History Characters / MiddleEarthShadowOfMordorAntagonists

* BadassInDistress: After their HeelFaceBrainwashing, Akoth the Vile, Rûg the Crafty, and Skak Raid Leader wind up getting captured and sentenced to death. Of course, all this does is conveniently gather them in a single spot for Celebrimbor to rescue -- and, when he does, he has some serious firepower on his side when [[DualBoss the remaining two Warchiefs of Udûn come calling]].

** Grisha Iron Mount [[HorseOfADifferentColor rides a caragor]], although ''Shadow of Mordor'' establishes that orcs haven't been able to figure out how to ride caragors a few thousand years later. Presumably, the orcs lost the knowledge of how to tame and ride caragors somewhere along the line and only rediscovered it during the timeframe of ''Lord of the Hunt'' or during the TimeSkip between the games.
* DualBoss: Gorfel the Massive and Tûmhorn Evil Eye take on Celebrimbor simultaneously, probably because he's turned the other three Warchiefs in Udûn at that point and they figure that there's safety in numbers.

** {{Inverted|Trope}} with Akoth the Vile: not only is his name in both games' Nemesis name pools, but he also shares it with Akoth Slayer of the Dead from ''Blade of Galadriel''. Also, Ûshak Fear Eater shares his name with ''Desolation of Mordor'''s Ûshak the Ringmaster.

* UnholyMatrimony: Its revealed that [[spoiler:he took Shelob as his bride, before he decided to leave her to be killed by Sûladan's men]].

* {{Expy}}: The three named Nazgûl (Sûladan, Helm Hammerhand, and Isildur) are comparable to ''Shadow of Mordor'''s Black Captains, as they're elite servants of Sauron who [[WasOnceAMan were once Men]] (one member of each trio is known to be a former Gondorian who participated in the War of the Last Alliance and was present at the FinalBattle against Sauron; ironically, the Hammer is the first Black Captain whom Talion fights in ''Mordor'', while Isildur is the last of the named Nazgûl whom he encounters in ''War''), and they appear together early in the story but are actually confronted individually as unique {{Boss Battle}}s. However, the Black Captains are the only ones that we know of (possibly excepting the Mouth of Sauron, who only has a voice {{cameo}} in ''Mordor''), while the named Nazgûl are known to be part of a larger group and even have a team leader in the Witch-king. Also, the Black Captains play a major role in Talion's BackStory (being the ones who ''killed him'' and all) while the named Nazgûl have no such history with him. Finally, Talion confronts each Black Captain on his own and defeats them in one battle each, while he has backup (usually Eltariel) during each fight with the named Nazgûl and his initial clashes with two of them are inconclusive, necessitating rematches to take them down.

* LegacyCharacter: In this version of Middle-earth, several have actually been killed. However, their rings seem to always end on someone else's hand, either by coincidence, intentionally, or even because their killer felt it looked nice.

* NoSell: As they exist in both normal and wraith worlds, they can see Talion if he is invisible and are not slowed down if he uses ranged weapons. They are also immune to status effects and cannot be knocked down.

* SicklyGreenGlow: As in ''Film/TheHobbitTheBattleOfTheFiveArmies'', those who can see the wraith world perceive them to have an unearthly, pale greenish glow.

!!!'''Race''': Men (Harad) (formerly)

A Haradian king, Suladân successfully waged war on Mordor to the point of marching his army right to the gates of Barad-dûr. Sauron surrendered to him and presented him with one of the Nine Rings as a gift. Suladân took Sauron as his captive and advisor, causing him to quickly fall under Sauron's influence.

* CompositeCharacter: Suladân was a minor character in the Middle-earth strategy board game; here, he's also given a backstory similar to King Ar-Pharazôn from Literature/TheSilmarillion as a king who defeated Sauron militarily only to fall under his influence while the Dark Lord served as his captive and advisor.

* {{Expy}}: As mentioned under CompositeCharacter, he's essentially "Ar-Pharazôn if he was a nazgûl and also from Harad".

* PapaWolf: How Sauron corrupted him; [[spoiler: Sauron gave the dying Helm a Ring of Power with the promise it would give him the power to free his daughter from the man who had seemingly abducted her]].
-->'''Sauron''': ''[[spoiler: (placing the ring on Helm's finger)]]'' [[spoiler: For your daughter's safe return]].
* SmallRoleBigImpact: While the "small role" part is {{downplayed|Trope}} due to Helm's boss fights being among the toughest in the game, his primary importance to the narrative occurs during the flashback that Talion sees when peering into his mind after defeating him; namely, [[spoiler:''Celebrimbor'' standing beside "Annatar" as he gives Helm the Ring of Power that seals his fate, revealing that Celebrimbor was complicit (if ignorant at the time) in Sauron's scheme to use the Rings to enslave Men, something that Celebrimbor had conveniently neglected to inform Talion of prior to creating the New Ring at the beginning of the game]].

boss battle.
* {{Foil}}: To Talion. The Appendices notes that Sauron is to Celebrimbor as the Witch-king is to Talion.

* AdaptationalBadass: Their rings give each one unique powers, such as {{Necromancy}} or [[TheBeastmaster the ability to control Mordor's beasts]].
* AdaptationDeviation: In the books they do not wear their rings. Sauron keeps the Nine (and the surviving Seven) in his own possession. Because of this their roles cannot be usurped, and the existing Nazgûl are still the original nine bearers. That being said, were they actually wearing them, it would likely work as it does in the game, with the rings ensnaring anyone foolish enough to claim them.

* TheGhost: An interesting variant. All of the Nine appear in the game, but while some (see individual entries below) are identified, the only Nazgûl who was named in the books (Khamûl the Black Easterling) is not.

* TragicVillain: Sauron deceived them into becoming monsters. None of them asked to become what they are now. [[spoiler: Except Talion though the fact he chose is a tragedy in itself.]]

* WasOnceAMan: Although their identities differ from the source material, they still were all human before their falls.

* ArcVillain: They are the actual villains in the ''Blade of Galadriel'' DLC. Although Talion is the FinalBoss fought right after they are defeated, he is a grudging ally for most of the expansion.

* EarlyBirdCameo: If you listen ''really'' carefully during the Nazgûl fight during the Fall quest, you'll notice that two of the Nazgûl have more feminine voices than the other three. They reappear during [[spoiler:Talion's conquest of Minas Morgul during the Bright Lord quest]]. On both occasions, they look identical to the generic Nazgûl, so their presence is easy to miss.

* UndyingLoyalty: To each other. In life and in undeath, while [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder backstabbing every authority figure in their way]], they never turn against each other. They even share rulership of the fortress at Gorgoroth.

* ForTheEvulz: [[AllThereInTheManual In his backstory]], back when he was Ûshak Flame Suitor, he released a drake within Shindrâm "to see what would happen." Aside from killing a dozen orcs, it also got him banished from the fortress.

* StartMyOwn: A variation. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the Circus's Appendices entry]], the Lithlad fight pit was abandoned by the local orcs in favor of another fight pit within Shindrâm, but after Ûshak was banished from the fortress, he took up residence in the disused fight pit and turned it into the Circus.

* EvilLaugh: Lets out two of these during his final quest [[spoiler:of his life]], [[BookEnds once at the end of his monologue when he initially spots Talion and then at the end of his ]]FamousLastWords.

* BadassInDistress: Akoth the Vile, Rûg the Crafty, and Skak Raid Leader wind up getting captured and sentenced to death. Of course, all this does is conveniently gather them in a single spot for Celebrimbor to rescue -- and, when he does, he has some serious firepower on his side when [[DualBoss the remaining two Warchiefs of Udûn come calling]].

* {{Expy}}: As mentioned under CompositeCharacter, he's essentially "Ar-Pharazôn if he was a nazgûl".

* OneSteveLimit: His title is unique to him.

* ContinuitySnarl: ''Shadow of War'''s Ancient Warchiefs have tribal affiliations and advanced classes, while both were nowhere to be seen in ''Shadow of Mordor'' or its ''The Bright Lord'' DLC. {{Justified|Trope}} since the quests are suggested to be Talion's interpretation of Celebrimbor's memories, [[spoiler:especially as you can still play them -- or even play them for the first time -- after Celebrimbor is out of the picture]].

** {{Inverted|Trope}} with Akoth the Vile: not only is his name in both games' Nemesis name pools, but he also shares it with ''Blade of Galadriel'''s Akoth Slayer of the Dead. Also, Ûshak Fear Eater shares his name with ''Desolation of Mordor'''s Ûshak the Ringmaster.

* WolfpackBoss: Individually they're not much tougher than a regular mid-level Orc Captain, but you fight all 5 of them at once in close formation. Then again, you have 5 Warchiefs of your own backing you up in the fight, so it's still not too much of a challenge.

Five Warchiefs who have overrun Núrnen during the ''Lord of the Hunt'' DLC. These guys are static characters instead of the randomized orcs Talion meets. In alphabetical order, their names are Ashgarn Smuggler, Shagflak Ghûl Keeper, Tumhorn Beast Tamer, Úgakúga Graug Rider, and Zúgor Beast Butcher. Torvin enlists Talion's help to end their threat to the local wildlife.

