Middle-Earth is a vast and interesting place, home to many creatures and people who have learned how to fight in order to survive. The Lord of the Rings introduced a few characters that only hinted at the sheer power that existed in Middle-Earth. The people of Middle-Earth have seen countless wars as they defend themselves against Sauron and other evil forces.
The Lord of the Rings featured a fantasy world that had been torn by war with the armies of Mordor. There were a number of powerful characters from the races of humans, elves, orcs, and more who were willing to lay down their lives on both sides of the conflict.
Updated on November 17, 2022 by Scoot Allan: The release of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video furthered the lore of some fan-favorite characters. However, the hit series also introduced a few new characters to the canon that displayed incredible abilities and earned their place alongside a few of the Lord of the Rings' strongest characters.
28 Grima Wormtongue
Human
Grima Wormtongue was once a man of Rohan before he was taken and manipulated by Saruman the White to serve the Dark Lord Sauron. He was sent back to Rohan to poison the mind of King Theoden and rule over the lands to weaken them before Sauron returned.
Wormtongue wasn't much of a fighter, but he was a conniving backstabber. His only strength was that he knew how to get the drop on someone or poison them with his dark lies. It made him one of the most dangerous characters in Lord of the Rings, though not the strongest.
27 King Theoden
Human
The King of Rohan Theoden was a wise leader and as noble as they come. Having fought in numerous battles, he was unfortunate enough to not only see the death of his son but be poisoned by Saruman. Theoden fought with the might of 10,000 kings after he was freed from Saruman's control.
Even when the situation seemed dire and there was no sign of victory, Theoden still rode out in front of his troops to his apparent death. While King Theoden died on the battlefield, he inspired his army to continue fighting against the dark forces of Mordor.
26 Gothmog
Orc
When Sauron launched a full-scale assault on Minas Tirith, an orc general led the armies on the ground. His name was Gothmog, and he was the most monstrous-looking of the Orcs. He was also one of the most ruthless, which served him well in the battle.
Gothmog feared nothing and even played "chicken" with a catapult. He would have killed Eowyn in battle if it weren't for Aragorn and Gimli's timely intervention. While the orc army was deadly due to their sheer numbers, Gothmog proved he was deadly all on his own.
25 Lurtz
Uruk-Hai
Lurtz was the first and one of the strongest orcs known as the Uruk-Hai that were created by Saruman the White. He led a party of Uruk-Hai to Amon Hen, where they intercepted the Fellowship of the Ring and tried to capture Frodo. Lurtz ended up fighting against Boromir, the son of the Steward of Gondor.
Seeing his moment, Lurtz killed Boromir by shooting him with several arrows before taking on Aragorn. He ultimately lost his head in battle with the skilled Ranger, though Lurtz still showcased his strength as leader of the Uruk-Hai.
24 Eowyn
Human
Eowyn was the cousin of King Theoden, though she treated her beloved family member like a father. She was a woman who wanted nothing more than to fight and die for her friends in battle. She trained often with a sword in secret, improving her skills far beyond some of the other Riders of Rohan.
During the Battle of Minas Tirith, Eowyn disguised herself as a male Rohirrim and rode out into battle. She put herself at risk alongside the hobbit Merry, but it was one of the best decisions in Lord of the Rings. The battle likely wouldn't have been won without her undying desire to fight and her courage when facing the Witch-King.
23 Faramir
Human
Faramir was the Captain of Gondor and the brother of Boromir. He commanded the Ithilien Rangers and he knew how to use a bow better than just about any other man. He would fight in numerous battles, but his desire to prove his quality would be his greatest weakness.
No matter how good of a fighter he was, Faramir still lived in the shadow of his older brother. This led him to ride to Osgiliath with his Rangers to try and take it back after the armies of Mordor invaded. Faramir was a capable leader who took on many orcs in battle, and he was one of the few to resist the temptation of the Ring so he could help Frodo and Sam.
22 Eomer
Human
Eomer was the leader of the Rohirrim and Eowyn's older brother. The entire culture of the Rohirrim focused on their relationship with the horses that carried them into battle. Eomer was one of the greatest and most loyal riders of King Theoden, and all Uruk-Hai knew to fear him.
Eomer did an excellent job of keeping the borders safe from Orcs, and it was his army that arrived at Helm's Deep when the armies of Rohan needed some backup. He would also play a large role in the Battle of Minas Tirith and even take out a few of the towering Mûmakil creatures before the fighting was done.
21 Boromir
Human
Faramir's older brother Boromir was arguably the best soldier that Gondor had in its ranks. Not only did his fighting and leadership protect Osgiliath for many years, but he was chosen to go to the Council of Elrond and become a member of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Unfortunately, Boromir would be tempted by the One Ring. He briefly attempted to steal it from Frodo before realizing his error. To redeem himself, he sacrificed his life to slow down an army of Uruk-Hai who were after the hobbits. Even the mightiest man can be slain by an arrow, but Boromir fought on after he was struck by quite a few.
20 Samwise Gamgee
Hobbit
Samwise Gamgee is a hobbit with a stout heart and an appetite for all the best types of food. He's willing to go to the very end with Frodo, and he proved he was one of the most loyal and faithful companions to ever live. These are just some of the qualities that made Sam one of the most likable Lord of the Rings characters.
He also happened to be quite strong in battle. Sam was able to not only take out some orcs and goblins, but he even fought the massive spider Shelob and lived to tell the tale. Frodo couldn't have asked for a better friend on his quest to Mordor.
19 Durin IV
Dwarf
The Rings of Power introduced a few characters from Tolkien's extended works, including Prince Durin IV. He was a dwarf who ruled in the Mines of Moria, which were better known then as Khazad-dûm. Prince Durin IV and his miners discovered the powerful metal known as Mithril that would later save Frodo's life in The Lord of the Rings.
