To give the somewhat innocuous Bifur some personality in the movies, the filmmakers decided to shut him up. How? Well, have a look at his head. There’s a rusty orc axe-blade permanently wedged into his skull. He’s alive and goes about doing dwarvish things like glaring dourly and spilling food on his beard, but the wound means he doesn’t talk much, muttering only on occasion in unintelligible Dwarvish. Bifur is cousin to Bombur and Bofur, a trio from a lesser lineage of dwarves unrelated to Thorin and his clan.
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