A captain of Thranduil's Elven Guards, Tauriel is a professional in the military and leads the Woodland Realm's armed forces. Her parents were killed by Orcs when she was younger and it is hinted that Thranduil looked after her since then. She is a young elf, around the age of 600 (however in some documentaries Peter Jackson said she would be around 1000, in fact giving a specific age of 1,347), and is insightful into the changing nature of Middle-earth. In contrast to Thranduil's portrayed isolationism, Tauriel is interventionist and recognizes the growing evils of the world and the need to eradicate them. Moderately effective in infantry combat, she is proficient in both archery and hand-to-hand combat. Her primary weapons are a reflex bow and two long daggers. She is shown to be an adept archer and marksman, with elvish reflexes and accuracy. She can simultaneously wield her bow and knife in combat, and can fire an arrow quick enough to intervene with the passage of a slower Orc arrow. She is also shown to possess some medical knowledge, being able to treat wounds from poisoned weapons. As a native of the Woodland Realm, she is also a capable tree climber.