Bem, a resposta depende se você está olhando para os livros / filmes.
Filmes: Eu suponho que o rosto de Thorin teria sido cunhado em ouro anão, o que inevitavelmente teria caído nas mãos dos duendes também. Possivelmente, o Grande Duende teria sabido da passagem da Companhia através do Passo Alto e, portanto, corretamente assumiu que estes eram os anões que ele estava procurando.
Livro: Para citar o Hobbit:
"Thorin the dwarf at your service!" he replied-it was merely a polite nothing. "Of the things which you suspect and imagine we had no idea at all. We sheltered from a storm in what seemed a convenient cave and unused; nothing was further from our thoughts than inconveniencing goblins in any way whatever." That was true enough! "Urn!" said the Great Goblin. "So you say! Might I ask what you were doing up in the mountains at all, and where you were coming from, and where you were going to? In fact I should like to know all about you. Not that it will do you much good, Thorin Oakenshield, I know too much about your folk already; but let's have the truth, or I will prepare something particularly uncomfortable for you!"
Thorin se identifica, não o contrário.