Hailed as a crowning achievement in fantasy cinema and a masterclass in filmmaking itself,Peter Jackson’sThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy isone of the most celebrated and loved film series of all time. Transporting global audiences toJ.R.R Tolkien’smythical world of Middle-Earth for over 20 years,The Lord of the Ringsremains the film event of a lifetime.
While the dense world presented in Jackson’s films is populated by many of the same animals we find in our own, it is also home to a myriad of other creatures far more terrifying. From enormous cave trolls capable of crushing grown men under their weight to monstrous dragons pulled straight from ancient folklore. Tolkien’s world is not one to be traversed lightly. From The Shire to Mordor, these 10 creatures are the scariest to reside in Middle-Earth.
10Uruk-hai Berserkers
Never mentioned inTolkien’sbooks, the brutal Uruk-hai Berserkers unleashed inThe Two Towersis an invention of the filmmakers. Bred specifically for war, Saruman’s hulking Uruk-hai are the superior Orc breed in almost every way. From their massive physical stature to their unique ability to travel under sunlight, the Uruks' are a deadly threat to the free peoples.
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Little would instill fear into the hearts of Isengard’s enemies quicker than the sight of a charging Berserker. In a barbaric pre-war ritual, Berserkers were rumored to have their helmets filled with the blood of their fallen enemies. Going into a frenzied bloodlust, the Berserker’s skin would become stained red as they carve through crowds of foes almost completely armorless.
9Marsh Wraiths
Deep within the encircling fog of the dead marshes, the dim flicker of candles mysteriously burns. Resting in the water below, ghostly apparitions of dead men and elves, twisted and rotting, dwell. They ensnare any who wander too near with an evil spell, luring their victim to the water’s edge to join in their nightmarish slumber.
Appearing only briefly in Tolkien’s original works,Frodo in the book claims only to haveseenthe dead faces, but Jackson’s filmThe Two Towersincludes a dramatic twist. Frodo falls into the water, where he encounters the ghosts and is saved only at the last moment when Gollum pulls him to safety.
Commonly found in the woods of the Misty Mountains, Wargs are an enormous breed of intelligent and malevolent wolf. Favored as mounts by the followers of the Dark Lord Sauron, Wargs are an intimating force to meet on the battlefield known to tear their prey limb from limb.
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During an exhilarating action sequence inThe Two Towers, a large pack of Wargs is sent from Isengard to hunt down the refugees of Edoras as they flee to the safety of Helm’s Deep. Charging at Theoden’s men with full force and orc riders on their backs, the battle is short and brutal. And while the people of Rohan are victorious, the Wargs of Isengard earn a deadly reputation.
7The King of the Dead
Lord to a disgraced army of oath breakers, the King of the Dead, with his accursed followers, haunt the caverns beneath Dwimorberg and the valley of Harrowdale. Appearing as shades in the form of undead men, they carry ghostly pale banners and blades that bite at any who wander too eagerly into their midst.
Feared by all who wandered near the mountain, the army was finally freed by Aragorn inThe Return of the King, who, after walking the Paths of the Dead, declares himself as Isildur’s heir and demands that the traitors fight alongside him against the rallying forces of Sauron.
Towering high above all other creatures in Middle-Earth are the Mûmakil. Growing to an average size of 40–55 feet tall, each fully mature specimen will grow four to six deadly tusks. Used as dreaded war beasts by the southern race of men known as the Haradrim, Mûmakil would be equipped each with a massive war tower which would then be garrisoned with archers, spearmen, and captains.
During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields inThe Return of the King, the Mûmakil’s naturally tough skin repels arrows, and their gigantic feet crush horse and rider as they smash their way through Theoden’s men and prove themselves to be a truly devastating force of nature capable of turning the tide of battle.
5Fellbeast
Ferocious drakes chosen as mountsby the Nazgûl shortly after losing their black horses at the Ford of Bruinen, Fellbeasts are among the most terrifying creatures bred by Sauron. With features similar to that of a bat crossed with a dragon, Fellbeasts are a black shadow in the sky whose ear-splitting shrieks strike fear into all.
Used to devastating effect during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Fellbeasts brought terror from the sky to the people of Gondor. Swooping swiftly down and ensnaring soldiers with their barbed talons before lifting them high above their walls and dropping them to their deaths on the battlefield below.
4The Nazgûl
Human in origin and spirit, the nine Nazgûl were once kings of men. Corrupted by Sauron after accepting his gifted rings of power, they each fell into darkness. Existing not in the world of mortals but in the world of the unseen, the Nazgûls very presence would trigger despair in those they crossed. Equipped with foul weapons, the Nazgûl would roam Middle-Earth unrivaled and unchecked, dressed as riders in black.
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As the most powerful of the nine,the Witch King of Angmar would go on tobecome the most accomplished of Sauron’s minions. Bringing the lands of Arnor to ruin, he would rule Angmar for hundreds of years before converting Minas Ithil to Minas Morgul, where he would remain for another one thousand years more.
3Durins Bane
Digging too greedily and too deep, the dwarves of Moria would reap what they sowed when they awakened this ancient evil. Durins Bane, a creature with origins dating back to the time of Melkor, was once one of theMaiar before becoming corrupt and transformed into a demon of terror.
This cursed being was absolutely evil and could shroud itself in fire, darkness, and shadow. Armed with an ashen long sword and flaming whip, Durins Bane would control Moria for hundreds of years. It was bested only after a chance encounter with Gandalf inThe Fellowship of the Ring.
2Watcher in the Water
Visitors using the secret moonlit entrance to the great Dwarven Kingdom of Moria would do best not to disturb the black waters of the lake at its doorstep. For lurking beneath the Watcher waits a colossal octopus-like creature akin to that of the Kraken of Norse Mythology.
A presence first recorded by Balin’s dwarf company roughly 30 years beforeThe Fellowship of the Ringbegan, the creature was likely driven to the lake after the damming of the river Sirannon. Antagonized by Merry and Pippin after the hobbits throw stones across the lake, the monster emerges, a tangle of tentacles, and attacks the fellowship, destroying the entrance and leaving the heroes hopelessly trapped in the darkness of Moria.
A truly frightening horror like no other, Shelob is the very embodiment of evil in Tolkien’s world and one of the great monsters of the Third Age. Spawn of the ancient spirit Ungoliant, Shelob is a gigantic spider who feeds on any bird, orc, or human foolish enough to stumble into her dark lair, deep within the tunnels atop the pass of Cirith Ungol.
Intelligent and with an insatiable desire to feed, Shelob will paralyze her prey and eat them alive. Sauron, well aware of her residency within his borders, valued Shelob as an incredibly effective deterrent to any threat that would try to sneak into his lands via the mountain pass.