* BadassNormal: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin As his title suggests]], Úgakúga Graug Rider has managed to ''tame and ride a Wretched Graug''. Talion is understandably shocked that an Uruk could pull off such a feat.

** Úgakúga Graug Rider has managed to ''tame a Wretched Graug'', [[HorseOfADifferentColor which]] he [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin rides]] into battle.
** Zúgor Beast Butcher is at least heavily {{implied|Trope}} to participate in his followers' wholesale slaughter of Mordor's beasts.

** Úgakúga Graug Rider's OnlyFriend is his Wretched Graug, whom he affectionately refers to as "Stompy." Appropriately, when you kill Stompy, Úgakúga angrily swears to avenge his death.

!Introduced in ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfWar''

[[folder:The Witch-king]]
!!The Witch-king of Angmar
!!!'''Race''': Men (unknown nationality, possibly Black Númenórean) (formerly)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shadow_of_war_witch_king.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"I come for ''you'', Talion of Gondor!"]]
->Voiced by: Creator/MatthewMercer

Formerly one of the nine kings of Men gifted Rings of Power by Sauron, the Witch-king and his fellows were corrupted by both the Nine Rings and their own greed and ambition until they were transformed into the ''Nazgûl'' or Ringwraiths, monstrous revenants enslaved to the will of the Dark Lord. He appears in ''Shadow of War'' alongside the rest of the Nine with orders from Sauron to track down the Bright Lord and take the New Ring.

* AffablyEvil: He's generally polite and civil to Tailon, often trying to just verbally coax him into giving up in a manner that doesn't involve gloating or taunting. [[spoiler:After Tailon takes up Isildur's Ring and becomes a wraith, the Witch-king welcomes him at the start of the penultimate boss fight, calling him 'brother' and clearly not desiring (or seeing the point in) a fight. And when Talion finally gives into the ring's corruption, the Witch-king appears before him in a congratulatory friendly manner, placing a hand on his shoulder and sounding genuinely pleased that he's finally come around, but also sympathetic to his defiance, basically saying, "You fought the good fight, but it's over now."]]

* DemonicPossession: Can do this to [[MeatPuppet fallen Orcs]] in order to speak to Talion.

* DragonRider: The Nine usually go to war mounted on the back of Fell beasts, huge dragon-like reptiles. At the time of ''Shadow of War'', they've traded up for drakes (infertile crossbreeds of dragon and fell-beast [[LivingWeapon bred solely for war]]).

* EmptyShell: Being the first he's been so corrupted by the ring of power he received from Sauron for so long that none of his original human self remains, unlike other Nazgûl. Talion can't even peer into his mind because of this.

* FinalBoss: Ignoring all of the siege business of the epilogue the Witch King serves as this for Talion in the first of a two part final boss battle.

-->'''[[spoiler: Castamir]]''': [[spoiler: You will hold to our bargain. My daughter's freedom...]]\\
'''Witch-king''': [[spoiler: She is free to die with her people!]]

* WasOnceAMan: As is the case with all Nazgûl, he was once a human before being corrupted by one of the Nine Rings of Power. He even notes that he's so far gone, he is literally soulless. There's nothing there anymore, period.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: Once Castamir hands over the Palantir, the Witch-king [[RewardedAsATraitorDeserves wastes no time in killing him]].]]

* FallenHero: Several of them were great warriors that stood against Sauron, but succumbed to his influence and now are his most powerful minions.

* BackFromTheDead: Using his necromancy, he can resurrect orcs as revenants, including slain captains. [[spoiler:In the final chapter of Carnán's questline, his acolytes succeed in bringing ''him'' back from the dead as well, and it seems to be a perfect resurrection - he can revive repeatedly even from decapitation, and he's in full possession of his mental faculties (whereas most revenants are groaning, wretched monsters).]]

* ContractualBossImmunity: Zog is an orc with several invulnerabilities: he is [[HeroicWillpower Unbreakable]] for one, meaning he can't be weakened, branded or shamed. He can also possibly develop immunities to stunning, ranged attacks, executions or being jumped over. [[spoiler:After becoming a revenant, Zog gains ResurrectiveImmortality that, among other things, allows him to recover from [[BeyondTheImpossible decapitations]].]]

* InvincibleVillain: A downplayed example: once Zog joins the nemesis roster after his missions, [[spoiler: no amount of killing him will put him down for good. Apparently he’s just that good at necromancy that he can revive himself.]] However, he can still be defeated in combat.
* {{Necromancer}}: He can use dark magic to resurrect dead orcs [[spoiler:and himself too]].
* NightOfTheLivingMooks: He uses an army of dead orcs and even dead captains, including himself.
* PlotParallel: Zog trying to dominate Tar-Goroth mirrors [[spoiler:Celebrimbor trying to dominate Sauron. Both plans fail.]]
* ResurrectiveImmortality: [[spoiler: After becoming a revenant, Zog can return to life as many times as he wants and can even survive decapitation - normally the one thing that can [[KilledOffForReal certainly kill off]] most orcs.]]
* TheStarscream: [[spoiler:He seeks to use Tar-Goroth to overpower Sauron and rule Mordor himself.]]
* TooDumbToLive: Subverted, Trying to raise a Balrog for your own ends just reeks of a bad idea and unsurprisingly, Tar-Goroth straights up kills his servants upon being raised. But Zog is clever enough to not be anywhere near the action as he sends his minions to take risks like this he is unwilling to take. Using his dark magic, it was also implied that he would be able to gain control of the weakened Balrog.

* RedBaron: Baz and Gaz both have the title of "the Ocker", which is Austrailian slang for agressive people. Daz has the more intimidating title of "the Ripper".

* EvilIsNotAToy: [[EvilSorcerer Zog the Eternal]] is the one who provides the final push to unseal Tar-Goroth, planning to present him to Sauron in expectation of great acclaim for himself. Sadly for him, the Balrog has no interest in his schemes, and wipes out several members of his cult before engaging Talion and Carnán and then taking off to work some havoc of his own.

[[folder:Úshak the Ringmaster]]
!!Úshak the Ringmaster

* AllThereInTheManual: Par for the course, all of Úshak's backstory is only found in the Appendices. Taken UpToEleven in that he actually doesn't have his own Appendix entry.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: {{Downplayed|Trope}}, but as his title suggests, Úshak is in charge of the Circus, and he's by far the most serious threat to Baranor and Serka during their escape attempt.

* ForTheEvulz: [[AllThereInTheManual In his backstory]], back when he was Úshak Flame Suitor, he released a drake within Shindrâm "to see what would happen." Aside from killing a dozen orcs, it also got him banished from the fortress.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Despite being arguably more important to the plot than Zhója (he's certainly more of a direct threat, at any rate), Úshak doesn't even get his own entry in the Appendices; all of his backstory can be found in the Circus entry...''in the Locations category''.

-->'''Úshak the Ringmaster(?) 1''': Many come to join our Circus...\\
'''Úshak the Ringmaster(?) 2''': ...but none last long...\\
'''Úshak the Ringmaster(?) 3''': Death by blade...\\
'''Úshak the Ringmaster(?) 4''': ...or fang...\\
'''Úshak the Ringmaster(?) 5''': ...or bomb!\\
'''Úshak the Ringmaster(?) 6''': We all bleed together!

* MeaningfulRename: [[AllThereInTheManual In his backstory]], he was originally named Úshak Flame Suitor, but after his exile from Shindrâm and subsequent creation of the Circus, he adopted the title of Ringmaster.

* StartMyOwn: A variation. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the Circus's Appendices entry]], the Lithlad fight pit was abandoned by the local orcs in favor of another fight pit within Shindrâm, but after Úshak was banished from the fortress, he took up residence in the disused fight pit and turned it into the Circus.

* TheBadGuyWins: Sauron wins and triumphs over every opponent he meets face to face...[[PyrrhicVictory unfortunately for him, he's often loathe to call them triumphs]]. [[spoiler:Talion was corrupted by Isildur's ring and becomes one of the Nazgûl, but manages to resist him long enough to keep Sauron's armies off-balance until Frodo gains the One Ring, thanks in no small part to his nifty new Ringwraith powers. Sauron can't interfere directly, since his defeat and forcible assimilation of Celebrimbor ends up stripping him of most of his powers and trapping him in the form of the Lidless Eye. And way, way in the future, the One Ring finally overtakes Frodo's mind right on the slopes of Mount Doom, almost guaranteeing that Sauron will retrieve the Ring with no trouble...then Gollum accidentally destroys it]].

!Introduced in ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfWar''

[[folder:The Witch-king]]
!!The Witch-king of Angmar
!!!'''Race''': Men (unknown nationality, possibly Black Númenórean) (formerly)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shadow_of_war_witch_king.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"I come for ''you'', Talion of Gondor!"]]
->Voiced by: Creator/MatthewMercer

Formerly one of the nine kings of Men gifted Rings of Power by Sauron, the Witch-king and his fellows were corrupted by both the Nine Rings and their own greed and ambition until they were transformed into the ''Nazgûl'' or Ringwraiths, monstrous revenants enslaved to the will of the Dark Lord. He appears in ''Shadow of War'' alongside the rest of the Nine with orders from Sauron to track down the Bright Lord and take the New Ring.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sauron.png]]

* CanonImmigrant: In a sense. Their titles were originally unique to the ''Blade of Galadriel'' DLC, but the July 2018 update added them to the pool of possible Nemesis titles in the main game. Interestingly, their appearances (see ThemeNaming below) appear to be tied to their titles.

