Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies was mostly filmed in New Zealand. Because the movie was a big hit on so many levels, today there are several companies that take tourists to see the actual filming locations on North and South Island of New Zealand. Below you will find a short description of all the main characters that appear in the movies. If you are interested in the movie shooting locations in New Zealand, click here to read more.
Gandalf
Gandalf called as Gandalf the Grey and later as Gandalf, the White is a wizard and the first leader of the Fellowship of the Ring. Gandalf, along with Frodo Baggins and Aragorn is one of the principal characters of the Lord of the Rings. He is brave, wise and has magical powers and is willing to do whatever it takes to save the Middle Earth from the evil of Sauron.
Sauron
Sauron is a personification of all evil, who seeks to rule the world through the power of the One Ring. Sauron was disembodied when the One Ring was cut off from his hand during the Second Age at the Battle of the Last Alliance and but is back, more powerful than ever, formless and terrifying. He now seeks the One Ring to muster his old form and power. His piercing gaze can be felt by anyone who wears the One Ring.
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo is a strange but charming hobbit and Frodo’s favourite uncle. He was the one to find the Ring of Power and has been hiding it ever since, only to relinquish it, reluctantly, to Frodo. Bilbo has had an adventurous life.
Frodo Baggins
Frodo is the main character in the Lord of the Rings and he is the Ring Bearer, the person entrusted with the responsibility of destroying the ring in order to prevent its evil from reaching his beloved Shire. Frodo is educated, very intelligent, kind and generous. The fate of the Middle Earth depends on his courage and judgment. He is accompanied on this dangerous quest by his hobbit friends Sam, Merry and Pippin and Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli.
Samwise Gamgee
Sam is Frodo’s gardener and friend. He is brave, resourceful and loyal. He is with Frodo till the very end.
Aragorn
Aragorn, who appears as Strider, a Ranger during the start of the book is the last descendant of the human king who was too weak to the temptations of the One Ring. He is the heir to the throne of Gondor. Aragorn was raised by the Elf King Elrond and is in love with Elrond’s daughter Arwen. He is strong, brave, wise, loyal to his people and a warrior like none other.
Legolas Greenleaf
Legolas the Elf is the son of King Thranduil. He is very skilful with the bow and arrow and with knives. He joins the Fellowship and becomes a good friend to Aragorn. He forms an unexpected and often hilarious friendship with Gimli the Dwarf.
Gimli
Gimli the Dwarf is the son of Gloin. Gimli is a sturdy Dwarf with an ability to wield a deadly axe. He is very protective of the young hobbits and loyal to Aragorn. He forms an unlikely friendship with Legolas.
Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin “Pippin” Took
Merry and Pippin are young and often mischievous hobbits who are friends to both Frodo and Sam and decide just like that to follow them on their great journey. Merry and Pippin are best friends and inseparable. They face many challenges during their journey and face a great evil, and yet stay steadfast and loyal to their comrades.
Boromir
Boromir is the son of the Steward of Gondor who is tempted by the power of the ring. But he is a valued member of the Fellowship and gives up his life trying to save the hobbits, Merry and Pippin.
Arwen
Arwen is the daughter of the Elf King Elrond who has given her heart, against her father’s to Aragorn. She is kind, generous, brave and beautiful.
Elrond
Elrond is the Lord of Rivendell and was with Aragorn’s ancestor, Isildur during the battle when Isildur found the Ring of Power but fails to convince him to destroy it. He knows that the time of the Elves is close to its end and that it is time to take his people to the western lands.
Galadriel
Galadriel is the wife of Elf King Celeborn and the mother of Elrond. She has great powers that rival even those of Gandalf’s. She is tempted by the Ring but decides against taking it from Frodo when she has the opportunity to do so. She plays an important role in the book and the movie.
Saruman
Saruman is the master of Gandalf’s order and initially trusted by everyone. But it turns out that Saruman has an alliance with Sauron and has been building an orc army of his own.
Gollum
Gollum is a tragic figure in the book, who was originally much like a hobbit, but is transformed by his ownership of the ring, which he loses to Bilbo Baggins. He is a creepy creature with a dark obsession for the ring with a deeply evil and treacherous soul.
Nazgul
The Nazgul or the Black Riders are the dreaded ring servants of Sauron, who were once nine great Kings, who literally gave their soul to the devil in exchange for great power, wealth and prestige. Their lives and fates soon became bound with that of Sauron.
Orcs
Orcs are a race of creatures imagined by JRR Tolkien, who are used as soldiers by the forces of evil, Sauron and Saruman. They have slanted eyes, thick legs, and big hands and are miserable beings who hate everyone, including themselves and their only goal is to kill, pillage and destroy – they are very good at that. Tolkien had the Nazi foot soldiers in mind when he imagined the Orcs.
Uruk-hai
Uruk-hai are the most powerful and smartest of all orcs. They are deadly warriors and armed with a range of deadly weapons different from the typical orcish gear.
