Frodo Baggins is a principal protagonist of The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from his Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in Mount Doom.Frodo was born on September 22, 2968 in the 3rd Age of the Sun, to Drogo Baggins and Primula Brandybuck. He spent much of his youth at Brandy Hall in Buckland, the home of his mother's people. He was considered something of a rascal, particularly by Farmer Maggot from whom Frodo stole mushrooms. In 2980, when Frodo was still a child, his parents took a boat out onto the Brandywine River and were drowned. Frodo had no siblings, so he was left alone in the crowded tunnels of Brandy Hall until his cousin Bilbo Baggins adopted him and made Frodo his heir.
Achey Scars: Frodo's tend to ache on the anniversary of their infliction.
Anti-Hero: Heavily Type I as Return of the King progresses, as he fails to destroy the ring, is tormented by his physical and emotional scars and drifts into a more and more passive role, especially in "The Scouring of the Shire".
Badass Normal: Usually overshadowed by the other hobbits, but Frodo has quite a few badass moments earlier on in the book. None of these survived the transition to film.
Disney Death: He ends up surviving being bitten by Shelob. Of course, in this case, they actually give an explanation for why he survived (at least in the film) via the Orcs when they discover him.*
To put it bluntly, biting him and thus injecting him with her venom was only the first part of the process of ingestion, and the venom acted more as a paralyzing agent than an actual fatal substance.
Stranger in a Familiar Land: Frodo realises at the end of his quest that he cannot call the Shire his home, nor indeed any place in Middle-Earth. He's been changed too much.
Samwise Gamgee, Frodo Baggins' loyal servant, was determined to follow his master wherever he went even when he was not invited. Sam proved to be a brave and loyal companion and became Frodo's closest friend. His Hobbit-sense and his love for Frodo saw them both through danger and hardship to the end of the quest. Sam was unwilling to give up hope even when things seemed darkest.Unlike his three hobbit companions, Sam was not a gentlehobbit. His father Hamfast, known as the Gaffer, had been the gardener at Bag End for over 40 years, and Sam was his assistant. Sam had learned to read and write from Bilbo Baggins and he listened eagerly to Bilbo's tales about his adventures, particularly the ones about Elves. The Gaffer found his son's preoccupation with Elves and such a bit worrisome.
The Hero: There are many debates as to who, Frodo or Sam, is the real hero of the story; most people agree that they are equally deserving of the title. Word Of God favored Sam as the story's "Chief Hero" (In his Letters #131).
Incorruptible Pure Pureness: his probably the only person who cannot be tempted by the One Ring. In fact he believes that resisting the ring isn't a big deal.
Took a Level in Badass: Went from a timid gardener who had never wandered further than a few miles from home to maiming giant spiders and beating orcs in a fight.
What a Senseless Waste of Human Life: Wonders about this when he sees Men killing Men (Rangers of Ithilien vs. the Haradrim) for the first time.
Working Class Hero: Out of the four main hobbits, two are the sons of chieftains (Merry and Pippin) and the other is a very wealthy heir (Frodo); Sam is the only one who is not a "gentlehobbit". He treats the others with deference, but he is still shown shown to be a heroic character.
Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck was a sensible Hobbit whose concern for his cousin Frodo Baggins led him to mastermind the "conspiracy" that ensured that Frodo embarked on his quest with his friends at his side. Despite his feelings of uselessness and self-doubt, Merry became a Knight of the Riddermark and played a significant role in the War of the Ring. Through his loyalty and courage he helped to defeat one of the Dark Lord's most terrible servants.
Cool Sword: One he receives from Tom Bombadil, which turns out to have been specifically designed to harm the foe he fights in his Crowning Moment of Awesome.
I Just Want To Be Badass: He feels left out and useless when the Grey Company and the Riders of Rohan leave him behind because of his physical weakness, until Éowyn sneaks him into the cavalry with her.
Weapon of Choice: An Arnorian witchblade, designed to hurt Nazgūl.
Peregrin "Pippin" Took
Peregrin Took was just in his tweens when he announced his intention to accompany his cousin Frodo Baggins on his quest. Pippin's youth and curious nature got him into trouble on occasion, but his steadfast friendship and unquenchable cheerfulness helped carry him and his companions through the darkest times. During the quest, he grew up quickly and became an important member of the Fellowship and a Knight of Gondor.
Badass Boast: When Saruman's lackeys mock Frodo and company when they return to the Shire, Pippin lets them know who they're dealing with.
"I am a messenger of the King. You are speaking to the King's friend, and one of the most renowned in all the lands of the West. You are a ruffian and a fool. Down on your knees in the road and ask pardon, or I'll set this troll's bane in you!"
Trickster Archetype: An innocent version, with Merry, though this toned down as they make their transition to badasses.