Durin was a close friend of Elrond, and he demonstrated his strength and endurance in a rock-breaking competition against his old ally. He provided the Mithril that went into the forging of the Elven rings of power. Unfortunately, his mining also awoke the sleeping Balrog of Khazad-dûm that would become known as Durin's Bane.
18 Gimli
Dwarf
Gimli, son of Gloin, was one of the members of the Fellowship of the Ring and the only dwarf to have any place in the War of the Ring. He had a rough exterior but a soft interior, and he was as ferocious as other dwarves introduced in Tolkien's mythology.
Gimli never backed down from a fight, and he even stood against a cave troll when he knew the odds were against him. He developed a friendly competition with Legolas to see who could kill the most orcs. He further proved his incredible warrior strength in every battle he and Legolas fought together.
17 Arondir
Elf
The new series focused on a few elves that had been seen on the big screen before, though a few new characters were created for The Rings of Power. Arondir was a Silvan Elf who was assigned to watch over the Southlanders after they allied with the first Dark Lord, Morgoth.
Arondir refused to return to Lindon because he fell in love with a human woman named Bronwyn. He started to investigate orc activity and uncovered salve camps used to hollow out tunnels underneath the Southlands. Arondir showcased his impressive fighting skills, acrobatics, and marksmanship in battle against the orcs, leaving fans wanting to see more from the new addition.
16 Adar
Uruk
Tolkien's mythology featured more than one origin for the orcs that threatened Middle-earth over the ages. The Rings of Power explored their origins through the introduction of a powerful new character named Adar. He was formerly an elf, though he was tortured and corrupted by Morgoth into the first orc.
Adar referred to himself and his people as Uruks, which would eventually become the orcs known to most Lord of the Rings fans. He helped transform the Southlands into Mordor, which he then took over as king. Adar wore the glove of Sauron as a sign of his power, and he led his army as the "lord-father" of the orcs.
15 Aragorn
Human
Aragorn was a Dunedain Ranger who was blessed with an unnaturally long life. He was also the descendant of Isildur, the true King of Gondor. He chose to live his life in the wild but eventually had to embrace his destiny when he met Frodo Baggins and joined the Fellowship of the Ring.
Aragorn trained for decades to become a Ranger, which made him one of the best human fighters in all of Middle-earth. He could take on just about any number of foes and still walk away with only minimal damage, which he proved in the final battle against the forces of Mordor.
14 Legolas
Elf
Legolas Greenleaf was the Prince of Mirkwood and one of the greatest warriors who fought against Mordor's forces during the War of the Ring. Despite fighting in just about every major battle during the time, Legolas took no damage and racked up an impressive kill count.
Legolas was an expert archer who could land just about any shot he wanted without running out of arrows. Also a king of stuntwork, Legolas could perform all kinds of excellent acrobatic moves that made him a force of nature when it came to fighting orcs and other deadly creatures.
13 Arwen
Elf
Arwen Evenstar was the daughter of King Elrond and had access to all kinds of impressive Elven magic because of it. Not only was she a trained fighter who knew how to use a sword, but she could also summon powerful spells that could manipulate nature.
When being chased by the nine Ringwraiths, Arwen summoned a magical river of horses to wash them away without hesitation. Arwen wasn't involved in the War of the Ring as much as others due to family issues, though she still chose to remain with Aragorn in the end.
12 Nazgûl
Ringwraiths
Nine Kings of Men were given Rings of Power by Sauron prior to the events of The Lord of the Rings. Easily corrupted, they each fell victim to the darkness of the rings and were turned into the nine Nazgûl, or Ringwraiths. Neither living nor dead, their entire purpose in life was to hunt down the One Ring for Sauron.
The Nazgûl didn't need to sleep or eat, which meant they never had to stop hunting. The Nazgûl were also adept sorcerers powered by dark magic. They were the deadliest servants of the Dark Lord and rode winged steeds known as fellbeasts that were equally corrupted by dark magic.
11 Shelob
Great Spider
In the First Age of Middle-earth, there was a being named Ungoliant who fathered a number of Great Spiders who were evil and manipulative. Shelob was one of Ungoliant's children, and she would grow to be an equally giant and terrifying spider.
Shelob lived in the pass of Cirith Ungol and preyed on anyone foolish enough to journey there. Even orcs knew to never walk in those tunnels if Shelob was lurking around because she would feast on whoever she liked. Shelob had massive fangs, a paralytic stinger, and an insatiable hunger. Shelob was easily one of the scariest creatures in The Lord of the Rings.
10 Treebeard
Ent
Fangorn Forest was home to billions of giant trees that needed protection from outside forces. That protection came in the form of the Ents. The Ents were walking, talking trees who spoke very slowly and seemed uninterested in the matters of the world.
The Ents were a bit distracted at times, but they soon discovered their strength after they were spurred into action by Merry and Pippin. Treebeard was the ancient leader of the Ents, and he led an attack on Isengard with his fellow Ents to take down Saruman's tower. None of the Uruk-Hai could stop him or the other Ents, who released a massive flood to drown Saruman's fires.
9 Gwaihir
Great Eagles
Middle-earth was home to a race of Great Eagles who also had the ability to speak, and they had a close friendship with Gandalf. The Eagles would help out a number of times in the history of Middle-earth. They saved the day twice in The Hobbit before doing the same in The Lord of the Rings.
The Eagles were strong enough that they could take on the Nazgûl's fellbeasts, and they secretly operated as spies for Gandalf prior to the War of the Ring. Gwaihir was the most powerful, and he led the rest of the Great Eagles into battle against Sauron's forces.