The following is a list of notable characters from

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was ...

's Middle-earth legendarium. The list is for characters from Tolkien's writings only.

A

* Aragorn:Son of Arathorn, descendant of Isildur who was a principal figure in both the Fellowship of the Ring and the

War of the Ring ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...

. Became king over the reunited kingdoms of

Gondor Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Man (Middle-earth), Men in the west of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age. The third volume of ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Return of the ...

and Arnor. * Arwen: Daughter of Elrond

Half-elven A half-elf is a mythological or fictional being, the offspring of an immortal elf and a mortal human. They are often depicted as very beautiful and endowed with magical powers; they may be presented as torn between the two worlds that they inhab ...

and Celebrían, marries Aragorn at the end of the War of the Ring and becomes queen of the reunited kingdoms of

and Arnor.

B

* Balin: Dwarf companion of Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit. Slain during an attempt to retake Moria. *

Bard the Bowman Bard the Bowman is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Hobbit''. A Man of Laketown and a descendant of the ancient Lords of Dale, Bard manages to kill Smaug, the dragon, after which he becomes king of Dale. Tolkien created the character specifi ...

: Man of

Esgaroth Esgaroth, or Lake-town, is a fictional community of Men upon the Long Lake that appears in the 1937 novel ''The Hobbit'' by J. R. R. Tolkien. Constructed entirely of wood and standing upon wooden pillars sunk into the lake-bed, the town is south ...

who slew

Smaug Smaug () is a dragon and the main antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel ''The Hobbit'', his treasure and the mountain he lives in being the goal of the quest. Powerful and fearsome, he invaded the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor 150 years prior ...

the dragon. * Beorn:

Skin-changer In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...

who resides in the region of

Mirkwood Mirkwood is a name used for a great dark fictional forest in novels by Sir Walter Scott and William Morris in the 19th century, and by J. R. R. Tolkien in the 20th century. The critic Tom Shippey explains that the name evoked the excitement of t ...

and takes the form of a great bear. * Bilbo Baggins: A hobbit adventurer. Discovered the

One Ring The One Ring, also called the Ruling Ring and Isildur's Bane, is a central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' (1954–55). It first appeared in the earlier story ''The Hobbit'' (1937) as a magic ring that grants the w ...

after its loss by Gollum. *

Boromir Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of ''The Lord of the Rings'' (''The Fellowship of the Ring'' and ''The Two Towers''), and is mentioned in the last volume, ''The Return of ...

: Member of the Fellowship of the Ring, son and heir to Denethor II of Gondor. Slain by

Uruk-hai An Orc (or Ork) is a fictional humanoid monster like a goblin. Orcs were brought into modern usage by the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially ''The Lord of the Rings''. In Tolkien's works, Orcs are a brutish, aggressive, ugly, ...

at Amon Hen.

C

* Celeborn: Lord of Lothlórien, and the husband of Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood. He fought during the War of the Ring defending Lothlórien. Celeborn went to the Grey Havens and sailed for the Undying Lands at the Fourth Age. * Celebrimbor:

Noldorin Sindarin is one of the fictional languages devised by J. R. R. Tolkien for use in his fantasy stories set in Arda, primarily in Middle-earth. Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the Elves. The word is a Quenya word. Called in En ...

smith and grandson of

Fëanor Fëanor () is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Silmarillion''. He was the eldest son of Finwë, the King of the Noldor, and his first wife Míriel. As a great loremaster and creator, he improved the Sarati alphabet, inventing T ...

, who led the creation of all but one of the twenty

Rings of Power The Rings of Power are magical artefacts in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, most prominently in his high fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. The One Ring first appeared as a plot device, a magic ring in Tolkien's children's fantasy nove ...

. Tortured to death by Sauron.

D

* Denethor: Steward of Gondor during the events of ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...

''. Committed suicide during the Siege of Gondor.

E

Eärendil and Elwing Eärendil the Mariner (pronounced ) and his wife Elwing are characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. They are depicted in ''The Silmarillion'' as Half-elven, the children of Men and Elves. He is a great seafarer who, on hi ...

