When Frodo Baggins becomes the Ring-bearer in The Lord of the Rings, he invites a lot of enemies into his life. Anyone who has the One-Ring is going to attract evil forces looking to take it, and as Sauron grew more and more desperate to be reunited with the powerful object, Frodo would face more and more enemies.
From the beginning of the series to the end, there are some powerful villains, and Frodo encounters many of the enemies himself. In this list, we look at the main enemies that Frodo goes up against and rank them from least to most powerful based on a number of factors.
Sackville-Baggins
The Sackville-Baggins are the only entry on this list that doesn’t have anything to do with the Ring. Instead, these are Bilbo and Frodo’s nosy and conniving relatives who want to inherit their wealth. So while they aren’t going to go around trying to attack or harm Frodo, they are still really annoying to deal with. However, while they might be a pain, they really aren’t dangerous and are more just a funny example of extended family issues.
Gollum
Gollum is an interesting character in the series because he is sometimes an enemy and sometimes almost an ally to Frodo. But, at the end of the day, he will always give in to the temptation of the call of the Ring over anything else. The main reason he is dangerous to Frodo is that he is manipulative and because Frodo’s pity for him makes him susceptible to being used by Gollum as we see when Frodo sends Sam away.
Lurtz
Lurtz is the main Uruk-Hai and the most powerful of them all. He serves as Saruman’s right-hand and general after he creates these stronger and more capable versions of orcs. Lurtz does encounter Frodo to some degree, but he ends up being more of a direct enemy to Boromir and also Aragorn. However, while he is clearly a formidable foe, he’s not nearly as powerful as some of the other entities on this list.
The Cave Troll
The Cave Troll is mainly powerful because it is large and brawny. However, trolls in Middle-Earth aren’t known for being intelligent. This troll is under the control of the orcs in Moria, but it’s still rather terrifying to encounter, especially in an enclosed space like Balin’s tomb. The cave troll also would have killed Frodo if not for the fact he was wearing the Mithril chain mail.
Watcher in the Water
The Watcher in the Water is probably one of the strangest and more mysterious evil creatures that is shown in the series. It was a giant squid-like beast with tentacles, and it’s similar to the Balrog in the fact that it’s one of the older, foul things that was awakened in Moria.
This is definitely a scary enemy to encounter, but it’s also one that the Fellowship was able to fight against to a large degree. And, since not a lot is known about its power, it doesn’t seem as strong as some of the other creatures on this list.
Shelob
Shelob is another dark and ancient creature that exists in Middle-Earth, and she exemplifies just how mysterious and old the land really is. Shelob is the offspring of Ungoliant who is the primordial spider of Middle-Earth mythology. She has some level of intelligence, and she will eat basically anything that comes across her path. She is powerful, and there's something so creepy about a giant spider. However, she's not as intelligent as some of the other foes. But, nonetheless, she does nearly kill Frodo.
Saruman
Saruman starts out being even more powerful than Gandalf as he is the greatest wizard, or Istari, of Middle-Earth and leader of that order. So, when he leaves the ways of good and becomes Saruman of Many Colors, he’s a powerful villain and enemy.
His desire for power and control turns him into something vile, and he is able to create his own Uruk-Hai army and use wizardry to control people like Theoden. He’s definitely very scary, but there are a few beings even more powerful.
The Witch-King Of Angmar
While all of the Nazgul could make this list as well, the Witch-King is specifically the most powerful and scary. While Saruman might be powerful, he can be killed unlike these undead former kings of men. The Ringwraiths, on the other hand, are not so easily destroyed. The Witch-King leaves Frodo with his most lasting and painful wound after stabbing him on Weathertop, and it’s only Eowyn who is able to slay this monster who can be killed by no man.
The Balrog
The Balrog of Moria isn’t the only of its kind, and all Balrog’s are absolutely terrifying entities. This is because they used to basically be demi-gods. The Balrogs, also known as Valaraukar, were Maiar that were corrupted by Melkor to serve him. Because of these, they are ancient, powerful entities with almost god-like powers. The fact that Gandalf was able to kill the Balrog at all is nearly a miracle, and he has to undergo a resurrection of sorts to survive the ordeal.
Sauron
The most powerful villain that Frodo has to face other than the Balrog is Sauron. Just like the Balrogs, he was a fallen Maia, or primordial spirit, but he was a particularly gifted one. He became the lieutenant of Melkor(also known as Morgoth) who was the original Dark Lord in the universe. After Melkor was defeated, he became the next Dark Lord and created all of the Rings of Power. Sauron wants nothing more than to take the Ring back, so he is always searching for Frodo with the Great Eye.