The Most Popular ‘Lord of the Rings’ Characters

Éothain was a Man of Rohan (Rohirrim) who rode in Éomer’s company, the same group that rescued Merry and Pippin from an Orc camp in “The Two Towers.”

Éomund was the head of the Rohirrim under King Théoden. He would marry Théodwyn, the king’s sister, and they would have two children, Éowyn and Éomer.

Beechbone was a famously handsome and tall Ent (tree-person) from Fangorn Forest who participated in the raid on Isengard in “The Two Towers.”

Bregalad (“Quickbeam” in the common tongue) was a young Ent known for his hastiness. He was the first of his kind to support the decision to besiege Isengard and attack Sarumon’s forces, and was made to keep watch over Merry and Pippin while they were amongst the tree-people.

Khamûl was the second-most powerful of the nine Ringwraiths under the Witch-King. Khamûl held Dol Guldur and protected the Dark Lord Sauron while he posed as “the Necromancer” upon his return to Middle Earth.

Goldberry was a “River-Daughter” from Withywindle, a smaller tributary of the Brandywine River that was near The Shire. She was wed to Tom Bombadil, and no one knew the exact nature of either her or her husband.

Déagol found the One Ring while fishing with his cousin, Sméagol. The first Ring-Bearer in over 2,400 years was immediately strangled to death by his cousin, and his body was hidden well enough to avoid its ever being discovered.

Glorfindel was a hero of the First Age, and his spirit was re-embodied soon after his death. He returned to Middle-earth soon after the One Ring had been forged, and was a member of the party sent by Elrond to save an injured Frodo from the Ringwraiths and bring him to Rivendell.

Celeborn was an Elf who, as Lord of Lothlórien, received the Fellowship of the Ring and furnished them with ships to navigate the Anduin River. He attended the wedding of his granddaughter, Arwen, to Aragorn II Elessar.

Elendil was the King of Gondor during the War of the Last Alliance. He and Gil-Galad killed Sauron during the Siege of Barad-dûr, but both died for their efforts.

Treebeard was the oldest Ent in Middle-earth when he met Peregrin and Merry in Fangorn Forest. When he learned that Sarumon was cutting down the forest’s trees to power his war machine, he led the Ents to war against the wizard.

Meriadoc Brandybuck (“Merry”) was a cousin of Frodo Baggins and one of his best friends. Merry was one of the nine companions of the Fellowship of the Ring, and was seemingly attached at the hip to his very best friend, Pippin Took.

Peregrin (“Pippin”) Took was another one of Frodo Baggins’s closest friends who would join him as a companion of the Fellowship of the Ring. Pippin had several misadventures during the larger quest with his best friend, Merry.

Radagast the Brown was one of the most powerful wizards in Middle-earth during the Third Age. He was known as “The Tender of Beasts”, and was indeed more invested in the wellbeing of plants and animals rather than the affairs of men.

Théoden was a King of Rohan in the Third Age, famously corrupted by his advisor Gríma (Wormtongue to most) on behalf of Sarumon the White. He would redeem himself upon his successful defense of Hornburg during the Battle of Helm’s Deep.

Isildur was the eldest son of Elendil, who refused to destroy the One Ring after his father cut it from Sauron’s hand before his death. Isildur and his three eldest sons were killed during their return journey from Sauron’s defeat, and the Ring was lost for over two millennia.

Denethor II was the final Steward of Gondor and father to Boromir and Faramir, both of whom would play significant roles in the War of the Ring. Driven to bitterness after using a Palantír (seeing-stone) to assess Sauron’s forces, he would die trying to take the grievously injured Faramir with him.

Gríma Wormtongue was chief advisor to King Théoden of Rohan, later exposed as a spy on behalf of Saruman working to weaken the king and his forces. He was exiled from Rohan, and eventually killed Saruman in revenge for the years of degradation that he suffered at his hand.

Faramir was the younger brother of Boromir, son of Denethor II. After Boromir’s death, Denethor sent his remaining son to defend an indefensible post. Faramir was injured and brought back to Gondor, only to have his father try to burn him on a funeral pyre.

Boromir was the first son of Denethor II of Rohan, elder brother of Faramir. Boromir tried to convince Frodo to use the One Ring in defense of Minas Tirith, and eventually tried to take it from him. Boromir was killed after Orcs raided his camp, fighting to defend Merry and Pippin.

