As an original movie invention, Tauriel is one of the few characters in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies whose fate is not set in stone.
While The Hobbit fans wait for the final instalment of Peter Jackson’s second Middle-earth trilogy, people who have actually read the book might already have a fairly good idea about what’s going to happen.
Certainly they expect they know who is going to live and die (and even non-readers should be sure about the fates of characters who appear in The Lord of the Rings).
But then there’s Tauriel, the she-elf portrayed by Evangeline Lilly. The character was created by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens for the movie, to bring a female presence to the otherwise exclusively male cast.
Her romance with Kili (Aidan Turner) has divided The Hobbit fanbase, some deeming it unnecessary and sappy, while others like the dwarf/elf love story.
But as the final film is upon us, we’re all wondering what will happen to the kick-ass character, who – however you feel about the love story – has captured our hearts.
Will she die a hero? Will she survive and live happily ever after with Kili (what would elf/dwarf babies be called, anyway? Dwelves?)? Will she join the Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker-style?
…Or none of the above?
At the New York premiere of The Hobbit, Evangeline Lilly shares her thoughts on the character’s end with Access Hollywood:
Lilly teases that the last scene she filmed was also the final moment between Tauriel and Kili. “It was a very intense day,” she says, “it absolutely sucked all the life out of me to do it.”
Whether or not her last scene with Kili will actually be the character’s final scene in the film remains to be seen.
If you’ve seen the movie, please do not post spoilers in the comments! This is one of the few storylines that has the ability to surprise book fans.