: Half-elven couple, heroes of the War of Wrath as well as the progenitors of the royal Númenorean and Dúnedain bloodlines through their sons Elrond and Elros. * Elendil: Númenorean nobleman whose sons founded the kingdoms of Arnor and

in Middle-earth. Slain during the final battle between Sauron and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. * Elrond: Ruler of the elven refuge of Rivendell. Son of the Half-elves

, husband of Celebrian, father of Arwen, Elladan and Elrohir. * Éomer: Brother of Éowyn, nephew and heir of Théoden, King of Rohan. Son-in-law of Prince Imrahil of

Dol Amroth Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Man (Middle-earth), Men in the west of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age. The third volume of ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Return of the ...

. *

Éowyn Éowyn is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and '' ...

: Sister of Éomer and member of the royal house of Rohan. Slayer of the Witch King of Angmar. Married Faramir after the War of the Ring.

F

* Faramir: Son of

Denethor II Denethor II, son of Ecthelion II, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. He was the 26th ruling Steward of Gondor, committing suicide in the besieged city of Minas Tirith during the Battle of the Pelennor ...

of Gondor, brother of

, and husband of

following the War of the Ring. *

: Son of Finwë and Míriel. The greatest Noldorin smith to have ever lived, he forged the three jewels known as

Silmarils The Silmarils (Quenya in-universe ''pl''. ''Silmarilli'', ''radiance of pure light''Tolkien, J. R. R., "Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies — Part Two" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne), in ''Vinyar Tengwar'', 46, July 2 ...

. Slain by Balrogs. *

Fíli This article describes all named characters appearing in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 book ''The Hobbit''. Creatures as collectives are not included. Characters are categorized by race. Spelling and point of view are given as from ''The Hobbit''. Ho ...

: Son of Dis; nephew of Thorin. Older brother to Kíli. Slain defending Thorin in the Battle of Five Armies. *

Fingolfin Fingolfin () is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, appearing in ''The Silmarillion''. He was the son of Finwë, High King of the Noldor. He was threatened by his half-brother Fëanor, who held him in contempt for not being a pure-bre ...

: Son of Finwë and Indis. First High King of the Noldor who left Valinor for Middle-earth. Slain by Morgoth. * Fingon: Son of Fingolfin. Rescues Maedhros, pleasing Fëanor, who lets Fingolfin become King in his stead. *

Finrod Felagund Finrod Felagund () is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. He is a Noldorin Elf, the eldest son of Finarfin and Eärwen of Alqualondë in Aman. He appears in ''The Silmarillion'', the e ...

: Grandson of Finwë and Elvenking of

Nargothrond In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work ''The Silmarillion'', which tells the story of the early ages of Middle- ...

. He died from wounds sustained by saving his friend Beren from a werewolf. * Finwë and Míriel: Parents of Fëanor and leaders of the

Noldor In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor (also spelled Ñoldor, meaning ''those with knowledge'' in his constructed language Quenya) were a kindred of Elf (Middle-earth), Elves who migrated west to the blessed realm of Valinor from the conti ...

in migrants to the Undying Lands. Míriel dies at childbirth，while Finwë is slain by Morgoth. * Frodo Baggins: Cousin (informally, 'nephew') of Bilbo Baggins who bore the

to its destruction in

Mount Doom In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Mordor (pronounced ; from Sindarin ''Black Land'' and Quenya ''Land of Shadow'') is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, and to ...

G

Galadriel Galadriel (IPA: Help:IPA, �aˈladri.ɛl is a Character (arts), character created by J. R. R. Tolkien in his Middle-earth writings. She appears in ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Silmarillion'', and ''Unfinished Tales''. She ...

: Co-ruler of

Lothlórien In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Lothlórien or Lórien is the fairest realm of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth during the Third Age. It is ruled by Galadriel and Celeborn from their city of tree-houses at Caras Galadhon. The wood-elves ...

alongside her husband Celeborn. Relative of numerous notable characters in Tolkien's legendarium through bloodline and kinship. * Gandalf: A wizard. A member of the Fellowship of the Ring. Killed in battle in Moria, but returns to play a leading role in the defeat of

Sauron Sauron (pronounced ) is the title character and the primary antagonist, through the forging of the One Ring, of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', where he rules the land of Mordor and has the ambition of ruling the whole of Middl ...

