# Why isn't Tuor more popular?



## Belnorn (Dec 12, 2015)

I read everywhere that Turin, Hurin, Beren, and all the others get more respect. However Tuor was the light version to his cousin. I felt that his story was one of the best. 

Lost both his parents to war or grief. Raised by elves. Eventually became a badass and created his own guild for warriors to face off against the orcs and humans slaves of Morgoth. 

Eventually went to the hidden elven capital, Gondolin. Given a special armory by one of the Valar. Was one of the only humans to marry an elf. The daughter of the King of Gondolin. Help produce one of the coolest warriors and half elf ever, Earendil. He saved most of the city from destruction. He slew five BALROGS. Also became the ancestor of the numenoreans. He is the grandfather of both Elrond and Elros.


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## JoyridingTilion (Dec 12, 2015)

Probably because Tuor was much more lucky than those three. He wasn't cursed to marry his own sister or watch his family destroy themselves, nor did he have to steal jewels from Morgoth. Which is why he just comes off as kind of bland IMO.


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## Starbrow (Dec 15, 2015)

I agree with you, Belnorn. Tuor is one of my favorite characters. I think it's pretty impressive that he had a conversation with Ulmo, when the rest of the Valar were ignoring Middle Earth.


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## Belnorn (Dec 15, 2015)

Yeah and also killed five balrogs. That's no easy feat.


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## Ingolmin (Nov 12, 2016)

Who said Tuor, son of Huor cousin of Turin Tarambar was not popular. He was known in Thangorodrim as a great warrior and Easterlings had even set a price upon his head. People eventually came to knew less of him as he spent most of his life in Gondolin which was a hidden city. But during the war in Gondolin, he proved a hardy man.


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## Phuc Do (Feb 13, 2017)

I like Turin the best of all the legendary first age humans. Tuor on second place and Beren last. I think that Beren didn't do much it was his girlfriend who did all the heavy lifting. He just tagged along. I like Turin better than Tuor because of his tragic nature. A tragic story is so much more compelling than a fairy tail ending.


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## Yalerd (Jan 9, 2018)

I agree!
Tuor is an incredibly pivotal character in the history of the 1st age but gets no spotlight!
Talking to Ülmo, invisibility cape, beholding Gondor, falling in love with Celebrindal whom I assume was mega hot, grudge match with Maeglin, killing Balrogs. Bro....


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## CirdanLinweilin (Jan 9, 2018)

Yalerd said:


> I agree!
> Tuor is an incredibly pivotal character in the history of the 1st age but gets no spotlight!
> Talking to Ülmo, invisibility cape, beholding Gondor, falling in love with Celebrindal whom I assume was mega hot, grudge match with Maeglin, killing Balrogs. Bro....


Father of Eärendil, grandfather of Elrond and Elros.


Fellow was legit.


CL


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## Yalerd (Jan 10, 2018)

Phuc Do said:


> I like Turin the best of all the legendary first age humans. Tuor on second place and Beren last. I think that Beren didn't do much it was his girlfriend who did all the heavy lifting. He just tagged along. I like Turin better than Tuor because of his tragic nature. A tragic story is so much more compelling than a fairy tail ending.


Beren went through hell before he saw Luthien. Walking through those mountains, shelobs are all over the place and god knows what else. A mortal man sneaking around Morgoth and cutting a Silmaril off his crown is pretty hardcore. Yea Luthien had him under a trance but still


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## Elthir (Jan 10, 2018)

Belnorn said:


> (...) He slew five BALROGS.



While I think this is considered a great feat within the context of the early tale, for myself I don't believe Tolkien was going to have even the great Tuor slay any Balrogs.

"The early conception of the balrogs makes them less terrible, and certainly more destructible, than they afterwards became: they existed in "hundreds"..." commentary Christopher Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales, The Fall of Gondolin

My opinion is that, by the later 1950s, after the Balrogs had come to be conceived of as Maiar, their power and terror had been ramped up, and hosts/hundreds/thousands wouldn't do anymore. Essentially they had become too powerful for such numbers, even in the First Age.

Although the evidence for Tolkien's "at most seven" Balrogs (ever existing) seems to consist (if memory serves) of but one marginal note, and at least one revision to _Quenta Silmarillion_ (Christopher Tolkien revised other references related to Balrog numbers, for the nineteen seventy seven constructed Silmarillion), I steal lean toward thinking Tolkien was going to carry through with this idea.

wow "lean toward"... I really went out on a limb there 

if seven

Siege of Utumno 2 (which means 5 get away !?! see below)
Ecthelion slays 1
Glorfindel slays 1
War of Wrath 2
Gandalf slays 1

but I don't love that dot dot dot so how 'bout maybe 12

Siege of Utumno 6 die (half are killed -- still not wholly loving it but)
Ecthelion 1
Glorfindel 1
War of Wrath 3
Gandalf 1

Well, yes, I'm just playing now, and not even listening to Tolkien! Interestingly, his note actually started with 3 ever existing!

Anyway, with all due respect to the mighty Tuor, as of today I still don't think he was going to be noted as having slain any "new and improved" Maiarian Balrogs.


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