In this article, we are bringing you all the main TheLord of the Rings characters in one place and will let you know a few important pieces of information about them. You can be sure to find your favorite The Lord of the Rings characters on this list.
As we all know there are a lot of characters in the whole Tolkien legendarium, and according to LOTR Project, there are 982 characters in total. In this article, we won’t be mentioning all of those Lord of the Rings characters, still, there are close to 50 main characters. So check them out below, sorted by races
Main The Lord of the Rings Characters: Men
Some of the Men characters played a crucial role in defeating Sauron, so we decided to start this big list of Lord of the Rings characters with them. Let’s check out
1. Aragorn
Aragorn is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium. He is one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. Aragorn was a Ranger of the North, first introduced with the name Strider at Bree, as the Hobbits continued to call him throughout The Lord of the Rings.
He was eventually revealed to be the heir of Isildur and rightful claimant to the thrones of Arnor and Gondor. He was also a confidant of Gandalf and an integral part of the quest to destroy the One Ring and defeat the Dark Lord Sauron.
1. Bard the Bowman
Bard, known also as Bard the Bowman, and less chiefly Bard the First, was a man of Lake-town, the slayer of the dragon Smaug, and the founder and first king of the new Kingdom of Dale. He was succeeded as King of Dale by his son, Bain.
3. Beorn
Beorn is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien and part of his Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Hobbit as a “skin-changer”, a man who could assume the form of a great black bear.
4. Beren
Beren, also called Beren Erchamion, was a man of Middle-earth, and a hero whose romance with the Elf Lúthien was one of the great stories of the Elder Days that were told for many ages after he lived.
5. Boromir
Boromir was a valiant warrior known in Gondor for his greatness, having already achieved great merit in Gondor prior to the Council of Elrond. He is the eldest son of Denethor II, who was Steward of Gondor during the War of the Ring, and his wife Finduilas. Even the people of Rohan admired him, particularly Éomer. He was the older brother of Faramir.
6. Denethor
Denethor II, son of Ecthelion II, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Return of the King, which is the third and final part of his novel The Lord of the Rings. He is the 26th and last Ruling Steward of Gondor.
Denethor is depicted as embittered and despairing as the forces of Mordor close in on Gondor. Critics have noted the contrast between Denethor and both Theoden, the good king of Rohan, and Aragorn, the true king of Gondor.
7. Éomer
Éomer was a Man of Rohan and the eventual eighteenth King of Rohan, and first of the Third Line of their kings. In the last decades of the War of the Ring, Éomer was the “Marshal of the Mark”.
8. Éowyn
Éowyn was a shieldmaiden of Rohan, daughter of Éomund and Theodwyn, younger sister of Éomer and niece of King Théoden. After the War of the Ring, she married Faramir and had one son with him, Elboron.
9. Faramir
Faramir was the second son of Denethor II and the younger brother of Boromir. He was the Captain of the Rangers of Ithilien and Captain of the White Tower upon his brother’s death.
After the War of the Ring, Faramir became the first Prince of Ithilien and married Éowyn of Rohan.
10. Gríma Wormtongue
Gríma, called (the) Wormtongue, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. He appears in the second and third volumes of the work, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, and his role is expanded in Unfinished Tales. He is introduced in The Two Towers as the chief advisor to King Théoden of Rohan and henchman of Saruman.
11. Húrin
Húrin Thalion (“the Steadfast”), was the eldest son of Galdor and Hareth, older brother of Huor, father of Túrin Turambar and Nienor, and Lord of Dor-lómin. Húrin was captured by Morgoth at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad and he and his kin were cursed by the Dark Lord. The curse led to some of the greatest successes and tragedies of the First Age. He was the greatest warrior of Men in the First Age.
12. Isildur
Isildur was the oldest son of Elendil and brother to Anárion. As the High King of Gondor and Arnor, Isildur and his brother Anárion jointly ruled Gondor in the South, while their father dwelt in the North.