* CutsceneBoss: The player doesn't do a whole lot in the fight against the Tower; Talion does all the heavy lifting in cutscene.

[[caption-width-right:350:"We thank you for bringing us the Ring"]]

* ItCanThink: Tar Goroth is far from a mindless monster, and is quite adept at turning the tables. In their first encounter, Tar-Goroth ambushes Talion and Carnán as they try to climb out of his pit, ripping the head off Carnán's Graug form and forcing Talion to concentrate his efforts on staying alive, allowing Tar Goroth to make his getaway. On their second encounter, Tar Goroth leaves a trail of tracks luring Talion and Carnán into a cave, then doubles back, waits until they have taken the bait and then launches his attack, forcing the pair to run for it.

* TimeAbyss: As a Balrog, it would have served Morgoth many thousands of years ago, and technically is older than the universe.
* TheUnintelligible: Tar Goroth speaks some form of twisted and guttural BlackSpeech that appears in subtitles, but goes untranslated (unlike Ranger's lines). Talion actually asks what he is saying, but Celebrimbor replies, "Does it matter?".

* WorfHadTheFlu: Celebrimbor thinks that Zog can enthrall him after [[spoiler: being frozen in the lake by Carnán.]] Before, Celebrimbor said that waking him up would cause death to all, and Tar Goroth kills his acolytes the moment he wakes up.

[[folder:Ratak the Lawless]]
!!Ratak the Lawless

The FinalBoss of the Fallen Blades legendary gear SideQuest in the Blade of Galadriel [=DLC=], aligned to no tribe.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Ratak believes that orcs ''should'' be this, and that tribes and other organizational structures are imposed by the higher-ups as a deliberate tactic to weaken them and keep them in line.
* BigBadWannabe: He brags that he is the "ultimate orc" because no tribe could ever contain his greatness. He aspires to rule Mordor, but is actually easier to defeat than many of the Captains whom Eltariel had to finish off to get to him.
* DualWielding: He comes armed with two giant cursed axes.
* IWorkAlone: In that he's the first Orc in the game to belong to no tribe at all.

[[folder:Takra the Sandspider]]
!!Takra the Sandspider

The main antagonist of ''The Desolation of Mordor'' DLC, Takra the Sandspider rules Lithlad from the fortress of Shindrâm and has hired the Vanishing Sons Mercenary Company to guard his treasure caravans against bandit raids.

* AnArmAndALeg: Baranor detonates a barrel of grog next to him, and it blows his hand off.
* DisproportionateRetribution: When Baranor enters Takra's throne room, he snarls that he'll tear off all of Baranor's limbs as payback for Baranor blowing his arm off earlier. [[TheGadfly Serka]] promptly [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it.
* FinalBoss: As soon as he is dead, the DLC finishes and calculates your score.
* {{Foil}}: To Akoth Slayer of the Dead. Both are DLC orcs from the Marauder tribe who are overlords of their respective regions, killed their own blood brothers, and changed their titles based on those killings [[AllThereInTheManual in their backstories]]. However, Akoth arguably granted his blood brother a MercyKill (he had previously been killed and reanimated by a {{necromancer}}) and embarked on his war against the undead that gained him his new title, while Takra arranged for his blood brother's murder due to resentment that he was gambling away their fortune and then claimed his title as a trophy; Akoth underwent HeelFaceBrainwashing at Talion's hands, successfully defended his fortress, and [[PutOnABus (so far as we know)]] survives the ''Blade of Galadriel'' DLC, while Takra stayed loyal to Sauron and ultimately dies while defending his fortress. Notably, Akoth is the first notable orc encountered during ''Blade of Galadriel'' while Takra is the FinalBoss of ''Desolation of Mordor'', and Akoth's region of Cirith Ungol is closest to Talion's stronghold of Minas Morgul while Takra's region of Lithlad is farthest.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Takra hired the Vanishing Sons to guard his treasure caravans, although neither side (including Takra himself) particularly likes the arrangement.
* WeaksauceWeakness: He is Dazed by Executions, probably so his fight wouldn't be too difficult to [[AntiFrustrationFeatures avoid player frustration]].

[[folder:Zhója]]
!!Zhója
->Voiced by: Adam Croasdell

A member of the Vanishing Sons Mercenary Company who successfully overthrows Serka the Unkillable.

* VillainousBreakdown: After Serka returns alive and fires a crossbow bolt into his shoulder, then orders the Vanishing Sons to throw him to the were-wyrms, Zh&oacut;ja is last heard helplessly screaming that the Overlord will kill them all.

* ExtremeMeleeRevenge: [[spoiler:He basically pulped Isildur's head with his own smithing hammer when he finally captured him, purely out of anger for taking the One Ring from him.]]

* TheJuggernaut: Talion's attacks don't affect him unless they [[AttackItsWeakPoint hit his weak point]], which Talion can't reach without Carnán's help. When he manages to separate Talion from Carnán, he's an InvincibleVillain.

* AmbiguousSituation: It's unclear who or what exactly the Black Hand was because of how rushed and suddenly the climax was. Was he Sauron's human host like Talion-Celebrimbor? Was he just another upper level minion like the Tower and the Mouth of Sauron? Were any of the presented backstories correct? We will likely never know.

* ExactWords: [[spoiler: The Tower stops him from killing Talion on the spot, pointing out the Black Hand wants him alive. The Hammer settles for pummelling Talion unconcious, pointing out that Talion will live from such injuries.]]

* YouHaveFailedMe: He unceremoniously executes [[spoiler:Ratbag the Coward]] for failing to protect The Gorthaur from destruction.

* EmptyShell: Being the first he's been so corrupted by the ring of power he received from Sauron for so long that none of his original human self remains, unlike other Nazgûl. Tallion can't even peer into his mind because of this.

* ManipulativeBastard: Among other things, the Rings of Power were forged through his manipulations.

[[/folder]]

!The Nemesis System

[[folder:Nemesis Orcs]]
!!Nemesis Orcs & Trolls
->Orcs voiced by: Creator/RobinAtkinDownes (''Shadow of War''), Creator/JBBlanc, Creator/BrianBloom (''Shadow of Mordor''), Creator/SteveBlum, Chris Butler (''Shadow of War''), Creator/DarinDePaul (''Shadow of War''), Jeff Doba (''Shadow of War''), Creator/MichaelGough, Adam Harrington (''Shadow of War''), Creator/NeilKaplan, Jon Lipow (''Shadow of War''), Eric Lopez (''Shadow of Mordor''), Creator/MatthewMercer, Creator/DaveBMitchell, Creator/KumailNanjiani (''Shadow of War''), Clayton Nemrow (''Shadow of War''), Creator/NolanNorth, Jim Pirri (''Shadow of War''), Creator/JamiesonPrice (''Shadow of War''), Creator/SamRiegel, Creator/RobbieRist (''Shadow of War''), Creator/DwightSchultz, Creator/JasonSpisak, Creator/FredTatasciore (''Shadow of Mordor''), Creator/KirkThornton and Creator/TravisWillingham
->Ologs voiced by: Creator/JBBlanc and Creator/FredTatasciore

