Gimli, son of Glóin is a Dwarf in The Lord of the Rings, and a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. He is Legolas's best friend following the War of the Ring, and is the only Dwarf known to have sailed for Valinor.
After the war, he is the Lord of the Glittering Caves.
In Canon[]
Gimli is one of two major characters most changed by the movie version (Faramir is the other). In the books, Gimli is a relatively serious, rather poetic character; in the movies, he takes on the role of comic relief (though he is still a competent, courageous warrior). It is therefore important for agents to note whether the fic is in movie- or bookverse before charging for causing OOCness in Gimli.
In Suefics[]
Gimli is often the Designated Misogynistic Bastard, and is rarely the LO of the Sue. His most common 'positive' role is as comic relief, usually to make Legolas look good. His role as a warrior may be upstaged by Warrior!Sues.
Gimli is more likely than any other main character to be mostly ignored by Suethors. As a result, he may stay relatively in character throughout a badfic, even while Legolas suffers complete character rupture.
In slashfics, Gimli is only ever paired with Legolas, which could be plausible in an AU where The Laws and Customs of the Eldar do not apply (Miss Cam herself has written G/L slash). Unfortunately, good slash containing Gimli is extremely rare. Because he is a dwarf, he is short, heavily bearded, and stocky—all of which are traits many young teens (i.e. fangirls and fanbrats) do not consider appealing in a romantic partner.