Highlights
- Tom Bombadil remains a mysterious and powerful figure in Middle-earth, capable of resisting the One Ring and its influence.
- Elrond’s rich history and powers of knowledge play a crucial role in preserving Middle-earth during the War of the Ring.
- Despite his immense power, Saruman’s betrayal leads to his downfall at the hands of the Ents, showcasing the importance of trust in Middle-earth.
Lord of the Rings readers and viewers are introduced to him as Gandalf the Grey, a powerful Wizard who travels throughout Middle-earth, but he’s a higher being who’s more like an angel than a person. He’s one of the oldest beings in the universe of Ea, let alone Middle-earth, and he’s been meddling in the affairs of Elves, Men, and Dwarves for thousands of years.
As powerful as Gandalf is, however, there are plenty of beings in Middle-earth that are stronger than he is. Some are famous and legendary characters who have been a part of Tolkien’s lore for even longer than the White Wizard, but others aren’t so obvious.
6 Tom Bombadil
A Mysterious Figure Who Harbors Baffling Power
- Appeared In:The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, The Lord of the Rings, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power
This mysterious character is the subject of all kinds of controversy since Tom seems to have no connection to the main story and doesn’t make it into many adaptations. Gandalf seeks Tom Bombadil’s help in The Fellowship of the Ring, even though he admits this is a being who might not be trustworthy and is probably more powerful than he is.
There’s a tense moment in which Tom puts on the One Ring, but it does not affect him. It fails to make him invisible and does not compel him to keep it. Frodo is shocked by this and later asks Gandalf why they shouldn’t just leave the One Ring with Tom since its powers do not affect him. Gandalf says that’s exactly the problem; Tom would take the ring and forget about it. It could end up at the bottom of another river, and history would simply repeat itself.
5 Elrond
The Son Of Elwing, Who Bore A Silmaril
- Appeared In: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The descendent of a famous line of humans and Elves that had a shared ancestry, Elrond is much older and well-connected in the lore than fans have time to see in the LotR movies, and one of the great things about The Hobbit is that he gets to flex these historic muscles. He interprets the ancient map of Thorin and deciphers the Elvish inscriptions on their swords decades before organizing the Council that takes his name and gives his blessing to the Fellowship of the Ring.
Elrond’s powers were mostly those of knowledge, but he had some of Galadriel’s skills related to camouflage and foresight. Rivendell was one of the biggest repositories of knowledge in Middle-earth at the time of the War of the Ring, partly due to Elrond’s power to find information and conceal it in safety.
4 Saruman
The Leader Of The Istari
- Appeared In:The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Losing Saruman as an ally was a critical blow to the free people of Middle-earth because of his immense power, second perhaps only to Sauron himself. He was the leader of the Istari (the Wizards who had been sent to Middle-earth by Manwe), and when he joined Sauron, it was not only his magical power but his accessories, such as the Tower of Orthanc and all of the treasures within, that went with him.
Ironically, despite Saruman’s immense power, he was defeated by an army of angry Ents that rose from the nearby forests. Angry that he had betrayed their trust, they turned on him and his machines. In the movies, he was killed by Grima Wormtongue, but in the books, the remains of the Fellowship took pity on Saruman and let him leave as a broken man with no magical powers.
3 Sauron
The First Lieutenant Of Morgoth
- Appeared In:The Hobbit trilogy, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Rings of Power
Sauron was on the same level as Gandalf and Saruman because he was the same type of celestial being. He was a Maiar of Aule, the same master as Saruman, and he had all of the same powers as his peers in addition to those that he inherited from Morgoth.
Sauron wasn’t only a powerful warrior with fearsome magical powers; he was also a gifted craftsman and a skilled tactician. He taught the Elves and Men how to make the magical rings while making the master ring to control all of them in secret, so all he had to do was put the One Ring on to enslave them all, making him a true force to be reckoned with.
2 Galadriel
The Keeper Of Nenya And The Lady Of Lothlorien
- Appeared In: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Galadriel could have returned to Valinor much sooner, but she loved Middle-earth, and several members of her close family were either in Lothlorien or Rivendell, so she was one of the very last to leave. It was fortunate that she stayed as long as she did because, without her help, the Fellowship of the Ring would have failed.
Galadriel was originally from Valinor, and although she wasn’t a Maiar like Gandalf or Saruman, she was close friends with Melian, a Maiar who taught her all kinds of handy magical secrets. This was how the realm of Lothlorien and, by extension, the Ring of Adamant (the Nenya), remained safely hidden from Sauron.
1 Bilbo Baggins
Perhaps The Strongest Character In The Whole Franchise
- Appeared In: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings
Frodo deserves some credit for his ring-related exploits, but Bilbo is arguably the more powerful being. Not only did he discover the One Ring and carry it in secret for a long time, but he was also able to give it up when it was time to leave the Shire.
In what could be one of the most iconic and intense moments of the whole LotR trilogy, Bilbo Baggins is ready to secretly leave the Shire, but Gandalf convinces him to leave the ring behind. For a moment, it seems like Bilbo will refuse to leave the ring, forcing the Wizard to do something drastic. However, he succeeds in leaving it in the house and drops it on the floor just inside the doorway for Frodo to find. Though it might not seem like a major display of power, being able to part ways with the One Ring after having access to it for so long is no small feat. The fact that Bilbo was able to do so easily makes him one of the most powerful beings in The Lord of the Rings.
Leave a Reply