Figwit

From Tolkien Gateway
"I shan't call it the end, till we've cleared up the mess." — Sam
This article or section needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of article quality.
This article is about the film character. For the Noldo of the First Age, see Aegnor.
"Figwit" is a concept which has only appeared in an adaptation of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Figwit
Sinda
The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King - Figwit.png
The "Elf Escort" from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Biographical Information
Other namesAegnor, Elf Escort
LocationRivendell, wandering company, Grey Havens (presumably)
AffiliationRivendell
LanguageElvish
Family
Siblings"Meorof"
Physical Description
GenderMale
GalleryImages of Figwit

Figwit, also known as Aegnor and the Elf Escort, is a Elf of Rivendell who soared into a popularity far exceeding his place when he was perceived as an extremely beautiful character by some fans - and slash writers. Figwit was invented by Warner Bros. for The Lord of the Rings film series, where he was portrayed by Bret McKenzie.

History[edit | edit source]

Figwit is first seen during the Council of Elrond where he is sitting next to Aragorn until they all stand up and argue. After Frodo shouts "I will take it" and everyone turns to look at him, Figwit is standing in the background to the far right for only just a fraction of a second.

Figwit appears again when Arwen is leaving with a wandering company of Elves for the Grey Havens and has a vision about her future son Eldarion. Figwit is the one that tells her to get back with the others. His exact words are "Lady Arwen, we cannot delay" and "My lady".

Fandom[edit | edit source]

Figwit's rise to fame began shortly after the first movie, and some fans believe that he was given dialog in the third movie because Peter Jackson was aware of the attention given to this extra. Jackson mentions the phenomenon in the commentary track on the extended edition of the Return of the King: "the decision to give him a speaking role was developed after the scene was scripted. Originally just a random cast extra was to give the lines, but it was decided that it would be fun if the Figwit actor was brought in to deliver them".

Figwit's "brother"[edit | edit source]

Figwit has a lesser known "brother", played by extra Blair Morton. Meorof, also known as the Mystery Elf On (The) Right Of Figwit, appears at the Council of Elrond sitting in the seat on Figwit's right[1].

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The name Figwit is a humorous acronym by fans, and stands for "Frodo is great - who is that".

However the name has also appeared in official material of the movie franchise: once on an autograph card, and once on a card for Arwen; both these cards are by Topps.

Other names[edit | edit source]

Figwit is credited in the credits of The Return of the King under the name Elf Escort, and his Decipher Card gives the name Aegnor, a name derived from The Silmarillion.

In fanfiction, Figwit is sometimes called Melpomaen, a shoddy translation of the elements "fig" (melpo in Qenya) and "wit" (maen in Noldorin)[1].

Bret McKenzie's character in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is Lindir, who shares similarities with Figwit. Both are dark-haired Elves of Rivendell and courtiers of Elrond. It is unclear if the two characters are intended to be the same, which would establish a "canon" name for Figwit.

Other media[edit | edit source]

In 2004 a 50 minute documentary on the Figwit phenomenon, "Frodo is great... Who is that?!!", was made by three Wellington filmmakers Stan Alley, Nick Booth and Hannah Clarke - all of whom worked on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings adaptation. The documentary follows Bret McKenzie to Edinburgh where he meets the fans of his trademark pout and "elvish good looks" and features extensive interviews with fans behind various Figwit fan sites as well as Peter Jackson, Barry Osbourne, Mark Ordesky, Ian McKellen and other cast members.

See also[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

References