During the War of the Last Alliance, Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand, but he refused to destroy it. Isildur was later killed by Orcs and the Ring was lost in the Disaster of the Gladden Fields for nearly 2,500 years. His refusal to destroy the Ring allowed Sauron’s spirit to endure and ensured that he would remain a threat to Middle-earth for years to come. Isildur’s bloodline survived in the Dúnedain of the North and his heirs would help end Sauron’s power in the War of the Ring.
13. Niënor Níniel
Niënor, also known as Níniel, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium, appearing in the Narn i Chîn Húrin told in full in The Children of Húrin and briefly in The Silmarillion. Early versions of the story are Turambar and the Foalókë and The Lay of the Children of Húrin.
14. Théoden
Théoden is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings. The King and Lord of the Mark of Rohan, appears as a major supporting character in The Two Towers and The Return of the King. When first introduced, Théoden is weak with age and sorrow and the machinations of his top advisor, Gríma Wormtongue, and he does nothing as his kingdom is crumbling. Once roused by Gandalf, however, he becomes an instrumental ally in the war against Saruman and Sauron.
15. Tuor
A First Age hero who was the ancestor of the Men of Númenor. Tuor was an Adan of the House of Hador and a great hero of Men, the only son of Huor and Rían. He was the cousin of Túrin Turambar.
16. Túrin Turambar
Túrin Turambar (F.A. 464–499) was a tragic hero of the First Age whose life was dominated by the curse of the Enemy. His deeds became the tale called Narn i Chîn Húrin (“The Tale of the Children of Húrin”).
The Lord of the Rings Characters: Elves
Elves are some of the most powerful characters in the Lord of the Rings series. Due to their unprecedented role in shaping Middle-earth in both good and bad ways, it’s no wonder that a large number of elves can be considered as main characters. Let’s check out the elven main characters in Lord of the Rings.
1. Arwen
Arwen was the Half-Elven daughter of Elrond and Celebrían. She was often called Arwen Undómiel or “Evenstar”.
In marrying Aragorn II Elessar after the War of the Ring, she became Queen of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor, and like Beren and Lúthien before her, she united Elf and Man in peaceful love and harmony, in the process of becoming mortal.
2. Eärendil and Elwing
Eärendil the Mariner and his wife Elwing are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. They are depicted in The Silmarillion, as the children of Men and Elves. He is a great seafarer who, on his brow, carried the morning star, a jewel called a Silmaril, across the sky. The jewel had been saved by Elwing from the destruction of the Havens of Sirion.
3. Elrond
Elrond (Sindarin; IPA: “Star-Dome”) Half-elven, Lord of Rivendell, was one of the mighty Elf-rulers of old who lived in Middle-earth from the First Age to the beginning of the Fourth Age. He was the father of Arwen Undomiel, the eventual lover of Aragorn II Elessar.
4. Fëanor
Fëanor was a Ñoldorin elf and one of the Elven kindred that departed from Valinor in the land of Aman, where they had lived with the Valar.
He was born in Valinor, the only child of Finwë, High King of the Ñoldor, and Finwë’s first wife Míriel Therindë. He was a craftsman, gem-smith, and warrior, the maker of the Silmarils and inventor of the Tengwar script. He also created the Palantíri.
Fëanor was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind; countenance, understanding, skill, and subtlety, of all the Children of Ilúvatar. However, in his personality came flaws, foremost among them selfishness and pride, and at a time these would bring anguish and turmoil to his people.
5. Finrod Felagund
Finrod was an Elven king of the Noldor, eldest son of Finarfin, brother to Angrod, Aegnor and Galadriel. Finrod was like his father in his fair face and golden hair, and also in his noble and generous heart.
In Beleriand Finrod became the ruler of Nargothrond, taking the after-name of Felagund. He was a wise, just and powerful Elf, and a great traveler.
