What race are Fili and Kili in The Hobbit?

Fili and Kili are Dwarves in The Hobbit. They are brothers, the sons of Dís, and members of Thorin Oakenshield’s company on the quest to reclaim Erebor from Smaug.

Fili is the elder brother and Kili the younger. Their family connection makes them part of the royal line of Durin: Thorin is their maternal uncle, and both are among the potential heirs to the Dwarven kingdom under the Lonely Mountain. Tolkien presents them as younger and more energetic than several of the company’s older members.

During the journey, Fili and Kili take part in the company’s encounters with Trolls, Goblins, Elves, and Smaug. In the Battle of Five Armies, they remain with Thorin when he makes his final charge against the enemy. Both are killed defending him, making their deaths part of the tragedy that follows the victory.

They are sometimes confused with Men because the films give them relatively human-like appearances, and with Hobbits because they travel alongside Bilbo. Their defining identity is Dwarven: they belong to the line of Durin and are closely tied to Erebor’s royal succession.