The officers of Orc and Troll society, from Captains all the way to the Overlord. Aside from names and fancy titles, these orcs have a number of strengths that make them much, much more dangerous than your rank-and-file grunts. However, they also have weaknesses you can exploit to great effect.
----
* AccidentalTruth: Some of their taunts indicate that either they know about Talion's bond with the wraith or took a wild guess:
-->"Back from the dead, eh? Did you learn that from your elven friend?"\\
''(After Talion is killed)'' "In a hole! In the ground! Both of you!"
* {{Acrofatic}}: A pudgy Uruk can still have the "fast runner" trait.
* AffablyEvil: Some Captains will run after and kill runaway slaves, and just as quickly turn around and give you a genuinely pleasant greeting before attacking.
* TheAlcoholic: You might stumble across a captain who ''really'' loves his grog.
* TheAnticipator: some Uruks will be vigilant against stealth making them immune to all Stealth attacks.
* AscendedExtra: Should Talion be killed by just another nameless Uruk, then that Uruk will get a promotion to Captain, complete with a unique name, personality and traits. Given the right sequence of events, the Uruk who happened to get in the last lucky blow against the Gravewalker can end up becoming an elite Warchief or even the Overlord.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Their combat level measures both their personal skill and the amount of sway they have over other Uruks.
* AxCrazy: Some Uruks are motivated by nothing more than a lust for violence and bloodshed.
* BerserkButton: A trait for Uruks is a hatred of something specific (Caragors, burning, their masters getting hurt, etc.) that, when triggered, causes them to be become stronger in battle.
* BloodKnight: Olog-hai's with the title "Warborn" will do PunctuatedPounding, saying "I LIKE IT!" each time.
* BloodUpgrade: Present via the Hate of Pain and Hate of Mortal Wounds traits, which will send a Captain into a frenzy when they take certain amounts of damage.
* BodyHorror:
** In ''Shadow of Mordor'', Uruks can come in two flavors of grotesque. Either they're just naturally covered in tumors, growths, mutations or scars...or they collect new ones as Talion kills/defeats them and it doesn't quite take. Do enough damage to one enough times and he'll be almost unrecognizable from the first time you met.
** In ''Shadow of War'', we can add "born with two malformed faces" and "host to a Morgai fly hive" to the list.
* BossInMookClothing: [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] all over the place.
** Played Straight (and quite literally) by certain captains who look virtually identical to run-of-the-mill grunts, which can be a nasty shock if you're not constantly checking the Wraith World. Pro tip: if a grunt has a [[FlamingSword flaming weapon]], [[PoisonedWeapons poisoned weapon]], or weapon that's dripping blood, ''he's not a grunt''. (This is much more prevalent in ''Shadow of Mordor''; in ''Shadow of War'', all captains are denoted with rings under their feet, even if you haven't identified them in the Wraith World yet.)
*** Which can lead to a DoubleSubversion of sorts, if (for example) you're merrily stealth-attacking grunts, and then you inadvertently stealth-attack a grunt who actually isn't a grunt...who's [[AnticlimaxBoss vulnerable to stealth finishers]].
** Inverted with other early-game captains, who are so vulnerable and/or easily shaken that there's not much separating them from grunts other than a few special abilities.
* ButtMonkey:
** An Uruk who gets killed by Talion repeatedly will usually come back with horrific wounds, referring to how much pain they have to constantly suffer through. An Uruk who has been killed multiple times ''and'' has an easily-exploitable fear on top of that? They suddenly become an utter joke.
** Similarly, an Uruk who's repeatedly ''shamed'' by Talion will get more and more pathetic, and whine all of the other orcs mock him. It can get subverted if the Uruk becomes "Unashamed", which grants him Iron Will and a more heroic attitude, or becomes a Maniac, meaning they're now a gibbering lunatic... who's at least 20 levels ''higher'' than Talion.
* CameBackStrong: Any Uruk that undergoes an UnexplainedRecovery comes back with a few extra levels in power, meaning they're (theoretically) stronger than before. Uruks who are Shamed into becoming Maniacs will leap beyond level 60, regardless of their level.
* CameBackWrong: This can happen in some of the ways that Uruks cheat death, frequently in different flavors of BodyHorror. For instance, an Uruk that was severely mutilated by Talion, such as losing most of their limbs, can return with the "Machine" tag, becoming the closest thing the setting has to a HollywoodCyborg, while another is the "Poisoned" or "Blighted" tag. An Uruk you kill with poison has a chance to come back covered in leaking sores and boils, [[FacialHorror with half of their face melted]]. Also, see OurZombiesAreDifferent below.
* CaptainObvious: Quite literally -- one Orc Captain is labeled "[[https://youtu.be/thQzR7bgvg0 The Obvious]]".
* CastOfSnowflakes: All Uruks are randomly generated with different looks, personalities and traits.
* TheCatCameBack: Some of these captains can have skills called Tracker, Sneaky, and Ambusher. Any combination of these traits makes a captain who will appear out of nowhere, no matter the time or the place, and will never stop chasing you. Teleport to the other side of the map? They're already there. Hide on top of a tower? They're waiting for you to come down. Bonus points if the captain gets the Unkillable title and takes a lot of effort to kill permanently.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: While some Uruks are AxCrazy, others are just... nuts, exclaiming things like "beetles don't like peoples" or referring to Talion as "Buttons!"
** Minstrel Uruks are ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, coming into battle with [[ImprovisedWeapon weaponized lutes]] and singing in verse to describe your doom. They are no less powerful than any other Uruk captain despite their silly nature, and can kill Talion just as dead as any other Uruk.
* CombatSadomasochist: There are Uruks who speak in perverted innuendos, talk to Talion like they're planning to have their way with him afterwards, treat their wounds like a result of a lovers' spat, and introduce themselves while posing in suggestive flourishes. It's exactly as ''disturbing'' and '''wrong''' as you think it is.
* CoolHelmet: Many Uruks sport an array of headwear, ranging from ornate metal helmets to [[NemeanSkinning caragor heads]] to [[CoolMask ninja-like masks]] to small head-mounted braziers.
* CursedWithAwesome: In ''Shadow of War'', some captains are equipped with Cursed weaponry, which drains Talion's Wrath and Focus and temporarily replaces the minimap with the Eye of Sauron.
* DeathSeeker: Some Captains are relieved when Talion slays them. This happens chiefly with old Uruks.
* DecapitationRequired: The only reliable way to avert an UnexplainedRecovery is to lop the Uruk's head off. {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''Shadow of War'', they can come back as Frankensteins ''with their heads stitched back on'', or as undead.
* DefiantToTheEnd: Certain Uruks will express an ICanStillFight mentality when they reach the prone "brand or kill" stage.
* DegradedBoss: Arguably {{averted|Trope}} and even {{inverted|Trope}} with regards to Warchiefs in ''Shadow of War''; while they're no longer the regional top dogs due to the introduction of fortresses and their Overlords, they actually serve a story purpose now, as each Warchief is assigned to guard a specific sector of the fort in the event of a siege. (This also serves as an InUniverse [[JustifiedTrope justification]] for Warchiefs' absence from the open world.) You're still required to play a mini-mission to draw them out, or you can encounter them all during a siege. Also, infiltrating a follower as a Warchief weakens the fort's defenses.
** Played straight with nemeses in general, however. At the start of ''Shadow of Mordor'', taking on an Uruk of NominalImportance and a health bar is a bit of an intimidating prospect. At the end of the game, taking on five at once barely registers as a challenge.
* DirtyCoward: Uruks with titles like "The Coward", "The Fearful", "Who Flees", etc. have numerous fears and will retreat at the drop of a hat.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: An Uruk Captain may mutter after killing Talion, "There. Maybe now my Uruks will do what I tell them to."
* EliteMook: Low-level captains can feel like these, as they're not much more difficult to defeat than your average grunt. However, they can gain strengths and/or lose weaknesses as they level up, potentially turning them into true [[BossBattle Boss Battles]]. Taken UpToEleven if they manage to become a Warchief, and taken UpToEleven ''again'' in ''Shadow of War'' if they manage to become the region's Overlord.
** In ''Shadow of War'', captains can have Elite Gangs that are this trope played straight. Elite gang members inherit their boss's immunities, elemental weaponry, and certain other traits; for example, an Olog captain with [[FireBreathingWeapon Fire Thrower]] and a gang of elite Ologs gives his gang Fire Throwers as well.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Once you defeat The Tower, one of the Uruk's idle dialogue is about how much of a cruel bastard he was and that they're glad he's dead. [[SubvertedTrope Although, they could just be talking about how cruel he was to]] [[MoralMyopia THEM, and not care about his cruelty to others.]]
* EvilKnockoff: ''Shadow of War'' has Orcs who fashion themselves "The Tower" and wear armor just like The Tower from the first game. Taken UpToEleven with Outlaw Defenders named the Pretender, who also wear armor similar to that of the Tower but do not speak with his voice.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: A ''very'' small number of Captains and Warchiefs will take their defeat this way, one of them even ''thanking you'' for granting him "a good death".
-->'''Uruk''' : [[DidntSeeThatComing Didn't see this coming.]] No matter. Just finish it.\\
'''Uruk''' : Good brawl in front of a cheering crowd? Can't think of a better way to go.\\
'''Uruk:''' A good death, in Sauron's name. Thank you, Ranger.