Gandalf
The modern archetypal wizard. In the Third Age, the Valar (basically greater angels) sent five Maiar (basically lesser angels) to Middle-earth to aid the struggle against Sauron, clothed in the forms of old men and forbidden to use their power directly. Of these, two fled east and were never heard from again. Of the remainder, Gandalf embodied wisdom, Saruman knowledge, and Radagast, nature. Though Saruman is presented as the head of the Council of the Wise, the elves originally wanted Gandalf, who declined the position. They nevertheless entrusted him with Narya, the Ring of Fire (one of the three Rings of Power gifted to the elves), which had previously been held by Cķrdan the Shipwright.Known as the gray wanderer, throughout both The Hobbit and this book (along with the prior thousand years), Gandalf went from place to place in the world, giving counsel and guidance, but never calling one place home. He ends up being a chessmaster of sorts, motivating many of the key players to their purposes while keeping his plays close to hand. This also serves as a justification for separating Gandalf from the other heroes time and again so that they don't have access to his storybreaking abilities.
Good Is Not Nice: He's described as cantankerous and grouchy, is a Manipulative Bastard and whilst his bark is worse than his bite he is not above emitting a few growls from time to time and letting his reputation do the rest.
Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: Definitely Good Smoking. When he's relaxing he'll usually get out his pipe and start making smoke rings.
I Have Many Names: "Many are my names in many countries: Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkun to the Dwarves; Olórin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten, in the South Incįnus, in the North Gandalf, to the east I go not." Then there's these names too, Gandalf Greyhame, Gandalf the Gray, Gandalf the White, Gray Pilgrim, Gray Wanderer, Greybeard, White Rider, and The Enemy of Sauron. Plus the insults Gray Fool, Lathspell, and Stormcrow.
Story Breaker Power: He's a Maia, an angelic being of the same order as Sauron, but he's actually forbidden from using his full strength by the Valar. The victory over Sauron must come from normal people, Gandalf and the other Istari can only act as their guides and advisors.
Aragorn is the chief of the Dśnedain, Rangers of the North. One of the dying breed of Nśmenóreans, Aragorn is raised in secret by Elrond in Rivendell, unaware of his true identity as the Heir of Isildur. When he comes of age Elrond reveals all to him, and he meets and falls in love with Elrond's daughter Arwen. After she reciprocates, some 30 years later, Elrond tells Aragorn that he can only have her hand in marriage if he becomes the King of Gondor and Arnor. Aragorn spends the next few decades battling orcs and aiding Gandalf in tracking and opposing the agents of Sauron, particularly Gollum. In his youth he also travels far and wide, notably as a captain of Gondor and Rohan (under a pseudonym, Thorongil), to be the best he can in order to pursue his destiny.As a ranger, Aragorn seems a rough, coarse man but can shed this facade to unleash a great lordly presence which is part of his heritage as the last heir to the Nśmenórean kingdoms, and that stems in part from his people's trace of Elvish blood. As is mentioned elsewhere, in a normal epic, Aragorn would be The Hero and would defeat Sauron himself; Tolkien's decision to focus on the lowly and boot Aragorn to a supporting role was a conscious and deliberate subversion of that longstanding trope.
Badass Boast: "I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar, Dunadan, the heir of Isildur Elendil's son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Choose swiftly!"
The Captain: Of the Rangers of the North, and of the Fellowship after Gandalf's passage. Also serves as one to the army and navy of Gondor as "Thorongil".
Cool Sword: Anduril, reforged from the shards of Narsil, an ancient heirloom of his line.
Fountain of Expies: If a character in a fantasy novel is a noble warrior who hangs out in the wilderness, there's about a 50/50 chance he was inspired by either Aragorn or Robin Hood.
I Have Many Names: Aragorn has been called, the Dśnadan ("Man of the West/Nśmenórean"), Longshanks, Strider, Wingfoot, Elessar Telcontar ("Elfstone Strider"), Envinyatar ("the renewer"), Estel (Hope), and Thorongil ("Eagle of the Star"), among other things.
Kissing Cousins: Somewhat justifiably. Although he married a first cousin, the fact that it was a first cousin sixty-seven times removed makes it something of a moot point from a genetic standpoint.
Last of His Kind: Sort of. He's not literally the last of the Nśmenóreans, but he makes it very clear that there aren't many of them left thanks to a raid at their village, himself included.
The Messiah: He shares this role along with Frodo.
Memento MacGuffin: The Ring of Barahir, over six thousand years old, originally given to Aragorn's very distant ancestor by FinrodFelagund, King of Nargothrond; it had many bearers, always leaders of the Dśnedain, and of the 'faithful' factions who never listened to Sauron (like Ar-Pharazon did), and it was given to Aragorn by Elrond when the former was told his real name and ancestry.
Legolas is the son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood, and is sent by his father to Rivendell to deliver news of Gollum's escape. There he becomes one of the nine members of the Fellowship. Compared to the rest of the Fellowship, he is rather lighthearted as is shown by his dialogue. He and Gimli do not get along well due to the longstanding animosity between dwarves and elves, but before the War of the Ring is over, they have become friends. While traveling with the Fellowship, Legolas is told by Galadriel that if he hears the cry of a gull, he will be drawn to the sea. True to Galadriel's prediction, he hears the cry of a gull. It is not until many years after the War of the Ring ends, however, that Legolas builds a ship and sails to Valinor.
Fountain of Expies: The "elf ranger" archetype in fantasy descends almost solely from Legolas.
Freak Out: He completely loses it when he sees the Balrog. Made all the more powerful by the fact that this is the only point of the series where he's afraid, and he is full on terrified.
