Thorin Oakenshield is, of course, one of the most important characters to appear in film's best characters. And, naturally, a great part of his appeal as a character in the films stems from the way that Richard Armitage chose to portray him.
While he might be slightly younger than he appears in the book, there are quite a few other mannerisms of Thorin’s that he very successfully captures.
His Grace During His Death
One of the most heartbreaking incidents in both the book and the films occurs when Thorin is on his deathbed, having been mortally wounded while battling against Orcs.
Despite the fact that he repudiated his friendship with Bilbo (due to Bilbo giving the Arkenstone to Thorin’s perceived enemies), at this moment he surrenders to grace and restores their friendship. It’s heartbreaking, and Armitage (who has consistently stirring words, allowing the audience to feel that here, at last, their earlier bond has been fully restored.
His Royal Bearing
From the moment that he appears in Bilbo’s little hole in the Shire, Thorin manages to exude a sense of powerful authority and royal dignity. This isn’t surprising, considering that he is, after all, the son and grandson of mighty kings who ruled the Lonely Mountain (at least until the vengeful and malevolent dragon Smaug invaded and drove them away).
Watching Armitage stride onto the screen, the viewer can well believe that here, indeed, is an epic hero worth taking seriously and respecting.
His Bravery
Though he can be a bit of a jerk sometimes, there’s no doubt that Thorin is one of the bravest characters, in both the book and the novels. In the book, for example, he does make a good effort at taking down the trolls, even if they manage to capture him in the end.
In the films, Armitage portrays Thorin as a hero quite willing and capable of taking on foes who are significantly stronger than he is, most notably in his encounters with the villainous orc, Azog.
His Loyalty to his Kin
Thorin takes his duties as king very seriously, and he clearly has a great deal of respect for most of the other dwarves that accompany him on his quest. That is particularly true of the two brothers, Fili and Kili. Though some readers and viewers might forget the fact, these two younger dwarves are actually Thorin’s nephews, being the sons of his sister.
In both the book and its adaptation, Thorin is very loyal to the two youngsters, and Armitage allows the viewer to see how much their deaths affect him.
His Arrogance
Now, it has to be said that Thorin, as a dwarf, has a bad tendency to be a bit arrogant. In the book, this shows itself as him being frequently on his dignity, even in the most absurd situations. In the film, this takes the form of Richard Armitage’s sneering disdain for Bilbo, as well as for anyone who gets in the way of his plans.
This can most clearly be seen when he tells Bard, one of the men at Laketown, that he has the only right to the treasure that is located beneath the Lonely Mountain.
His Vanity
Relatedly, Thorin also has a tendency to be a bit vain. This is particularly pronounced in the book, where he really does try to insist that most people, whether they be fellow dwarves of the man Beorn, treat him with the respect that he is due. Armitage really captures this.
It certainly helps that Armitage is a handsomer version of Thorin than many might have expected (especially considering how old he appears to be in the famous cartoon version).
His Stubbornness
Anyone who has read any of Tolkien’s works knows that the race of Dwarves have a very difficult time not being stubborn. In fact, they sometimes seem to go out of their way to have stiff necks (most people will how Gimli also exhibited this trait).
Thorin is particularly bad about it, because he really does believe that he has the right to be the King Under the Mountain, and he proves repeatedly unwilling to compromise with anyone, least of all Thranduil or Bard.
His Original Contempt For Bilbo
Poor Bilbo. One can hardly blame the fellow for being a bit discomfited by the appearance of a number of dwarves on his doorstep and in his home when he hadn’t done anything to expect them.
Unfortunately, his bewildered greeting doesn’t really endear himself to Thorin, and he struggles for the rest of the book, and through three films, to really prove that he’s worthy of respect (and has some really good quotes along the way). Thorin, up until the end, proves rather unwilling to give it to him.
His Rather Adversarial Relationship With Gandalf
Even though Gandalf is in many ways the most important member of the company that sets off to the Lonely Mountain (even if he does make some mistakes along the way), Thorin seems to have a very adversarial relationship with him, perhaps because he sees him as something of a threat.
This carries over into the films, where Thorin’s stiff neck and belief in his own moral authority frequently put him at odds with Gandalf (particularly after he later allies himself with Thranduil and Bard in an attempt to bind the various peoples together in an alliance against Sauron’s forces).
His Dislike Of Elves
If Thorin dislikes any particular race, it has to be the Elves (who, it has to be said, sometimes don't make a lot of sense in of their behavior). In particular, he has a very adversarial relationship with Thranduil, who rules over the Elves of Mirkwood.
This is very pronounced in the novel, particularly once Thranduil captures them all, but it becomes even more prominent in the films, in which it’s shown that he did nothing to save the Thorin’s people when he had the chance. Armitage perfectly captures the ancestral bitterness that exists between these two prominent races of Middle-earth.
