History TheLordOfTheRings / TropesPeoples

* NobleBigot: Though now they are generally more willing to intermarry with other people than their northern counterparts, the Dúnedain [[TheProudElite elite]] are, in general, ''not'' humble about the fact that they, unlike other men, trace their ancestry to Númenor. In the past, this feeling of superiority has led to the Kin Strife, a terrible civil war, after a King of Gondor married one of the "lesser people" (the daughter of the King of Rhovanion) and their son, Eldacar, took the throne.

Mysterious men who inhabit Drúadan Forest between Rohan and Minas Tirith, they play a brief but crucial role in the War of the Ring. Their identity, history, and expanded descriptions of their characteristics are all found in Tolkien's postumously-published works.

** That said, much of that addressing happens in the ''Silmarillion'' and ''Unfinished Tales'', with the remaining Elves having mellowed considerably by the time of the far better known works, ''The Hobbit'' and ''Lord of the Rings''. Elrond and Galadriel, as their OlderAndWiser selves, are far better known than Feanor (who created the Silmarils and led the first Kinslaying on the way to get them back), the Sons of Feanor (who led the second and third Kinslayings, also trying to get the Silmarils back - though not all of them really wanted to, being compelled by the Oath. On the other hand, some of them went above and beyond to be monsters), or Maeglin (who betrayed Gondolin).

** Strongly averted for the Dwarven language and conceptual background -- in contrast to the stereotypical Norse or pseudo-Scottish dwarves of virtually all later fantasy works, Tolkien's Dwarves are actually a FantasyCounterpartCulture to the Jews. Their language, Khuzdul, was actually developed by Tolkien (through nowhere near as extensively as the Elvish languages) and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khuzdul was explicitly based on Semitic languages]], with the intended direct comparison explicitly stated by the author himself. The backstory of the Dwarves losing their ancestral home and being forced to live in a diaspora among other cultures, with partial assimilation occurring over the centuries despite strong attempts to keep their identity, also fits the bill. The Norse-derived names of all Dwarves are mentioned to be "outer names", pseudonyms for interaction with their host societies and likely taken from these cultures (hence the similarity between the Norse-sounding names of e.g. the men of Dale to the Dwarven names) - the true Khuzdul names are never revealed to outsiders and only used in secrecy among themselves, just like the language. Think of, for example, the Spanish "''marranos''", ostensibly converts to Christianity, many of whom remained "crypto-Jews"... see the pattern? So, Tolkien's Dwarves are essentially fantasy Jews masquerading as fantasy Vikings, in a way.
* ParadoxPerson: Dwarves were not created with the world and therefore would not exist in its first designing. They were created when Aulë, the smith god, grew impatient for the first of Ilúvatar's children (the elves) to awaken, because he wanted to teach them; as a result, he decided to create creatures for himself. However, because he didn't have the power of true creation, they were originally little more than automatons, with no free will. Ilúvatar questioned Aulë's intentions for stepping outside the plans for the universe which led to the creation of a mockery of real life. Aulë responded that he did it only because he was compelled by his love for creating which drove him to give life to creatures to share in that love. He then repented and was sorrowfully preparing to destroy the first dwarves but because unlike Melkor he genuinely respected his creations and didn't see them as an extension of his will, Ilúvatar, seeing Aulë's grief, gave the dwarves free will. As a result, the dwarves exist in Tolkien's world, but they occupy a strange place in it: they are like the Children of Ilúvatar (elves and humans), and yet separate from them as they technically were made by the force of craft and skill - functionally, they're the adopted siblings.

* MadeOfIron: When they are enraged, there's not much that members of any other race can do - unless they KillItWithFire.

* PowerCorrupts: Out of the five, Gandalf is the only one who we know saw through his mission to the end, and he has a decisive role in the winning of the War of the Ring. Saruman, the most powerful wizard and their leader, ends up turning to evil. Radagast the Brown appears to have gotten lost just tending to animals (though that might have been part of his mission - he was a Maia of Yavanna and it's not explicitly stated what his specific job was), and we don't hear much about the two Blue Wizards (although supplemental materials by Tolkien suggest that they stirred up some rebellions in the Eastern lands Sauron ruled).

* TokenGoodTeammate: Depending on interpretation. Gandalf is the only one we know for sure was ''active'' on the side of good. However, Radagast remains on the side of good, even if he doesn't help much with the war against Sauron - his house at Rhosgobel is found to be empty just after the War of the Ring, with Gandalf having previously mentioned that he only leaves it at great need (suggesting that he had ''some'' pressing business elsewhere, even if it isn't clear what that was). Additionally, the Blue Wizards may or may not have helped out by disrupting Sauron's business in the East, possibly inspiring rebellions against his rule (Tolkien's ideas changed over time).

