Recommended music: Sum 41 – In Too Deep
You could not have picked a better spot on this #TolkienThursday. Today, we’re standing on the wall at Helm’s Deep from The Two Towers and checking out the ToyBiz Lord of the Rings Helm’s Deep Gimli!
While Legolas was busy counting kills from a distance, Gimli was the “MVP of the Trenches” at the Battle of Helm’s Deep. Gimli took his stand on the Deeping Wall with Legolas and Aragorn. While the Elves and Men used bows, Gimli became the main line of defense once the Uruk-hai reached the top of the ladders. His skill with the axe was unmatched in close-quarters combat, and he famously saved Aragorn’s life multiple times during the initial breach. When the wall was lost, he was separated from Aragorn and Legolas. Though we never saw Gimli in the Glittering Caves during Peter Jackson’s LOTR films, the dwarf continued to impact the battle at the Hornburg.
In the film, when the Uruk-hai began battering down the main doors of the Great Gate, Gimli convinced Aragorn to toss him across the gap onto the bridge, but “Don’t tell the Elf!” This allowed the two of them to ambush the Orcs and buy time for the defenders of Rohan to repair the gate. Gimli also provided much-needed levity and competitive spirit during an otherwise grim night, engaging with Legolas in a contest to see who could rack up the most kills. In both the book and the movie, Gimli wins the contest, finishing with a count of 42, beating Legolas’s 41.
This Helm’s Deep Gimli figure comes with the same “Axe-Throwing Action” as the Fellowship of the Ring release, except his cloak was not included this time around for some reason (I gave him one anyway for the picture). This version, however, was included in the ‘Helm’s Deep Battle Set’ 5-pack and, if you were extremely lucky, was also found in the fourth wave of half-moon carded figures for The Two Towers in Australia. Because Australia issued a safety recall of action figures under a regulation that prohibited accessories from being strung, like Legolas’ bow, Toybiz had to scramble to get a replacement figure to market.
To fill this gap, ToyBiz produced a single-carded Gimli, but possibly only on two days in May 2003. This meant as few as a couple of hundred Helm’s Deep Gimli figures appeared in wave 4 cases at Australian retailers. While Aussie shoppers picked this one up at a bargain price, its value on the secondary market quickly rose to over $500 in the US and has stayed there for more than 20 years.
Overall, this figure is a must-have for any Helm’s Deep display. But unless you’re trying to complete this line mint on card, just get the one from the 5-pack. 😄
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