This December already marks the 20th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and the 10th anniversary of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which makes them prime candidates for a rewatch. There's so much to enjoy about both trilogies, but what sometimes gets overlooked are the incredible animal characters.
From horses to arachnids, and birds to mystical beasts, Middle-earth is full of fascinating creatures that make a great impact on the world they live in. Without these animals, the stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings would have turned out quite differently.
Asfaloth Saves Frodo
Asfaloth doesn't have much screen time in The Lord of the Rings, but this majestic horse completes quite the heroic act at a crucial moment. When Frodo is badly wounded by a Nazgûl blade at Weathertop, Aragorn looks after him to the best of his ability. Unfortunately, Frodo requires stronger medicine than is available in the wilderness.
On their way to Rivendell, Arwen shows up on Asfaloth to bring Frodo to the safety of her father's realm. With great speed and agility during the dire situation, Asfaloth carries Arwen and Frodo to the Ford of Bruinen, away from the clutches of the Ringwraiths. If it weren't for Asfaloth, Frodo would have either turned into a wraith or the Ring would have been seized.
Bill The Pony Travels All The Way To Moria
Galadriel told Frodo that even the smallest person can change the course of the future - it's one of the wisest quotes in the trilogy - but it seems to be true for animals as well. Bill is a small pony that the four Hobbits picked up with Aragorn during their time in Bree. Despite his small stature, Bill carried many of the heavy burdens that the company needed for their journey to Rivendell.
Bill endured many long miles through wetlands and dangerous terrain as Frodo was being hunted by the Ringwraiths. Then after the Council of Elrond, he traveled with the Fellowship all the way to the gates of Moria, surviving a terrible storm on Caradhras along the way. He's sent home before the company enters the mines, but Bill can hang his head high after a job well done.
Shadowfax Accompanies Gandalf The White
When Gandalf returns as the White Wizard in The Two Towers, he reveals to Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli that he has a white steed. Shadowfax is the "lord of all horses," according to Gandalf. One of the most powerful wizards in fiction deserves the greatest horse.
Shadowfax is far faster than any other horse, with a great deal of stamina as well. He ran with great speed from Edoras all the way to Minas Tirith with very few breaks, and that alone is proof enough that he's one of the greatest beasts ever. It also doesn't hurt that he's stunningly beautiful.
Gwaihir Saves Several Characters
Gandalf owes a lot to his horse, Shadowfax, but he's also greatly indebted to Gwaihir the Windlord. As the leader of the Great Eagles, Gwaihir comes to the rescue in a few different key moments throughout the films.
In The Hobbit movies, Gwaihir and his companions save Thorin's company from Azog and his followers, but the eagle also returns to fight as the Battle of the Five Armies rages outside Erebor. Many decades later, Gwaihir rescues Gandalf from Saruman's clutches at Orthanc and then comes to the rescue during the Battle at the Black Gate, where he and the other eagles fight off the fell beasts of the Nazgûl.
Shelob Is Wonderfully Offputting
Shelob is an utterly vile creature, but she's a fascinating being regardless. As the greatest offspring of Ungoliant, the first spider of Arda, Shelob grew to an enormous size. She's utterly repulsive and one of the most horrifying monsters ever seen in a non-horror movie.
Like all great spiders before her, Shelob has an unquenchable hunger and a great desire to live in darkness. She's no ordinary arachnid, her purposes are evil rather than being simply motivated by survival. That makes her outright terrifying, no arachnophobia necessary.
The Watcher In The Water Is Intimidatingly Dangerous
Little is known about the creature that dwells in the lake outside Moria's West Gate, but what's certain is that it is powerful and dangerous. When it is made aware of the presence of the Fellowship, it immediately pegs them as prey.
Even after being wounded by blades and arrows, its great boneless limbs have the strength to tear down the door to Moria, trapping the Fellowship inside the mines. As awful as the outcome was, the nine companions were lucky to escape with their lives after meeting that terrible underwater beast.
Smaug Drives The Hobbit Films
Smaug is the only animal creature in the Middle-earth films with the ability to speak in the common tongue, and he doesn't waste that talent. Speech doesn't necessarily ensure intelligence, but Smaug happens to be brilliant. He's pretty awesome, but still not the most likable character in The Hobbit.
When Bilbo awakens him in The Desolation of Smaug, the great dragon begins toying with the halfling. He's able to deduce a great deal of information through what Bilbo says and begins forming plans to destroy the Dwarves and Lake-town. His cunning and ability to speak is not all that's impressive about him; he also is of enormous size and strength, which he proudly puts on display during his fight against the Dwarves and Men.
Beorn Is Memorable With Little Screen Time
Although he often appears in the form of a man, Beorn has the ability to shift into a bear at need. This proves to be useful when his homeland is threatened by Orcs. He's not someone to mess with.
As the last of his kind, Beorn works extremely hard to maintain peace in his land. He cares for a number of ponies, sheep, bees, and other creatures. This just proves that despite his tough exterior, Beorn has a gentle soul and is concerned for the world around him.
Arod Serves Legolas Well
At first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything too impressive about Arod. He was the horse gifted to Legolas by Éomer outside of Fangorn Forest. He may not receive much recognition, but Arod is an absolute stud.
After being assigned to his new masters, Arod faces great challenges and never fails to meet the moment. First, he's made to bear both Legolas and Gimli on his back. That's no easy feat, but he does so without complaint and carries them across many lands and into tough battles. He's definitely an unsung hero within The Lord of the Rings.
Brego Saved Aragorn
Brego was originally the horse of Théoden's son, Théodred, until the prince of Rohan died in battle. He was often on edge after that, but Aragorn calmed him and then released him. They formed a bond through that, and it's good that they did.
After the ambush by Warg-riders during the trek to Helm's Deep, Aragorn fell from a large height to a river below. He was found by Brego, who carried the badly wounded Aragorn all the way to the Hornburg. Had it not been for this smart and brave horse, Helm's Deep may have fallen because Aragorn would have been unable to warn Rohan of Saruman's army.