Editing Thorin Oakenshield (section)

==Appearances==
===''The Hobbit''===

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 | quote  = "Long ago in my grandfather Thror's time our family was driven out of the far North, and came back with all their wealth and their tools to this Mountain on the map."
 | source = Thorin describes his background to [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] in ch. 1 "An Unexpected Party"
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In ''The Hobbit'', Thorin, a Dwarf-King in exile and [[List of The Hobbit characters#Thorin's company|twelve other Dwarves]] visited [[Bilbo Baggins]] at his home in [[the Shire]]. The wizard [[Gandalf]] had advised Thorin and the other dwarves to hire Bilbo as a [[burglar]] to help them steal their treasure back from the [[Dragon (Middle-earth)|dragon]] [[Smaug]]. Smaug had attacked the Dwarves's mountain, [[Erebor]] (also known as the Lonely Mountain), about 150 years before, and had taken both the mountain and the dwarves' treasure. Thorin was determined to get the treasure back. He especially wanted the Arkenstone, the Heart of the Mountain, which was an heirloom of the dwarves' Kingdom.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, ch. 1 "An Unexpected Party"</ref>

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 | quote  = Others took up the song and it rolled loud and high over the lake.<br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;''The King beneath the mountains,<br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;The King of carven stone,<br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;The lord of silver fountains<br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;Shall come into his own!'' 
 | source = The people of Lake-town welcome Thorin in ch. 10 "A Warm Welcome"
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On their journey, the dwarves and Bilbo were taken captive by a band of [[Troll (Middle-earth)|trolls]]; Thorin was the only dwarf not to be taken unawares. After Gandalf rescued the company (letting dawn turn the trolls to stone), they opened the trolls' lair. Thorin found the Elven blade [[Orcrist]] in the trolls' cache.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, ch. 2 "Roast Mutton"</ref> Later, Thorin used Orcrist to fight [[Orc (Middle-earth)|goblins]] in the tunnels beneath the [[Misty Mountains]]. While the rest of the company battled the goblins, Bilbo found a [[One Ring|magic ring]] in a tunnel under the Misty Mountains and used it to escape from the creature Gollum and from the goblins.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, ch. 4 "Over Hill and Under Hill"</ref> 

When the Dwarves were captured by the [[Silvan Elves|Wood-elves]] of [[Mirkwood]], Thorin insisted that the others not disclose their quest to their captors.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, ch. 8 "Flies and Spiders"</ref> Bilbo, invisible with his magic ring, evaded capture and organised the company's escape, which they accomplished by floating in barrels out of the Wood-elves' fastness. When Thorin emerged from his barrel at [[Esgaroth|Lake-town]], he marched up to the town's leaders and identified himself as King Under the Mountain.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, ch. 10 "A Warm Welcome"</ref>

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 | quote  = &nbsp;&nbsp;"How came you by it?" shouted Thorin in gathering rage.<br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;"I gave it to them!" squeaked Bilbo...<br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;"You! You!" cried Thorin, turning upon him and grasping him with both hands. "You miserable hobbit! You undersized – burglar!"
 | source = Thorin responds angrily to Bilbo's taking of the Arkenstone in ch. 17 "The Clouds Burst"
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With provisions from Lake-town, Thorin led the company to Erebor.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, ch. 11 "On the Doorstep"</ref> Seeing that Smaug was not there, the Dwarves reclaimed some of the treasure; Thorin gave Bilbo "a small coat of mail" made of ''[[mithril]]'' as the first installment of the payment due for his services.<ref name="Not at Home" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, ch. 8 "Not at Home"</ref>{{efn|Decades later, in ''The Lord of the Rings'', Bilbo gave the ''mithril'' shirt to his relative, [[Frodo Baggins]]. Frodo was "staggered" to learn that the mithril shirt's worth "was greater than the value of the whole Shire and everything in it".<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}}, book 2, ch. 4, "A Journey in the Dark"</ref>}} The Dwarves then learnt from the ancient [[raven]] Roäc that Smaug had been killed: [[Bard the Bowman]] had managed to shoot Smaug as the dragon was in the process of destroying Lake-town.<ref name="Gathering of the Clouds" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, ch. 15 "The Gathering of the Clouds"</ref> 

Faced with demands from [[Thranduil]] the Elvenking and Bard for a fair share of the treasure to be distributed to the Wood-elves and the men of Lake-town, Thorin refused to acknowledge their right to any of the hoard. He fortified the Mountain against his new rivals and sent to his cousin [[Dáin II Ironfoot|Dáin Ironfoot]] for reinforcements.<ref name="Gathering of the Clouds" group=T/> Thorin was furious when he discovered that Bilbo had stolen the Arkenstone to use as a bargaining chip, and he sent him from the Mountain. Conflict amongst the dwarves, men, and elves was averted only by an invasion of goblins and [[Warg (Middle-earth)|warg]]s, whereupon the Dwarves joined forces with the Wood-elves, the men of Lake-town, and the great [[Eagle (Middle-earth)|eagles]] in the Battle of Five Armies.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, ch. 17 "The Clouds Burst"</ref> 

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 | quote  = "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But, sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell."
 | source = Thorin repents on his deathbed, accepting Bilbo in ch. 18 "The Return Journey"
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During the battle, Thorin was mortally wounded, but he made his peace with Bilbo before he died. When Thorin died, he was buried with the Arkenstone. Orcrist was laid upon his tomb.  The blade would glow blue if Orcs should approach; thus, they could not take the Mountain by surprise. Thorin was succeeded as leader of Durin's Folk by his cousin Dáin.<ref name="Return Journey" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, ch. 18 "The Return Journey"</ref>

===''The Lord of the Rings''===
Part III of Appendix A in ''[[The Return of the King]]'' gives an overview of the history of Durin's Folk and more of Thorin's background. When Thorin was 53 (young for a Dwarf), he marched with a mighty dwarf-army against the orcs of [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]]. After the battle he led his people to establish a foothold in the [[Blue Mountains (Middle-earth)|Blue Mountains]] west of the Shire.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}}, Appendix A, Part III</ref>

===''Unfinished Tales''===
''[[Unfinished Tales]]'' elaborates on Thorin's reasons for accepting Bilbo into his company. As depicted in the story "[[The Quest of Erebor]]", Thorin met with Gandalf in [[Bree (Middle-earth)|Bree]] shortly before the quest began.  Gandalf persuaded him that stealth, rather than force, was needed to infiltrate Erebor; they would therefore need a burglar. Gandalf feared that [[Sauron]] could use Smaug as a weapon, and was concerned that Thorin's pride and quick temper would ruin the mission to destroy the [[Dragon (Middle-earth)|dragon]]. He thought that Bilbo would be a calming influence on Thorin, as well as a genuinely valuable addition to the company. Thorin, who did not think much of Hobbits, reluctantly agreed, calculating that Bilbo's presence would be a small price to pay for Gandalf's help.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1980}}, part 3, ch. 3 "[[The Quest of Erebor]]"</ref>