Ranked: The Various Races In Lord Of The Rings From Weakest To Strongest

Few authors create worlds with the richness and depth of J.R.R. Tolkien. The landmarks, landscapes, creatures and races he created have inspired generations of people around the globe. Each race is fully fleshed out with its own unique culture. Some even have fully developed languages spoken by avid fans. We’ve analyzed the races from the Tolkien universe and ranked them from weakest to strongest.

In a world as diverse as Tolkein’s it’s important to know where each race stands in the pecking order. The positions of some races my surprise you. Humans rank pretty low on the list. We think you’ll agree that the average man on the street wouldn’t stand a chance against most of Tolkien’s characters.

HOBBITS

Hobbits are one of the most important races in all of Lord Of The Rings lore. They’re celebrated for their contributions to shire culture and both Bilbo and Frodo are legends. The main hobbits featured in the books and films are an exception to the rule.

Most are not brave, hearty and adventurous. Hobbits are one of the weakest races in the LOTR universe. Most could be defeated by simply ruining their lunch. Hobbits are charming and valuable people but they aren’t a very strong race.

TROLLS

Trolls may be huge and physically very strong but they lack the basic skills that make most other races much more formidable. They don’t have the intelligence to use even the most basic strategy. Trolls are incredibly easy to outsmart.

A human child could lay a successful trap for these cruel and dim creatures. Trolls have no forethought and seem to have little self-preservation instincts. Their sensitivity to the sun makes them vulnerable every day. With a weakness that huge and no ability to evade mind games they’re easily defeated.

MEN

Men hold an interesting place in the list. While most other races in the Tolkien universe can easily beat men for strength and constitution few possess the intelligence that makes this race so threatening. Men are masters of strategy capable of outwitting most creatures.

They’re also capable of great feats of endurance and can outlast opponents by sheer force of will. The indomitable spirit of man makes him a fierce opponent, especially in large numbers. For what they lack in size they make up for with cunning and courage.

DWARVES

Don’t let the small stature of Dwarves fool you. They are stout and hearty folk with who are renown for their iron will and battle readiness. A Dwarven army is a force to be reckoned with. This race of steadfast fighters are small but incredibly strong.

Female Dwarves are just as ferocious and skilled as their male counterparts. Most races would easily find themselves bested by a force or dwarves. Singled out by creatures larger than themselves they may easily fall, but in large numbers, they’re a brutal and efficient fighting force.

Orks

The orcs are a strong race that is exceptionally ferocious. They are dark, cruel and twisted. They find themselves unencumbered by morality or conscience. Orcs are physically very muscular but they have a serious weakness.

They can not stand sunlight rendering them defenseless during the day. Their minds are also weak against great evil and they are easily dominated. Ork armies can raze cities to dust and fell armies. They are also a clever and cunning race capable of intelligent battle strategy.

URUK-HAI

Uruk-Hai are bigger, badder orcs. They were designed exclusively for battle and thrive at war. They’re strong, resilient and intelligent. The Uruk-Hai mind has been designed to think of nothing but battle and victory.

They aren’t distracted by other interests like many races. Their armies are highly organized and disciplined increasing their ferocity in numbers. An Uruk-Hai army is not a force many would relish facing. Even in single combat, an opponent would have to be highly trained to defeat an Uruk-Hai.

ELVES

Similar in size to men you may think of elves as equals to humans. Elves live much, much longer lifespans than mortal men. They are considered immortal unless they choose to die. They don’t have to live in fear of old age or disease.

They possess skills and that eclipse those of humans. They’re more agile, faster and have sharer senses. Elves have always been looked to for aid against the forces of evil. One notable elf was even said to have defeated a Balrog alone.

DRAGONS

Dragons could easily be considered one of the strongest races in the Tolkien universe based on incredible size alone. Dragons are massive, dwarfing almost all other creatures. They possess the ability to fly which allows them to best any grounded race.

They’re also adept swimmers capable of remaining submerged for extended periods of time. A dragon’s fiery breath and powerful claws make this race dangerous and deadly. They aren’t unintelligent creatures but their unmatched avarice can make them easy to trick.

EAGLES

The Eagles are a wise and ancient race that have many impressive strengths. They’re faster and more agile than dragons. If they successfully avoid a dragon’s flaming breath they could potentially best one in battle. These powerful creatures can take to the sky to avoid most retaliation from grounded foes.

They are susceptible to areal attack and siege weapons but their incredible reflexes give them the ability to avoid most projectiles. These majestic, ancient birds are an impressive race with few natural enemies.

BALROGS

Few creatures could overpower a Balrog. These ancient fiends are so powerful even the great Gandalf was terrified to face one. Balrogs are the demented result of a great wizard being twisted by evil. They take on the living form of fire and shadow and appear as great winged demons. The Balrog were once immortal spirits who inhabited the mortal bodies of wizards.

Once they became dark and irredeemable they took their demonic forms and served in the armies of Melkor. Most of them were defeated at the end of the First Age but some escaped and hid deep into the earth.