The Big Picture
- Orcrist, also known as Goblin-cleaver, was wielded by Thorin Oakenshield and fought many foes.
- Richard Armitage was gifted the prop Orcrist sword after filming wrapped.
- The Orcrist prop was stolen from Richard Armitage and put online for sale.
There is no denying the cultural and cinematic impact that The Lord of the Rings trilogy had on the world. To this day they hold up incredibly well and provide audiences with one of the most immersive and stunning fantasy worlds in the form of Middle-earth. So when it was announced that the trilogy’s director, Peter Jackson, was coming back to direct an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, fans couldn’t have been more excited. The Hobbit is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings and follows Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. Alongside the likes of Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a mighty force of dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). But, in an attempt to once again capture the success of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit was expanded into three movies, despite the original novel being a standalone. They’re not inherently bad, but in comparison to The Lord of the Rings, there’s just not enough story to warrant three movies, which makes them feel a tad drawn out.
Still, it’s thrilling to be back in Middle-earth, and we get to reacquaint ourselves with the old characters, while meeting new ones. Among those new characters is the aforementioned Thorin Oakenshield, who serves as the leader of the dwarves on the quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. Throughout the journey, the crew is targeted by many threats, but Thorin specifically is targeted by the Goblin King due to his unique sword called Orcrist, which glows when Orcs are nearby. Upon completion of filming The Hobbit movies, Peter Jackson gifted Richard Armitage with the sword as an end-of-shooting gift. But shortly after he received the priceless sword it went missing, leading to a hefty struggle to get it back.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
A reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug.
- Release Date
- December 14, 2012
- Cast
- Martin Freeman , Ian McKellen , Richard Armitage , Ken Stott , Cate Blanchett , Ian Holm , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , James Nesbitt , Elijah Wood , Andy Serkis
- Runtime
- 169 minutes
- Tagline
- From the director of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
What Is the Significance of the Orcrist?
Thorin is the son of Thráin and the grandson of Thrór. Thorin and the rest of the Dwarves were forced to evacuate the Lonely Mountain after the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) took over, and he was deemed King-in-Exile after the death of his father. In The Hobbit, he serves as the leader of the Dwarves on their quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug. He enlists Bilbo to be their trusty thief to assist in taking back their rightful treasure, and they all set out on a dangerous, but thrilling quest to take back the Mountain. Brave, smart, and powerful, Thorin was a noble leader who was respected by Middle-earth’s inhabitants. So who best to wield such a powerful sword like the Orcrist than him?
The Lord of the Rings universe is filled with fascinating weapons, such as Legolas’s (Orlando Bloom) bow, Gimli’s (John Rhys-Davies) axe, and the One Ring itself. The Orcrist is no different and is widely loved by fans of the series. According to Tolkien-lore, the Orcrist (also referred to as Goblin-cleaver) was crafted by the elves alongside the Glamdring. Its Elven magic allows it to glow whenever an Orc is near, giving warning to its wielder. It was used in the Goblin Wars, and was said to have killed many Goblins in its time, before ultimately being lost during the Fall of Gondolin. Centuries later, Thorin Oakenshield discovered it in the Troll lair, alongside Glamdring while on the quest to take back the Lonely Mountain. He carried the sword with him into Rivendell where it was recognized by Elrond (Hugo Weaving) as the long-lost Orcrist. Thorin vowed to honor and protect the sword and carried it with him throughout the rest of the journey. With it, he slayed many Orcs, the Great Goblin, and Azog, and upon his death, the Orcrist was buried with him.
Someone Stole the Orcrist From Richard Armitage
Following the completion of filming on Battle of the Five Armies, Peter Jackson gifted Richard Armitage the prop Orcrist sword used in filming. Armitage promptly stored it in a storage locker for safekeeping but it turned out not to be as safe as he’d hoped. Shortly after it landed in Armitage’s possession, the Orcrist was stolen and put online as an auction item.
“I had it in a lock-up and it got stolen, and someone was trying to sell it. Peter pulled me aside and said, ‘Are you hard up for money?’ I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ He said, ‘Your sword’s for sale online.’”
Upon looking into it Armitage learned that Jackson was indeed correct and that someone had not only stolen the precious prop, but had put it online for sale. Thus began the lengthy process of getting the sword back into the rightful hands of Richard Armitage.
“I had to go through this whole thing of getting the police involved, but we got the sword back. Now it’s on a shelf in a very prominent place.”
Funnily enough, the theft imitates the films, as the Orcrist was stolen from Thorin by the Wood-elves of Mirkwood, after they captured him. It was held onto until the Battle of Five Armies, in which Thorin was mortally wounded in his fight with Azog. But before he succumbed to his injuries he triumphantly plunged the Orcrist deep into Azog’s chest, going so far as to jab it deep into the ice. It kills the Orc, once and for all, but Thorin’s own wounds are too extensive for him to pull through and he dies shortly thereafter. The Orcrist was then laid to rest with him under the mountain, where it glows whenever an Orc is near to give warning to the Dwarves. So even though he ultimately died, it was not in vain, and the Orcrist and Thorin became one and the same, as if he was always meant to be the sword’s rightful owner. So how dare someone take the sword from Richard Armitage? If anyone deserves to hold onto it it’s him, and we can all breathe a hefty sigh of relief that he succeeded in getting it back and that it’s now kept in a safe place.
The Hobbit Trilogy is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
