The Lord of the Ringsis one of the most popular epics in the history of fiction. Over a span of three memorable novels, which were later adapted into three memorable live-action movies, audiences witnessed the world of Middle Earth, and the efforts of its heroes to vanquish the darkness being spread across the land due to the influence of the fabled One Ring of Power.
As befits an epic, there is a large cast of characters from a variety of backgrounds who all play a significant role inThe Lord of the Rings. But the main cast consists of 10 particular people who start and end the saga. Let us take a look at these 10 characters in terms of how much of a positive impression they make on the audience, starting from the least and ending with the most likable character in the series.
No prizes for guessing, the least likable main character inThe Lord of the Ringsis Sauron. Although he is never actually shown, Sauron’s malevolent presence hangs over everything, and the entire plot of the books/movies gets started because of him. Sauron is an ancient mystical being with a singular focus on taking over Middle Earth and reworking it in his image.
A similar bid for control centuries ago had led to Sauron’s defeat and the loss of hismagic ring that gave him much of his power. Ever since then, Sauron had searched desperately for the ring through his many foul agents, spreading misery and terror in the process. The main goal behind the forming of the Fellowship of the Ring is for the heroes to travel in secret to the only place where the ring can be destroyed so Sauron can never get his hands on it.
If Sauron is the face of overwhelming, uncompromising evil, Gollum offers a different version of the same worst traits. Gollum was once a hobbit named Smeagol, whose friend came across the One Ring during a fishing expedition. Gollum was so entranced with the ring’s beauty that he killed his friend and moved away from his own people to bask in the perverted magical allure of the ring.
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Cut to a few centuries later, and Smeagol had fully transformed into Gollum, a twisted creature that lost everything in service of the ring, yet still craved it like an addict. Many fans feel sorry for Gollum, but it must be remembered that most of his misfortune was self-afflicted, and he learns no lessons from it till the end, since he plots the murder of Frodo and Sam during the trek to Mount Doom, so Gollum can finally be reunited with his precious ring.
Some fans might raise their eyebrows at listing Legolas the Elf among the least likablemain guys inThe Lord of the Rings. After all, Legolas is essentially perfect. He is a very long-lived elf with his people’s superhuman beauty, skills, and inherent goodness. Basically, Legolas is that annoyingly perfect guy whom you can’t help but resent a bit for skating through life on easy mode.
But the books also put another, more seriously antagonistic slant on the character. Legolas starts out with a bigoted attitude towards dwarves due to their people’s shared history. This is most clearly seen in his relationship with Gimli, Legolas' co-champion during the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Thankfully, Leogolas changes his stance on dwarves as the story progresses, and he ends up becoming such close friends with Gimli that the duo sail off together across the sea at the culmination of the story.
Meriodac “Merry” Took and Peregrin “Pippin” Took are hobbits who are Frodo’s cousins and best friends. Naturally, Frodo reaches out to ask them for help when he is beset by the forces of Sauron due to his ownership of the One Ring. Merry and Pippin spare no efforts to help Frodo, and in doing so become embroiled in the greater war against Sauron being planned by the free folk of Middle Earth.
While Merry and Pippin seem very similar at first, they do have some distinguishing features. Being older in age, Merry often takes a nurturing and protective stance over Pippin, like sending Pippin up first when they were being chased by an orc and climbing up Treebeard’s trunk to escape. Merry’s protective instinct also sometimes makes him bossy and annoying, like when he blames Pippin for their separation due to the latter’s reckless actions.
As the younger of the Merry and Pippin duo, Peregrin “Pippin” Took is not yet of legal age in Hobbit terms when he is called into battle on behalf of Frodo and his cousin Merry. But being underage does not make Pippin hesitate for a second to offer his services as a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. Just like Merry, Pippin is a courageous little Hobbit who gets caught up in the brutal war against Sauron’s forces.
