The Lord of the Rings trilogy has many powerful and mighty characters including both the protagonists and antagonists. With so many fascinating beings from wizards to elves to dwarves, there are many characters who are quite mysterious in their strength. And, while some of the villains might be just as strong, the heroes win and good triumphs in the end.
While it can be difficult to rank the power of each individual character given that power can come in many forms, this list tries to factor in things such as physical strength, political power, intelligence, and influence.
Gimli
The dwarves are an often underrated part of Middle-Earth and Tolkien’s mythology, and it’s true that he spent a lot more time going over the details of the history of men and elves.
However, dwarves are very powerful in many ways. Gimli, as a representative of the dwarves in the Fellowship, represents many of these strengths. He is strong, sturdy, and stalwart. His strength in battle is only matched by his technical skills.
Legolas
While there are other elves that are higher up on this list who have more sway, Legolas is still a very powerful figure. He is thousands of years old, and he is the equivalent of an elven prince. While his lineage might not be as royal as someone like Arwen, he is a leader in his own right.
Plus, his skills with a bow and arrow and his elven sense give him attributes that your average human would never have.
Gwaihir
Also known as Gwaihir the Windlord, he was the mightiest of all the Great Eagles. He makes an appearance in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and he also saw the lives of many of the Fellowship members.
The Great Eagles are a rather mysterious and proud race of beings, and they don’t often go around picking up humans. Gwaihir is both intelligent and strong, and he’s clearly not someone to mess with.
Samwise Gamgee
While many of the characters on this list are there because of their royal pedigree or their prowess in battle, Sam is a little different. While he’s not an elf-lord or a warrior, he is a loyal and true hero. He might have the truest heart of anyone in the series, and he also has incredible endurance both emotionally and physically.
Sam’s strength is the kind that is often underestimated and overlooked when talking about epic stories, but truthfully, the Ring would never have been destroyed without him. And, he’s also one of the most inspirational heroes.
Treebeard
Treebeard is another rather mysterious being that isn’t concerned with the lives of elves, dwarves, and men. Treebeard is actually the oldest living being in all of Middle-Earth and Fangorn itself is basically his domain as he gave it his name.
The exact power, wisdom, and might of Ents are hard to really grasp, but this power is immense. When working together, Ents are nearly an unstoppable force.
Frodo Baggins
While Frodo might be a Hobbit and not known for his battle skills, he has to be made of extremely powerful stuff to have been a Ringbearer for as long as he was.
As far as Hobbits go, Frodo was upper class and did hold a lot of influence in the Shire, but outside of this, his might wasn’t much. However, without him, Sauron would have won and the One Ring would never have finally been destroyed.
Aragorn
Aragorn’s story follows a more typical trajectory of a hero's journey, and he definitely looks the part. He’s handsome and tough, but he’s also kingly, generous, and loyal. He’s obviously a great warrior, and he also comes from a line of kings. He ends up being King of all the humans in Middle-Earth.
And, as the time of elves and dwarves basically ends and the time of men begins, Aragorn pretty much becomes the most powerful leader in all of Middle-Earth during the Fourth Age.
Elrond
While the ending of the Third Age saw the decline of the power of the elves, Elrond was one of the last remaining elf lords of that time period. He was definitely one of the strongest, oldest, and wisest, and he chose to do what he could to aid Middle-Earth even though he knew his people couldn’t remain there.
Elrond was also a Ring Bearer of one of the three Elvish rings of power.
Gandalf
Gandalf is another character whose role in Middle-Earth ended after the Ring was destroyed. As one of the Istari, he had basically been sent to help protect Middle-Earth in the Third Age.
However, in the series itself, we see Gandalf at the height of his power. He becomes Gandalf the White and takes over from Saurman as the leader of their order. While his magic and strength are hard to quantify, he is more knowing and influential than those around him even realize.
Galadriel
Gandalf definitely gains in power even as the elves are losing theirs, so he might be more powerful at the end of the trilogy than either Elrond or Galadriel. However, if you look at power overall, Galadriel is definitely the most mighty godly character in Middle-Earth at the time of the series. (Tom Bombadil is a runner-up, but since he’s not in the films, he’s not included here.)
She is a Noldorian elf who was known as one of the wisest, fairest, and mightiest elves of all time. Given the influence and grace of the elves, this is no small thing.