9. He's Already Referenced Gondolin
In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Elrond and Gandalf discuss the provenance of the swords recovered the troll caves. They discuss their origin in Gondolin, mentioning the name of this long-lost elf city with some awe. And for good reason. In
The Silmarillion, Gondolin was founded by Turgon, a Noldor Lord, as a refuge against Morgoth. The city existed in secret for hundreds of years, until it was revealed through treachery and was destroyed. The mention of Gondolin in
The Hobbit was a nice flourish by Tolkien that connected his childrens story to the broader mythology he had created. Its retention in the movie was a similar move by Jackson. But it also created a precedent for
The Silmarillion. Just as the discussion of how Bilbo found the Ring in the Lord of the Rings films whetted fans appetites for The Hobbit, so too should the Gondolin reference key in audiences to the grand history behind the swords the dwarves find in a troll cave.