The Lord Of The Rings: 10 Unexpected Fan Favorite Characters, According To Reddit
The cast of The Lord Of The Rings is vast, with a mix of personalities. However, there are some characters people love which are pretty unexpected.
Fans of The Lord Of The Rings will soon be returning to an earlier time in Middle-earth, as the new series The Rings Of Power hits Amazon Prime Sept 2022. Anticipation for the series has, unsurprisingly, seen fans of the original trilogy return to the magic of the books and films.
Tolkien developed a whole world, from languages to family trees, which has allowed readers and viewers to fully understand each character's persona and goals. Audiences have many obvious reasons for choosing who their favorite characters are, but there are also others who have chosen characters which might not be in line with the majority of fans. Reddit users have elaborated on their unexpected favorites.
10 Sauron
Sauron is the center of darkness and evil portrayed in The Lord Of The Rings. The battle between good and bad revolves around his power, with nothing but malice and destruction caused. With that in mind, Redditor ancientrotbot19 knew that their choice may be seen as controversial as they stated "At the risk of getting downvoted, I'm going to answer honestly and say that my favorite Tolkien character of all time is Sauron."
It's an unexpected choice to make, because the countless number of characters which represent the fight against evil are usually easier to get on board with for viewers. Saruman has no endearing traits, but perhaps the power he has (albeit it rooted in evil,) makes the character engaging.
9 Saruman
The powers of darkness take over many characters in The Lord Of The Rings, who were born good but chose to live a life of evil. Saruman is one such character, yet his negative traits haven't deterred all viewers from favouring him. Upon choosing Saruman, Redditor PersistenceOfLoss stated "He's calculating and feels truly alien. Separate from the world and--in his estimation--above it."
As the role that almost personifies all that Sauron is, it's not hard to dislike Saruman. For a lot of people, Gandalf is a preferred Wizard, who has a much softer nature, and therefore, he wouldn't be a shocking favorite. Choosing Saruman is unexpected, but being completely different to the kinder beings of Middle-earth is enough of a reason to make him a favorite for some.
8 Grima Wormtongue
Vicious, poisonous, and conniving. Three traits that aren't of a heroic or favorite character for many people. But for others that's not the case, especially if they like the actor portraying the role. Redditor Drexelhand stated "Grima Wormtongue. Brad Dourif rules."
The character has virtually no redeeming features and is even part of one of the biggest betrayals in The Lord Of The Rings. However, as the Reddit user pointed out, actor Brad Dourif plays the part superbly and the believability with which a part is acted, certainly holds credible weight when favorite characters are being selected by audience members.
7 Merry
Frodo and Sam elevate the Hobbit name by showing their bravery and commitment. So it would come as no surprise if either of them were ranked high on the favorites list. But for Merry to be put above those two leaders is quite unexpected.
Redditor EthanTheMaster said "I gotta say Merry is my favorite." He comes as part of a double act with Pippin, but the duo aren't the biggest characters in the trilogy. They do, however, add a little light humor and convey an unwavering loyalty, which are qualities that definitely help an audience to connect to and appreciate a character.
6 Shelob
There are occasional characters from the films that are put in place as yet another obstacle for the leaders of good to overcome, so it would come as a surprise for one of those to be selected as a favorite. However, Reddit user ON3i11 said "Shelob, the giant spider. She is just a giant spider trying to get a decent meal."
Shelob is a low key villain in The Lord Of The Rings and whilst the comment is tongue-in-cheek, it would be a trying task to find a reason to put her at the top of anyone's list. Especially as the casts of the films are so vast and there's a lot of interesting or complex characters to choose from. However, the creature does add even more action to the film, by capturing Frodo.
5 Boromir
Considering there are plenty of strong characters who remain through all three films, those that have smaller parts might not be expected to compete with longstanding roles in the favorites list, but evidently they can have just as much of an impact. Reddit user UnloadedGunn claimed "Boromir. I've always loved him."
Clearly the amount of time a character has in a film franchise doesn't decide the effect it has on a viewer and can still rank high in their favorites. As one of the most popular actors from The Lord Of the Rings, based on Instagram followers, Sean Bean gave a memorable performance in a shorter space of time, which still levelled up with any bigger role.
4 Denethor
The narrative of The Lord Of The Rings allows for personal feelings and characteristics to be shown from various roles, including the love some have for others, such as Arwen and Aragorn.
Redditor turnspit_dog simply wrote "Denethor," as their favorite. This choice may come as a shock for some, because Denethor's true feelings came to light about his sons, preferring Boromir to Faramir, therefore he isn't the most likeable of characters. Perhaps his eventual realization that he really did love Faramir proves he wasn't completely coldhearted, rather had just lost his way.
3 Bill The Pony
There's the steadfast strength of Arwen, the unwavering loyalty of Frodo and the unmatchable skill of Legolas, yet there are viewers who still prefer the roles that have no speaking parts and aren't major characters. Redditor dorkboat said "Bill the Pony. He's a brave pony."
Maybe his bravery is undeniable but he doesn't carry the plot and is lower down on the list of important parts. However, he does add a little emotion as Sam lets him go, after proving to be a loyal companion. Either way, sometimes a cute animal with a streak of courage is heartwarming enough to make them a favorite.
2 King Theoden
Grima Wormtongue poisoned the mind of King Theoden, making him weaker and unable to carry out his duties as the strong leader he once was. Whilst those traits may be enough to put off some audiences in choosing him as their favorite character, Reddit user zoeypants2012 wasn't discouraged as they stated "I have to give some props to King Theoden."
As his true self came back to life, his redeeming features were once again present, although he was hard to warm to prior to his revival. Perhaps the strength he found again forgave any bitterness he had been riddled with and ultimately, his goodness overshadowed anything Wormtongue had influenced.
1 Sméagol
Whenever The Lord Of The Rings is brought up in conversation, Sméagol is one of the first characters to come to mind. His importance in the storyline is paramount, but due to his intense characteristics, he isn't necessarily the easiest watch.
For Redditor greyforyou, Sméagol's unfortunate life is what made him captivating, as they stated "His struggle with addiction and trust was compelling and he provided some very original comic relief..." Admittedly, his moments of humor were an engaging contradiction to the rest of the film's narrative. But for some viewers, he wouldn't rank top of their favorites list because of the negative traits he embodies.