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The two Blue Wizards are unnamed in the book (several possible names are given for them, but none are definitive) and go into the east and south of Middle-Earth. What they do there, and their ultimate fate, is unknown, and Tolkien's ideas of what they did there changed throughout his life - i.e. whether they actively helped disrupt Sauron's actions there and inspired rebellions, or just ended up creating magical cults and whatnot.

* FantasticRacism: Historically prone to this. While they incline more towards the NobleBigot side of things, and certainly aren't the slavers that the later Numenorean Empire were, and the Black Numenoreans of Umbar are, they are the heirs to Numenor - High Men as opposed to the rest of the Edain, who are 'Middle Men' or 'Men of Twilight', with the attendant height, longer lives, vaguely enhanced endurance and strength, and in the case of those with a larger dose of Numenorean blood, mild PsychicPowers. And they won't hesitate to remind you of it, though these days, that's more or less all they do - about 1500 years prior to the events of ''Lord of the Rings'', however, there was a fully fledged civil war, the Kin-strife, which was started by the prospect of the only half Numenorean Eldacar taking the throne. The war was rather self-defeating: After the rebels lost, they fled south and bolstered the Corsairs of Umbar, and in any case, it wiped out a significant number of pureblood Numenorean families.

-->''Since Melkor could not 'create' an independent species, but had immense powers of corruption and distortion of those that came into his power, it is probable that these Orks had a mixed origin. Most of them plainly (and biologically) were corruptions of Elves (and probably later also of Men). But always among them (as special servants and spies of Melkor, and as leaders) there must have been numerous corrupted minor spirits who assumed similar bodily shapes... It would seem evident that they were corruptions of primitive human types... 'Melkor had corrupted many spirits - some great, as Sauron, or less so, as Balrogs. The least could have been primitive (and much more powerful and perilous) Orcs'.''

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Orcish way of leadership.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Orcish view on leadership.
* BadBoss: Any given orc in a position of power will probably be one of these.
* BlackBlood: That apparently smells awful too.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: Being a southern country, the people of Gondor presumably have relatively dark skin. However, since they are also descended from the same precursor kingdom as their northern neighbor Arnor, it's uncertain exactly ''how'' dark.

* EvilIsBigger: ''Inverted'', atypically for fantasy. On average, orcs are much shorter than men, being closer in size to dwarves and hobbits; a "huge orc chieftain" is described by Frodo as "almost man-high". Their posture is also said to be crooked, with bent backs, making them look shorter than they already are. Only the Uruk-hai of Saruman were as tall as men, being part-human hybrids. However, the shorter breeds of orcs were also often described as very broad, so these may have been "bigger" than men in that way.

** Adaptations portray them with distinctly non-human attributes such as green/grey skin, pointy ears, and tusks (see for example [[https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/sketches/tim-kirk-return-of-the-king-poster-illustration-original-art-circa-1975-in-1975-tim-kirk-made-a-celebrated-splash-in/a/821-44314.s Tim Kirk's art]]), but none of Tolkien's writings and letters describe such attributes.[[note]] although they do have non-human attributes such as long arms and fanged mouths[[/note]] It's perfectly possible that they're just a particularly ugly and selectively bred race of Men, and thus human (which is further hinted at by the fact that Orcs and Men are apparently inter-fertile). Notably, ''Morgoth's Ring'' contains a note from Tolkien on ''The Silmarillion'' saying: "Alter this. Orcs are not Elvish."

** Adaptations portray them with distinctly non-human attributes such as green/grey skin, pointy ears, and tusks (see for example [[https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/sketches/tim-kirk-return-of-the-king-poster-illustration-original-art-circa-1975-in-1975-tim-kirk-made-a-celebrated-splash-in/a/821-44314.s Tim Kirk's art]]), but none of Tolkien's writings and letters describe such attributes[[note]] although they do have non-human attributes such as long arms and fanged mouths[[/note]]. It's perfectly possible that they're just a particularly ugly and selectively bred race of Men, and thus human (which is further hinted at by the fact that Orcs and Men are apparently inter-fertile). Notably, ''Morgoth's Ring'' contains a note from Tolkien on ''The Silmarillion'' saying: "Alter this. Orcs are not Elvish."