The token dwarf. Gimli son of Gloin attends the council at Rivendell and volunteers to participate in the Fellowship, at least partially because his arch-nemesis Legolas has just done the same. After that he primarily runs around as a Boisterous Bruiser, forming an Odd Friendship with Legolas. Legolas even took him with him across the sea to Valinor, making Gimli the only Dwarf to dwell in that land.
Broken Ace: He was a proud, gallant warrior but the pressure put on him by his father eroded his common sense and he never thought Sauron could be beaten which fed his obsession with The Ring.
Dying Moment of Awesome: Slays dozens of orcs defending Merry and Pippin until he is riddled by arrows. Though recounted through flashback in the book (Aragorn arrives in the aftermath), it's played out live in the films.
King of Rohan, uncle of Éowyn and Éomer. Théoden is betrayed by his servant Grķma who enfeebled and confused him. While Gandalf helped him come to his senses, the damage has already been done: his armies are in disarray, bands of wild men have ransacked the countryside and his only son and heir is dead. Théoden faces the challenge of standing amongst legends in the midst of his failure trying to find his own strength again which he eventually does in the Battle of Pelennor Fields.
Foil: To Denethor. Where Denethor went mad from grief from Boromir's death, Théoden managed to pull himself out of his despair and find the courage to save the day. He's also a lot more noble than the more devious Denethor.
Parental Substitute: To Éowyn and Éomer. And oddly enough to Merry, apparently, even though Merry's father Saradoc is alive and well. At least Merry claims Théoden was as a father to him.
Redemption Equals Death: He seems to think so. He's very hard on himself about his failures until he finds the courage to come to Gondor's aid. As he's dying, he smiles knowing that he's earned his place in the halls of his fathers.
Théoden's nephew, and marshal of the great corps of mounted riders which is the main strength of Rohan. Grķma has him exiled to further throw the country into disarray, but Éomer is not so easily dissuaded. As Théoden's nearest male blood relative, the role of heir-apparent devolves onto him.
Éomer's sister, and much beloved of Théoden... as well as Grķma. Because Arwen has such little face-time in the novels, Éowyn is essentially the token female of the story. Being an Action Girl only made things worse.
Mama Bear: Inverted. When Théoden is attacked and defeated by the Witch-king, she steps between them and says that she'll kill the Nazgūl if he gets close to her uncle, and demonstrates the credibility of her threat by effortlessly decapitating his mount when he mocks her.
Samus Is a Girl: In the books she took up the alias of "Dernhelm" to go to war. However, it's hinted that the soldiers around her knew but looked the other way.
Boromir's younger brother, but the two are quite different; while Boromir is tempted by the lure of the Ring, Faramir tosses it away with ease. (This was changed for dramatic reasons in the film.) He becomes even more central in the third novel, as the action moves to his homeland of Gondor.
Author Avatar: Tolkien has stated that Faramir is the character is the closest to his personality except in courage. This was shaped by Tolkien's experiences in World War I.
The Captain: Of the Rangers of Ithilien, played straight.
The Creon: Unlike his brother Boromir, Faramir seems to have no intentions of grabbing any power - rejecting an overwhelming opportunity and motive to become steward or even king. In the movie he's not so clear cut though.
Genre Savvy: He's wise enough to understand that it's probably better to have as little as possible to do with a weapon designed by the Enemy ... in the books, that is.
Half-Human Hybrid: Several (dozen) generations removed. He and Boromir (as well as their maternal uncle, Prince Imrahil) actually are descended from elf maiden Mithrellas, the mythical Nimrodel's handmaiden who married a Prince of Dol Amroth. May explain why many characters think they appear noble and regal like the (pureblooded) Dśnedain kings of old.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Faramir is the sensitive one in this pair. And being the sensitive one of the pair he is shown leading a commando team well behind enemy lines, holding troops together with nothing but charisma while the Nazgūl are hovering above him, and defeating a great warrior in single combat. From all of which you will infer, he is part of a Badass Family.
When he meets Love Interest Éowyn, the Badass Princess of a Proud Warrior Race that includes herselfand her Berserker brother, they're both recovering from serious illness, and Faramir still comes off as one of the greatest warriors of the age:
And she looked at him and saw the grave tenderness in his eyes, and yet knew, for she was bred among men of war, that here was one whom no Rider of the Mark would outmatch in battle.
Denethor is the Steward of Gondor, ruling the nation from Minas Tirith in the absence of the King. He is used to being in charge, and does not like the idea of having to give up power to the (possibly) rightful heir to the throne. Denethor denies Aragorn's kingship on the basis that he is not Anarion's heir, whom the council of Gondorian nobles has always held the be only proper holder of the title 'King of Gondor.' Aragorn actually is Anarion's heir as well, but he is not a direct male-line descendant as he is from Isildur.
Anti-Hero: Type III before jumping off the slippery slope.
The Caligula: The movie version depicts him as a Caligula through and through. In the book, he was actually a far more competent leader and also strong-willed, and he didn't completely lose his sanity until immediately near the loss of his life, when Faramir apparently dies.
Despair Event Horizon: Faramir's apparent death and an extremely large invasion force at his doorstep, along with visions in the Palantir which caused him to believe that Sauron had captured Frodo and thus obtained the ring:
"[Gandalf's] hope has failed. The Enemy has found it [the Ring], and now his power waxes; he sees our very thoughts, and all we do is ruinous."
