey. I loved the fact that all the guys have got huge weapons and I’ve got a little, tiny slingshot.

In dwarf years, [Ori's] about 17. Fili and Kili would be about 25. Underneath his jacket, I’ve got a little knitted cardigan and knitted mittens and a tiny pocketknife." ~Adam Brown[4]

Fandom Relationships

Family

Ori is a member of the Ri Family, the youngest of three brothers. In most fanworks, his relationships with them are fundamental to his personality and life. He is usually shown as much younger than the other two, making him the recipient of Dori's fussing and Nori's protectiveness. Ori is generally depicted as sheltered and somewhat coddled, such that he has become extremely patient with being fussed over.

In many works, Ori lost his parents when he was very young, making Dori the only parent he has ever really known. In most works, at the very least Ori's father is not alive or is not present. Sometimes his mother is still living, but usually she dies when he is very young, leaving him to be raised by his brothers (who of course don't agree on how to do that).

Ori's relationship with Nori is sometimes not straightforward. Because of Nori's illegal activities, Ori gets dragged into situations he shouldn't be.[5] In Indelible by Leaper182, this nearly gets Ori killed.

In a few works, Ori becomes related in Bilbo Baggins in some way.

Friendships

Outside his family, Ori is most commonly seen making friends with Bilbo[6][7] or becoming an apprentice to Balin, both due to his interests in writing and drawing. He is also sometimes childhood friends with Fíli and Kíli.

Shipping

Ori's largest romantic/sexual ship is Dwalin/Ori.[8] Other ships include:

Fandom Tropes

  • The Baby - In movie-inspired works, Ori is often shown as the youngest. In pre-Hobbit works and several canon AUs, he is a child or teenager, typically depicted as adorable, bookish, and/or shy. Fanart often shows him as an adorable child, sometimes together with Fíli and Kíli, sometimes with his family. Protectiveness of Ori is a trait shared by several dwarves in the Company, not just his brothers.
  • The Scribe/The Artist - Ori is typically tasked with keeping a record of the events of the quest, including drawing pictures of the company. This is frequently the way he connects with Bilbo Baggins, through shared interest in stories. (Sometimes the two of them write the story of the quest together afterwards.) In some works, Ori goes on to become the head librarian of Erebor or a famous writer of histories. In others (especially in AUs or pre-quest works), he is often apprenticed to Balin.
  • Knitting - Ori's knitted clothing has led to a trope where knitting is his hobby. His courting gifts for other dwarves are often knitted. Sometimes he shares this hobby with Dori.
  • Shyness - Ori is frequently the shyest member of the company, diffident where most dwarves are stubborn or even brash. In fanworks, he might burst out with brief moments of courage in awkward ways, usually in defense of his family or friends. Character growth for Ori often involves overcoming his shyness in order to confess his feelings or protect his friends and family.
  • Gender Changes - Ori is one of the dwarves most likely to have their gender changed.[9][10] This trope began very early, shortly after the first movie was released.[11]
  • Innocence - Ori is often portrayed as innocent and unworldly in fanworks, particularly when it comes to relationships. However, this trope is also commonly inverted.[12]

Example Fanworks

Fanart

Cosplay

Gifsets

Fanfiction

Archives and Resources

References

  1. ^ Ori by askmiddlearth. Accessed February 26, 2015.
  2. ^ Ages of the Company of Thorin Oakenshield by askmiddlearth. Accessed February 26, 2015.
  3. ^ Here Lies Balin, Lord of Moria and Ori’s Death, both posted by askmiddlearth. Accessed February 26, 2015.
  4. ^ The Hobbit Interviews: Adam Brown On Ori in Empire Magazine. Interviewed by Ian Nathan.
  5. ^ GEN, Nori and little!Ori, prompt posted to hobbit_kink on December 21, 2012. "So here it is: Dori gets really busy with his duties one day and it's up to Nori to take care and babysit kid!Ori. But you don't really need to be AT HOME to babysit a child, right? Cue Nori dragging his little brother into shady bars and other dangerous places and acting kind of like the dwarvish version of Knuckles and Flapjack. Ori is completely oblivious to what's happening around him; he's just having a blast because he finally gets to hang out with his brother (who is almost never at home)!"
  6. ^ Bilbo & Ori has 30 works on AO3 as of February 26, 2015.
  7. ^ Bilbo, Ori prompt posted to hobbit_kink on December 22, 2012. "Bilbo and Ori are probably the least prepared/combat savvy members of Thorin's company. It'd be neat to see them forming some sort of friendship over that. Maybe some nights while the group is resting Bilbo sits with Ori to chillax while the dwarf sketches some birds and flowers. And sometimes they talk about their homes and their insecurities and even share some knitting tips. At the beggining of the movie, you can see that Bilbo has a hand-drawn portrait of his young-self. Maybe Ori gave it to him as a parting gift after the Battle of the Five Armies?"
  8. ^ Dwalin/Ori has 776 works on AO3 as of February 26, 2015.
  9. ^ Female Ori has 99 works on AO3 as of April 4, 2015.
  10. ^ char:fem!ori has 81 prompts on hobbit_kink by April 5, 2015.
  11. ^ The Lady Dwarf Ori prompt posted to hobbit_kink on December 20, 2012, was probably the first request for a gender changed Ori. "The reason Dori and Nori are so protective of their youngest sibling is not because of age, but because Ori is actually female. No one else in the Company knows this except Thorin, who fought vehemently against Ori joining them, but Dori and Nori refused to leave her behind. Can be gen or ship, don't care, just want adorable girl Ori who plays the flute and draws all the time and practices shooting down squirrels with her slingshot, desperate to prove herself in a company of dwarven males."
  12. ^ Secretly Filthy Ori, posted on January 1, 2013. "Ok so you know how its always the quiet ones? Well Ori is so sweet and adorable with his knitted mittens and knitted cardi and his books and his dislike of green food and his sling shot. So apparently innocent. Well really he's not. Inside his head are the filthiest thoughts and fantasies. Kinks? Its easier to list what he's not into. In bed he is an utterly shameless cockslut, begging and moaning and pleading for it. His thoughts are so filled with lust and longing that he is almost always at least half hard. I want someone to find out. I want someone to think they are going to corrupt sweet and innocent little Ori so badly only to be completely shocked, and incredibly aroused, by his complete and utter wanton-ness.
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