Samwise (“Sam”) Gamgee was a gardener in The Shire, and Frodo Baggins’s best friend. Sam would join the group of Hobbits serving as companions of the Fellowship of the Ring. Sam was Frodo’s most dependable asset in his quest to destroy the One Ring.

Gimli, son of Glóin, was a dwarven emissary to Rivendell when he volunteered as a companion of the Fellowship of the Ring. Gimli was a respected warrior, and one of the only Dwarves who chose to fight alongside the Elves in the fight to come against Sauron.

Shelob was a giant spider, formerly of Mordor, that lived in the pass of Cirith Ungol next to an Orc stronghold. Gollum led Sam and Frodo to the pass in the hope that she would kill the Hobbits, but Sam successfully fought Shelob off after she stabbed Frodo through the abdomen.

Elrond Half-Elven was the Lord of Rivendell in the Third Age. Elrond fought at the Battle of Dagorlad, and saw Isildur keep the One Ring. This failure colored Elrond’s perception of mortals and contributed to an underlying conviction that Sauron could not be defeated.

Éowyn was a Shieldmaiden of Rohan, the daughter of Éomund and Théodwyn, who defied her father’s orders not to fight at Helm’s Deep by dressing as a man. Éowyn killed the Witch-King at the Battle of Pelennor Fields, fulfilling the prophecy that he would die “not by the hand of man”.

Saruman the White was the first among the wizards of Middle-earth during the Third Age. His extensive study of dark magic led him to desire the One Ring, and he secretly allied Isengard to Mordor.

The Nazgûl were the nine ringwraiths, Sauron’s most dangerous and devoted servants. They were originally the nine human recipients of Rings of Power, and Sauron was able to corrupt them over the course of their lives to the point that they became invisible to the physical world.

Éomer, son of Éomund and Théodwyn, was a marshal in the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. He became the King of Rohan and renewed the Oath of Eorl between his kingdom and Aragorn II’s Gondor for the first time since Isildur’s death.

Frodo Baggins was a Hobbit of The Shire in the Third Age. He became Ring-Bearer after his “Uncle” Bilbo Baggins was convinced by Gandalf to surrender it to them voluntarily, and would be tasked with destroying the One Ring in Mount Doom.

Bilbo Baggins was a Hobbit of The Shire in the Third Age, Ring-Bearer, survivor of the Quest of Erebor, veteran of the Battle of Five Armies, adopted guardian of Frodo Baggins, and author of “There and Back Again.”

Legolas was the Elven Prince of Mirkwood, son of Elvenking Thranduil, and companion of the Fellowship of the Ring. Legolas was a master archer, and famously became friends with Gimli the dwarf in spite of the shared antipathy between their peoples.

Arwen, Half-Elven daughter of Elrond and Celebrían, married Aragorn II and became Queen of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor after the War of the Ring. Her choice to forego her immortality to live with Aragorn and her actions thereafter helped Elf and Human once more.

Tom Bombadil is a famously old figure of famously unknown origins who lives along the Withywindle with his wife, a River-Spirit named Goldberry. Tom is a guardian of the forest, with unimaginable power and an irreverent wit, and is thought to be a Maia or some other spiritual figure.

Galadriel was an immensely powerful Elf in the Third Age who served as Lady of Lothlórien during the War of the Ring. She bore Nenya (one of the Three Elven Rings of Power), and used its powers to conserve and protect the Elven wood from evil until Sauron’s defeat.

Gandalf the Grey was one of the wizards sent to Middle-earth to help fight Sauron in the Third Age. He was known to be kind, with an interest in Hobbits and their pipe-weed. Gandalf did not show much of his immense power, but upon his death he was returned as Gandalf the White.

Aragorn II Elessar, Son of Arathorn II and Gilraen, husband of Arwen, was Chieftain of the Dúnedain of the North. Aragorn was made King Elessar Telcontar after serving as a companion of the Fellowship of the Ring, reuniting Arnor and Gondor for the first time since Isildur’s reign.

Sauron, The Second Dark Lord, created the Rings of Power to conquer Middle-earth in revenge for the death of his master. Defeated in the Second Age by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, he would rest and recover for centuries until he was permanently beaten in the War of the Ring.

Gollum began his unnaturally long life as Sméagol, an early Hobbit who was corrupted by the power of the One Ring. Gollum lost the ring to Bilbo Baggins under the Misty Mountains, and would search for it until he found Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring a century later.