. * Gil-galad: Last High King of the Noldor, who ruled during the Second Age. Formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men with Elendil, and fell in combat against Sauron's forces. *

Glorfindel Glorfindel () is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a member of the Noldor, one of the three groups of the Calaquendi or High Elves. The character and his name, which means " blond" or "golden-haired", ...

elf-lord notable for his death and resurrection within Tolkien's legendarium. * Gimli: Dwarven member of the Fellowship of the Ring and a major character in ''

''. *

Goldberry Goldberry is a character from the works of the author J. R. R. Tolkien. She first appeared in print in a 1934 poem, ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'', where she appears as the wife of Tom Bombadil. Also known as the "River-woman's daughter", s ...

: Mysterious entity known as the River-woman's daughter, wife of Tom Bombadil. * Gollum: Possessor of the One Ring until taken by Bilbo Baggins. Falls into the Crack of Doom after retaking the ring from Frodo Baggins. * Gríma Wormtongue: An ally of

Saruman Saruman, also called Saruman the White, is a fictional character of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, t ...

who gave false advice to Théoden, King of Rohan. Slain by hobbit militia during the

Scouring of the Shire Scour may refer to: Hydrodynamic processes * Hydrodynamic scour, the removal of sediment such as sand and silt from around an object * Bridge scour, erosion of soil around at the base of a bridge pier or abutments via the flow of air, ice, or ...

H

Húrin Húrin is a fictional character in the Middle-earth legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien. He is introduced in ''The Silmarillion'' as a hero of Men during the First Age, said to be the greatest warrior of both the Edain and all the other Men in Midd ...

: Human warrior of the First Age, and the father of

Túrin Turambar Túrin Turambar (pronounced ) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "''Turambar and the Foalókë''", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. Túrin was a Man of the First Age of Middle-earth, ...

I

* Isildur: Son of Elendil, and co-founder of the kingdom of

. Took the One Ring from

at the end of the Second Age, but was later slain at the Disaster of the Gladden Fields.

K

* Kíli: Son of Dís. Thorin Oakenshield’s nephew, son of his sister. Died during the Battle of Five Armies.

L

Legolas Legolas (pronounced ) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of the nine members of the Fellowship who set out to destroy the One Ring. He and the Dwarf Gimli ...

: Elven member of the Fellowship of the Ring and a major character in ''

''. *

Lúthien and Beren Lúthien and Beren are characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth. Lúthien is an elf, daughter of the elf-king Thingol and goddess-like Melian. Beren is a mortal man. The complex tale of their love for each other and the q ...

: The ancestors of the

bloodline.

M

Maedhros Maedhros () is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, first introduced as a major character in ''The Silmarillion'' and later mentioned in ''Unfinished Tales'' and ''The Children of Húrin''. Maedhros was a mighty Noldorin Elf ...

in elf lord and eldest of the Sons of

. Committed suicide after recovering one of the lost Silmarils. * Melian:

Maia Maia (; Ancient Greek: Μαῖα; also spelled Maie, ; la, Maia), in ancient Greek religion and mythology, is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes, one of the major Greek gods, by Zeus, the king of Olympus. Family Maia is the daugh ...

who took the physical form of an Elf. Queen of Doriath in the First Age. Wife of Elu

Thingol Elu Thingol or Elwë Singollo is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in ''The Silmarillion'', ''The Lays of Beleriand'' and ''The Children of Húrin'' and in numerous stories in ''The History of Middle-ea ...

and mother of Lúthien. * Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck: A hobbit member of the Fellowship of the Ring and companion of Frodo Baggins. Assisted

in the slaying of the Witch-King of Angmar. *

Morgoth Morgoth Bauglir (; originally Melkor ) is a character, one of the godlike Valar, from Tolkien's legendarium. He is the main antagonist of ''The Silmarillion'', ''The Children of Húrin'', ''Beren and Lúthien'' and ''The Fall of Gondolin''. ...

