Tauriel should have been in the novels. Seriously, there are no women at all in The Hobbit, and it is annoying (there should also have been more women in The Lord of the Rings, but that's neither here nor there). Still, Tauriel is so cool, and her presence and plots shine light on such interesting elements of Middle Earth, that she was really needed as part of this universe. Look, if you don't like Peter Jackson's adaptations, that's fine. Everyone's entitled to their opinions and interpretations. But there's a big contingent of the internet insisting Tauriel is an example of "bad writing" (although no one ever explains what they mean by that). Also: there are people who are glad to see a girl, but are furious that she has romantic subplots. I will say this once and never again: a love triangle does not automatically make a bad plot, and does not equal sexism. This is something we believe because of Twilight. Go back and watch Buffy if you do not believe me. There's nothing sexist about romance. There's nothing Twilight about the Desolation of Smaug. And the love triangle adds more than it subtracts, as I will talk about at length later. What I'm saying, then, is that Tauriel is a worthy addition to Tolkien's world. But not only is she that: she's a desperately needed and undeniably excellent character, too. Here are 5 reasons why Tauriel is the best (and most important) addition to The Hobbit films so far...