6. Finwë
Finwë was the first King of the Noldor, who led his people on the journey from Middle-earth to Valinor in the blessed realm of Aman. He was a great friend of Elwë, who would later become the King of Doriath.
7. Galadriel
Galadriel was the “Lady” of the woods of Lothlórien, which she ruled with Celeborn her husband.
She was one of the greatest of the Elves in Middle-earth, surpassing nearly all others in beauty, knowledge, and power. She bore Nenya, one of the three Elven rings of power. J.R.R. Tolkien thought of her, along with Gil-galad the Elven-king, as one of the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves left in Middle-earth in the Third Age.
She was the only daughter and youngest child of Finarfin, prince of the Ñoldor and of Eärwen, whose cousin was Lúthien. Her elder brothers were Finrod Felagund, Orodreth, Angrod, and Aegnor. Galadriel was a niece of Fëanor, the most important Elf of the early First Age.
8. Legolas
Legolas was a Sindarin Elf who was part of the Fellowship of the Ring in the Third Age. Son of the Elvenking Thranduil of Mirkwood, Legolas was Mirkwood’s prince, a messenger, and a master archer. With his keen eyesight, sensitive hearing, and excellent swordsman and archer, Legolas was valuable to the Fellowship in their journey across Middle-earth. He was well-known for becoming friends with the dwarf Gimli, despite their long-held differences.
9. Lúthien
Lúthien, also known as Tinúviel, was an Elf Maiden of Doriath, the wife of Beren Erchamion, and the most beautiful of all the Children of Ilúvatar to ever live. Her love of the mortal Edain Beren, for which she was prepared to risk everything, including her life, was legendary and lamented forever in song and story. She and Beren braved Morgoth’s horrors, eventually winning the Silmaril and the respect of Thingol.
Though their actions later resulted in both their deaths, their deeds won them the pity of Mandos and the second life in Middle-earth. Her romance with Beren was one of the great stories of the Elder Days that were told for many ages after she lived.
10. Maedhros
Maedhros, also called Maedhros the Tall, was one of the princes of the Ñoldor, the eldest of the seven Sons of Fëanor and head of the House of Fëanor following the death of his father in Middle-earth. He was extraordinarily renowned for his skill both as a warrior and as a diplomat. For hundreds of years, he led his House against the forces of Morgoth but the Oath that he and his six brothers had sworn to recover the Silmarils constrained him and ultimately led to his death.
11. Thingol
Thingol, also known as Elu, was one of the two kings of the Teleri, the other being his younger brother Olwë. He was also the King of Doriath and the greatest lord of the Sindar. Known as Elwë during the first years of the Eldar, he was the older brother of Olwë and Elmo. He was also a good friend of Finwë, King of the Noldor.
His hair was silver and he was the tallest of all Elves and Men. As the de facto “Lord of Beleriand”, Thingol would become a central figure of the First Age, instigating the Quest for the Silmaril, the greatest victory of the Age, but ultimately the cause of his own doom.
The Lord of the Rings Characters: Hobbits
There’s no denying that some of the most popular and lovable characters in Lord of the Rings are Hobbits. One very special Hobbit, at one point in time, held the destiny of Middle-earth in his hands. Let’s check out the Main Hobbit characters in Lord of the Rings.
1. Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the title character and protagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit, as well as a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings.
In Tolkien’s narrative conceit, in which all the writings of Middle-earth are translations from the fictitious volume of the Red Book of Westmarch, Bilbo is the author of The Hobbit and translator of various “works from the elvish” (as mentioned in the end of The Return of the King).
2. Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins, son of Drogo Baggins, was a Hobbit of the Shire during the Third Age. He was, and still is, Tolkien’s most renowned character for his leading role in the Quest of the Ring, in which he bore the One Ring to Mount Doom, where it was destroyed.
He was a Ring-bearer, best friend to his gardener, Samwise Gamgee, and one of the three Hobbits who sailed from Middle-earth to the Uttermost West at the end of the Third Age.
