With The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power taking form and the Lord of the Rings fan community coming to their decisions regarding how they feel about the show, it's beginning to become a source for new memes. The internet community surrounding the franchise is massive, and it has some of the most dedicated content creators for making funny videos and images about the films.
Gimli, one of the more comedic characters in the series, is often the subject of these. Some of his moments, particularly in his relationship with Legolas, are quite fun, so it's no surprise the character is ideal meme fodder.
Salted Pork
When discussing food with Pippin in The Return of the King, Gimli expresses his desire for salted pork in a way which truly shows just how longing the group is for a good meal. The line has become a highlight of the acting of John Rhys-Davies, as in this one comedic moment he displays so much of the lasting hunger of the Fellowship.
The mentioning in Rings of Power when discussing the culture of Khazad-dûm must be a nod to the dwarven love for this meal, reminding many of the Gimli line. The Leo pointing meme fits it perfectly.
What Do Your Dwarf Eyes See?
The trio of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli have some of the most enjoyable scenes in The Two Towers, when early on the trio venture their way through the beautiful land-scape of Middle Earth, a fantasy world Redditors want to live in so badly. "Legolas, what do your elf eyes see?" has become one of the most memorable lines from these scenes, as it showcases Legolas' natural abilities, adding to his badass persona.
But the results would be quite different, had Gimli been asked the same question. In the scenes which already joke about his incompetence as a runner, it would've been cruel for him to also be in criticized for his abilities as a scout.
Alternate Ending
In an alternate and far less eventful turn of events, the meme depicts a tale where Gimli smashes the ring, fully destroying it. This results in the fall of Barad-dûr and Gimli being crowned King instead of Aragorn. While this is entirely fictional, the quality edits make it believable enough.
Gimli barely fitting into the screen during the shot of his crowning is quite comical. Perhaps this would've been occasion for Legolas to get him that box. The meme definitely shows how much love the community has for the Dwarf, as many have hoped he went on to live happily after the events of the series.
Excuse Me, Can I Borrow This?
Fans have scoured every edition of The Lord of the Rings trilogy for small details they may have missed out on, and even those which are unintentional have lead to theory crafting about different characters. This incriminating shot of Gimli shows him damaging his companion's ax.
Whether this was intentional or not, it's hilarious that a fan picked up on this. It could be Gimli's ax for all the viewers know, but it's fun to imagine him just wasting someone else's instead of his own.
The Bromances
The full trilogy speaks wonders to the power of great friendships. Some forged throughout the films, and others long before. Marry and Pippin seem like the friendship centered around comedic value. The two often get themselves into trouble, and truly do have some hilarious moments.
While the Hobbits have their charm, Gimli and Legolas have a different type of comedic chemistry, which even finds itself occurring in times of battle. The competition between the two to compete for kills offers some light-hearted fun in moments of darkness and despair. One of the The Rings of Power has been Elrond and Durin's relationship, which captures a similar feeling as Gimli and Legolas.
Gimli's Depth
Despite his comedic relief moments, Gimli is a character with a great pride and loyalty for his people. Because of this, the Fellowship's journey through the mines of Moria is all the more heartbreaking. Many of Gilmi's most serious quotes are from these scenes.
To enter the halls, once populated with friends and family, and find nothing but ruins, is heartbreaking for the dwarf. Gimli shows a ton of his depth, which explain his actions after the War of Ring, where he led his people to help rebuild Middle Earth.
That Still Only Counts As One
The line used in his loving rivalry with Legolas after the elf takes down an Oliphaunt and its riders is hilarious. It's become an iconic line for Lord of the Rings memes, particularly those centered around Gimli.
Applying the line to other famous movie scenarios like the Iron Man Infinity Gauntlet snap or in this case, Luke Skywalker's destruction of the Death Star, is a common trend. This edit does a great job of fitting the lovable dwarf into a rebel pilot uniform. With the amount of wacky characters in Star Wars, this one isn't too big of a stretch.
The Conversational Tricks
Another common trend with Lord of the Rings is the "how to" guides for each character. These guides give a list of common sayings with replacements in the language the character would use. Gimli's is quite funny.
A quick run down of Gimli's quotes is great, but the entire collection of these memes are priceless. The memes show how truly defined each character is in their language and mannerisms, and speaks to the quality of their writing.
Why No One Tosses A Dwarf
Breaking the trilogy down in excruciating detail is not for everyone, but if some fans are interested in the physics of dwarf tossing it must be done. From Gimli's moment in the Battle Of Helm's Deep, one of Lord of the Rings, when Aragorn tosses him over to the bridge to clear the orcs from breaching the gate, one fan has calculated the possibility for the memes.
If no one tosses a dwarf, people must know why, and this meme which seems to also be a homework assignment explains that it is possible. Aragorn would be able to produce the force necessary to toss him at his given weight.
The Fellowship
The laughing wolves meme is always priceless, but it fits the dynamic if this trio in the fellowship so well. In The Two Towers when the three venture across Middle Earth, jokes are made at Gimli's expense regarding his speed.
Legolas likely would've had a field day had he found out about Aragorn's tossing of Gimli. Gimli always seems to handle the jokes well though, as he is very proud and knows his own strengths.