* EvilIsBigger: ''Inverted'', atypically for fantasy. On average, orcs are much shorter than men, being closer in size to dwarves and hobbits; a "huge orc chieftain" is described by Frodo as "nearly man-high". Their posture is also said to be crooked, with bent backs, making them look shorter than they already are. Only the Uruk-hai of Saruman were as tall as men, being part-human hybrids. However, the shorter breeds of orcs were also often described as very broad, so these may have been "bigger" than men in that way.

** Adaptations portray them with distinctly non-human attributes such as green/grey skin, pointy ears, and tusks (see for example [[https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/sketches/tim-kirk-return-of-the-king-poster-illustration-original-art-circa-1975-in-1975-tim-kirk-made-a-celebrated-splash-in/a/821-44314.s Tim Kirk's art]]), but none of Tolkien's writings and letters describe such attributes. It's perfectly possible that they're just a particularly ugly and selectively bred race of Men, and thus human (which is further hinted at by the fact that Orcs and Men are apparently inter-fertile). Notably, ''Morgoth's Ring'' contains a note from Tolkien on ''The Silmarillion'' saying: "Alter this. Orcs are not Elvish."

** Treebeard, when speculating about the origin of the Uruk-hai, says "I wonder what he has done? Are they Men he has ruined, or has he blended the races of Orcs and Men?", the implication being that he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Man/Orc hybrid and simply a corrupted Man.

** Saruman's Uruk-hai[[note]] Basically just the plural of Uruk[[/note]] of Isengard are a new breed of Orcs created by Saruman as elite soldiers. They're stronger, faster and larger than normal Orcs, though they're still shorter than Men. They do not fear the sun (most of Sauron's and Morgoth's creatures cannot stand sunlight and do not travel by day) and are usually described as being better-organized and more dangerous foes than "common" Orcs.

** Saruman's Uruk-hai[[note]] Basically just the plural of Uruk[[/note]] of Isengard are a new breed of Orcs created by Saruman as elite soldiers. They are stronger, faster and larger than normal Orcs, though they were still shorter than Men. They do not fear the sun (most of Sauron's and Morgoth's creatures cannot stand sunlight and do not travel by day) and are usually described as being better-organized and more dangerous foes than "common" Orcs.

** Saruman's Uruk-hai[[note]] Basically just the plural of Uruk[[/note]] of Isengard are more-or-less explicitly created from crossbreeding Orcs and Men and created by Saruman as elite soldiers. They resemble unmodified humans (Treebeard at one point speculates that they simply ''are'' Men) more so than the other Orc types, meaning that they're taller, braver, and more upright with straight backs and legs -- the other Orcs are usually described as hunched over, bowlegged, and ape-like. They do not fear the sun (most of Sauron's and Morgoth's creatures cannot stand sunlight and do not travel by day) and are usually described as being better-organized and more dangerous foes than "common" Orcs.

* DyingRace: Dwarves have an abysmally low birth rate, due to their men outnumbering women three to one and their women's frequent unwillingness to take a husband. Further, the loss of almost every Dwarven realm over the Second Age to cataclysms, the Balrog, Smaug and constant warfare with orcs and lesser dragons cost the Dwarves a great deal in both culture and numbers. It's implied that they become extinct some time in the Fourth Age.

* EliteMooks: The Uruk-hai ("Orc-people" in Black Speech, the language of Mordor), a stronger and tougher type of orc. It appears that there are two distinct kinds called "Uruk", both superior to the average orc -- the Black Uruks of Mordor and the Fighting Uruk-hai of Isengard -- although the latter group uses the full name much more often despite appropriating it. The Uruks of Mordor are broader and more ape-like, while Saruman's Uruks are brand-new, taller and more humanoid -- and can function in sunlight. At least one Uruk of Mordor was a captain among the Moria orcs.

* FantasticRacism: Against Elves, Dwarves, Men, and even other Orcs (there's a rivalry between the Orcs of Mordor, the 'Northerners' from the Misty Mountains who are used to running their own affairs, and Saruman's Uruk-hai, who are proud of their unusual abilities; the stronger Orcs of Mordor, likely Uruks, also treat the weaker types badly and call them slaves).

** Saruman's Uruk-hai of Isengard are more-or-less explicitly created from crossbreeding Orcs and Men and created by Saruman as elite soldiers. They resemble unmodified humans (Treebeard at one point speculates that they simply ''are'' Men) more so than the other Orc types, meaning that they're taller, braver, and more upright with straight backs and legs -- the other Orcs are usually described as hunched over, bowlegged, and ape-like. They do not fear the sun (most of Sauron's and Morgoth's creatures cannot stand sunlight and do not travel by day) and are usually described as being better-organized and more dangerous foes than "common" Orcs.