3. Merry Brandybuck
Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck (later known as Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck I, due to his grandson’s birth) was a Hobbit and one of Frodo’s cousins and closest friends. He loved boats and ponies and had a great interest in the maps of Middle-earth. He was also one of the nine companions of the Fellowship of the Ring, and later became the eighth Master of Buckland.
4. Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, known as Sam, was a Hobbit of the Shire. He was Frodo Baggins’ gardener and best friend. Sam proved himself to be Frodo’s closest and most dependable companion, the most loyal of the Fellowship of the Ring, and played a critical role in protecting Frodo and destroying the One Ring.
5. Gollum
Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. He was introduced in the 1937 fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became important in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings. Gollum was a Stoor Hobbit of the River-folk, who lived near the Gladden Fields.
Originally known as Sméagol, he was corrupted by the One Ring and later named Gollum after his habit of making “a horrible swallowing noise in his throat”.
6. Pippin Took
Peregrin Took, more commonly known as Pippin, was a Hobbit of the Shire, and one of Frodo Baggins’s youngest, but closest friends. He was a member of the Fellowship of the Ring and later became the thirty-second Thain of the Shire.
The Lord of the Rings Characters: Dwarves
We’ve finally reached the mighty dwarves. Even though they would rather be holed up in their mountain protecting their gold, drinking mead, and generally being unpleasant, they too had a role to play in Tolkien’s stories. Let’s check out the main dwarven Lord of the Rings characters.
1. Balin
Balin was a Dwarf leader, the son of Fundin, and the elder brother of Dwalin. He was one of the thirteen Dwarves who accompanied Thorin II Oakenshield on the quest to regain the Lonely Mountain.
A Dwarf Lord known for his wise counsel and willingness to listen, he was one of Thorin’s closest friends and advisers. Balin was distantly related to him, and a descendant of the noble house of Durin.
He later went to re-establish the kingdom of Moria, but within five years it was overcome once more by Orcs, and he was killed there along with the rest of his companions.
2. Gimli
Gimli, son of Glóin, was a well-respected dwarf warrior in Middle-earth during the Great Years. He was a member of the Fellowship of the Ring and was the only one of the dwarves to readily fight alongside elves in the war against Sauron at the end of the Third Age. After the defeat of Sauron, he was given lordship of the Glittering Caves at Helm’s Deep.
3. Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin II, also called the Oakenshield, King under the Mountain or the Mountain King, was the son of Thráin II, the older brother of Frerin and Dís, the grandson of King Thrór and the uncle of Fíli and Kíli. Thorin was best known for his deeds as leader of a company that infiltrated the lost Kingdom under the Mountain to take it back from Smaug and for leading an alliance of Men, Dwarves, and Elves in the Battle of the Five Armies.
The Lord of the Rings Characters: Istar (Wizard)
We’re slowly reaching the more powerful part of our list of main Lord of the Rings characters. As you know originally there were 5 wizards (or Istar whatever you prefer) in Lord of the Rings. Some of them even made it to our list of main Wizard characters in Lord of the Rings.
1. Gandalf
Gandalf the Grey, later known as Gandalf the White, and originally named Olórin, was an Istar (Wizard), sent to Middle-earth in the Third Age to combat the threat of Sauron. He joined Thorin and his company to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug, convoked the Fellowship of the Ring to destroy the One Ring, and led the Free Peoples in the final campaign of the War of the Ring.
2. Radagast
Radagast the Brown, also called Aiwendil was one of the Wizards, or Istari, sent to Middle-earth to contest the will of Sauron. Originally a Maia of Yavanna, Radagast was mainly concerned with the well-being of the plant and animal worlds, and thus did not participate heavily in the War of the Ring.
