Early life. Born in TA 2879, Gimli was the son of Glóin and a nephew of Óin, both former companions of Bilbo Baggins. He was a descendant of Durin the Deathless, father of the first house of the Dwarven people. Gimli was descended from, but was not a member of the royal line.
Gimli is indeed a distant relative of Durin IV as his father Glóin traces his origins from the line of Durin of the Dwarves of Erebor. These were the Dwarves who dwelt beneath the Lonely Mountain and were one of the seven kinds of Dwarves (known as Khazâd).
Thorin I (Third Age 2035 – 2289, died aged 254) was the King of Durin's Folk for 99 years, succeeding his father, Thráin I, on his death in T.A. 2190. Thorin was the heir of Durin the Deathless being the great-grandson of Durin VI.
There's only one real moment in The Fellowship of the Ring that touches upon Gimli's past: when he enters the Mines of Moria in hopes of seeing his cousin, Balin, who was once Lord of Moria.
The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug - ''That's my wee lad Gimli''
Is Gimli the last Dwarf?
Though Gimli has no children, he is not the last Dwarf of Middle-earth. After the fall of Sauron, his people continued to thrive in the Lonely Mountain. Gimli made his home in Rohan, in the Glittering Caves of Aglarond, and many of his kinsfolk came with him.
Gimli didn't know about Moria's fate because there had been no communication between Erebor and Moria for 25 years, and the Dwarves were hopeful and did not want to accept failure until there was certain news.
Thrain I, Thrain II, and Thror are dwarves who live during the Third Age of the Sun and belong to the race of Durin. Durin's Line is one of seven original dwarf genealogies, and it's the main surviving Line after the end of the First Age. By the Third Age, even this family tree has shrunk in size.
The line of the descendants of Durin the Deathless, hereditary Dwarven-kings of Durin's Folk. Thrór, Thráin II and Thorin II Oakenshield were all descended from this House.
It is quite likely that Thorin knew both Fili and Kili died defending him. Their deaths and Thorin's did not end Durin's line, although did end the branch which had Thror, Thrain, and Thorin Oakenshield. Thorin's cousin, Dain Ironfoot, became King after Thorin's death.
Gimli was born in the Ered Luin in the Third Age, son of Glóin. Gimli had wanted to accompany his father on the quest to reclaim Erebor, but at age 62 he was deemed too young. He was a remote descendant of Durin the Deathless, chief of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves and ancestor of the Longbeards.
It is also stated in Unfinished Tales that Gimli was prevented from traveling with his father on the Quest of Erebor because Thorin and Company thought him too young, though Gimli, being in his sixties, considered himself ripe for adventure and was disappointed to be left behind.
Combining the poor communication between Erebor and Moria with the Dwarves' extended lifespans, Gimli might not have known about the fall of Moria simply because Erebor had not grown too worried about the lack of information yet.
This article refers to the son of Thrór. For other namesakes, see Thráin (disambiguation). Thráin II was the father of Thorin II, and the son of King Thrór, making him a direct descendant of Durin the Deathless.
Simply put, he was the only one available. There were only two dwarves at the council of Elrond, Gimli and his father Gloin. The Dwarves were fighting Sauron's forces constantly in their own campaign and couldn't spare many. Gloin was also much older now, it was absolutely his son's turn to go on a big journey.
Gloin, also in The Hobbit, and his son, Gimli (a member of The Fellowship of the Ring), are also descendants of Durin IV, as a direct descendant as well, with Durin IV as his 9x great grandfather.
In The Lord of the Rings Online, Prince Durin is the son of King Thorin III. In the game's story-line other Dwarves have been given that name and yet proved not to be the Father of the Longbeards returned, so a major part of his motivation is to prove whether he truly is or will be Durin VII.
Thorin is the heir to the dominant line of Durin I, but Dain I Ironfoot, is also from the Line of Durin. His grandfather Gror is the youngest son of Dain I.
From the line of the Dwarves of Erebor, illustrated in Appendix A of LOTR, we can see that Thorin II was a direct descendant of Durin VI, and thus of Durin the Deathless … as also were Dáin, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Óin, Glóin and Gimli.
Why did Thorin go crazy? Thorin fell victim to the sickness of greed. Dwarves are known for being greedy and proud, and when he realized the treasure of Erebor was his, including the Arkenstone, he became ill with Dragon Sickness. He began to value his wealth more than his friends, family, and own safety.
After the death of Thorin in the Battle of Five Armies, Dain becomes King under the Mountain. He redeems the Arkenstone from Bard with a fourteenth of the treasure, which is used to re-establish Dale. Over the next three years, Bard rebuilds the city of Dale and becomes its ruler. The city begins to prosper again.
With his keen eyesight, sensitive hearing, and excellent bowmanship, Legolas was valuable to the Fellowship in their journey across Middle-earth. He was well-known for becoming friends with the Dwarf Gimli, despite their long-held differences.
Why doesn't Gimli know the password to the Mines of Moria? Gimli didn't know the password to the door because that knowledge was lost. It was too long ago when dwarves had lived there. Elves built the door, back when they were friends with the Dwarves, thousands of years beforehand.
