Like all great fantasy epics, The Lord of the Rings is full of fascinating characters. Obviously, much of the story focuses on those who play a key part in the destruction of the Ring and the defeat of Sauron, particularly Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship. However, the movies (and the books) also excel at providing viewers with several fascinating side characters.
Many of these, in fact, are so dynamic and full of personality that they could very well be the main characters in their own stories. Maybe after the newest Lord of the Rings series, The Rings of Power, airs, the creators could also go on to make a spinoff focusing on some of these characters?
Wormtongue
Wormtongue is notable for playing a key role in Saruman’s domination of Rohan, since he is the one that manages to trap King Theoden in a web of sorcery. However, as villainous as he is, it’s clear there’s more to him than meets the eye, and that he’s not nearly as loyal to Saruman as the wizard likes to think.
He has a powerful and sinister presence that renders him ripe for being a main character, and it would be especially fascinating to see his backstory and what led him to betray his king.
Denethor
There are few characters in The Lord of the Rings more tragic than Denethor. Although he is blessed with two sons, most of his affection and love go to Boromir, to the exclusion of his son Faramir. While he ultimately realizes what he’s done in sending his son to death, it’s too late, and he ends up taking his own life.
While he is something of a villain, John Noble gives him a brooding intensity. It would be intriguing to see his story from his younger days when he was a strong guardian for Gondor.
Elrond
Many powerful heroes inhabit The Lord of the Rings world, but few are quite as intense or as ancient as Elrond. He is, of course, one of Hugh Weavings’ best roles, and he plays a key role in ensuring that the Fellowship departs for Mordor with the Ring.
There is much that is unexplained about Elrond, however, and this opens up a whole realm of possibilities for his story. It’s fortunate, then, that he is set to be one of the main characters of the upcoming Amazon series adapted from Tolkien’s mythology.
Galadriel
Galadriel is one of the most powerful entities in Middle-earth, as she makes clear several times in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. She is played by Cate Blanchett in one of her best roles, and, as a result, she has a formidable charisma that is impossible to deny (or resist).
However, as with all of the great side characters with main character energy, there’s much about her that remains just out of sight, hidden in her mysterious past. Fortunately for fans of this character, she, too, is slated to be the main character in Amazon’s new series.
Saruman
Saruman is, arguably, one of the best wizards to have appeared in the movies, despite the fact that he is a villain. What makes Saruman such a great potential main character is that his story arc is something of a tragedy.
While he begins as a good guy, someone devoted to the overthrow of Sauron and his power and influence in Middle-earth, he ultimately becomes the very thing he fought against, throwing in his lot with the Dark Lord and betraying the free peoples of Middle-earth. Thus, his story is ripe for the main character treatment.
Thranduil
Thranduil remains one of Lee Pace’s most memorable roles, and he brings a brittle hauteur to the King of the Woodland Realm in Mirkwood. Although hostile to Thorin, Bilbo, and the rest of the Company when they enter his domains, it’s clear that he is as opposed to the forces of Sauron and Smaug as they are.
What’s more, he also suggests that his own history is more than a little tragic, as his hidden scars reveal. Thus, he becomes almost as much of a main character as anyone else.
The Witch-king
There are many powerful villains in The Lord of the Rings, but few are quite as terrifying as the Witch-king of Angmar. Mounted on his winged steed, he’s even able to overcome Gandalf himself, although he is eventually felled by Eowyn and Merry.
However, he has quite an interesting backstory, as he was once a human king who was seduced by the lure of Sauron and the phantom promise of immortality. If given his own series, his story would make for a rich summary in its own right, showing how someone so powerful could become little more than a slave to Sauron’s will.
The Mouth Of Sauron
Even though the Witch-king was in charge of Sauron’s assault on Gondor and the West, the Mouth of Sauron was even closer to his master, serving as his mouthpiece.
In the novels, he’s said to be one of the Black Numenoreans, and it’s hard to say just how long he was in the service of Sauron or, for that matter, what happened to him after his master’s fall (since he died at Aragorn’s hand in the movie). If given a chance, a series would have a lot of material to work with and they would be able to flesh out his fascinating backstory so more.
Faramir
Faramir is one of the most heroic characters in the Lord of the Rings saga. However, as is so often the case, his story is also a little tragic, since he has to contend with both the death of his brother and the fact that his father doesn’t seem to love him.
However, he does manage to come back from all of that and find happiness. His saga would make for a good story, one that could focus on both his past and what happens to him after the main saga is over.
Eômer
Eômer is one of the bravest characters to appear in The Lord of the Rings. Not only does he defy his uncle Theoden when it comes to Grima and his role at court, but he also plays a key role in the rescuing of Minas Tirith from the forces of Mordor.
Time and again, he shows that he has a magnetism that cannot be denied. The fact that he went on to become king of Rohan in his own right means he definitely has what it takes to be the main character.