3. Saruman
Saruman, also known as Saruman the White and Sharkey, was a powerful Istar (wizard), who lived in Middle-earth during the Third Age. Originally, he was the chief of the wizards and of the White Council that opposed Sauron. His extensive studies of dark magic, however, eventually led him to desire the One Ring. Thinking he could gain it for himself or become Sauron’s servant alone, Saruman allied Isengard with Mordor in the War of the Ring, in which he was defeated.
The Lord of the Rings Characters: Ainur
The next part of our list of main Lord of the Rings characters can easily be considered a list of Lord of the Rings villains. The Ainur have abilities so powerful they hold the key to shaping the world, and that’s what they tried to do. Their evil seeped into Middle-earth, but eventually they were defeated. Let’s check out the main Lord of the Rings characters that belong to the Ainur.
1. Morgoth, originally known as Melkor
Morgoth Bauglir; originally Melkor is a character, one of the godlike Ainur, from Tolkien’s legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin, and The Fall of Gondolin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.
Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became Morgoth, the definitive antagonist of Arda from whom all evil in the world of Middle-earth ultimately stems. Sauron, one of the Maiar of Aulë, betrayed his kind and became Morgoth’s principal lieutenant.
2. Sauron
Sauron is the title character and the main antagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, where he rules the land of Mordor and has the ambition of ruling the whole of Middle-earth. The primary antagonist of The Lord of the Rings. He crafted the One Ring, and was destroyed upon its destruction at the end of The Return of the King.
The Lord of the Rings Characters: Other
Our next category of main Lord of the Rings Characters hold everyone and everything. The characters such as Tom Bombadil whose race we cannot define, or simply monsters like Shelob or dragons like Smaug.
1. Tom Bombadil
Tom Bombadil was an enigmatic figure that lived throughout the history of Arda who dwelt in the valley of the river Withywindle, east of the Shire. A mysterious being, Tom lived in the depths of the Old Forest, close to the Barrow Downs. His lands were not particularly extensive, but within his domain his power over virtually everything in it was extraordinary.
Tom was a paradoxical creature, one moment defeating ancient forces with hardly an effort, the next capering and singing nonsensical songs. He lived with his wife Goldberry, “Daughter of the River,” far from any other settlement. Although seemingly benevolent, he took no open stance against the Dark Lords.
2. Shelob
Shelob was a great Spider and the greatest offspring of Ungoliant, the primordial spider. In the Third Age, she lived in Mordor and was known to feed indiscriminately, preying on the inhabitants. She was encountered by Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee in their quest to destroy the One Ring.
3. Smaug
Smaug is a dragon and the main antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit, his treasure and the mountain he lives in being the goal of the quest. Powerful and fearsome, he invaded the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor 150 years prior to the events described in the novel.
A group of thirteen dwarves mounted a quest to take the kingdom back, aided by the wizard Gandalf and the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. In The Hobbit, Thorin describes Smaug as “a most specially greedy, strong and wicked worm”.
4. Treebeard
Treebeard, or Fangorn in Sindarin, is a fictional tree-giant character in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novel. He is an Ent and is said by Gandalf to be “the oldest living thing that still walks beneath the Sun upon this Middle-earth.” He lives in the ancient Forest of Fangorn, to which he has given his name. It lies at the southern end of the Misty Mountains. He is described as being about 14 feet (4.5 m) in height, and in appearance similar to beech or oak.
5. Ungoliant
Ungoliant (Sindarin IPA: [uŋˈɡoljant] – “Dark Spider”) was a primordial taking the shape of a gigantic spider. She was initially an ally of Melkor in Aman, and for a short time in Middle-earth as well. She was a distant mother of Shelob, and the oldest and first giant spider of Arda.
6. Watcher in the Water
The Watcher in the Water is a fictional creature in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium; it appears in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of The Lord of the Rings.
Lurking in a lake beneath the western walls of the dwarf-realm Moria, it is said to have appeared after the damming of the river Sirannon, and its presence was first recorded by Balin’s dwarf company 30 or so years before the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring.
