Key Takeaways
- Samwise Gamgee’s mental and emotional strength are as formidable as his physical strength.
- Gimli, despite being the only representation of Dwarves among the main characters, showcases exceptional combat prowess.
- Legolas, with his dexterity, skill in battle, sniper-like abilities, and charm, proves his strength in conflict.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has begun a second season on Amazon, along with the popularity and controversy it sparked with season one. The story is told using only scant bits of Tolkien lore, and the fandom for the beloved series from the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien is either fascinated or horrified by some of the modern writers’ choices.
The film trilogy by director Peter Jackson is still regarded as one of the best film trilogies of all time and did an excellent job at bringing The Lord of the Rings to audiences, so anything that comes after is going to face unforgiving scrutiny. Throughout the three films, fans witness some terrifyingly strong individuals who hold the outcome of Middle-earth at their very fingertips.
Updated on September 25, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: Between the Amazon show, new video games slated to release in the coming years, and LEGO partnering with the brand, there’s never been a better time to be a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. Fans who are also gamers can enjoy the recent updates to Lord of the Rings Online, and the D&D One universe, which began 50 years ago with inspiration from the literary trilogy, is seeing its biggest expansion and upgrade in decades. Rings of Power, meanwhile, distinguishes itself by looking into the older and darker side of Middle Earth with some daring new material. Lord of the Rings now exists in various forms of media, and each take features a variety of powerful characters. When it comes to the original trilogy, however, these characters are arguably the strongest.
14 Samwise Gamgee
Resisted The One Ring
- Appears In: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003).
Strength can be measured in a multitude of ways, but it’s hard to deny what Samwise Gamgee meant to both The Fellowship of the Ring and specifically Frodo on his journey to Mordor. Mental and emotional strength can be just as formidable as its physical embodiment.
Samwise being there for Frodo and showcasing a sense of loyalty and belief rarely seen from others in the series is a big part of them being successful and reaching their end goal. Sure, in a one-on-one fight, Samwise will lose out to almost anyone or anything standing across from him, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t strong beyond belief.
13 Gimli
Son Of Gloin And The Fellowship’s Toughest Warrior
- Appears In: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003).
Despite the Dwarves of Middle-earth being a strong and capable race, they have little to no appearance in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. That’s where Gimli, son of Gloin, comes in as the race’s sole representation among the Fellowship and other main characters.
One would think a man of his stature and build would have a tough time keeping up with the combat prowess of a man like Aragorn or an elf like Legolas, but Gimli is arguably the Fellowship of the Ring’s toughest warrior. Despite his limitations, he makes exceptional use of his power and stamina and showcases why the Dwarves stand as a real threat, which is something that gets lost on audiences when the tragedy in the Mines of Moria is revealed.
12 Legolas
The Prince Of The Wood Elves
- Appears In: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003).
Legolas may have fallen into the trope of elves being divinely attractive and ethereal on screen, but that doesn’t take away from just how dazzling and effective he is in battle. Sure, Elves have the advantage of living long lives and, in turn, accumulating tons of experience and knowledge, but it also doesn’t hurt that they tend to be extremely dextrous and skilled in moments of conflict.
He can also silently track targets thanks to his unnaturally light feet and has the sight of a sniper rifle scope. Enemies will quickly realize that Legolas’ charm and kindness shouldn’t be mistaken for weakness, as this Elf can end a dispute in a matter of seconds.
11 Aragorn
Descendent Of Numnoreans And Heir To The Throne Of Gondor
- Appears In: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003).
On the surface, Aragorn appears to be nothing more than a highly skilled fighter and survivalist, but his lineage provides a biological advantage hidden under the facade of a typical human appearance. He is a descendant of the Numenoreans, an ancient race of men that are said to live for hundreds of years.
He may appear rather young, but in all actuality, the eventual High King is 87 years old during the events of the trilogy. He ends up serving over 100 years as the king and dies at the ripe old age of 210. Many thought he was half-elf due to his tall stature and lifespan, but that’s a result of his lineage through the race of Numenoreans.
10 Gwaihir The Windlord
The King Of The Giant Eagles
- Appears In: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Return of the King (2003).
Not a day goes by that someone on the internet doesn’t make a joke about how Frodo should have ridden a Great Eagle to Mordor and simply dropped the One Ring into the volcano. The truth is that this was impossible for a variety of reasons. The first is that Sauron and his forces would have seen them coming.
These eagles are huge, and it wouldn’t make sense for the Fellowship of the Ring to risk their plan this way. Giant Eagles are much larger in the books than they are in the films, and in a way, it seems like they were always destined to be the ones to save Frodo and Samwise from the top of Mt. Doom. After this takes place, they simply leave Middle-earth.
9 The Balrog
Also Known As Durin’s Bane
- Appears In: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002).
Any novice or unknowing Lord of the Rings fan watching the film trilogy likely referred to the creature that supposedly kills Gandalf as “the Balrog.” The truth of the matter is that this particular foe is actually named Durin’s Bane. Gandalf the Grey may not be as powerful as his reincarnated White form, but the fact that this hellish beast stood toe-to-toe and came out victorious to some extent is rather impressive in its own right.
