The Middle Earth Popularity Cup

[Morthoron]

++Saruman

The dialogues of Saruman are intriguing, more so than those of Boromir (who had to basically die to be a redeemable character). Crows and gibbets!

[Ilya]

++Boromir

He may not be as much fun as Saruman, but his redemption and death cast a shadow over the rest of the books in a way that Saruman's menace never did for me.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

+ + Boromir

After all, this is a Popularity poll and Sarman
has almost zero likeability.

[Strongbow]

++Boromir

One does not simply beat Boromir. This being said, Boromir seems more like a real person than many of the other characters because you see multiple dimensions of him.

[Andsigil]

++Boromir

Saruman falls from grace out of weakness. Boromir achieves redemption for his weakness at Amon Hen.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

++Saruman

Because, if we are to look at this as a popularity contest, Boromir bored me. Saruman, though a nasty sort who reminds me of some of my rather awful relatives, was, to me, more complex and more interesting.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

The dialogues of Saruman are intriguing, more so than those of Boromir (who had to basically die to be a redeemable character).

Now, now. That is pretty nasty towards Boromir. Saruman was great, but Boromir certainly can't be degraded like that. If he were against somebody of less "stature" than Saruman, it would be very probable I would have voted him. He is a very nice and interesting character with a very sad and touching destiny.

But now, I am going to once again shed some light on why I like Saruman so much by putting myself into a dialogue with the posts above

Originally Posted by Ilya

He may not be as much fun as Saruman, but his redemption and death cast a shadow over the rest of the books in a way that Saruman's menace never did for me.

Saruman does not cast a shadow, Saruman emits the shards of broken light which penetrate all the books, from Silm/UT to the LotR. And even in The Hobbit, you can "hear" him there, "sense" him there, as one of the "council of the white wizards"... most fascinating.

Originally Posted by Tuor in Gondolin

After all, this is a Popularity poll and Sarman
has almost zero likeability.

If I were to say whom I like the most in Tolkien's world, Saruman would be probably the first one to come on my mind.

Originally Posted by Strongbow

One does not simply beat Boromir. This being said, Boromir seems more like a real person than many of the other characters because you see multiple dimensions of him.

And Saruman does not have multiple dimensions in him? On the contrary! That's what connects him with Boromir, actually, I think. He is the White Wizard, the Maia Curumo in the realms beyond the mortal world, he is the great Head of the Order, the fair man with raven hair and beautiful voice who came to Middle-Earth, he is the landlord who took Isengard into his custody, he is the Enemy of Sauron, and he is the traitor, the master of Uruk-hai and the beggar on the road. He struggles to defeat the Enemy, loses to his pride, struggles with his fear and you can feel how the good inside him is trying to surface still, when Gandalf offers him mercy, and when he imprisons Gandalf and the Black Riders come, and even a bit when he talks to Frodo. Come on, he is just brilliant.

I cannot vote otherwise than for my favourite

++Saruman

[skip spence]

Boromir is a bit annoying, always going on and on about how great and courageous he and his people are. He's also the only non-hobbit of the fellowship I can relate to, and I don't blame him from trying to take the ring, he simply wanted to protect his people and became desperate, doing what he though the least bad of two evils. His only fault (apart from pride) is a lack of faith, Estel I think Tolkien calls it, and that's not really fault at all in my book.

Sauruman is okay but I'd have like to see him doing something Wizard-like once in a while. In the movies he could control the weather from hundreds of miles away which of course was ridiculous, but in the book he can't do anything but hold speeches that turn into bitter tantrums (funny ones though).

++Boromir

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

++Saruman

Because of his many colours in a time of black and white.

[Lalwendë]

Oh what a choice!!!! I so do not want to knock out the one who I don't choose....

But the choice was made from the start, because I am such a simpering fan...and others compared to him are just brigands who roll in the reek. If you took the figure of Merlin and split it down the middle then one side would be the kindly, cantankerous Gandalf, the other side would be the mysterious and aloof Saruman. He's easily as archetypal a wizard as Gandalf, and more intriguing because he locks himself away in Orthanc doing who knows what kinds of interesting experiments...The 'mad professor' of Middle-earth

++Saruman