The fictional world ofJ. R. R. Tolkien’slegendarium is one of the most well-crafted and engaging ever made. Most fans of the fantasy genre know of his main books,The HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings,which follow the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and his nephew, Frodo, and how their actions affect the world of Middle-earth in extraordinary ways. Yet Tolkien also wroteThe Silmarillion, which was published after his death by his son,Christopher Tolkien, and delved into the creation of the world of Arda and how things inThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Ringcame to be due to thousands of years of conflict and strife.
One reason why Tolkien’s world is so magical is because of the numerous ancient beings that shape the history of Middle-earth, the eastern continent of Arda, where most of the stories take place. Some of these creatures have been around since their people first awakened, and others predate the world itself. Regardless of their age and origin, these beings add mystery and wonder to the world by hinting at times long past.These are the oldest characters in Middle-earth, ranked by age. Aspects like their importance to the overall plot and power might be mentioned, but they won’t factor into the ranking.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Appears in The Two Towers
When the world was created, many unknown horrors snuck into it, including the massive spider-like demon Ungoliant.Her last child was Shelob, who retained her mother’s spider-like form and birthed an entire race of sentient spiders with wicked hearts. She made a lair in the mountains bordering Mirkwood, and the path to her lair became known as Chirith Ungul, the path of spiders. Eventually, the second Dark Lord, Sauron, took over Mordor and made it his base, but Shelob was not subservient to him and happily preyed upon his orcs if they came to her doorstep.
Shelob is one of the most iconic monsters fromLord of the Rings, thanks to her simple but terrifying design and for her role in nearly killing Frodo on his quest to destroy the One Ring. The journey into her lair is a classic example of the hero having to delve into the heart of darkness, where Shelob serves asa reminder of an ancient, baser evil than Sauron’sconcerned with simple pleasures like gluttony over conquest. Yet, she is defeated thanks to the bravery of Frodo’s friend, Samwise Gamgee, who wounds her with an elvish blade and sends her crawling back into her hole.
9Galadriel
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, The Fellowship of the Ring, and The Return of the King
During the Age of the Two Trees, Galadriel lived on Valinor with the rest of the Ñoldor elves but longed to one day rule a kingdom of her own. When Morgoth stole the holy jewels known as Silmarils, the Ñoldor chased him to Middle-earth, and though Galadriel followed, she did not partake in the long, brutal war that followed, believing that the Ñoldor could not defeat Morgoth through direct conflict. After his fall, she served high king Gil-Galad during the Second Age alongside her husband, Celeborn, eventually becoming lord and lady of Lothlórien.
Asone of the few elves old enough to remember life in Valinor, Galadriel shines as a beacon of wisdom in Middle-earth. She was one of the few who saw through Sauron’s disguise when he convinced the elves to forgethe Rings of Powerand, upon gaining one, only used the ring to preserve and protect her people, not strike against Sauron directly.Galadriel further proves herself greaterthan her kinsmen when she rejects the One Ring when Frodo offers it to her, and chooses to return to Valinor after Sauron’s defeat.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, and The Return of the King
During the elves’ long march westward to board ships sailing to Valinor, many choose to remain in Middle-earth, leading to their race being sundered.Among those who remained were Círdan, for though he longed to see the light of Valinor, he delayed his passage to search for his friend Elwë, later known as King Thingol. He spent his time in Middle-earth perfecting the craft of shipbuilding and became the Lord of the Grey Haven, from which elves could board ships that would take them to Valinor.
Círdan is the oldest known elf in Middle-earthand, thus, one of the few able to grow a beard.His life has always been defined by moments of selflessness and sacrifice, such as when he gave up his chance to go to Valinor to help a friend, or even when he gave up Narya, the elven Ring of Fire, to Gandalf, because he could see the ring would be of great use to the wizard. Círdan continues to delay his journey until all of his kin have departed before boarding the last ship to Valinor.
7Treebeard
Appears in The Two Towers and The Return of the King
During the Elder Days,the Ents were created to serve as shepherds of the forestsand protect them from the intrusions of elves, men, and dwarves.The oldest of these ents was called Treebeardor Fangorn, and his favorite pastime was to walk through the woods and sing songs. Over time, as the forests shrank and the ents began to diminish, Treebeard and his companions retreated to Fangorn Forest, where they stayed out of the affairs of the outside world.
Gandalf refers to Treebeard as “the oldest living thing that still walks beneath the Sunupon this Middle-earth.” He certainly fits the bill, not only with his ancient appearance and manner of speaking but also in how he acts and what he values. Unlike the younger races, who are caught up in the fight between good and evil or their ambitions, Treebeard focuses on preserving the beauty of the natural world, which reflects Tolkien’s thoughts about the dangers of industrialization.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, and The Fellowship of the Ring
When Sauron rose as the new Dark Lord following Morgoth’s defeat, the Valar decided to send five Maiar in human form to inspire the people of Middle Earth to battle against him. They became the five Istar, or wizards, and themost reclusive of the order was Radagast the Brown. He preferred to spend his time among the plants and animals of Middle-earth and thus didn’t play as much of a role in its salvation as his fellow wizards.