Driven to Suicide: And unfortunately is about to take his still-living son with him.
Foil: To Théoden. Where Théoden managed to pull himself out of his despair and find the courage to save the day, Denethor went mad from grief from Boromir's death. He's also a whole lot more haughty than the noble but kindly Théoden.
Jerkass: To a degree, but he's given enough positive traits to balance him out to Good Is Not Nice, such as knighting Pippin and being overall a strong-willed and forceful leader.
It's All About Me: When he thinks Faramir dies, one of the first things he says is "MY line has ended!"
My Country, Right or Wrong: In one of his letters J. R. R. Tolkien points out that Denethor thought of Sauron primarily as a threat to Gondor rather then as evil, and if he had won by force of arms he would have tried to become an imperialistic conqueror over Sauron's former empire. And in Unfinished Tales it is said that Denethor loved Gondor too much to be pushed into treachery in the manner of Saruman; he could only be pushed over the Despair Event Horizon by becoming convinced that Gondor was doomed. This is precisely what Sauron does.
24-Hour Armor: Seen as a symbol of his stubbornness and pride, but also redeeming values thereof.
Imrahil
Denethor's brother-in-law and the Prince of Dol Amroth, a fiefdom of Gondor. Imrahil is a noble man with elven blood who leads the knights of his city to the defense of Minas Tirith. He carries Éowyn off the battlefield and becomes the acting ruler of Gondor after Denethor's suicide, but cedes authority to Aragorn, the rightful king. After the War of the Ring, Éomer married his daughter Lothķriel.
Half-Human Hybrid: Many generations removed. One of his distant ancestors married an elf-maid.
Humble Hero: Unlike Denethor, he immediately recognizes Aragorn as the Heir of Isildur and the true ruler of Gondor.
The Half-Elven, Master of Rivendell, father of Arwen, and bearer of one of the three elven Rings, Vilya the Ring of Air, given to him by Gil-Galad upon the latter's death at the end of the Second Age. He is a venerable warrior and cunning strategist, but also acts as opposition to Aragorn from a much less lofty post: that of Overprotective Dad.
Cultured Badass: A renowned loremaster, he also led Gil-galad's army against Sauron in the Second Age.
Stockholm Syndrome: In The Silmarillion he and his brother Elros were taken in by Maglor, one of the Sons of Fėanor, who killed their grandfather and raided their home in pursuit of a Silmaril. Maglor was kind to them, and only he and Maedhros showed remorse for the actions they took in pursuit of their oath.
Arwen Undómiel, the Evenstar, is a elven woman of great beauty whom Aragorn hopes to marry. Unfortunately, she shows up in only three chapters of the story, the second one being her wedding to the King of Gondor, so readers can be forgiven for perceiving her as a Shallow Love Interest. Tolkien rectified by including more about her romance with Aragorn in the appendices.
Bittersweet Ending: She gives up her immortality to stay with Aragorn, but it's indicated that he eventually dies, and she follows him not long afterward.
Hero's Muse: She functions in this role for Aragorn: the driving force behind his striving to regain his crown is his love for Arwen and the fact that he can only marry her once he is king.
Action Girl: In her youth. According to one version in Unfinished Tales, she fought for the Teleri in the first Kinslaying. And that she was an Action Girl actually means a lot more than it sounds like — the elves believed women had a special role as healers, a task no less critical than that of warriors, most of whom were men. Women could fight (and certainly trained to know how), but it was believed that the act of fighting endangered their nature as healers.
Hair of Gold: Actually silver-gold in the books, deriving from her mixed ancestry as a Ńoldo with Vanyarin (gold-haired) and Telerin (silver-haired) ancestors.
Hot Amazon: Believe it or not, Galadriel is considered this by the standards of the Ńoldor. One of her birth names was Nerwen, meaning "man-maiden", due to her unusually large stature and strong musculature for an elf woman.
Alatįriel, "radiant garland", was given to her back in Aman by her Telerin lover Teleporno, in reference to her silver-gold hair.
Altįriel was the Quenya semi-calque of Alatįriel. The full calque would have been Ńaltįriel, but this was not used as her Quenya form.
Galadriel was the Sindarin calque of Alatįriel, after she and her husband went to Middle-earth. Teleporno took the name Celeborn, the Sindarin calque of his own name.
Really Very Old: She was born in the Year of the Trees 1362, before the First Age of the Sun and the waking of Man. Her exact age is unknown, but estimates go anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000.
The main character of The Hobbit, who inadvertently sets The Lord of the Rings in motion with his discovery of the Ring. Frodo's "uncle" (really his older cousin) and father-figure, Bilbo's 111th (and Frodo's 33rd) birthday opens the story; Bilbo, feeling the Ring's effects on him, leaves the Ring to Frodo and sets out on his last adventure. Years later, Frodo meets Bilbo again in Rivendell, whence he has retired.
Decoy Protagonist: Going solely by the first chapter, one could easily assume that Bilbo was the central character, until the focus shifts to Frodo in the second.
Older than They Look: At the beginning of the story, he is 110 years old but looks only 50 due to the Ring's influence. After he gives up the Ring, age begins to catch up to him, until he looks his age (131) at the end.
