Top 10 Most Terrifying Lord of the Rings Characters

Imagine wandering through Middle-earth and suddenly coming face to face with a being that chills you to the core. Maybe it's a dark shadow that looms larger than life, a creature whose very presence reeks of malice, or a seemingly kind figure whose power hints at something far more dangerous.

Middle-earth is home to some of the most frightening beings ever brought to life in literature and film, and this list is dedicated to them. These are the characters who would stop you in your tracks, leave you trembling, or send you running in the opposite direction if you encountered them.
The Top Ten
Sauron Sauron is the title character and main antagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Originally a servant of the first Dark Lord, Morgoth. Morgoth was later defeated and Sauron fled. He later came back to Middle Earth and took over as the new Dark Lord by using a Ring of Power. He was later... read more

Just everything he has done. And the ring, when you put it on. The scene where he defeats Gandalf in The Desolation of Smaug. Gandalf: "Where is your master?"

Azog: "He is everywhere. We are legion!"

That gave me chills. The scene where Glorfindel banishes him. The combination of how long it took someone as powerful as her to banish him and the way he moved when she was banishing him. Creepy.

The effects of the ring when you put it on. Sauron to Frodo, "I see you." That scared me half to death. Also, if that's not enough, search YouTube for: Necromancer/Sauron theme. It's the first one that appears. It's long, but listen to it all. It's horrifying.

Shelob

Oh gosh, this abomination crawled out of my nightmares to haunt me!

As an arachnophobic, Shelob absolutely terrifies me. I'm really glad I wasn't in Frodo or Sam's place.

Balrog

It looks like Lucifer himself!

Imagine a cow but 10 times bigger, who turned into a demon on steroids. That's the Balrog.

It might be kinda scary, but you have to admit it's also a pretty badass creature.

The Witch-king

Unlike Sauron, this guy actually gets up and does something.

He is not scary, besides that he can't die. He is a beast.

Pretty scary. I like the dragon he rides.

Galadriel Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She was one of the greatest of the Eldar in Middle-earth, and surpassed nearly all others in beauty, knowledge, and power. She was also the bearer of Nenya, one of the three Elven rings of power. In film,... read more

When I saw the Battle of the Five Armies at 6 years of age, I was crying when I saw Galadriel. That woman freaks me out.

- Opal_the_siamese

I totally hate her, and she's so scary. No offense to Cate Blanchett, though, I really like her. But I feel sorry for her - she got the worst part in all of The Lord of the Rings.

I am pretty sure Cate Blanchett only plays creepy people.

Gollum Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the 1937 children's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings. In Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, he is portrayed via motion... read more

It's gotta be hard to make a creepy but pitiable character. Kudos to everyone involved with making movie Gollum/Smeagol who he is.

Creepiest character I've ever seen. The ones that didn't creep out the first time they saw him have really brave hearts.

Lurtz
Morgoth

Morgoth could probably look at any modern western villain and say, "That's cute."

Guy makes Smaug look like a pansy and Shelob like a box of kittens.

He's the best villain of the entire Tolkien universe, but he's not from LOTR. He's from The Silmarillion.

Books only, not the movies.

Sauron's boss during the First Age.

Treebeard

I suppose he's not too scary. But you wouldn't want to make him angry!

Mouth of Sauron

He's the creepiest LOTR character ever. Just look at those yellow teeth. That's so gross. And his voice is so evil.

He should be number 1! He's a dentist's nightmare.

I can't get over how dirty his teeth are.

The Newcomers

? The Dead Army

I just find them, you know...a bit freaky. You wouldn't want to mess with them.

? Gothmog
The Contenders
Ungoliant

Just imagine Shelob, but bigger and creepier and spewing darkness. She has an everlasting hunger and went toe to toe with Morgoth, for crying out loud.

Scary to think of witnessing her.

Queen of all spiders, and grandmother to Shelob, but three times larger.

Balrogs were created to fight her, but it took several Balrogs just to get a tie in the fight.

She devoured herself. Just think about that. And she was able to overwhelm Morgoth if it wasn't for the Balrogs.

Ringwraiths
Watcher in the Water
Smaug Smaug is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit. In Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy, he was portrayed via motion capture by Benedict Cumberbatch.

Benedict Cumberbatch nailed the voice acting, and everybody else nailed the size and scale.

Oh, and the details too.

Smaug, the last great dragon, took down many dwarven armies in The Hobbit from J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Hobbit.

Barrow-wight

Being trapped in a place with wraith-like creatures? No thank you.

Bilbo

Never forgot the first time I watched The Fellowship of the Ring. Bilbo jumpscare.

Anyone remember the Bilbo jumpscare? I know that I'll never forget it.

Legolas Legolas is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is a Sindarin Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring. He has been portrayed by Orlando Bloom in the live action movies.
Feanor

Eru help you if you get between him and a Silmaril. This guy killed his own kin to get them back!

Cave Troll
Frodo Frodo Baggins is a fictional character and is the main protagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings. He was a Hobbit of the Shire during the Third Age. He was also a Ring-bearer, a best friend to Samwise Gamgee, and one of the three Hobbits who sailed from Middle-earth to the Uttermost... read more
Tom Bombadil

Books only, not the movies.

Intended by Tolkien to be something like "God's little brother" and more powerful than anyone, even Sauron. However, he did not care about anything or anyone else and did not get involved.

Aragorn Aragorn II, the son of Arathorn II and Gilraen, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium and is one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He was a great ranger and warrior, and as Isildur's heir he bore the shards of Narsil, reforged and renamed Andúril, in the War... read more
Saruman Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. In the film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, he was portrayed by Sir Christopher Lee.
Gandalf the Grey Gandalf the Grey, later known as Gandalf the White, is a fictional character and one of the protagonists in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He was an Istar, sent by the West in the Third Age to combat the threat of Sauron, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring... read more
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