#and there are some excellent weirder backstory fics

[theoppositeofprofound]

I think I’m finally able to put into words why I hate Gil-Galad as a descendant of either Fëanor or Fingolfin (or even both). Entire pages of the early narrative are taken up by their big dick measuring contest and the narrative resolution is Finarfin getting the throne. Tolkien comes out and says “all this blood spilt, all this misery, and the best high king of the Noldor is your baby brother who stayed out of it”. Your family trees have collapsed, your deeds have turned to dust, your feuding is just a horrific historical footnote, neither of you win. The best possible thematic addendum to that is having Gil-Galad, the longest reigning High King in Exile, also be unconnected to them! He’s Orodreth’s son, he’s Lalwen’s son, he’s Finduilas, he’s just some guy. I don’t care as long as he’s so far down the line of succession as to be completely irrelevant until he drags himself into the history books. It’s what the Narrative Deserves. The righteous High King who only landed it because everyone else got killed but nevertheless had a more stable coherent reign than all his predecessors is *chefs kiss*. Ten thousand times better than Sad Murder Elf’s Secret Baby.