Uncle Pennybags: His share of the treasure from The Hobbit (as well as coming from a wealthy family) kept him very well-off for the rest of his life, and he was very generous toward poorer hobbits.
A seemingly minor character from The Hobbit who played a key role in this book. Sméagol, once of a race not unlike the Hobbits, was fishing with Déagol when they encountered the ring. They both immediately coveted it and Sméagol murdered Déagol for it. He retreated for over 600 years deep into the mountains and became a degenerate creature named Gollum (after a throat noise he makes) feared by the goblins. The ring, having a mind of its own, slipped from Gollum's fingers intending to be found by a goblin but it was instead found by Bilbo who used it to confound Sméagol and escape his current danger. When Bilbo had the chance to strike down Gollum, he pitied him and let him live.In the time since then, Gollum has been hunting for the ring, eventually catching up with the Fellowship and stalking them until Frodo left most of his companions behind. At this point, Gollum attempts to reacquire the Ring, but failing and being taken prisoner, he serves as a guide for Frodo and Sam earning the fleeting hope of redemption before ultimately betraying his new masters. He nevertheless plays a key role in the completion of the quest.
A strange... person who lives in the Old Forest just outside the Shire. Tom is the forest's "Master" and nothing can harm him within its borders. His nature is a mystery—he was old even when the first Elves entered his part of the world. He lives in a little house with his wife, the river-spirit Goldberry. Tom was the first person the hobbits met after leaving the Shire and he provided them safe passage along the early part of their journey. He also gave them their swords after he rescued them in the Barrow-downs. He refuses to get involved in the War of the Ring and sits the whole thing out.Tom was originally the star of a humorous poem Tolkien wrote in 1934 that had no connection to Middle-earth, and appeared in The Lord of the Rings as a sort of guest-star. He later got his own spinoff in 1962, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, a book of poems presented as in-universe poems from Middle-earth.
I Have Many Names: "Tom Bombadil" is just what the Hobbits and the Men of Bree call him. He has many other names, including Iarwain Ben-Adar ("Oldest and Fatherless") to the Elves, Orald ("very ancient") to the Northmen, and Forn to the Dwarves.
Incorruptible Pure Pureness: More like Incorruptible Pure Neutrality. The Ring has no power over him—possibly because he has no desires to speak of, even less than the Hobbits.
Treebeard: I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my side, if you understand me; nobody cares for the woods as I care for them, not even Elves nowadays.
Overly-Long Name: His real name is the story of his life, according to him. Like most Ents, he is therefore Only Known By His Nickname. One of which is his Sindarin name, Fangorn. Yes, the whole forest is named after one guy.
Starfish Language: "It takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish."
Time Abyss: Perhaps the third-oldest physical creature (Maiar don't count) in Middle-Earth. Cirdan, having awoken with the first generation of Elves at Cuivienen way back in the Years of the Trees, is older still, and Tom Bombadil is older than the world.
The eponymous Lord of the Rings. The lieutenant of Morgoth, the original Dark Lord, Sauron was responsible for much suffering of Elves and Men in the Elder Days. When Morgoth was banished, Sauron ultimately picked up in his place. His first gambit was to teach the Elves to crafts the magic rings (ultimately the three for the Elves, seven for the Dwarves, and nine for Men). He then crafted his own One Ring as an extension of his being through which he meant to dominate each race. However, the elves were on guard against this evil and the dwarves were too focused on material wealth. Sauron made his first bid through force but was routed and his body destroyed. However, his ring anchored him to our realm and would allow him to regather.In the narrative, he is simply the Big Bad, an ominous evil presence that grows stronger as the heroes near his realm. If he reclaimed the One Ring, the doom of Middle-earth would be swift and final. Even without it, he seems poised to win, leaving the destruction of his Ring as the only means of defeating him.See the character sheet for The Silmarillion for tropes that apply to him in that work.
Black Speech: Sauron at one time made an artificial language as a way to communicate across his empire and his allies earlier in the backstory. Thousands of years after being killed in the final battle of the Last Alliance and getting a new form, only the Nazgūl remembered how to speak it.*
Well, not quite; Gandalf also can still speak it, and Elrond at the very least can understand the language.
It fell out of favor with everyone else.
Chess Master: Used disguises and clever tactical planning to make the Elves create the Rings, and to later undermine Nśmenor until its downfall.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: One of the reasons the whole gambit works. Sauron believes that anyone who possesses the ring would wish to use it for themselves leaving them susceptible to his corruption. Its too late when he realizes that someone intends to destroy it.
He turns out correct in the end, as nobody actually has the resolve to destroy it willingly, and it gets undone pretty much by an accident.
Evil Genius: He's one of the smartest beings in Middle-Earth from the very beginning.
Face Heel Turn: Originally, Sauron was an angelic being and servant of Aulė, the godlike patron of craftsmen and maker of the physical aspect of the Earth; this is how he became such a master at creating items of power. However, he was corrupted by the first Dark Lord, Morgoth, with promises of power.
Heel Face Turn: He did this at the end of the First Age, when he truly reformed and want to help rebuild Middle-Earth...
Heel Face Revolving Door: ...but the threat and fear of punishment was too great, and he couldn't resist the temptation to use the reconstruction to conquer.
