Thrain

Thrain is a dwarven given name in J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium, most notably associated with Durin’s Folk. The best-known bearer is Thrain II, a prince who became King under the Mountain after the Old Kingdom of Khazad-dûl fell and his father Thror.

Thrain II led his people in exile, continuing the line of Durin’s Folk as he prepared for a future restoration of Erebor. He is the father of Thorin Oakenshield, who would later lead the company to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. Thrain II’s life ended after he was captured by Sauron in Dol Guldur during the early Third Age; his death left Thorin to carry the burden of his lineage and the quest for a homeland for the dwarves.

In The Hobbit’s narrative arc, Thorin’s quest to reclaim Erebor is presented as the continuation of Thrain II’s line, with Thorin inheriting the legacy of Durin’s Folk and the dream of a restored dwarven realm. Thrain’s fate also underscores the long arc of dwarven history in Middle-earth, marked by exile, loss, and the enduring hope for resurgence.

In adaptations, Thrain II is depicted in some film interpretations as a captive of Sauron in Dol Guldur, a backstory element that motivates the events surrounding Thorin and his companions.