* FacialHorror: Orcs whom Talion has killed might come back wearing a sack or metal plating to cover this... but others don't. Captains who return from poisoning in ''Shadow of War'' can have molten faces.
* AFatherToHisMen: Some Uruks can somewhat be seen as this, especially those who become enraged if their bodyguards are attacked when they take the field. Though it could be down to their BlueAndOrangeMorality.
* FlamingSword: And other weapons as well. Some Uruks wield armaments that are on fire, which increases the damage they do.
* FlunkyBoss: Some Uruks have traits that cause gangs of {{Mooks}} to form around them, while others have EnemySummoner abilities that turn them into this. This is without going into their general tendency to hang around other, unaffiliated Uruks.
* FriendlyEnemy: The occasional Uruk Captain will say how happy they are to see you, give you compliments or invite you to join in on the hunt/party you found them in. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation It doesn't stop them from attacking you, though.]]
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Can potentially happen if a rank-and-file orc gets a lucky kill on Talion to become a captain, and survives long enough to get promoted to be a Warchief or even the Overlord of his native region.
** And just as easily {{subverted|Trope}} if they happen to possess an easily-exploitable weakness that stays with them through the promotion(s), turning them from a nobody to a...somebody who still really isn't a nightmare.
* GangUpOnTheHuman: Literally. If Talion interupts a conflict between two Uruks, they'll both drop the issue until one of them (or Tallion) is dead or flees. Some of them even lampshade the fact, telling Tallion he should have waited until the duel was over to strike. Amusingly, if they're far away enough from Talion, the other minions and Captains will resume attacking each other anyway.
* GeniusBruiser: Even the most brutish Uruks and Olog-hai have the chance of being quite eloquent when speaking to Talion.
* GenuineHumanHide: Captains known as "The Skinner" and "The Tailor" make it very clear that they want to turn Talion's skin into clothing.
* GetBackHereBoss: Terrified or outmatched Uruks will flee from the battle, mechanically becoming one of these. Uruks with "Fear of the Gravewalker" are especially strong examples, as they'll leg it the moment they see Talion.
* HairTriggerTemper: Some Uruks have the rage trigger Enraged by Everything, which causes them to get Enraged at random.
** Uruks that have a lot of different rage triggers are arguably worse in that respect; you can easily find yourself in a situation where the Uruk in question will get enraged no matter ''how'' you choose to fight them.
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: A cleaved orc can still come back with his lower half being stapled.
* HeelFaceBrainwashing: Later on in the games, the Wraith gains the ability to brand orcs, turning them and all those who follow them to his side.
* HeroKiller: In ''Shadow of War'', rank-and-file Uruks who manage to kill Talion will sometimes declare themselves "Tark-Slayer" and gain that as their sobriquet.
** Other orcs style themselves as the Ranger-Killer, and they back it up by using a Ranger sword as their weapon.
** Nemeses that survive multiple encounters with Talion tend to be this, since the only way to do that consistently is to beat him down every time he shows up.
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: The result of shaming a captain down to level 1, They loose their titles and no longer have Mooks. The only thing seperating them from regular Uruks being dialogue and unique appearance.
* HulkSpeak: Some orcs talk like this, and it's much more common among Olog-hai.
* ILoveTheDead: Some orcs mention during duels that they'll keep their enemy's corpse for play time.
* InstrumentOfMurder: In ''Shadow of War'', Uruk bards and minstrels will wield lutes with axe-blades attached as weapons.
* KingMook: Each class of Uruk promoted to the nemesis lineup keeps their associated equipment. Combine this with the '[[FlunkyBoss Gang Leader]]' trait, and you can end up with a Defender Captain surrounded by a squad of regular Defenders.
* TheKlutz: Uruks with the Clumsy trait can be grabbed (or mounted, in the case of Olog-hai) without needing to be weakened first.
* LaughingMad: Some Uruk have no dialogue but a creepy laugh, even when at Talion's mercy.
* LegacyCharacter: One of the Uruks in ''Shadow of War'' is "The Tower". An orc who put on The Tower's armor after Talion killed him, and now fancies himself as the Tower.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Defenders carry large shields that block frontal assaults. While grunt defenders' shields can be broken, captains' shields are unbreakable.
* MadeOfIron: There are Uruks who can take a lot of punishment.
* MadnessMantra: Deranged Uruks will suffer a CoolAndUnusualPunishment in which they forsake their former desires. Famously with [[spoiler:Brûz]], who will constantly moan, "I don't want the fort! It's his/your fort! It was always his/your fort!"
-->'''The Glutton:''' So full! No more eating! So stuffed... SO STUFFED!\\
'''The Glutton:''' Cannot eat! So full. Stomach HURTS. SO FULL!\\
'''The Glutton:''' ''(after killing Talion)'' Would eat you, but so full... so stuffed... so full...
* TheMagnificent: Every Uruk ranked captain and above has some form of sobriquet. Most pertain to a specific trait, but a few are based on profession or accomplishment.
** This is also {{inverted|Trope}}, as other orcs sport [[EmbarrassingNickname Embarrassing Nicknames]] like [[DirtyCoward the Coward]], Who Flees, the Weak, and so forth. These can become {{Ironic Nickname}}s if Talion manages to die to them a lot, as they'll gain a level up every time they beat him (or at least survive an encounter).
** In ''Shadow of War'', orcs can gain new titles based on their deeds. An Olog who kills his pit fight opponent can gain the title Pit Fighter. An orc who flees from a Nemesis Mission may become known as the Gutless.
* MilesGloriosus: Gorath from the "Spirit of Mordor" mission. When you find him, he's constantly bragging about how badass he is when hunting caragors. He's actually terrified by them, and the mission requires to release the caged caragors in the surrounding area before attacking him while he's fleeing.
* MonstrousCannibalism: You may come across an Uruk with rather... grotesque tastes in food.
* MookPromotion: Sometimes, a random grunt can become a captain, either by killing Talion or just through random events.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Some Orcs lack lips and/or cheeks, giving them unnaturally-wide fang-studded mouths. It's particularly graphic with The Tower, who is an AscendedFanboy of The Tower from ''Shadow of Mordor'' and is wearing the same shrinking armor.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: If you make an orc kill their blood brother in a duel, they will immediately turn on you afterwards.
* ThatManIsDead: A Captain who has been Shamed (and possibly killed) by Talion may return as "the Nameless One" or "the Unashamed", giving a WhatTheHellPlayer, saying he's fighting for all of the other Captains Talion has Shamed. [[ImmediateSelfContradiction The Captain will still keep his proper name, though.]]
* NamesTheSame: In ''War'', an orc can have the moniker of [[NamesTheSame Gravewalker]], his motivation for killing Talion amount to ClearMyName.
* NeckLift: Uruks with the "throat grab" ability can do this.
* NemeanSkinning: The head of a caragor is the helmet of choice for certain Uruks.
* TheNoseKnows: A skill for Nemesis uruks is Sniffer, which works almost like Tracker in that uruks use it to track Talion down. The difference is that captains with Sniffer can only notice Talion when he's somewhat near them, no matter if he's standing on a building or hiding in a bush. Fortunately, the sniffing is fairly ''loud'', warning Talion he's being tracked.
* NoSell: Different Uruks have different invulnerabilities. Three common ones are invulnerability to ranged combat (rendering any bow-related attacks useless), invulnerability to stealth takedowns (rendering a stealthy approach with the dagger useless), and Combat Master (rendering combat finishers useless).
** ''Shadow of War'', aside from introducing other immunities (such as immunities to the game's StandardStatusEffects), also introduces the Iron Will trait (the captain cannot be recruited, although he can still be dominated and possibly shamed) and the Unbreakable trait (the captain never breaks, even when Terrified, and thus can never be dominated at all).
** Interestingly, ''Shadow of War'' also introduces an [[InvertedTrope inversion]] regarding Olog-hai that is almost certainly a [[AntiFrustrationFeatures concession to gameplay]]. Grunt Ologs can only be drained if the Olog Lord upgrade for the Consume skill is active, and the hold-the-stun-button and stealth-drain methods don't work; however, Olog captains ''can'' be dominated using those methods after being broken, just like Uruk captains.
* NotWorthKilling: Orcs with the Humiliator trait won't kill Talion, and just walk away. One would think it would be a relief for players, but oddly, it usually ''pisses them off''. So, job well done, Humiliator.
** In ''Shadow of War'', Talion can [[InvertedTrope turn the tables]] by Shaming broken captains, informing them that he considers ''them'' to not be worth killing. As Shaming occurs on a supernatural, MindRape level, it has the potential to [[DrivenToMadness drive its victims insane]].
* OldSoldier: One of the personalities these greenskins can have is that of the grizzled old veteran. They usually have a title like "the Wise" or "the Old", and call Talion a "young man", often stating that the Ranger has nothing left to teach them as the years have taught them war.
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: ''Shadow of War'' introduces revenants, or undead orcs. While they retain most of their old traits, they lose their personalities, tribal affiliations, and even the ability to speak (they gargle incoherently instead). They also lose the ability to gain additional levels[[note]]Prior to the July 2018 update, they also lost five levels upon resurrection[[/note]] and gain the Flammable weakness; on the plus side, they gain increased resistance to poison and become Unbreakable, rendering them immune to domination. [[spoiler:The final Carnán quest involves Zog the Eternal raising up several captains whom Talion killed previously as revenants. In Act IV, Talion himself gains the ability to resurrect fallen followers as revenants, and they never betray him.]]
