Son of Thranduil, the king of the Elves of the Black Forest, Legolas Vertefeuille (Greenleaf in English) made himself known at the Council of Elrond in 3018 of the Third Age. He then became part of the Fellowship of the Ring, as a representative of the Elves.

Its minor importance in the events of the War of the Ring bears witness to the decline of the race of the Elves in favour of that of the Men; Tolkien indicates that “Legolas is probably that of the Nine Walkers who accomplishes the least.”