Lord of the Rings is one of the oldest fantasy franchises that paved the way for modern-day cults like Narnia, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and more. The characters in the films are so well-written and depict larger-than-life ideologies and philosophies that we live by in the real world.
The tale surrounds good vs. evil, and though it might seem a little done and dusted as a concept, this franchise came into existence way before this premise was a cliché. In fact, it was so ahead of its time that people even today worship this series, and the best writers are inspired by it.
Any battle is incomplete without its most significant warriors from both ends. They’re what make it worth our while. There’s poetry in the fight because every cut and every slash mean something more than just killing an opponent. It embodies the spirit of the fighters and perhaps even becomes the reason for their strength.
So, this list is all about that strength and the strongest characters in Lord of the Rings (LOTR) movies.
10Boromir
Epithet – Captain of the White Tower, Steward-prince of Gondor
Weapon – Barrow-blades
Sean Benn played Boromir, a man we all lovingly call Ned Stark, and just like in Game of Thrones, even in Lord of the Rings, he dies. Though he’s one of the first characters to die, he put up quite a fight as he led himself to his demise.
He was one of the most well-intentioned fighters from the fellowship, and perhaps it is that intention that drew him to the ring as he tried to take it away from Frodo. But when all was said and done, he regained sense and died protecting the hobbits – Merry and Pippin’.
9Gimli
Epithet – Lord of the Glittering Caves
Weapon – Battle Axes
Gimli joined the fellowship because of his distrust in elves like Legolas, but eventually, they went on to fight toe-to-toe alongside each other. Despite his size, he was indeed one of the strongest characters from the fellowship because of his courage and the smart way in which he could use his small size to his advantage.
Though this trait doesn’t count as a trait of power and strength, Gimli always managed to be quick-witted with his words and made the people around him chuckle even in times of despair.
8Legolas
Epithet – Crown Prince of the Woodland Realm
Weapon – Bow of the Galadhrim
If looks could kill, Legolas would by far be the strongest warrior not just in the fellowship but amongst all elves and even men (sorry, Aragorn). In the films, you don’t see him be the one leading an army like Aragorn, but he is the best-known archer and sniper.
As an elf, his eye is sharper than men, and he could walk stealthily on grass without making any noise. The Uruk-hais fell before him like dominos, and he was pretty much leading in the competition against Gimli in the Battle Of Helm’s Deep and in the final battle.
7Aragorn
Epithet – King of Men
Weapon – Andúril (Sword)
Aragorn – The King of Men on Middle Earth had leadership in his blood. Besides Gandalf, he always looked at the bigger picture, always thought from the standpoint of the people around him, and is perhaps one of the best warriors Middle Earth has known.
He knew what his father did and hence made the wise choice of letting Frodo and Samwise go on their own. He also decided to give Frodo one last shot by drawing the attention of Sauron and his gigantic army.
He was always meant to be the king, and he summoned the army of the dead with the help of whom they won the Battle at Minas Tirith.
6Treebeard
Epithet – Oldest of the Ents, Shephard of the Trees
Weapon – None
Contrary to popular depictions where trees are personified as wise characters, Lord of the Rings portrayed trees and ents like Treebeard as relatively slow. It was about the push for them. So when Treebeard sees many of his friends and fellow trees chopped off, he gets that push.
Although most of Saruman’s army was little in number on Isengard, Treebeard and a few of his friends not only wiped off the army but flooded Isengard and its deep trenches with water where war equipment was being built and took Saruman captive.
5Balrog (Movie)
Epithet – Durin’s Bane, Servant of Melkor
Weapon – Fire
Balrog’s strength is immense high compared to elves, men, dwarves, and other men like creatures on Middle Earth. Balrog had single-handedly brought an end to the realm of dwarves and even fought Gandalf, The Grey, with all his might. He could breathe fire, fly, and even had a whip-like tail/weapon that pulled Gandalf, The Grey, into the pit with him.
4Tie: Elrond and Saruman
4.1Elrond
Epithet – Epithet: Lord of Rivendell Weapon: Hadhafang (Sword)
Weapon – Hadhafang (Sword)
Elrond’s powers or might are not on full display in the trilogy. In fact, we barely get to see this character, which is somewhat the leader of the elves race. Some of his powers we see are immortality and telepathy. Besides these, he seems powerful enough to hypothetically lead an army into the battle because he had done it before when Sauron had a physical form.
Though wise, his distrust in men and love for his daughter makes him believe that Middle Earth will lose. But all he needed was a nudge from his daughter and from Galadriel, who knew how to convince Elrond. I guess the rest is indeed history.
4.2Saruman The Wise
Epithet – Lord of Isengard, Head of the White Council
Weapon – Wizard Staff
Saruman is an equally adept warrior as Elrond. When he took Sauron’s side, he could control an entire army of 10,000, easily defeat Gandalf The Grey, and his wizardry skills were unparalleled. He is indeed stronger than Treebeard but was lost to them because he was thrown off by the sudden attack that he didn’t see coming.
3Galadriel
Epithet – Lady of Light, Lady of the Galadhrim
Weapon – None
Though she was an elf, her power and knowledge surpassed her own kind, making her an almost ethereal being. Her powers included telepathy and even a little bit of foresight into the future or the ability to nudge people towards the future. She was one of the beings who held the ring and could’ve been pretty powerful to even compete with Sauron if she had the One Ring.
2Sauron
Epithet – Dark Lord,Lord of the Rings, Lord of Mordor
Weapon – One Ring, Unknown sword
A villain that genuinely instills fear even without having a physical presence. His eye and influence over the ring are enough to get the entirety of Middle Earth feeling hopeless about their survival. Such is the power any epic villain should wield.
Sauron was the creator and wielder of the One Ring and would’ve even won the very first battle we saw in the prologue if not for a lucky slash by Arathorn II that cut his finger and got the ring off of him. His characterization is so good that his remnants can be seen in so many pop-culture figures even today.
1Gandalf, The White
Epithet – Servant of the Secret Fire, Wielder of the Flame of Anor
Weapon – Glamdring, Wizard Staff
Gandalf, The White is the strongest character in Lord of the Rings (LOTR) movies. One of the wisest beings of Middle Earth, he was a leader who brought everyone together to defeat Sauron. His powers include knowing others’ thoughts, perceiving the dimensions of wraiths, and having sight even into the darkness.
Gandalf was the reason why everyone came together for one cause. He nudged the trees, brought Eomer and 2000 Rohirrim soldiers into a battle, rid Sauron’s influence from King Theoden’s mind, and basically led everyone to victory. If not for him, Middle Earth didn’t stand a chance. He indeed is the true protagonist of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
About The Lord Of The Rings (Film Series)
The Lord of the Rings is a series of three epic fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson, based on the novel written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are subtitled The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). Produced and distributed by New Line Cinema with the co-production of WingNut Films, it is an international venture between New Zealand and the United States.
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