* PardonMyKlingon: Some Uruks liberally use the term "shrakh", which appears to be their word for "shit". One particular pre-duel quote functions as a ClusterFBomb for this reason:
-->"Eat shrakh and die, you shrakh-eating shrakh!"
* PoisonedWeapons: Some Uruks carry poisoned weapons that disable the button prompt for Talion to counter incoming hits and drain his health.
* RelativeButton: Some Uruks like to point out that Ioreth and Dirhael will stay dead no matter what Talion does.
** Depending on how literal the term is, the Blood Brother mechanic is this for the Uruks themselves. Kill one, and the other ''will'' come for your hide.
* {{Revenge}}:
** If an Uruk comes back after being killed by Talion, he might try to avenge his own death by killing the ranger. In ''Shadow of War'', orcs who have been Shamed by Talion will also express a desire to kill the ranger in revenge for their humiliation.
** Also in ''Shadow of War'', Orcs can have BloodBrothers who will come after you if you take one of them down. Worse yet, if the Orc in question had been recruited, he’ll turn on you.
* TheSilentBob:
** Some Uruks are TheQuietOne, only vocalizing maybe a few grows, snorts, or giggles instead of words. Yet they seem to be understood well enough when communicating with other Uruks, for example during a recruitment event:
--->'''Nemesis:''' "..."
--->'''Random Uruk:''' "I'd rather die!"
** In ''Shadow of War'', some Orcs will call out to Talion only to silently glare at him and have a random background Orc speak on their behalf.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: Those with the Tracker trait, naturally, will be able to follow your trail until they find you. They can keep tracking you even if you leave the ground and go over a building[[note]]They're tracking the white line that Talion leaves behind him, seen on the mini map[[/note]]. They'll even boast that they've been following the Ranger's trail all over Mordor when they find him.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Some Uruks will attempt to retreat when they find themselves outmatched. If you exploit a Fear (Terror in ''Shadow of War''), they'll start running for the hills in a blind panic.
* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: Some Uruks adorn themselves in the bones of animals, ranging from a ribcage cuirass to using a goat-like skull as a helmet.
* SingleIssueWonk: Ologs with the title "Dwarf-Hater" will ''only speak'' about how much they despise Dwarves. They hate Talion because he's friends with a Dwarf. They compare his fighting to a Dwarf's. ''Every one of their lines'' brings up Dwarves. Talion hits them? He hits like a dwarf. He dodges? He's a coward like a dwarf, etc. They often drop this habit after being branded, however.
* SmarterThanYouLook: Ologs might look more monstrous than their Uruk allies, but they're no less intelligent. For example, you might run into an Olog Captain titled "the Bore" who drones on and on about his and Talion's motives for fighting and compares them to those of other soldiers throughout history.
** There's even a [[EnemyChatter conversation between mooks]] where an Uruk laments that the Ologs aren't any dumber despite being huger and stronger than Uruks.
* SophisticatedAsHell: As [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] pointed out, Orcs and Ologs seem to have quite the education, since they throw around terms like "metaphor" around while making grisly threats.
* SpeakOfTheDevil: In ''War'', sometimes Talion's actions will attract a related Captain. For example, slice off the limbs of a Captain when killing him, an Uruk named "The Mutilator" will pop up to critique Talion's work before attacking. Explode a campfire to cause spiders to erupt from it, and a Captain named "The Spider" will be upset at you for defiling Shelob before attacking. Blow up a stash of grog barrels and an Olog known as "The Grog Brewer" will angrily shout at Talion for destroying his work before attacking.
* SpikesOfVillainy: Rather common attire for captains, especially higher-ranking ones.
* TheStarscream: [[AvertedTrope Actually, no.]] Uruks will sometimes [[KlingonPromotion challenge each other in duels, climbing through the ranks that way,]] but there's never a clear indication that the superior officer they've targeted is ''their'' superior.
** Bodyguards can be made to turn on their Warchiefs, but don't do so on their own. Furthermore, it's [[ImpliedTrope suggested]] that this behavior is still commonplace among the Uruk, as the Warchiefs are more annoyed than surprised by the riots.
** Played completely straight in ''War'', though; an Uruk or Olog with a higher level than Talion can break free of his control and immediätely turn on him. There are other ways to trigger a betrayal, but this one plays the trope the most straight.
* SuddenlyVoiced: In the last mission of the game, your nemesis shows up guarding the gate in a last-ditch effort to stop you. He gives a speech to his warriors and attacks. Yes, this even applies to the aforementioned mute captains.
-->'''Nemesis:''' "Burn... Maim! Kill them all!"
* TeleportingKeycardSquad: Captains with the Ambusher trait love to appear apropos of nothing the second you finish doing something else, no matter how mundane it is.
* TerseTalker: Uruks with the epithet "One-Word" generally [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin only say one word at a time]].
* ThrowTheMookAtThem: Ologs can pull this off, snatching up a hapless uruk to chuck at Talion as a crude ranged attack. They're not particularly picky about whose side their improvised projectile is on, either.
* TinTyrant: A common form of attire for Uruk warchiefs is intimidating armor.
* TookALevelInBadass: Orcs that return from the dead are usually a bit more powerful. Exploiting their fears in ''War'' has a chance of improving them, as shamed orcs might take the punishment in pride and captains who ran away from Morgai flies can turn into a walking hive.
* TurnsRed: Invoked by any Nemesis with the "Hate of Defeat" strength, they will become enraged on low health.
* UnexplainedRecovery: Some Uruk captains can come back after being apparently killed, albeit with some form of wounds. If it happens to the same uruk more than once, their bio changes to how they fear that they have become cursed by Talion. A JustifiedTrope, as the canon shows that Uruk medicine is ''very'' good, albeit also HarmfulHealing.
* UnfortunateNames: There are Uruks named "Dûsh" and "Kâka." To a lesser extent, "Barfa"[[note]]as it's pronounced "bar-fa" rather than "barf-a"[[/note]], "Bagga" and names that have "dûsh" as a syllable (like "Feldûsh", "Azdûsh", and "Dûshrat"). One of the many [[TheMagnificent titles]] that an Uruk can get is "Bag-Head", which can result in a Captain being named [[EmbarrassingNickname Dûsh Bag-Head]]. ''Shadow of War'' also adds "Shag" and "Fûbar" to the list of names.
* TheUnfought: Because Uruk society is so volatile, in addition to Mordor's violent wildlife, it's not uncommon for a captain you've never fought (or even met) to be killed by a third party.
* TheUnintelligible: Some Uruks "speak" in little more than growls and snarls, but [[IntelligibleUnintelligible other Uruks seem to understand them just fine]]. Shamed Uruks can lose their ability to speak when they go deranged.
** There's also Uruks with the "Unintelligible" title, who speak with a thick Scottish accent and at a breakneck pace. [[EvenTheSubtitlerIsStumped Certain parts of their dialogue show up in the subtitles as just "(???)".]]
* VillainousBreakdown: Uruk Nemeses who are Shamed in ''Shadow of War'' have a chance of becoming Deranged as a side-effect. This ranges from being driven mad to ending up outright lobotomized. Deranged Uruks and Ologs immediately counter the loss in Power Level from Shaming by [[PowerBornOfMadness instantly gaining a whole new swath of combat bonuses]] [[PowerOfHate and rage triggers.]] It's also possible to have them become Maniacs instead, which boosts their level instead of decreasing it. Averted in the case of a few Uruks who become Unashamed, boasting about their shaming as a mark of pride and taunting Talion about it.
* VillainousCrush: Unfortunately, this is actually an attitude some captains can have in regards to Talion. It's a messed-up ball of [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence lust and maybe love]], where the Uruk seesaws between all but stating they'll be taking their prize from Talion's (currently) dead body, to nearly romantic last requests before they die. Uruk romance is very dysfunctional. In Shadow of War, Orcs with "the Obssessed" takes it a step further as their first line if they kill you is how lovely your corpse is.
* VillainousGlutton: There are captains who really love their food. They might complain about being hungry, wonder about their next meal, or even consider eating Talion after killing him.
* TheVoiceless: Some Uruks don't actually speak and instead communicate with chomps, grunts, and shrieks.
* WhatTheHellHero: Rarely, you can run into a Captain who states they're trying to protect their fellow Uruks from the Gravewalker, or calling Talion out for being a butcher with their dying breath.
** One humorous example will occur [[spoiler:after Sauron and Celebrimbor have been fused]], with the occasional Uruk complaining to Talion it's all ''his'' fault there's a gigantic eye staring down on Mordor and invading everyone's privacy.
* WolfpackBoss: Getting noticed in a stronghold tends to result in multiple nemeses ganging up on Tallion. Some even have special dialogue when this happens, snarking that their arrival is unfortunate for the ranger.
** Warchief fights are like this by default, as they bring their bodyguards with them wherever they go. However, the player can confront the bodyguards individually before taking on the warchief, subverting the trope. [[ZigzaggedTrope Then again, warchiefs tend to fight in strongholds, and being careless there can attract the attention of completely unrelated nemeses...]]
* WorthyOpponent: Some Uruks will tell Talion what a worthy opponent he is at the beginning or at the end of a fight. Best exemplified with these 3 possible quotes your Nemesis will give you in the Arena fight.
