History Main / Mithril

The name "mithril" or similarly spelled variations ([[SpellMyNameWithAnS mithral, mythril, mythral]], and others) is present in other fictional contexts like role-playing games, since the term is not trademarked, unlike "[[Literature/TheHobbit Hobbit]]" or "Balrog". The name is usually used for a special type of metal (often used as armor), or as a denomination of currency, or as a name for a project or device. It's very useful to have an exotic trope metal that is more rare and valuable than mundane metals like steel or gold. Citadel Miniatures even produced a color of (metallic) paint named Mithril Silver.

* In ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'', Mithril (known by a variety of names) is the fifth element, a metal created only in rare cases where meteorites strike Earth. An indigenous Russian wiseman tells Paperinik that it was used in days of old to forge the legendary swords and impenetrable gates. In less poetic terms, it's an extremely rare element with the unique property that applying pressure to it causes it to expand to hundreds of times its original size. The conflict of the issue revolves around a weapons manufacturer who wants to exploit this for, what else, warfare.

* ''LightNovel/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'': Mithril is a substance created from fusing silver with Magisteel (metal forged from ore that has been transformed by absorbing sufficient quantities of [[{{Mana}} magicules]]), and it's particularly effective as a weapon against TheUndead.

Mithril is a fictional metal from Creator/JRRTolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. It's silvery and stronger than steel but much lighter in weight. The author first wrote of it in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', and it was [[OrwellianRetcon retconned]] into the second, revised edition of ''Literature/TheHobbit'' in 1966. In the first 1937 edition, the mail shirt given to Bilbo was described as being made of "silvered steel".

Not to be confused with HeavyMithril, or the [[Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic fictional mercenary organization of the same name]].

[[quoteright:236:[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Mithril-vest_7324.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:236:"As light as a feather, yet as hard as dragon scales."]]

* In the extended ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' canon Mithril is mentioned a few times as part of the body or weapons of the creatures, such as Garurumon's fur or Iikakumon's horn. Although it has much less relevance and power than other original fictional materials from the franchise itself such as the Chrome Digizoid.

Subtrope of FantasyMetals. Compare with ThunderboltIron, {{Orichalcum}}, {{Unobtainium}}, SilverHasMysticPowers. Contrast with ColdIron.

The name "mithril" or similarly spelled variations ([[BreadEggsBreadedEggs mithral, mythril, mythral]], and others) is present in other fictional contexts like role-playing games, since the term is not trademarked, unlike "[[Literature/TheHobbit Hobbit]]" or "Balrog". The name is usually used for a special type of metal (often used as armor), or as a denomination of currency, or as a name for a project or device. It's very useful to have an exotic trope metal that is more rare and valuable than mundane metals like steel or gold. Citadel Miniatures even produced a color of (metallic) paint named Mithril Silver.

The name "mithril"[[note]]For the curious, ''mithril'' in Sindarin (Elvish) means "grey glitter", the ''-ril'' part being the same as in ''Silmaril''. In Quenya (the classical language of the Elves) it was '' mistarillë''.[[/note]] or similarly spelled variations ([[BreadEggsBreadedEggs mithral, mythril, mythral]], and others) is present in other fictional contexts like role-playing games, since the term is not trademarked, unlike "[[Literature/TheHobbit Hobbit]]" or "Balrog". The name is usually used for a special type of metal (often used as armor), or as a denomination of currency, or as a name for a project or device. It's very useful to have an exotic trope metal that is more rare and valuable than mundane metals like steel or gold. Citadel Miniatures even produced a color of (metallic) paint named Mithril Silver.

* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'': The TropeMaker and TropeNamer. Mithril resembles silver, is extremely light, and is much stronger than steel. Mithril chain mail provides incredible protection, while weighing almost nothing. As a result, mithril -- sometimes called "truesilver" in the CommonTongue -- is incredibly valuable and searched after. It was the reason for the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm's wealth and power, as large mithril veins extend beneath Moria and the Misty Mountains. Greed for this metal eventually led to the downfall of the dwarves when they [[DugTooDeep found a vein of mithril that led to]] a [[SealedEvilInACan sleeping Balrog]].

The name "mithril"[[note]]For the curious, ''mithril'' in Sindarin (Elvish) means "grey glitter", the ''-ril'' part being the same as in ''Silmaril''. In Quenya (the classical language of the Elves) it was '' mistarillë''.[[/note]] or similarly spelled variations ([[BreadEggsBreadedEggs mithral, mythril, mythral]], and others) is present in other fictional contexts like role-playing games, since the Tolkien Estate did not trademark the term, unlike "[[Literature/TheHobbit Hobbit]]" or "Balrog". The name is usually used for a special type of metal (often used as armor), or as a denomination of currency, or as a name for a project or device. It's very useful to have an exotic trope metal that is more rare and valuable than mundane metals like steel or gold. Citadel Miniatures even produced a color of (metallic) paint named Mithril Silver.

* In the extended ''Franchise/Digimon'' canon Mithril is mentioned a few times as part of the body or weapons of the creatures, such as Garurumon's fur or Iikakumon's horn. Although it has much less relevance and power than other original fictional materials from the franchise itself such as the Chrome Digizoid.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': Mithril is a fairly rare metal, usually either silvery or blue, that is sometimes used to make armor. It's light and very strong, but it isn't the highest-grade metal in the game -- that's typically adamantium. In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall'', it's explicitly a mid-grade material.

* ''Literature/{{Dwarves}}'': In a wide variety of flavours. Every God in the setting created a metal with no earthly counterpart. These metals are all rare and precious, and used almost solely for ornamentation.

In the extended Digimon canon Mithril is mentioned a few times as part of the body or weapons of the creatures, such as Garurumon's fur or Iikakumon's horn. Although it has much less relevance and power than other original fictional materials from the franchise itself such as the Chrome Digizoid.