Since we'll probably have a "monsters" and/or "other" H & H game in the future, it might make sense to leave Ungolient off this one. Though she could easily be explained as an Ainu in the Silmarillion and in other writings, in some earlier stuff she was something else and even later she is not defined specifically.
So, yeah, we can leave her off if you don't want to see her now.
As far as purposefully excluding "popular" characters, thus far we certainly haven't been doing that to extreme measures. In the previous rounds we've included Turin, Hurin, The Witch King, Sauron, Saruman, Luthien, Ulmo, Fingon, Turgon, Finrod, Aragorn, Fingolfin, Eowyn, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Feanor, and Glorfindel... and guess what? None of them won.
Now, I seem to recall Melkor being spoken against in one of the previous rounds because of his status, but then surely we'll allow him to compete when it's his time, right? (The Valar round most likely.)
Then what about a Maia this round? This is their time, isn't it? They won't be in the next eight or so games for sure. So do we deny popular characters the chance to win their division just because we think they're too likely to win, despite the fact that half of us would no doubt try and keep them from winning anyway?
Meh, you people decide. If we can fill the list up to 20 without them and you want to see them left off, I'm cool with it.
Approved-
- Aiwendil
- Alatar
- Arien
- Durin's Bane
- Eonwe
- Melian
- Osse
- Pallando
- Tilion
- Uinen
Being discussed-
- Curunir
- Gothmog
- Olorin
- Sauron
- Ungolient