The iconic The Lord of the Rings might deal with themes of environmentalism, war, and grief, but at its heart, it’s often about friendships. Whether it’s the core bond between Frodo and Sam that drives the narrative forward and gives Frodo the help he needs or the camaraderie between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, friendships are key to both the characters and the plot.
However, while some of these relationships make a lot of sense, others don’t as much. These friendships, or sometimes more like allyships, might work for a time, they are often strange pairings of personalities.
Grima Wormtongue And Saruman
Wormtongue and Saruman aren’t exactly friends, but they do become strange allies. While Wormtongue Acts more as a servant and pawn to Saruman, he does go along with it in order to gain the power that this proximity allows him.
Saruman also promises to give him access to Eowyn, something that the films rather gloss over because it’s so creepy, but it’s harder to see what Saruman gets out of the deal. Wormtonge’s main quality that makes him useful is just that he’s so manipulative.
Haldir And Aragorn
Haldir and Aragorn might not be the weirdest of friends on this list, but they are in a way given the setup of relationships between the different races in Middle-Earth.
While humans and elves don’t have nearly as much animosity toward one another as elves and dwarves, there is a weariness on the part of the elves given the choices humans have made, such as Isildur not destroying the Ring, in the past. However, Aragorn has proven himself as trustworthy over the years, and he spent some time in Rivendell where he would have gotten to know Haldir.
Shelob And Gollum
Shelob and Gollum definitely aren’t friends either by traditional standards, but they do act as strange allies in a sense. Gollum has passed through the Cirith Ungol path before, and while Shelob isn’t looking to work with Gollum, he does use his knowledge of her to his advantage.
He sends Frodo to her, and he has the ability himself to move past her webbing. Gollum has the ability to use the dark creatures of Mordor to his advantage.
Theoden And Wormtongue
Just like the Wormtongue and Saruman dynamic, Theoden and Wormtongue aren’t friends, but they do become close as Wormtongue manipulates Theoden and uses sorcery against him. While, over time, Theoden is completely out of his own mind and being possessed by Saruman, there was a time before that Theoden did trust him.
It’s hard to imagine why Theoden would have ever trusted someone who is so clearly off-putting and nefarious. But, there would have been a time where Wormtongue might have seemed less sniveling.
Saruman And Gandalf
Gandalf and Saruman knew each other for many, many years before the events of the movies. Saruman was the leader of the White Council and of the Istari who were sent to Middle-Earth, and Gandalf was actually his inferior.
In a way, this is strange as Gandalf seems right off as the more capable, compassionate, and knowledgeable of the two. However, their roles shift as Saruman is swayed by the power of the Ring and Sauron, and Gandalf then takes over as the leader of the order.
Boromir And Merry And Pippin
Boromir’s friendship with Merry and Pippin is one of the most wholesome in the films, and it also humanizes Boromir and shows his softer side. While humans and Hobbits don’t often interact, mainly because Hobbits keep themselves away from the rest of the world, they do work together in places like Bree.
However, Merry and Pippin are quite young and inexperienced compared to Boromir, so it’s heartwarming that he’s willing to help protect them and teach them to defend themselves.
Elrond And Bilbo
Elrond and Bilbo might not be super close friends like some of the other relationships here, but they do develop a friendship over time. Bilbo first meets Elrond in the events of The Hobbit, and he then stays in Rivendell after he leaves the Shire at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Elrond is a thousands-year-old elf-lord, and Bilbo might not be nearly as wise or experienced. However, as a Ring-Bearer, he’s offered a special place of respect, and he even gets to go to the Grey Havens with the elves because of this.
Gandalf And Bilbo
Gandalf and Bilbo might seem strange in the same way that Bilbo and Elrond do, but Gandalf does have a more down-to-earth quality that makes him fit in more amongst Hobbits than the elf-lords.
Bilbo and Gandalf maintain a close friendship after the events of The Hobbit, and despite their differences in life experience and majesty, they get along well. Gandalf was, after all, the one who brought Bilbo on the adventure that led to the Ring coming into his life. So, it’s really this connection that starts the entire story.
Merry And Pippin And Treebeard
Merry and Pippin do seem to have a quality about them that allows them to make friends with those very different from their own lives. Treebeard as an Ent doesn’t really understand the ways of humans, Hobbits, elves, or dwarves, but he does eventually take a liking to Merry and Pippin.
It’s because of them that Treebeard is eventually convinced, along with the other Ents, to move against Isengard, This strange friendship is what brings about the downfall of Isengard which further illustrates how central friendships are in the story.
Legolas And Gimli
Legolas and Gimli are one of the most recognizable friendships from The Lord of the Rings, but their bond is really strange given the lore of Middle-Earth. At this point in the Third Age, elves and dwarves are not allies at all, and they mostly stereotype and hate one another.
The friendship between these two characters is, in a way, showing that these wounds can be mended. Legolas and Gimli also have one of the longest-lasting friendships in the story as they travel together after the Ring is destroyed and eventually leave Middle-Earth together.