The Lord of the Rings is mostly focused on the power struggle of humanoid races of Middle-earth, so the appearance of something so unfamiliar and demonic captivated audiences and made them interested in just how capable Durin’s Bane was in a proper fighting arena.
8 The Witch-King Of Angmar
The Lord Of The Nazgul
- Appears In: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003).
The Witch-King of Angmar serves as the lord of the Nazgul. He also happens to be one of the few things in the Lord of the Rings trilogy that is visually disturbing and fear-inducing to audiences. It is said that, despite possessing plenty of power and ability, he never reached his full potential.
Fan theories suggest that the Witch-King of Angmar is one of the three noble lords of Numenor, which could explain his potential for power growth. It was ultimately his hubris (not ability) that led to his downfall at the hands of Eowyn during one of the final confrontations in the War of the Ring.
7 Eowyn
Shieldmaiden And Slayer Of The Witch-King Of Angmar
- Appears In: The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003).
“No mortal man can kill me” isn’t a prophecy that says the Witch-king can never be killed; it’s a riddle that reveals who can kill him. Eowyn is introduced in The Two Towers when Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli arrive in Edoras, the seat of King Theoden of Rohan.
Eowyn describes herself as a “shieldmaiden.” She trained with a shield and sword in a tradition that looks more Nordic than medieval European, and she disguises herself as a man when she covertly joins her uncle’s army. The way she conceals her identity from those around her makes it even more satisfying when she reveals herself to the Witch-king and utterly destroys him.
6 Treebeard
A Leader Among The Ents
- Appears In: The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003).
Sure, Treebeard takes hours to utter a simple thought, but when he and the Ents are in motion, they’re a force that is quite hard to deal with. As giant sturdy trees with the dexterity of a typical human being, they quickly dismantle Saruman’s forces and then gently return to the cover of the forests.
Treebeard is the oldest of his people, which likely means that he is the most powerful. He doesn’t take decisions lightly (or quickly, for that matter), so his attack on Isengard was a calculated maneuver. This isn’t too shabby for someone Gandalf described as “the oldest living thing still walking under the Sun on Middle-earth.”
5 Elrond
A Direct Descendent Of Beren And Luthien And The Lord of Imladris
- Appears In:The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003).
When Elrond is introduced in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, he’s mostly seen as an older consultant and isn’t displayed as a fearsome or capable Elven warrior. The truth of the matter is that most Elves who have lived for as long as he has naturally become quite powerful simply due to the skills, knowledge, and tools they pick up throughout their life.
For Elrond, his strengths lay in his ability to heal others. He didn’t obtain and maintain his position as the Lord of Rivendell by accident, as he also possesses outstanding wisdom and foresight, which grants him the ability to look beyond the moment and plan accordingly. Elrond may only be Half-Elf, but that doesn’t stop him from being powerful and formidable in his own right.
4 Saruman
The Head Of The White Council And Leader Of The Istari
- Appears In:The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002).
Saruman is a great example of how easily the One Ring can corrupt beings of all backgrounds, moral compasses, and power levels. He once led the White Council as the leader of the wizards known as the Istari. Though he served Sauron and was ultimately defeated by Gandalf the White, Saruman was a rather powerful person.
Having the ability to both breed his own Uruk-hai army in Isengard while also imprisoning Gandalf the Grey lends justification as to why Sauron was welcome to Saruman’s servitude. Corruption and greed are what ultimately led to Saruman’s downfall, a pressure and inevitability Gandalf made sure to avoid at all costs.
3 Sauron
A Former Maiar And Melkor’s Right Hand
- Appears In:The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003).
A being has to be rather powerful to no longer be able to move in a physical space but still be considered the greatest threat to an entire land. He is the titular character of the film trilogy, often being referred to as the Lord of the Rings.
In his prime, he possessed true physical power, but it was his ability to disguise and deceive that made him truly formidable. The extent of his powers is intentionally left vague, which allows the reader to build an embodiment of what he’s capable of, which can be perceived as insurmountable.
2 Galadriel
The Lady Of Lothlorien And A Member Of The Royal Family Of Valinor
- Appears In: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Return of the King (2003).
Galadriel is considered one of the greatest and most powerful Elves residing in Middle-earth. In addition to possessing one of the three Great Rings gifted to the Elves, she was imbued with tremendous magical ability learned from her friends in the Kingdom of Gil-galad.
Galadriel appears prominently in The Fellowship of the Ring and only makes a few brief appearances in the final chapter of the trilogy, at the end of The Return of the King. Elves grow more powerful and intelligent with age, and this is true of Galadriel, a being who managed to experience all that life has to offer.
1 Gandalf
One Of The Maiar And Second Only To Saruman At The White Council
- Appears In:The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003).
Gandalf is presented as a powerful wizard in the films, but when looking at the deep lore of The Lord of the Rings, it becomes exponentially more overwhelming. He comes from the Maiar, who function as ancient spirits of a sort. During the Third Age, he was sent to Middle-Earth in hopes of staving off Sauron.
Audiences get to see his growth as he returns as Gandalf the White, following his battle with a Balrog near the exit of the Mines of Moria. Gandalf plays a large part in Frodo’s successful journey in destroying the Ring, and the more that’s told about the powerful wizard, the more it’s understood he is untouchable by most other living things on Middle-earth.
