For viewers of the film, the most identifiable feature about Nori will be his absurd facial hair, sculpted with braids into a strange Christmas-ornament arrangement. Brother to Ori and Dori, distant relations of Thorin, he plays a minimal role in Tolkien’s narrative. The film’s producers, though, seem keen to deepen the character. An advance statement from Peter Jackson’s studio about Nori says: “Nobody ever quite knows what the quick-witted and wily Nori is up to, except that it’s guaranteed to be dodgy and quite possibly illegal.” Is that the hairpiece of a criminal?
TIME’s Guide to The Hobbit‘s 13 Dwarves
Before you see The Hobbit, get to know the dwarves who take Bilbo Baggins on his epic adventure