Missing Fell Beast?

[The Only Real Estel]

Originally posted by Neurion:

there would only be 8 to 10 minor characters to keep track of

Originally posted by Essex:

I wonder if anyone does have a character count, major and minor, for the whole (book) trilogy? No doubt it would be less than 500, but I reckon it runs into the hundreds (ie those with speaking parts or actually named as characters in the book)

I don't know of anyone with a full character count, but I went through FotR real quickly & found quite a few characters that either were not mentioned in the movies, or did not recieve any real recognition (ie: the alleged Ted Sandyman in the Green Dragon in the FotR EE).
key: a plus sign=deserving of mention/important to the story or someone that affects the story in some way (not just a name given in a history or song)

Hobbits
------------------------------

Nob+
Bob +
Ted Sandyman +
Farmer Cotton +
Fatty Bulger +
Lotho 'Pimple' +
Old Took +
Falco Boffin +
Mrs. Maggot +
Mrs. Cotton +
Mr. Mugwort +
Daddy Twofoot
Old Noakes
Old Master Gorbadac
Everad Took
Melilot Brandybuck
Rory Brandybuck
Esmeralda Brandybuck
Adelard Took
Dora Baggins
Milo Burrows
'Angelica'
Hugo Bracegirdle
Sancho Proudfoot
Hal (Sam's cousin)
Andy (Sam's uncle)
Smeagol's grandmother
Maggot's two sons
Maggot's three daughters
Bandobras the Bullroarer

Animals/Creatures
----------------------------------------------

Old Man Willow +
Grip +
Fang +
Wolf +
The Barrow-Wight +
Fatty Lumpkin +
Southern Stranger +
Beorn
Grimbeorn
Smaug
Necromancer
Ancalagon the Black

Humans (Elves & Men)
--------------------------------------------------

Glorifindel +
Gildor +
Elladan +
Dlrohir +
Lindir +
Erestor +
Galdor +
Cirdan +
Rumil +
Orophin +
Tom Bombadil +
Goldberry +
Bill Ferny +
Gloin +
Dain +
Durin +
Brand+
Anarion +
Radagast the Brown +
Dwalin +
Dori +
Nori +
Ori +
Oin +
Bifur +
Bofuf +
Bombur +
Floi
Frar
Loni
Nali
Celebrian
Tinuviel
Thingol
'Great Enemy' (Morgoth)
Dior
Elwing
Thranduil
Celebrimbor
Feanor
Nimrodel
Amroth
Thorin Oakenshield
Bard the Bowman
Beren
Earendil
Tom (In Sam's poem)
Ohtar
Meneldil
Denethor
Thror
Thrain
Hador
Hurin
turin
Narvi
Floi
Frar
Lori
Nali
Varda

Of course I've probably left out some, but by my count that's about 100 extra characters that weren't put in the movie, with a little over 45 of those being deserving of mention for one reason or another. And this is just a list of FotR's characters .