Pippin makes many mistakes during the story due to his impetuous and curious nature, like alerting the Orcs in the tunnels of Moria and looking into the Palantir without permission. But despite his mistakes, Pippin is an immensely brave and caring person, who not only takes part in the war to the best of his ability but even comforts the bigger, most experienced soldiers when they feel fear and doubt overthe inevitable confrontation with Sauron.
As the only Dwarf to be a part of the Fellowship of the Ring, Gimli, Son of Gloin often seems like the odd one out in the company. But that does not stop Gimli from wholeheartedly embracing his new family. Filled with extraordinary courage and extraordinary strength despite a lack of height, Gimli is usually the first one to launch an attack to protect the other members of the fellowship.
Throughout the story, Gimli displays many rare and commendable qualities. He is able to master his deep-seated fear of the Mines of Moria to get to the other side of the mountain. He overcomes his natural distaste for elves andbecomes BFFs with Legolas.
He does not hesitate for a second to set off on a giant chase to save Merry and Pippin from Orcs, despite Dwarves being anything but nimble on their feet, and the little Hobbits being of no real consequence for the larger war against Sauron that Gimli and his people were waging.
The man, the myth, the legend. Gandalf the Grey is quite possibly the most well-known and popular character fromThe Lord of the Rings. Immeasurably ancient, knowledgeable, and wise, Gandalf acts as the secret steward of Middle-Earth, who keeps an eye on Sauron and his activities to make sure the Dark Lord and his ilk never become a cataclysmic threat to the free folk.
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Given his power and the nature of his mission, Gandalf can often be irritable, uncommunicative, or impatient with lesser beings. But underneath that quick temper lies a deeply caring nature that yearns to help everyone from the most noble Elven king to the most humble nondescript Hobbit. In a lot of ways, Gandalf is the guardian angel for all of Middle-Earth, and one of the most kick-ass characters in all of fiction.
As the hobbit who is entrusted with carrying the One Ring to Mount Doom for its destruction, Frodo Baggins faces obstacles that would be unthinkable for any other character in the series. Not only is Frodo forced to make his journey, on foot, from the Shire of Hobbiton to the Black Gates of Mordor on his own, but he is constantly wrestling with the allure of the ring that even Gandalf freely admits would overwhelm him.
Despite the toll it takes on his mind and body, Frodo manages to remain brave and pure for the most part. He is constantly worried about his friends and even shows mercy tothe wretched creature Gollumdespite the latter trying to kill him. Even with his great deeds and immense bravery, Frodo remains modest to a fault, preferring to spend his final days in quiet retirement in Hobbiton despite being known as one of the greatest heroes of Middle-Earth by that time.
While Frodo and Gandalf have a more crucial role to play in the story, the true hero ofThe Lord of the Ringsis Aragorn, Son of Arathorn. As the secret king of Gondor and an important link between men and elves, Aragorn faces the kind of responsibility and decisions that would forever change the face of Middle-Earth in the climactic battle against Sauron.
At every step of the war, Aragorn does what is just and fair, regardless of his personal loss. He is a leader among men, a friend to all creatures, one of the greatest fighters in all the land, and yet possessed of a gentle and poetic spirit that makes everyone who meets him fall in love. Honestly, Aragorn would be a pretty annoying Gary-Stu type of guy if he wasn’t consistently such a humble and good-humored badass.
Samwise Gamgee is Frodo’s manservant who refuses to let his master go alone on the journey to Mordor. Despite being in way over his head every step of the way, Sam’s devotion to Frodo never falters, and he is the only member of the original Fellowship of the Ring who accompanies Frodo on the final leg of the journey into Mordor and atop Mount Doom.
Sam showsa kind of courageand patience with Frodo, Gollum, and the vile creatures of Mordor that is quite frankly more unbelievable than Gandalf’d magic. Despite being scorned by Frodo under the influence of the ring, Sam never deserts his master, even carrying Frodo physically up Mount Doom at one point.
When Aragorn along with the rest of the people of Gondor bow down before the four hobbits at the end of the adventure, it really feels like Sam should be getting a special encore just for himself.
