10 Strongest Beings in ‘The Lord of the Rings’

10 Strongest Beings in the Lord of the Rings

Power is important in The Lord of the Rings. The One Ring is called “The Ring of Power”, after all. But how do the different beings and characters in LOTR rank in regards to power?

Of course, the world of Tolkien is expansive, filled with beings throughout its history that would topple any character on this list. For this reason, this list focuses on the beings found primarily in the LOTR trilogy, not so much on those presented in the Silmarillion. After all, the likes of Morgoth could topple even the strongest Lord of the Rings Characters listed here.

But for the sake of most of the action seen in the series, these beings were not involved.

How, then, do the main players of the three books stack up against one another, side by side?

While we won’t be focusing on those ancient and more powerful beings, we will be taking the many feats and lore gathered from the first and second ages into consideration.

Warning! Spoilers ahead.

#10 Elrond

Elrond was one of the most powerful elves of the Third Age. His feats include leading armies of free people, driving off the Ringwraiths using a magical flood, and healing a wound caused by a Morgul blade thought to be incurable. Elrond also has gifts of telepathy and foresight, making him a strategic ally for the free peoples of Middle Earth.

#9 Samwise Gamgee

Although not likely to win a sparring match with any of the other characters on this match, physical or magical power is not the only or even main way that things are done on Middle Earth. Rather, more powerful beings usually choose to act through lesser beings, much like how things work in our world.

Samwise might be little more than a pawn in the grand scheme of things, but he has one significant power that perhaps every other character in the land of Middle Earth lacks – he has total resistance to the Ring.

That’s right. Tolkien himself highlights Sam’s almost supernatural resistance to the Ring, and cites him as the true hero of the story. Why is Sam so resistant to the Ring? The simple answer is that he has no longings. The Ring itself seems to play on people’s longings and wants. That’s how it corrupts them. But for a being like Sam who wants nothing except the good of others, it’s impossible for him to be tempted.

Again, he’s not powerful in the way these other characters are powerful. But his power is enough to ultimately defeat Sauron and the evil hordes of Mordor.

Not bad, Sam.

#8 The Balrog

Originally the same kind of being as Gandalf and the Wizards, the Balrogs of Middle Earth were corrupted long ago (much like the Orcs) and turned into the creatures shrouded in darkness that we see in the movie.

There is no denying the incredible power of the Balrog, especially the one we see do battle with Gandalf. However, it seems that during their corruption the Balrog’s lost some of their edge, as Gandalf is able to effectively dispatch the monster, and then return even stronger.

Still, the Balrog is without a doubt one of the strongest beings still residing in Middle Earth during the Third Age.

#7 The Witch King of Angmar

The real power of the Witch King is somewhat nebulous. Although quite strong and definitely deserving of a spot on this list, overall the Witch King is not nearly as strong as the movie would have us believe. In fact, that scene in the extended version of The Return of the King in which Gandalf has his staff broken by the Witch King is fabricated. It did not occur in the book and so should not be calculated in regards to the Witch King’s overall power index.

However, the Witch King does have several other powers that make him a force to be reckoned with, chief among these the pure terror his presence instills.

#6 Aragorn

I don’t know how to put it other than this – the movies did Aragorn dirty. At core, the movie Aragorn and the book Aragorn are essentially two very different people. Movie Aragorn is morose and on the run from his destiny. Book Aragorn is cheerful and perfectly accepting of his fate. One of the greatest differences between the two is their power. Aragorn is so strong, in fact, that Sauron himself fears him. He also has many powers that the movies only hint at, including healing capabilities, long life, ability to command and read men’s minds, and more.

There’s a reason Aragorn is the new King of Gondor.

#5 Saruman the White

Because of his evil bent and will to dominate, Saruman is a bit more deadly than even Aragorn. He is operating at the full height of his power, in the position of the head of his order – that being the Istari. He is capable of some incredibly nefarious things, like raising an army, tearing down trees, and more. However, his most insidious power of all is perhaps his power of compelling speech.

Either which way you shake it, Saruman was out of control for the first half of the Trilogy, and it is only Gandalf’s direct intervention that was able to eventually bring him down.

#4 Galadriel

This point in the list onward, things start to get a little murkier. Galadriel could very well be a contender for strongest being in Middle Earth. However, she does not choose to get involved with the affairs of the world directly (at least not in the third age). It’s hard to list exactly how powerful she is here as her abilities are extensive. Additionally, her abilities are amplified by the fact that she actually possesses a ring of power herself. Of all of her strengths, those she is most well known for include her ability to see clearly into the hearts and minds of others, and to discern the future.

While not technically Canon, in ‘The Battle of the Five Armies: we see Galadriel come to Gandalf’s aide and almost single handedly dismiss Sauron. Galadriel was tough enough to go head to head with Sauron, though at the height of his power he would likely still win out.

#3 Tom Bombadil

A fan favorite, many LOTR fans were sad that Tom didn’t make it into the movies. Another character who is far too powerful and far too complacent to get involved, Tom Bombadil lives out his life in the forest and doesn’t really do much at all in the ways of helping one side or the other. However, Tom is actually impervious to the Ring of Power – not just in the way Sam is in that he isn’t tempted by it, but it actually has no visible effect on him whatsoever. We could take this to mean he is so powerful that his powers could not be amplified any more, the way the rings of power amplify other powers.

If you want to know just how well regarded Tom is, it was suggested that the two safest places to hide the One Ring were either at the bottom of the sea, or in the depths of Tom Bombadil’s domain.

#2 Gandalf

Gandalf is, without a doubt, one of the greatest beings during the trilogy of the Lord of the Rings. In fact, the limits of his power are not well known. But it’s safe to assume that he is capable of far more feats of magic than we ever witness in the books or movies, simply because his job is more to inspire others to fight for themselves than to win through his own power.

You also might not know this but Gandalf is actually in fact a peer to Sauron – both of them being the same species sent to Middle Earth. Despite this, however, Gandalf acknowledges that Sauron is stronger than himself in the books, shortly after he returns as Gandalf the White.

Gandalf was, however, forbidden to match Sauron’s power with his own – as were all of the Istari. yet, as Tolkien writes, the majority of responsibility for the defeat of Sauron lies with Gandalf. Gandalf plotted the course for Sauron’s eventual defeat for countless years. And all that hard work eventually paid off.

#1 Sauron

Of course you knew this guy was going to make it onto the list at some point. He really doesn’t need much in the ways of introduction. He literally is The Lord of the Rings and the big baddy that it takes all of the forces of good in the world to defeat. His powers are extensive, and if the ring were to be returned to him, it’s safe to assume he would be just about unstoppable. But he still has weaknesses. He doesn’t stop to think, for example, that a hobbit could best him. Also, for the entirety of the series, his powers are greatly diminished thanks to the fact that he does not actually posses the Ring of Power, or a body, for that matter.

Still, Sauron is not as invincible as you might think. In fact, throughout Middle Earth’s history he has been beaten soundly several times, including a near defeat at the hands of Elendil and Gil-galad. Yet, some of his greatest powers have nothing to do with his fighting prowess. As was elegantly displayed in The Rings of Power, Sauron is a master craftsman, and a deceiver, able to take on a “fair” or appealing form in order to trick people to do his will.

I hope you enjoyed this list of who I think are the 10 strongest beings in The Lord of the Rings! Feel free to disagree, and leave your comments in the section below!

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