There are films and sagas that sometimes we just never get tired of talking about, and one of those is 'The Lord of the Rings'. It's been over thirteen years since the third film, 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King', and two years since 'The Hobbit' trilogy finished, but Middle Earth is still as present as ever.
With a global box office figure of almost 3 billion dollars gross, 17 Oscars and a huge fanbase, 'The Lord of the Rings' has become one of the greatest sagas of the 21st century. An excellent script, a star studded cast and some incredible scenes put together with well constructed special effects and an unforgettable theme tune. These are only some of the ingredients that makes us want to watch these films over and over again.
The saga has gifted us with some amazing characters, both heroes and villains but all have have played important roles however big or small. So we've put together a list of 12 characters from the trilogy to bring back those memories.
12 Arwen
The most eloquent character of the trilogy has to be Arwen, the beautiful elf and daughter of Elrond who is deeply in love with Aragorn. Arwen plays an important role in the 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring', saving Frodo's life and escaping from the Nazgul, showing she is a true fighter and giving up her immortality for Aragorn. Although she appears less frequently later on, when she she is shown she is seen suffering a complicated and impossible fight for love, as she fights to save Aragorn. However, we soon come to realise that the fight is worth it.
11 Saruman
Saruman is a powerful wizard, but a traitor and a coward that gives all his power to the service of Sauron whilst betraying old friends such as Gandalf. Locking himself away in the tower of Isengard, he is capable of orchestrating an army full of uruk-hais demanding them to search for Frodo and sending them into battle at Helms Deep. The wizard is eventually killed by one of his servants and another traitor in the form of Grima (which is a shame that this part only appears in the extended version). However, Saruman is the perfect puppet to Lord Sauron and is a vital character in the story as he uses all his dark forces in his attempts to get back the ring.
10 Éowyn
In a saga that has few female characters, the character of Éowyn stands out, although maybe not the most beautiful or the one who doesn't go hand in hand with the King in the end, she is still by far the bravest and will fight endlessly for the freedom of Middle Earth. Yes she may come across as slightly irritating whilst going after Aragorn when he isn't available, but she knows how to stand out and show shes capable of almost anything as she goes to war without permission, showing unconditional love for her kingdom, and of course kills the Witch-King in an epic scene. To top it all off, she end up with Faramir, which isn't too bad either.
9 Elrond
One of the wisest men in Tolkien's fascinating universe is Elrond, Lord of Rivendell. As he said himself, when Isildur tore the one ring from the hand of Sauron he said it was "the day the strength of men failed". Since then, Elrond returned to Rivendel after losing faith in the race of men, however he always gave light to the path of the Fellowship, and even though he seemed sceptical about the relationship between Aragorn and his daughter, he respected it nevertheless. We can't forget to briefly mention Lady Galadriel, another very powerful elf, who resists the power of the ring and advises Frodo on his quest, who Elrond has a close relationship with.
8 Merry and Pippin
The inseparable pairing of Merry and Pippin have provided us with many fun moments throughout the trilogy. United as part of The Fellowship almost by accident, and with the desire to return back to their beloved Shire, these two hobbits have their own adventure from being prisoners to the Uruk-hais to fighting with the Ents. From being separated (a moment which hurt us all), both individuals showed all their value from Pippin opening the eyes of the cruel Steward of Gondor to Merry fighting in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields with Éowyn. A partnership loved by all.
7 Gimli and Legolas
Another important partnership that supports Frodo on his mission right until the bitter end is that of Legolas and Gimli. Legolas the intuitive eagle-eyed elf and Gimli the dwarf that never keeps quiet and always has his axe to hand. Their friendship and their funny moments together provide us all with happiness and laughter throughout the trilogy, and we certainly can't forget their competitions of who can kill more orcs or their debates on whose race is better. Together until the end and always supporting Aragorn, these two are another great example of loyalty and companionship.
6 Frodo
Frodo Baggins, the protagonist in the saga and the one chosen to destroy the ring in a dangerous and difficult mission, finds himself in countless situations where bearing the ring takes its toll on him as he is blinded by the greed to the point his companions must step in. Nevertheless, Frodo is innocent, full of life and kindness and he sees the positive side of things even in the darkest of times. A round of applause for this brave little hobbit.
5 Boromir
Raised with toughness to serve the steward of Gondor, Denethor, Boromir is a man totally dedicated to fighting for his kingdom. This wholehearted character had many twists and turns during the 'The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring'. From voicing his opinion about the dangers of entering Mordor during a heated discussion with Elrond, from being totally captivated by the ring as he attempts to steal it from Frodo, to saving Merry and Pippins lives, and finally declaring his loyalty to Aragorn moments before dying.
4 Gollum
This fascinating creature, once a hobbit known by the name of Sméagol, is without a doubt one of the most interesting characters in the trilogy. Gollum for his "precious", and will do anything to preserve its power. We see how it kills, tricks and betrays him, turning him into one of the main antagonists of the Fellowships mission, although Gollum is much more than this. He is a curious mix between two personalities, a soft and unfortunate side that hates himself and the ring. The other side worships the ring allowing it to control his mind. This continuos conflict against himself becomes of vital importance on Frodo's quest.
3 Sam
If you have to name the true hero in the destroying of the ring, it has got to be Samwise Gamgee, the loyal companion to "Mr. Frodo", and the best friend someone could ask for. He is the person that finally gets Frodo to Mount Doom where their faith was all but gone. Although during a couple of occasions he lacks a little pride and blood in his veins, his biggest virtues are his simplicity, his desire and courage which have in turn provided us with some of the greatest phrases and quotes in the saga. Without Sam, nothing would have been possible.
2 Aragorn
Isildur's heir and the real king of Gondor, also known as Aragorn or Strider, is the natural leader of the race of men and of course of the Fellowship after Gandalf disappeared. Noble, brave and honest, he is not influenced by the power of the ring and knows to follow his path to throne. He is truly in love, a type of a love that seemed impossible but seems to lasts until the end. He gains the loyalty of Théoden, Boromir, Faramir and even the Army of the Dead who promise to follow him to the end. In 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King', with his speech and leadership into the final battle of Middle Earth, it becomes clear once again why he is one of the most formidable characters of the trilogy.
1 Gandalf
Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey, Gandalf the White, the grey wanderer. Some of the many names for the truly magnificent character in Peter Jackson's trilogy. Gandalf oragnises and leads the Fellowship, manages to escape Sauruman, battles and falls against the Balrog in the mines of Moria but manages to return stronger than ever, he frees King Théoden from the dark powers of Saruman, saves the Battle of Helms Deep when it seemed lost and of course is the wisest one of them all. Gandalf, you're a legend.