The Hobbit: What Is The Scar On Thranduil's Face And How Is He Able To Conceal It?

gamerant.com:

There are many points of contention with the creative license that the directors took when adapting The Hobbit book into movies. From characters who were added or changed, to plot points and love stories that appeared out of nowhere, many fans were left with questions about why so much was embellished. And one of the most major of these is the scar on Thranduil the elf king’s face, and how he is able to make it appear and disappear at will.

This is an element of the story that many fans feel is just one step too far. It is definitely not accurate in terms of the book, as there is no scar mentioned in relation to the king of Mirkwood. However, this is hardly saying something, as there is a lot about the king that isn’t mentioned in the books that have been added to the films, including his name! He is never actually named in The Hobbit, and this isn’t told until much later, during the Lord of the Rings books.

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There is also no mention of Thranduil's son being Legolas, and lots of other small details that have been enhanced to enrich the story. This is in part because, when Tolkien originally wrote The Hobbit, he didn’t know at the time that it was going to become part of a much bigger legendarium, and would have to tie in with stories that came both before it and after it. He then had a difficult time linking it up with the Lord of the Rings, and had to go back and change several aspects of the original story to make the tone and the plot fit more in line.

So, discussing Thranduil’s scar in the context of the films rather than the books makes it a lot more plausible. But where did he get this gnarly disfigurement, and how is he able to conceal