* KeystoneArmy: Due to most of them being cowardly, simple-minded, poorly-organized, and prone to fighting other orc tribes as often as other races, the Orcs are reduced to minor threats in the Dark Lord's absence. After Sauron and his lieutenants are dealt with, the grand host assembled at the Black Gate quickly routs despite outnumbering their Gondor-Rohan opponents ten to one. By contrast, even as their allies flee, isolated pockets of Easterlings and Haradrim Men are described as fighting stalwartly. It's suggested that the remaining orcs are gradually hunted to extinction in the aftermath of the War of the Ring, never again able to muster large-scale organized resistance. The goblin kingdom at the Misty and Grey Mountains is the largest known "independent" ream of theirs, and its forces were still small and weak enough that a mere 2,000 Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Eagles were able to exterminate it.

* YouAllMeetInAnInn: Frodo and friends first meet Aragorn in ''The Prancing Pony'', and earlier Gandalf and Thorin met there to set up the quest in ''The Hobbit''.

* HulkSpeak: Their chief, Ghân-buri-Ghân, is the only one with a speaking role and talks this way (with added ThirdPersonPerson).

[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Enemies]]

!Orcs

The foot soldiers of evil. In ''The Silmarillion'', the Orcs (also known as goblins) were bred by Morgoth from captive Elves, twisting them into ruined creatures that know only cruelty and hate; after Morgoth's defeat, his lieutenant Sauron continued to use Orcs as the greater part of his legions, as did Saruman later. Many independent Orcs also live in the Misty Mountains, especially in Moria, which they conquered from the Dwarves.

* TheUsualSuspects: Not the Black Uruks of Mordor or the Uruk-hai of Isengard, as they're self-contained story-relevant threats; but rather the semi-independent "northern Orcs"/goblins of the Misty Mountains. Despite being unconnected to Sauron and his servants for most of their existence, they act as a consistent [[http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Orcs_of_the_Misty_Mountains#Third_Age low-level enemy]] for the entirety of the Third Age.

* EvilIsBigger: ''Inverted'', atypically for fantasy. On average, orcs are much shorter than men, being closer in size to dwarves and hobbits; a "huge orc chieftain" is described as Frodo as "nearly man-high". Their posture is also said to be crooked, with bent backs, making them look shorter than they already are. Only the Uruk-hai of Saruman were as tall as men, being part-human hybrids. However, the shorter breeds of orcs were also often described as very broad, so these may have been "bigger" than men in that way.

** Adaptations portray them with distinctly non-human attributes such as green/grey skin, pointy ears, and tusks (see for example Tim Kirk's art), but none of Tolkien's writings and letters describe such attributes. It's perfectly possible that they're just a particularly ugly and selectively bred race of Men, and thus human (which is further hinted at by the fact that Orcs and Men are apparently inter-fertile). Notably, ''Morgoth's Ring'' contains a note from Tolkien on ''The Silmarillion'' saying: "Alter this. Orcs are not Elvish."

* TheUsualSuspects: Not the Black Uruks of Mordor or the Uruk-hai of Isengard, as they're self-contained story-relevant threats; but rather the "northern Orcs"/goblins of the Misty Mountains. Despite being mostly unconnected to Sauron and his servants, they act as a consistent [[http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Orcs_of_the_Misty_Mountains low-level threat]] for the entirety of the Third Age.

** This applies in regard to the origins of Orcs as well, as mentioned under AmbiguouslyHuman above and RiddleForTheAges below. Tolkien had great trouble settling on an answer of whether they were corrupted Elves, corrupted Men, minor spirits given physical humanoid shape by Morgoth and/or Sauron, or some combination of all three (depending on the type of Orc in question).

** This applies in regard to the origins of Orcs as well, as mentioned under AmbiguouslyHuman above. Tolkien had great trouble settling on an answer of whether they were corrupted Elves, corrupted Men, minor spirits given physical humanoid shape by Morgoth and/or Sauron, or some combination of all three (depending on the type of Orc in question).

** This applies in regard to the origins of Orcs as well, as mentioned under AmbiguouslyHuman above. Tolkien had great trouble settling on an answer of whether they were corrupted Elves, corrupted Men, minor spirits taking the form of ugly and malicious humanoid, or some combination of all three (depending on the type of Orc in question).