The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies - 10 Questions We Need Answering

3. Will The Arkenstone Turn Thorin Mad?

Once Smaug is killed, Thorin locks himself in Erebor, refusing to share any of his treasures. In the book it was dragon-sickness (an in-universe word for the greed that a throne room full of gold inspires) that turned Thorin into (more of) an arsehole, but in the film there's the potential it could be something more complicated. There's a recurring theory among fans that the Arkenstone is actually one of the three Silmarils, bright gems of great power introduced in Tolkien's The Silmarilion. They're tied into the backstory of the Middle Earth and are fully explored in the mammoth tome, but for our purposes the important thing is that they can have a negative effect on those who desire them. Due to rights issues (he can't use elements solely from The Silmarilion) this possible connection can't be overtly stated, but it does feel like Jackson's suggesting it. We already know Thorin strongly desires the gem and have seen in the introduction of An Unexpected Journey the extents Thrór went to reclaim the gem upon Smaug's attack, so could this attraction be part of what makes the dwarve King act so selfishly? The films have positioned in him more of an Aragorn role, so a mystical explanation of why he does some bad things would help keep him a noble character.