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Hero of the Fall of Gondolin; died protecting refugees

Slayer of a Balrog, sacrificing himself to save others

One of the very few Elves to return from death

Fought in the Second Age against Sauron; possible ally of Gil-galad and Elrond

In the Third Age, protected Frodo and repelled the Nazgûl near the Ford of Bruinen

May serve as a guide, mentor, or protector of the weak and hunted

Incredibly knowledgeable in ancient lore, geography, and spirit-lore

Seeks balance and harmony, but will unleash divine fury against evil

Can act as a messenger of the Valar in rare prophetic moments

Often found near hidden paths, sacred glades, or watching the stars.

Glorfindel was one of the mightiest Elves of Middle-earth. During the First Age, he was the lord of the House of the Golden Flower of Gondolin, and died fighting a Balrog. After his re-embodiment, he was allowed to come back to Middle-earth in the Second Age, acting as an emissary of the Valar, on a similar mission to the Istari who were to come several years later.

Glorfindel was born in Valinor sometime during the Years of the Trees. During the Exile of the Noldor, he was of the host of Turgon. Glorfindel himself was reluctant; only for his allegiance and kinship with Turgon did he go, and had no part in the Kinslaying of Alqualondë.

After the Return of the Noldor to Middle-earth, Glorfindel's history is obscure. As a great follower of Turgon he was appointed chief of the House of the Golden Flower, one of the noble houses of Gondolin. He was dearly loved by all the Gondolindrim.

He followed Turgon who surprisingly came to fight in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. When the war turned against the alliance, Turgon's and Fingon's forces retreated to the Pass of Sirion with Glorfindel and Ecthelion guarding their Flanks in the year F.A. 510, Morgoth sent a great force against Gondolin, resulting in the complete destruction of the city. The tale of this battle was well detailed in The Fall of Gondolin, and long remembered by the elves. Glorfindel managed to escape the Fall of Gondolin with the Exiles, and after crossing Tumladen they reached the Cirith Thoronath, a narrow pass between the mountains. There the survivors were attacked by an ambush of Orcs led by a Balrog. The Eagles came to help them, but Glorfindel fought the Balrog alone upon the pinnacle of a rock. Both died after falling in the abyss, and their duel is sung of by many songs. Thorondor rescued Glorfindel's body, and a cairn was raised, which remained there, covered by grass and yellow flowers, until the world changed.Glorfindel's spirit passed to the Halls of Waiting, where he waited with the spirits of the other Noldor who had died during their war against Morgoth. But because of Glorfindel's noble actions in life, his reluctance at the Exile, and his furthering of the purposes of the Valar by saving Tuor and Idril, Manwë allowed his re-embodiment after only a short time. Being already an Elda of great corporal and spiritual stature, in his new incarnated life his spiritual power was enhanced by his self-sacrifice. Eventually, Manwë sent him across the sea to Middle-earth during the Second Age. He possibly came as early as S.A. 1200, but more likely in S.A. 1600, at the same time as the Blue Wizards. If he arrived in S.A. 1600, he arrived just after the One Ring had been forged, Barad-dûr built, and Celebrimbor dead or soon to be so. While the Blue Wizards were sent to the east, Glorfindel's mission was to aid Gil-galad and Elrond in the struggle against Sauron. He may have played a prominent behind-the-scenes role in the war in Eriador and the other struggles of the Second Age and Third Age. His part, though great, was mostly overlooked by the histories, because his immense, angelic power was not usually displayed openly. During the War, he was one of the elves dispatched from Rivendell by Elrond to search for the Ring-bearer. Elrond had chosen him partially because Glorfindel did not fear the Ringwraiths, as he had great presence in both the Seen and Unseen worlds. While on his perilous mission the Ringwraiths avoided him; he met five of them, and they fled at his presence. It was Glorfindel indeed who accomplished his mission and found the Ringbearer, Frodo Baggins, and his friend Aragorn with him. Glorfindel put Frodo on his horse, Asfaloth, and upon the approach of the Ringwraiths ordered him to go on. The white horse bore Frodo to safety across the Ford of Bruinen, but Frodo, in a rash act of attempted heroism, turned around at the other side and defied the Nine. Glorfindel, expecting the flood that protected Rivendell to come down and smite the riders, revealed his power to the Riders, and drove them (willingly or not) into the River, where they were swept away by the ensuing waters. After this adventure, he helped bear Frodo to Rivendell, where the wounded Ringbearer was tended to. Glorfindel attended the Council of Elrond, playing an active role in the conversation, speaking prophetically of Tom Bombadil and other matters with authority. Glorfindel stood beside Elrond and Gandalf as the backbone of the Council, laying out clearly their options. At first Glorfindel suggested that the Ring would be safe in the depths of the Sea, but the far-sighted Gandalf noted the change of landscapes, and the unforeseen possibilities that could bring the Ring forth once more in a hundred or even a thousand years in the future.