Race: Sindarin or Silvan elf
Homeland: The elven kingdom of Mirkwood
Position: Captain of Guards

Tauriel is an elf of Mirkwood. And if you’re wondering why you don’t recall her from the text of Tolkien’s The Hobbit, it’s because she’s not there — Tauriel exists only as an invention of the movie’s scriptwriters.

Introducing her, Peter Jackson told us that Tauriel means ‘daughter of Mirkwood’. He also indicated that the character does not exist to provide a romantic interest or connection for Legolas.

We have subsequently learned, though, that they seem to be kindred spirits: like Legolas, Tauriel wields bow and dagger in battle.

And, like Legolas, she has a flair for the dramatic. Our own Cliff Broadway describes a swooping action shot from the 10 minutes of raw footage shown at Cinema-con Tauriel sliding cowboy-style across the ground with her bow drawn, ready to kill.

And what does she look like? Broadway tells us that she wears much the same garb as Legolas, except in brown. Her hair is not blonde, but chestnut-brown.

According to Evangeline Lilly, who plays the part, Tauriel is the head of Thranduil’s elven guard.

“She’s the big shot in the army. So she knows how to wield any weapon, but the primary weapons that she uses are a bow and arrow and two daggers. And she’s lethal and deadly,” she says.

Jackon also said, “we are thrilled and excited [Evangeline Lilly] will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan [sic] Elf to life”… which strongly suggests that Tauriel is a Silvan elf, not a Sindarin one.

Tauriel has a small part at the end of the first Hobbit film. It’s possible that this could be scenes where the dwarves are captured by Mirkwood elves after escaping from the clutches of the spiders.

The bulk of her appearance seems set for 2013’s The Hobbit: There And Back Again.