With Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power television series releasing its first season, fandom for the beloved series from the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien has resurged. Add in the fact that licensed video games are also on the way thanks to video game publisher Embracer Groups' recent purchase of the IP and fans have a lot to look forward to.
The film trilogy by director Peter Jackson is still regarded as arguably the best film trilogy of all time and did an excellent job at bringing The Lord of the Rings to audiences. Characters are at the core of the series, and throughout the three films, fans witness some terrifyingly strong individuals who hold the outcome of Middle-Earth at their very fingertips.
Updated February 23, 2023 by Jerrad Wyche: The Lord of the Rings continues to be one of the most beloved and cherished fantasy properties in entertainment. 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 would argue that the release of the film trilogy was the best time, and they'd have quite the argument. Those films withstand the test of time and even in 2023 are considered to be one of the best film trilogies of all time, regardless of genre.
13 Samwise Gamgee
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.
12 Gimli
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 really.
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.
11 Legolas
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.
Add in that he could silently track targets thanks to his unnaturally light feet and had the sight of a sniper rifle scope. Enemies quickly realized that his charm and kindness shouldn't be mistaken for weakness as he could end a dispute in a matter of seconds.
10 Aragorn
On the surface, Aragorn appears to be nothing more than a highly-skilled man, 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 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 man.
9 Gwaihir The Windlord (Giant Eagles)
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 it 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.
8 Durin's Bane (Balrog)
Any novice or unknowing The Lord of the Rings fan watching the film trilogy likely referred to the Balrog that assumedly 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 actually came out victorious to some extent is rather impressive in its own right.
The Lord of the Rings is a film 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.
7 The Witch-King Of Angmar
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 actually 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.
6 Treebeard (Ents)
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 he happens to be the most powerful. He doesn't make decisions lightly, or quickly for that matter, so his attack on Isengard was a calculated maneuver. Not too shabby for someone Gandalf described as "the oldest living thing still walking under the Sun on Middle-earth."
5 Elrond
When Elrond is introduced in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy he's mostly seen as an older consultant and isn't really displayed as a fearsome or capable Elven warrior. The truth of the matter is that most Elves that live as long as he did naturally become quite powerful simply due to the skills, knowledge, and tools they picked 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
Saruman is a great example of the power of the Ring corrupted 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 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 as he is often referred to as The Lord of the Rings. How can one overcome an evil it doesn't recognize, or know exists?
In his prime, he possessed true physical power, but in his overseeing state, it was his ability to disguise and deceive that made him formidable. The specifics and extent of his powers are intentionally left vague, which allows the reader to build an embodiment of what he's capable of that can be perceived as insurmountable.
2 Galadriel
Galadriel is set to be the main protagonist of Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power television series. She 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.
Though it's been argued that most of her power came from an artifact-like object called Nenya, the Ring of Water. 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, for over 1,000 years.
1 Gandalf
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.