Recommended music: Linkin Park – Heavy Is The Crown
It’s #TolkienThursday, and we’re back at Helm’s Deep from The Two Towers to look at another ToyBiz Lord of the Rings Haldir!
Haldir’s arrival at Helm’s Deep is one of the biggest changes Peter Jackson made from Tolkien’s books in the Lord of the Rings movies. In the films, Haldir stands for the renewed “last alliance” between Elves and Men. While most Elves were leaving for the Undying Lands, Haldir’s appearance showed they hadn’t given up on Middle-earth.
He led a group of Galadhrim archers, giving Rohan much-needed long-range support. Their skill with bows helped slow down the 10,000 Uruk-Hai before they reached the Deeping Wall. Haldir’s death was a powerful moment that showed how high the stakes were. It also connected the timeless world of the Elves with the tough, real struggles of humans. Haldir brought more than just archers—he brought a sense of shared history and hope.
ToyBiz first released this Haldir figure as an exclusive in the Helm’s Deep Battle Set in 2004. The Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and King Theoden figures in that set were just re-releases from their earlier single packs from The Two Towers. Haldir’s exclusivity didn’t last long, though, since he was also included in the ‘Elves of Middle-Earth’ gift pack later that year.
Along with five other repacked elves, Haldir comes with the same Elven helmet, bow, and arrows as before. ToyBiz could have just repainted the Elf Archer figure, but Haldir actually has mostly new parts. The face sculpt is pretty good, but I think the Lothlorien version looks more like actor Craig Parker.
Overall, this figure looks great and is a must-have if you’re building a Helm’s Deep display. You’ll probably want to buy him loose unless you really want to double-dip or you don’t already have the other figures from those box sets.
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