Faceless Eye: He appears as a great eye of fire in the minds of those who perceive him. Unlike the Jackson movies, it's never made clear if this is his physical form or only a mental projection.
Fantastic Racism: Sauron has made destroying the Nśmenóreans one of his major goals.
Fate Worse than Death: He ends as a bodiless spirit too weak to influence anyone ever again.
Shadow Archetype: Sauron is both a shadow to Gandalf and Galadriel.
Fountain of Expies: After the publication of The Lord of the Rings, it became de rigueur for the villain in a fantasy story to be a manipulative, rarely-seen Evil Overlord who lives in a dark tower in an evil realm, employs various horrible creatures to do his work, and is dependent on an artifact of his making for power and survival.
I Have Many Names: Sauron's other names are these: Annatar, Gorthaur the Cruel, Thū, The Nameless Enemy, Dark Lord of Mordor, Lord of the Rings, Base Master of Treachery, the Dark Power, Lord of Barad-dūr, The Eye, Ring-maker, and the Necromancer. Also the Lord of Werewolves back in his shapeshifting days and Tevildo, Lord of Cats (!) in another version.
Light is Not Good: In his guise as Annatar, Lord of Gifts, he appeared as an angelic being of incredible beauty. This was how he deceived the Elves and corrupted the Nśmenóreans.
Mind Rape: His specialty. "Thy flesh shall be devoured and thy shriveled mind left naked to the Lidless Eye."
Motive Decay: Justified in-universe: his original motivations to impose order on the world decay due to his evil corrupting his nature and the trauma of him losing multiple incarnate forms to the Downfall of Nśmenor and Isildur in rapid succession.
Name's the Same: No, he is not that pterodactyl guy from X-Men.
Names to Run Away From Really Fast: "Sauron" is Quenya for "abomination". His less-often-seen Sindarin name, Gorthaur, means "terrible dread".
The Necromancer: It's in his title, and his specialty as a Maia was in manipulating the connection between minds and physical bodies/objects.
Orcus on His Throne: He never engages anyone in physical battle after his previous defeat. Though this isn't to say that he's inactive. His Eye is always on the move, as are his servants.
Playing with Fire: His Dark Lord form is described as looking very dark, like it is blackened from the immense heat of his body, and anybody who gets too close is burned by him.
Present Absence: Sauron is never present in a scene, and very few of the characters have actually been in his presence. His only lines are spoken to Pippin when he looks into the palantķr, and we only know them because the incident actually happens off-page, with Pippin telling the rest of the characters about it after the fact.
Unwitting Pawn: Marching up to the Black Gate was a trap and he walked right into it.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: Before his physical body was destroyed in the fall of Nśmenor. Even afterwards he's implied to still possess the ability, though he never really gets a chance to use it—he just can't conceal his true nature any more, meaning it's no longer useful as a disguise.
Yes, the One Ring is a character, the one around whom everyone in the series bases their actions. Sauron made it, lost it, and wants it back. Gollum is addicted to its presence. The White Council want to destroy the Ring, Frodo volunteers, and the Fellowship of the Ring protect him on his quest.
Invisibility Cloak: Wearing the Ring makes you invisible in the normal world, but you become visible in the Wraith-World, where you can be seen by Sauron and his Ringwraiths.
The leader of the Wizards and the White Council, Saruman the White possessed great knowledge and skill at crafting, but was proud and haughty. He dwelt in the tower of Orthanc at Isengard. Saruman was originally a steadfast enemy of Sauron, but in time came envy Sauron and began searching for the One Ring. At first he steered the White Council away from opposing Sauron, hoping that the Dark Lord's rise would bring the Ring back into the open, but Sauron ensnared him through his use of the Seeing-stone of Orthanc and Saruman became his servant. Saruman raised an army of Orcs and subverted the land of Rohan through his minion Wormtongue, but still searched for the Ring in hopes of betraying Sauron and claiming his power.Saruman was the foremost of the Wizards, but his greatest power was not magic, but his sheer charisma and compelling voice. With these he subverted the White Council and brought Rohan to its knees.
Affably Evil: He's quite charming and incredibly charismatic - at least until you make him seriously angry.
Green-Eyed Monster: He's jealous of Gandalf, and has been secretly having agents follow him, and imitating him- smoking pipe-weed, for instance. Unfinished Tales reveals that he's been jealous of Gandalf at least since they set sail from Valinor for Middle-Earth, probably even before that.
He Who Fights Monsters: Saruman became too obsessed with using the powers of the Ring against Sauron.
Ignored Epiphany: When Gandalf offers him a Last-Second Chance, it's clear that he truly wants to leave Orthanc, but his pride, jealousy, and hatred overcome him.
A man of Rohan who was seduced by Saruman's promises of power, Wormtongue was King Théoden's advisor. He used clever words and "leechcraft" to wear down the aging king's mind, weakening the kingdom and allowing Saruman's armies to run rampant.