-->'''Nemesis''' : "We've been at this for a long time, you and I, going all the way back to Udun. And in all that time I've realised two things. A Man like you deserve a proper challenge. And what you don't deserve is a quick death."
-->'''Nemesis''' : "Here we are again. Last time we mixed it up was a good while back, and a long way from here. But this is the place you've chosen to meet your end. And me? I respect that."
-->'''Nemesis''' : "Been a long time, Ranger. Last time I bloodied you was back in Udun, yeah? Well, this seems as good a place as any to end you good and proper. Come on, let's give the crowd a good show!"
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Some Uruks might also have a specific crippling fear, such as fire or certain animals, that will cause them to run for it and be vulnerable to grabs when triggered.
* WhyWontYouDie: A captain who manages to kill Talion repeatedly will actually start getting annoyed at the Ranger coming back. It can get to the point where they complain at having to put down an unkillable wraith every day.
** {{Inverted|Trope}} with other captains, who eagerly ''look forward'' to Talion's resurrection so they can kill him again; their GameOverMan speeches basically amount to, "See you soon!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Orc Tribes]]
!!Orc Tribes
Introduced in ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfWar'', Uruk and Olog society is divided into a number of tribes unified under the rule of Sauron the Dark Lord. Each tribe possesses its own customs, regalia and behavior, and the native tribe of an uruk officer can drastically affect his strengths, weaknesses and abilities. Additionally, overlords customize their fortresses and outposts based on their tribe's aesthetics and specialties, and even the region's sky is affected by its overlord's tribal affiliation. There are nine tribes, the latter two of which are available as [=DLC=]: the [[DarkIsEvil Dark Tribe]], the [[TheBeastmaster Feral Tribe]], the [[IndustrializedEvil Machine Tribe]], the [[BlingOfWar Marauder Tribe]], the [[MagicKnight Mystic Tribe]], the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Terror Tribe]], the [[ProudWarriorRace Warmonger Tribe]], the Slaughter Tribe, and the Outlaw Tribe.
----
* AnimalMotif: About half of the Feral tribe are either named after some kind of beast, or wear armor styled after or made of a beast. Examples include Orcs and Ologs with titles like "The Dragon", "Of The Beasts", "Caragor-Fang", or "The Rat Lord".
** Some Mystic Tribe Uruks have a bird theme to their names and attire, with epithets such as [[RavensAndCrows "The Raven" or "The Crow"]] or [[FeatheredFiend "Hell-Hawk"]], armor that includes a helm with an extended, tapering visor that comes to a beak-like point over the nose, and a collar covered in black and dark red feathers.
* AxCrazy: The Slaughter Tribe is basically the SerialKiller tribe, with a blood-and-entrails motif to their Forts.
* BadassCreed:
-->'''Terror Tribe:''' This fort is [[DeadGuyOnDisplay a monument]] to the enemies of Sauron!\\
'''Machine Tribe:''' You aren't the enemy! You're '''grist'''... for the '''''Machine'''''!\\
'''Marauder Tribe:''' Grog. Guts. Glory.\\
'''Dark Tribe:''' [[Film/ArmyOfDarkness We will swallow your souls!]]\\
'''Feral Tribe:''' Tear down our banners if you ''can''! [[DecapitationPresentation We will replace them with your]] ''[[DecapitationPresentation head]]''!\\
'''Mystic Tribe:''' ''[[ContinuityNod Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul...]]''\\
'''Warmonger Tribe:''' We bring Fury. We bring Doom. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis We. Bring. War]].\\
'''Slaughter Tribe:''' Tenderize the '''''meat'''''![[note]]Slice. Dice. Feast.[[/note]]\\
'''Outlaw Tribe:''' Mordor belongs to the '''Outlaw'''!
* BlingOfWar: The Marauder Tribe, of course. Their promotional trailer even parodies rap videos.
* BloodIsTheNewBlack: Slaughter Tribe orcs smear blood all over their bodies, clothes, armor, and structures. In a livestream, the devs even pointed out that it was ''fresh human blood'', since it's red (orcs bleed black).
* BrightIsNotGood: The Marauder Tribe is fond of ornate gold decorations, with pristine fortresses of white stone and even more gold under sunny blue skies. Needless to say, they're still [[AlwaysChaoticEvil uruks]], and WordOfGod says all of their swag comes from invading other lands.
* CloudCuckooLander: A good chunk of the Mystic Tribe are just raving lunatic.
* ColdBloodedTorture: The Terror Tribe are mentioned to frequently indulge in torturing their enemies, with most of the second half of their pre-fortress battle speeches mentioning how they plan on torturing the survivors once they win.
* DeadGuyOnDisplay: Terror Tribe fortresses prominently feature the corpses of [[OurTrollsAreDifferent graugs]] strung up over the gates and towers.
* DecapitationPresentation: Slaughter Tribe Overlords decorate their forts by cutting off the heads of the Ologs, Caragors, and Graugs they butcher and tying or skewering them onto the sides of their towers and walls.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Orcs of all kinds love the slaughter, but Talion using a Brutalize seems excessive from their point of view, since orcs tend to run away terrified after witnessing a Brutalize.
* TheExile: The Outlaw Tribe have been effectively shunned by the other Tribes.
* FantasticRacism: The Outlaw Tribe is effectively the Mordor equivalent of a US militia group.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: The two DownloadableContent tribes, the Slaughter and Outlaw tribes, are implied to be this. Upon instillation, several missions will appear that show orcs in the region rallying together to fight off a group of Slaughter/Outlaw captains. Considering the Slaughter Tribe's status as [[SerialKiller Serial Killers]], and the Outlaws' FantasticRacism, it's not too hard to believe.
* ImAHumanitarian: The Slaughter Tribe are turning out not only to be man-eaters, but cannibals. Whether you are Man, Dwarf, or even Orc, enemy meat is meat to them.
* IndustrializedEvil: A Machine Tribe Overlord peppers his territory with smokestacks and furnaces, and Machine fortresses are full of pipes, grates and other industrial decorations.
* MalevolentMaskedMen: A few tribes have some intimidating helmet designs as part of their standard equipment.
** The Mystics are fond of skull-like masks.
** The Outlaws have full head helmets made from fossilized bone and rusty metal.
** Some Slaughter Tribe captains have masks made from their victims' flesh.
* NationalWeapon: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. Each Tribe has an associated sidearm that every Nemesis officer (except Ologs) carries on their belts that they can use as a special attack/execution option in some circumstances.
** AutomaticCrossbows: Marauder Captains have a [[GunsAkimbo pair of repeating hand-crossbows]] for a rapid-fire mid-ranged attack.
** ChainPain: Terror Captains have dual bladed-chains they swing like whips.
** DualWielding: Dark Captains have a pair of black-dyed, deeply curved daggers, while Slaughter Captains wield a pair of intimidating meat cleavers.
** GrapplingHookPistol: Machine Captains have a throwable hook on a chain, which they'll use [[YouWillNotEvadeMe to grab Talion and pull him close]].
** EpicFlail: Outlaw Captains uses bolos with flail heads to ensnare their enemies.
** KnifeNut: Mystic Captains have large, intricately patterned sacrificial dirks, which have an enchantment that lets them [[FlashStep blink up to opponents]].
** Similarly, Slaughter Captains are armed with Meat cleavers that they will quickly hurl at their enemies to deal bleeding damage.
** TrickedOutGloves: Warmonger Captains have special spiked vambraces that can [[GrappleMove catch and trap Talion's sword strikes.]]
** WolverineClaws: Feral Captains have retractable wrist-blades.
* {{Necromancer}}: While Captains of all tribes are capable of performing necromancy, the Mystic tribe specializes in it. Mystic Fortresses typically have several necromancy totems scattered around, raising dead orcs to fight again.
* NightmarishFactory: The trappings of a fort controlled by the Machine Tribe.
* OneHitKill: A variation. As with Assassins (see Orc Advanced Classes below), certain Dark and Terror tribe members[[note]]Dark tribe orcs with the Black-Heart title, or Terror tribe orcs with the Cruel or Merciless titles[[/note]] possess the No Chance skill, which means they can immediately kill Talion the moment he's been downed, with no opportunity for a recovery unless something interrupts the killer (getting locked in another animation, or an allied captain swooping in for a BigDamnHeroes moment).
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Warmonger Tribe, according to WordOfGod. They were designed with Samurai and Vikings in mind. They're less into grog and more into weaponry and tactics.
* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: The Mystic Tribe wear armor and masks evocative of bones and skulls, and a Mystic Overlord's territory and fortress is covered in chilling skeletal idols.
** The Feral Tribe and some Beastmasters also get in on this, with the dirtied, and in some cases partially-fossilized, remains of the quarry being outfitted by them as armor.
** Outlaw tribe armor is typically made of half fossilized bone and half metal scraps.
* TortureTechnician: The Terror Tribe's schtick.
* VillainSong: The soundtrack includes a song called "Tribe Song Medley" where each tribe takes a turn singing a song about themselves. They are as follows:
** The Marauder Tribe sing about how good their plundering life is.
** The Dark Tribe sing about their way of life and being denied whatever afterlife awaits the other orcs.
** The Machine Tribe sings an anthem-like song about Mordor.
** The Terror Tribe sings about (what else?) torturing people.
** The Warmonger Tribe sing a song about an encounter with a Gondorian.
** The Mystic Tribe sing about how they plan on plunging the world into darkness.
** Finally, the Feral Tribe sing about their beasts.
* UndyingLoyalty: Though all Orcs are first and foremost followers of Sauron, the members of the Dark Tribe are described as some of his most fanatical followers, constructing statues to the Dark Lord in their fortresses. They're most likely to have the Iron Will trait, making them largely unrecruitable -- and also the most likely to betray Talion regardless of his treatment of them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Orc Advanced Classes]]
!!Orc Advanced Classes