Due to his status as a Maiar, Radagastwas alive when the God Eru Ilúvatar led the angelic Ainar in singing the world into creation, though he is not permitted to use his full power while in wizard form. His role in the series is minimal, and his greatest contribution is sending an eagle to free Gandalf from Saruman’s imprisonment inThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.Still, he helps to expand on the magic of Middle-earth by presenting a wizard who is more at home with birds and beasts than with civilization, and his methods invoke shamanistic imagery.
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
When choosing the five Istar who would oppose Sauron, the Valar decide upon Olórin,one of the wisest of their Maiar servants. He was initially terrified at the thought of facing Sauron but went along with his mission and became known as Gandalf the Grey. Círdan gave him the elven Ring of Fire, and Gandalf committed himself to travel among the free people of Middle-earth, stirring their hearts and encouraging them to stand against evil.
Of all the wizards, Gandalf wasthe one who remained most committed to his task. He also had good symmetry with Sauron: both were associated with flame, but while Sauron’s fire consumed in the name of industry, Gandalf kindled hope and acted as a light that banished the darkness. Because of this, he wasrevived as Gandalf the Whiteafter his duel with a Balrog and led the charge against Sauron when his armies marched on the kingdoms of men.
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
When the Istar arrived in Middle-earth, Saruman, the White, was chosen to betheir leader and head of the White Council, which included elves like Galadriel and Elrond. From his tower of Orthank in the fortress of Isengard, Saruman delved into ancient lore, hoping to find powerful magic that could be used to combat Sauron’s evil. Unfortunately, he came to admire Sauron’s craft and eventually betrayed the rest of the council in a bid to seize powerby allying with Sauron.
Unlike Gandalf, who was willing to inspire others, Saruman believed that only great power could defeat Sauron, which made him envious of his enemy’s talents.
Saruman is one ofthe best representations of the corrupting nature of powerinLord of the Ringsand how it can affect even the wisest of beings. In the beginning, Saruman was truly committed to his fight against evil, but unlike Gandalf, who was willing to inspire others, Saruman believed that only great power could defeat Sauron, which made him envious of his enemy’s talents. Even when he allied with Sauron, Saruman wasn’t completely subservient and planned to usurp him should the opportunity present itself.
3Durin’s Bane
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Fellowship of the Rings, and The Two Towers
When the fallen Valar, Morgoth, began his rebellion against Eru Ilúvatar, many lesser angels, called Maiar, flocked to his will.They became the Balrogs, demons of shadows and flame who served as Morgoth’s lieutenants and generals. After their master’s defeat, the surviving Balrogs fled underground, but during the Third Age, one was awoken by the dwarves of Khazad-dûm and killed their king, Durin IV, earning it the name Durin’s Bane.
When the Fellowship of the Ring travels through the Mines of Moria, Durin’s Bane attacks them, leading to a legendary showdown between him and Gandalf. It remains one of the most iconic moments in Tolkien’s works, thanks to how perfectly it captures the struggle between good and evil. It also offers the first glimpse of the ancient world to both the Fellowship and the readers, showing thatthere are other ancient evils besides Sauronat work.
When Eru Ilúvatar led the Valar and Maiar in the song of creation, his greatest Valar, Melkor — later called Morgoth — sang to his own tune and attracted several Maiar to his melody of discord. Among them was Sauron, the greatest of the Maiar, who followed Morgoth to Middle-earth when he waged war against his fellow Valar and tried to claim ownership over Arda. When Morgoth was defeated, Sauron rose as the second Dark Lord.
While his powers can’t hope to match those of his master,Sauron remains the most powerful creature in Middle-earth. Instead of relying on his physical power, Sauron instead uses trickery, deception, and manipulation to turn the forces of good against one another and serve his will. This cunning approach is shown through his manipulation of the elven smith Celebrimbor to craft the ring of power and throughhis use of the Palantirto poison the minds of those who possessed other seeing stones, making them give into despair.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
1Tom Bombadil
Appears in The Fellowship of the Ring
Deep in the Old Forest between Buckland and Breedwells the mysterious Tom Bombadil, a fellow with colorful clothing and a love for singing. Rather than concern himself with the world outside his land, Tom spends his time being merry and expressing love for his wife, Goldberry. His exact origins are unknown, buthe is referred to as “eldest"and claims to remember a time before there was a Dark Lord.
Bombadil is the most enigmatic figure in Tolkien’s writing by intent, and in describing him,Tolkien said, “Even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. Tom Bombadil is one (intentionally).” There are many theories about who or what he could be, ranging from a personification of the world of Arda to a representation of Eru Ilúvatar himself. Even if Tom isn’t as old as some of the Maiar characters,the speculative nature of just who he is and what he represents has fascinated peoplefor decades.
NEXT:My Biggest Problem With ‘Rings of Power’ Has Nothing To Do With Story Accuracy