The nine Nazgūl were kings of Men to whom Sauron gave nine Rings of Power in the Second Age. Seduced by power, they fell into evil, and eventually passed into a state of undeath. The Nazgūl, or Ringwraiths, are extensions of Sauron's will who exist only to do his bidding. They are his most terrible servants, and the greatest among them—known variously as the Black Captain, the Lord of the Nazgūl, and many other names—rules Minas Morgul as the Dark Lord's right hand.Roughly two-thousand years before the War of the Ring, when Sauron was in hiding, the Lord of the Nazgūl was sent into the north to found the kingdom of Angmar under the identity of the Witch-king. There, he undermined and ultimately destroyed the North-kingdom of Arnor in a series of wars. At that time, it was foretold that no man could slay him. When Sauron declared himself openly, the Witch-king returned to Mordor, conquered Minas Ithil, and slew the last king of Gondor. When the War of the Ring began, he led the hunt for Frodo and the Ring.
Badass Boast: "Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!"
Hero Killer: He killed Théoden, as well as Eärnur, the last king of Gondor before Aragorn.
Implacable Man: He and the other Nazgūl can't be truly killed while the One Ring exists.
I Have Many Names: Witch-king of Angmar (his alias, used only in the Appendix but remembered by everyone because of how cool it sounds), Lord of the Nazgūl, High Nazgūl, Black Captain, Captain of Despair, Morgul-lord, etc.
Mysterious Past: His past was never fully revealed. We only get hints of who he used to be. Which is a lot more than we get of his lieutenant, Khamūl the Black Easterling, and the rest of the Nazgūl.
The Ageless: Like the Elves they were supposedly created from, but it isn't fully clear.
Always Chaotic Evil: All the orcs we see, although Word Of God is that it may not be completely the case. In any event, Tolkien was good enough to give all named orcs distinctive (though still evil) personalities.
Orc-hood is almost as much a state of mind as it is genetic (cf. Tolkien's statement that "We were all orcs," re: World War One). Some speculate that if an orc stopped being evil, it would no longer be an orc, and resume being an elf.
Bad Boss: Any given orc in a position of power will probably be one of these.
Dirty Coward: "Standard" orcs, which is why whip-wielding superiors and/or Nazgūl stand behind them...
Enemy Civil War: The only thing keeping the orcs held together is the will of Sauron. Whenver that slackens for whatever reason, they remember that they hate each other almost as much as they hate the other races and almost immediately go for each other's throats. Unless there are people of other races nearby, in which case different tribes of orcs will band together to kill them, then turn on each other.
Even Evil Has Standards: They regard accusations of cannibalism (that is, eating other Orcs—eating other races is fine) as a grave insult. (Though whether or not they do it anyway is an open question...)
Fantastic Racism: Against Elves, Men, and even other Orcs (there is 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).
I'm a Humanitarian: They're not very... selective in their diet, though unlike in the movies they generally don't eat each other if they can get anything else. Shagrat does threaten to eat Snaga, though.
No Cure for Evil: Averted. Orcish medicine is among the most advanced in Middle-Earth but it tends to be very painful and has heavy scarring.
Our Orcs Are Different: Actually, to a degree they are, despite being the Trope Namer. Tolkien's actual orcs are much more advanced and intelligent, and not as physically powerful, than the crude barbarians Always Chaotic Evil orcs are generally portrayed as.
Torture Technician: Just about any orc with brains will be one of these.
Was Once a Man: The origin that made it into the books is that they were once elves. This is only one possibility, though, and it kept changing right up until Tolkien's death—he didn't like the implications that had for their eternal souls, even though he did not want evil to be capable of independent creation, which would have conflicted with his Christianity.
Trolls
All Trolls Are Different: Tolkien's trolls are giant-like monsters with rocky hides and beast-like intelligence. (The talking trolls in The Hobbit may or may not have been artistic license on Bilbo's part.) They permanently turn to stone when exposed to sunlight. The exceptions are Sauron's Olog-hai, more intelligent trolls that are immune to sunlight.
The trio from The Hobbit are mentioned having been geniouses among trolls in the Appendix of the Lot R. Also, since Aragorn recognises their old cave as a typical troll-cave (which had a hinged door), trolls smart enough to build simple shelters are implicictly at least relatively common.
Always Chaotic Evil: Though the standard Trolls (barring the trio from The Hobbit) are barely above animals in intelligence, it seems.
A general term for Mannish cultures not related to the Dśnedain, referring to their relative lack of sophistication; essentially barbarians. In the Third Age, most of them have been seduced and/or enslaved by Sauron, whom they worship as a god-king. Unlike the Orcs, enemy Men are not evil by nature; they evoke sympathy from their enemies (but still die in droves) and are treated fairly in defeat. The Men of Darkness fall into various cultural groups:
The Dunlendings (Men of Dunland), wild hill-people who were forced off their ancestral lands by the Rohirrim and hold a massive grudge. Saruman tricked them into fighting for him by spreading lies about Rohirric war-crimes against them.
The Easterlings, a vast but loose confederation of nomadic tribes from the plains of Rhūn with a history of territorial conflict with Gondor. Known for their use of wagons and chariots.
The Haradrim or Southrons, warriors from the plains and deserts of Near Harad who also clashed with Gondor over territory. They sometimes fielded mūmakil (huge elephants) as living siege engines.
The Corsairs of Umbar, rebels who broke off from Gondor and merged with the coastal Haradrim. Vicious pirates whose black ships were feared throughout the southern seas.
The Variags of Khand, fiece warriors from south of Mordor.