In addition to the tribes, orcs in ''Shadow Of War'' always belong to a specific advanced class, which determines their skills. There are ten advanced classes: Assassins, [[TheBeastmaster Beastmasters]], [[TheBerserker Berserkers]], Commanders, [[MadBomber Destroyers]], Marksmen, Slayers, Tanks, [[ScarilyCompetentTracker Trackers]], and Tricksters.
----
* AnimalMotif: Several Beastmasters have titles based on the animals they summon or care for, like "The Dragon" or "Of The Spiders".
* AnnoyingArrows: Very, ''very'' much {{averted|Trope}} when it comes to Marksmen.
* TheBeastmaster: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Guess who.]] Beastmasters often lead [[FlunkyBoss packs of caragors]], and they can heal them or summon replacements during battle. Also, beasts don't attack Beastmasters by default. As of the Desolation of Mordor update in May 2018, all Beastmasters have the Caragor Tamer trait that converts enemy caragors to friendlies.
* ColdSniper: As of the Blade of Galadriel update in February 2018, all Marksmen have the Sniper Shot trait, which allows them to pull off extremely accurate shots from extreme distances -- they can even damage Talion mid-somersault.
** Naturally, a bit of HeelFaceBrainwashing can turn them into [[FriendlySniper Friendly Snipers]].
* CompellingVoice: The Caragor Tamer trait possessed by Beastmasters causes them to utter a roar that turns nearby caragors to their side.
* ConfusionFu: A staple of orcs with the Agile trait, namely Assassins and Tricksters. Aside from being able to dodge any and all of Talion's sword strikes, they tend to slide all over the place and even vault over him. Tricksters take it UpToEleven, with their [[SmokeOut smoke bombs]] facilitating short-range TeleportSpam and possibly even stunning the enemy as well.
* FlunkyBoss: Commanders specialize in this. They are surrounded by mooks, and those mooks can plant a flag that boosts everyone's attack speed and power when it's nearby. They also tend to summon replacement mooks using a horn.
** Beastmasters are similarly capable of summoning caragors, and most come with caragor (or [[UpToEleven dire caragor]]) packs. Some Beastmasters can summon other types of beasts, from [[SpidersAreScary spiders]] to [[OurDragonsAreDifferent drakes]].
* GetBackHereBoss: Tricksters, who dodge Talion's attacks like Assassins, have a chance of escaping a QuickTimeEvent execution, and drop bombs while fleeing. Sometimes, if you follow a retreating Trickster long enough, he might taunt Talion before disappearing with the help of a [[SmokeOut smoke bomb]]; alternatively, he might reveal that he [[LuredIntoATrap lured Talion into an ambush]].
* HairTriggerTemper: Berserkers tend to have a long list of hate triggers. Sometimes, Enraged by Everything will be just ''one'' of those triggers.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard:
** Destroyers lay [[LandMineGoesClick mines]], which are plainly visible (even when not in the Wraith World) and can be shot to manually detonate them, enabling you to turn them on the captain or his allies. You can also run over the mine and then somersault away before it explodes.
** Trackers lay traps during combat, which can similarly be shot to trap the trapper or his allies. This is especially useful for getting behind the captain to attack him from the rear, since Trackers NoSell attempts to vault over them. Notably, the captain stands over his trap as he's laying it, so players who are quick on the draw can make him regret laying that trap almost as soon as it hits the ground.
** Taken UpToEleven due to certain advanced class traits not playing well with certain weaknesses. The right combinations can go into SelfDisposingVillain territory:
*** The Quivering Wreck weakness causes a captain to panic when a nearby orc -- allied or enemy -- becomes Enraged. This makes it one of the worst weaknesses for a Commander to have, since Commanders typically summon banner-carriers whose banners enrage all nearby allies...
*** Captains who are Terrified of Betrayal will flee the second Talion dominates ''anyone'' -- including worms and beasts. This is bad enough since Talion can stealth-dominate worms at any time, but Beastmasters really take it UpToEleven, since they can summon caragors at will and most of them lead packs of caragors. Combined with the Caragor Breaker skill upgrade (which enables Talion to Shadow Mount unbroken caragors)...
*** Destroyers tend to throw bombs all over the place, and those bombs can possess elemental traits. It's not uncommon for a destroyer to get set on fire or poisoned by one of his own bombs, which normally isn't that big of a deal -- unless they're mortally vulnerable to that element.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Marksmen typically possess the Quick Shot trait (which enables them to shoot three bolts in rapid succession), and their champion epic trait is Epic Quick Shot, which enables them to [[{{Multishot}} shoot multiple targets at the same time]]. Also, see ColdSniper above.
* InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals: Tricksters often possess the Decoys trait, which spawns multiple identical copies of the captain, complete with identical voices and [[InterfaceScrew captain circles at their feet]]; the Wraith World can easily distinguish the real captain (or just fight them, since the decoys are significantly more fragile than the real deal).
-->'''Captain(?) 1''': You wanna stare death in the face? Just look at me!\\
'''Captain(?) 2''': Or me!\\
'''Captain(?) 3''': Or ''me''!
* ItOnlyWorksOnce: Slayers often possess the Fast Learner trait, which causes them to rapidly adapt to attacks and become immune to them for the duration of the fight. (Tricksters and other orcs can also have Fast Learner, but it's most commonly found in Slayers.)
* LandMineGoesClick: Destroyers (and a few other captains, like ''Blade of Galadriel'''s Ar-Kaius the Architect) litter the area around them with mines, and they can replace mines that detonate. If they possess an elemental weapon, their mines also contain that element. Notably, if you run into a Destroyer in the wild (or if you summon a Destroyer bodyguard), you'll suddenly become aware that the area is mined. Despite the games' medieval setting, mines do not detonate when run over by friendlies[[note]]you can detonate friendly mines by shooting them or running over them with a graug[[/note]], obviously a [[AntiFrustrationFeatures concession to gameplay]].
* LifeDrain: Berserker attacks heal them even as they damage their enemies.
* MadeOfIron: Tanks can take a lot of punishment, and they can get up and keep fighting after their health is depleted once.
* MultiMeleeMaster: Slayers are better at melee than other orcs. For example, they can perform small combos and adapt to Talion's moves faster than others.
* {{Multishot}}:
** Epic Throwing Knives, the Assassin champion epic trait, enables an Assassin to throw five daggers in a fan in front of him.
** Epic Quick Shot, the Marksman champion epic trait, enables a Marksman to shoot multiple targets simultaneously.
* NoSell:
** Assassins and Tricksters have the Agile trait, which (among other things) enables them to dodge virtually all of Talion's sword strikes, assuming that they aren't stunned or otherwise incapacitated. It's entirely possible to [[InvertedTrope no-sell this particular no-sell]] by [[KillItWithFire setting them on fire]] or [[HarmlessFreezing freezing them]].
** Beastmasters are almost always immune to attacks from beasts, and typically possess the Beast Slayer trait that enables them to OneHitKill them.
** Commanders apparently grant nearby grunts immunity to terror (from Brutalize, Curse, Morgai fly hives, etc.). Notably, this trait does not appear in the captain's trait lists.
** Slayers with the Slayer Counter champion epic trait take this UpToEleven, as the trait is basically an ''Anti-''Sell; not only do they block Execution attempts from the front, the counter maneuver also injures Talion. At the higher difficulty levels, this injury can be ''critical''.
** Tanks possess the Death Defying trait, which causes them to parry a QuickTimeEvent execution and return to the fray. Tricksters sometimes perform a Tricky Escape to block the killing blow and disappear. Notably, this only no-sells finishing blows involving your sword; it's fairly trivial to bypass this strength by shooting them, burning them, poisoning them, throwing them off a ledge, having allies deliver the final blow, etc.
** Trackers and Tricksters have Vault Breaker, which [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin prevents Talion from vaulting over them]]. This trait also does not appear in the captain's trait lists.
* OneHitKill: A variation. All Assassins possess the No Chance trait, which means they can immediately kill Talion the moment he's been downed, with no opportunity for a recovery unless something interrupts the Assassin (getting locked in another animation, or an allied captain swooping in for a BigDamnHeroes moment).
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: Trackers will detect Talion from a distance and rapidly zero in on his location, even if he's high above ground, in an unreachable spot or hidden in a bush. They also have a high chance of ambushing Talion, and can even follow him between zones to do this (often while complaining about how far they had to travel just to have a showdown).
* SmokeOut: A trademark of Trickster captains. Their champion epic trait is an improved version that stuns nearby enemies.
* StuffBlowingUp: Destroyers pack tons of explosive charges to throw around, and frequently have the Final Blast trait that causes them to scatter a ton of bombs upon death. Ranged Destroyers (and some other ranged captains) can gain the Explosive Shot trait that allows them to fire exploding arrows or hurl exploding spears.
** Tanks are also often equipped with stun bombs to discourage enemies from getting too close.
* TeleportSpam: Well, ''dodge'' spam. Trickster and Assassin captains can dodge your basic melee attacks, and they are good at it. Tricksters can also pull a SmokeOut to teleport away from Talion.

* Catchphrase:

-->'''Baz (on his last chance ability):''' Better me than Brûz, he is fine, all that matters.

* BigBadEnsemble: With Shelob and [[spoiler: Celebrimbor]]for ''Shadow of War''.

* BigBadEnsemble: With Shelob and [spoiler: Celebrimbor]]for ''Shadow of War''.