: The first

Dark Lord In fiction and mythology, a dark lord (sometimes capitalized as Dark Lord or referred to as an Evil Overlord, Evil Emperor etc. depending on the work) is an antagonistic archetype, acting as the pinnacle of villainy and evil within a typically ...

in Tolkien's legendarium, originally known as Melkor. Succeeded by

after his defeat and banishment by the Valar following the War of Wrath.

P

* Peregrin "Pippin" Took: A hobbit member of the Fellowship of the Ring and companion of Frodo Baggins. Served as a Guard of the Citadel of Minas Tirith during the War of the Ring.

R

* Radagast: one of the Five Istari or Wizards who has an affinity with nature.

S

Samwise Gamgee Samwise Gamgee (, usually called Sam) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. A hobbit, Samwise is the chief supporting character of ''The Lord of the Rings'', serving as the sidekick of the protagonist Frodo Baggins. Sam ...

: Loyal companion of Frodo Baggins during his journey to

Mordor In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Mordor (pronounced ; from Sindarin ''Black Land'' and Quenya ''Land of Shadow'') is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, and to t ...

to destroy the

. *

: A wizard. Once the leader of the Istari, he attempted to form his own empire as a rival of

and was defeated at the Battle of the Hornburg. Murdered by Gríma Wormtongue during the

. *

: The primary antagonist of ''

''. He crafted the

, and was destroyed upon its destruction at the end of '' The Return of the King''. *

Shelob Shelob is a fictional demon in the form of a giant spider from J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. Her lair lies in Cirith Ungol ("the pass of the spider") leading into Mordor. The creature Gollum deliberately leads the Hobbit protago ...

: Monstrous spider and last notable spawn of Ungoliant. *

: A dragon and primary antagonist of '' The Hobbit''. Slain by

. *

Sméagol Gollum is a fictional Tolkien's monsters, character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He was introduced in the 1937 Fantasy (genre), fantasy novel ''The Hobbit'', and became important in its sequel, ''The Lord of the Rings''. Gol ...

: was a stoor (one of the early hobbit types) that later on became Gollum

T

* Théoden: King of Rohan, uncle of Éomer and Éowyn. Fell in battle during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. *

: Elvenking of the Sindarin realm of Doriath in the First Age. Husband of Melian and father of Lúthien. Slain by dwarves over a dispute concerning one of the

Silmaril The Silmarils (Quenya in-universe ''pl''. ''Silmarilli'', ''radiance of pure light''J. R. R. Tolkien, Tolkien, J. R. R., "Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies — Part Two" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne), in ''Vinyar Teng ...

s. *

Thranduil Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He first appears as a supporting character in ''The Hobbit'', where he is simply known as the Elvenking, the ruler of the Elf (Middle-earth), Elves who lived in ...

: Elvenking of the Silvan realm of

, father of

. * Thorin Oakenshield: Dwarf noble who led the company of dwarves that retook

Erebor In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Lonely Mountain is a mountain northeast of Mirkwood. It is the location of the Dwarves' Kingdom under the Mountain and the town of Dale lies in a vale on its southern slopes. In ''The Lord of the Rings'', ...

from the dragon

in '' The Hobbit''. Slain during the Battle of the Five Armies. * Tom Bombadil: A mysterious figure who aided the hobbits during their departure from the Shire in ''The Fellowship of the Ring''. * Treebeard: Leader of the

Ent Ents are a species of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees; their leader is Treebeard of Fangorn forest. Their name is derived from an Old English word for giant. The Ents appear in ''The Lord of ...

s in ''The Lord of the Rings''. * Tuor and Idril: Heroes of the First Age and parents of Eärendil as the second married union of Men and Elves. Left Middle-earth for Valinor, where Tuor is said to be counted amongst the Elven kindreds. *

: A First Age hero who is embroiled in a tragic fate along with the rest of his family and ultimately committed suicide.

U

* Ungoliant: Monstrous spider spirit. Progenitor of the Great Spiders and of

W

Watcher in the Water The Watcher in the Water is a fictional creature in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth; it appears in ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', the first volume of ''The Lord of the Rings''.''The Fellowship of the Ring'', book 2, ch. 4 "A Journey in the Dark" ...

: A mysterious aquatic creature that lives in a pool guarding the gates of Moria.

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See also