"Troll-men" or "half-trolls", mysterious black-skinned people from Far Harad.
After the War of the Ring, Aragorn establishes peace with them and grants them Sauron's former lands as their own.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The Dunlendings are vaguely Celtic, at least in their language and their relationship with the pseudo-Germanic Rohirrim. The Corsairs are also vaguely Carthaginian. The Easterlings of the Third Age are presumably Eastern Asians, judging by their physical description and the location of their homeland, Rhun, which is located in the eastern regions of Middle-earth. The brown-skinned Haradrim/Southrons native to Near Harad are reminiscent of Muslim/Arabic peoples, while those the black-skinned people of Far Harad are Africans.
Heel Face Turn: After the War of the Ring, they're implied to live in peace with Gondor and Rohan.
Elite Mook: The Southron chieftain with the black serpent banner.
One Steve Limit: Broken—there was another group of Men called Easterlings in The Silmarillion. There's no indication they were related; it was probably just a generic term for "barbarians" from the east.
Worthy Opponent: The Easterlings and Haradrim were seen this way by the Gondorians. The Dunlendings also end up seeing the Rohirrim this way after their fair treatment in defeat.
The Mouth of Sauron
Ass In Ambassador: After meeting with Aragorn, he essentially demands his surrender.
Cold-Blooded Torture: From his dialogue, one gets the impression that he's the one in charge of actually doing this to people who have offended Sauron in some manner.
Oh Crap: When Gandalf rejects his terms, he starts raving, but when the other representatives of the Free Folk give him a Death Glare, he turns tail and rides breakneck back to the Morannon.
One-Scene Wonder: Shows up once in the books, and doesn't appear at all in the theatrical release of the film.
Achilles Heel: Her underside is not as tough as the rest of her body; when she gives up trying to paralyze Sam with her venom and decides to crush him, he shoves Sting into her guts. The book emphasizes that unlike dragons, Shelob has no weak spots save for her eyes. Sam is only able to pierce her skin and tissue because she unwittingly slams on his blade with her own, massive strength.
Casting a Shadow: Like her mother, she weaves webs of Unlight that are perceptible to the Hobbits.
Dragon with an Agenda: Sauron treats her as his pet. Shelob doesn't care. He actually compares her to a pet cat, as she was a pet that rejected his authority.
Eye Scream: Sam stabs her in one eye with Sting during their fight, and then blinded in her other eyes by the Phial of Galadriel.
Giant Spider: Really just a spider-like monster, described to have pincers in her feet and great insect-like eyes, among other taxonomical oddities.
Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Of the "pureevil" variety. She was stated to be immune to the ring's temptations because power holds no interest for something that just wants to eat everything.
Meaningful Name: "Lob" is an archaic word for "spider". She's female. "She-Lob".
Omnicidal Maniac: Her ultimate goal seems to be to eat the whole planet. Mercifully, she's nowhere near accomplishing that. Ungoliant, her mother, tried and failed at this as well. She ended up eating herself.
Time Abyss: Although not to the same extent as her mother, Ungoliant, Shelob is still very ancient. She was implied to have been born early in the First Age, and came to Mordor before even Sauron came there.
The Voiceless: The fact that she was able to work out a deal with Gollum implies she can speak, but she never does during her appearance in the text. Or just that she understands speech, and relented her attack when Gollum begged for his life and promised to bring her tasty things to eat.
Her mother Ungoliant in The Silmarillion could talk, as could her descendants in The Hobbit. All told, makes Shelob herself being able to talk seem pretty likely—she probably just didn't have anything to say to her dinner.
An ancient demon who fled deep underground after the Wars of Beleriand in the First Age, the unnamed Balrog was awakened from its torpor in the Third Age when the dwarves of Moria Dug Too Deep for mithril. The monster killed the dwarves' king and drove them out of their halls into exile. Centuries later, the Balrog, now known as Durin's Bane, was encountered by the Fellowship as they traveled through Moria. Gandalf held off the Balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-dūm and both fell into an abyss. After a pitched battle that lasted for days, the wizard slew the demon, but died from his wounds shortly after. Gandalf came Back from the Dead; the Balrog didn't.
Big Damn Villains: His appearance terrifies the Moria orcs so much they stop caring about the Fellowship.
Eldritch Abomination: At least, you could tell that Sauron's minions were warped versions of their original selves. This demon is one of many "that should not see the light of day".
Fallen Angel: Believe or not that demon who just snared and just happen to have a sword and whip, belonged to a race of once-angelic warriors that made the Ring-wraiths look like pansies.
Knight of Cerebus: The story was already serious, but he upped the ante and paved the way for the Fellowship's breaking by bringing down Gandalf. (Of course, Gandalf got better.) It also introduced the epic one-on-one fights that would occur later in the story.
Large and in Charge: Much larger than the orcs and trolls in Moria, and they seem to be almost as afraid of him as the Fellowship is.
Rasputinian Death: Falls down a deep pit along with Gandalf, as they try to stab one another as they plummet down to the bottom. Once they land, they are immediately submerged, carried down the stream presumably, until they reached the base of a mountain, climb the Endless Stair to the peak of Celebdil, where they fought until Gandalf manages to pierce its heart, causing it to fall down to its death.
