The scariest characters in the LOTR?

[Aganzir]

I agree with Rune about the Nazgul. Although they were scary and real enemies, they were an actual threat only until Bruinen. They were much scarier with living horses than with beasts, living or undead. Horses are living creatures, with a will of their own, and one should be able to predict their behaviour at least a little bit. Thus, it makes me wonder how corrupted those poor animals must have been to carry the Black Riders. I even feel a little pity for them though I am no animal lover. The same cannot be said about the fell beasts. They are just beasts born to serve Sauron, unlike the horses we know. This makes them a little less scary creatures than horses, and it affects also to the Nazgul. They can be ever present without actually being seen. They don't have to be close to keep watch. And in my opinion, the closer they are, the scarier they are.

The most terrible moments I've ever had with Tolkien were the ones with the Balrog. Maybe it's understandable, since I was 11 when I read the Lotr for the first time, and it was the only time I was truly afraid of the Balrog. The movies hadn't come out yet, so I created a very own conception of the Balrog, and I must confess that my balrog has always been much scarier than the one shown us in the movies.

Sauron was scarier in The Silmarillion. In those days he was nothing but a servant, he took risks and fought himself. Now that he's the one commanding armies from his tower, he doesn't seem so strong anymore. Really, I can't imagine he'd win an Elven lord in a song contest anymore. Not without the help of a bunch of Orcs.

Was this thread about the number of nightmares, the scariest characters would be the Nazgul. I've happened to have several nightmares about the Ringwraiths living in our cellar and attacking me when I have nothing better than a flick knife to defend myself with. By now, I have managed to kill already three of them. Still six (or five) to go, but I beat Éowyn.

However, one thing I love in Tolkien's books is that there are no creatures that cannot be slain; nothing that is evil is invincible. They cannot conquer for ever.

[Gil-Galad]

Gothmog has potential

is he a man? is he an orc? you don't know and that lack of knowledge can get you in the end

when i first read it i thought he was a demon, like the balrog, that serves sauron.

[Elmo]

Whoever gave me a bad blank rep for saying Eru was scary... deary me
I only lost five points so it was obviously a newbie but anyway...{shakes head}

He destroyed a whole civilisation!

[The 1,000 Reader]

Originally Posted by hewhoarisesinmight

He destroyed a whole civilisation!

That civilization he destroyed was going to destroy a civilization.

[Elmo]

So, he still did it didn't he. As I said I wouldn't want to get the wrong side of him because obviously has no qualms about smiting.

(sigh) I probably shouldn't have mentioned him because conversations about Eru always get people worked up.

[The 1,000 Reader]

Actually, your post sounded like you were saying he did that as an evil act. He's strong to have destroyed Numenor, but that wasn't an evil act.

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by hewhoarisesinmight

So, he still did it didn't he. As I said I wouldn't want to get the wrong side of him because obviously has no qualms about smiting.

(sigh) I probably shouldn't have mentioned him because conversations about Eru always get people worked up.

lol. You can mention him, just don't mention him in a bad way... There's a real Eru, you know, and you don't want to be on the wrong side of Him! But it's because of this real 'Eru' that people get all huffy and puffy about what's said about Eru. It's just easy to be riled up in the matter.

-- Folwren

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by hewhoarisesinmight

So, he still did it didn't he. As I said I wouldn't want to get the wrong side of him because obviously has no qualms about smiting.

(sigh) I probably shouldn't have mentioned him because conversations about Eru always get people worked up.

I agree, ultimately, Eru must be the most scary character in the whole work! True, he's not a traditional 'horror' or 'monster', nor is he one of Melkor's spooky, twisted minions. He isn't some earthly horror nor is he a power hungry person. But he is in control, and he can and will smite you. The rules aren't set down for most people in Middle-earth and they must work out for themselves what is right and wrong. Put it this way, in the real world an ordinary man or woman might find it hard to believe the words of not another race, but a whole other species on what was right and wrong. Sure, some Men carried the words of Eru, but in a situation where the whole world is at war, trust is in short supply, so we cannot simply blame people for not believing in Eru.

I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him either. But who would be there to tell me otherwise? I think that's why you get so many complex figures and absolutely no 'perfect' people in Middle-earth; they're all trying to figure out what's right and wrong. If I was an ordinary Man trying to eke out a living why would I take everything that a Gondorian, descendant of the drowned Numenor, told me about Eru? Especially knowing the horrible tales that would've been passed down about the evil deeds of Numenoreans!

Eru is the Alan Sugar of Arda - he can say "You're fired!" at any point. And why? He's omnipotent.

Not everyone gets worked up about Eru.

Originally Posted by The 1,000 Reader

Actually, your post sounded like you were saying he did that as an evil act. He's strong to have destroyed Numenor, but that wasn't an evil act.

That's a moot point, not a given. I wouldn't word it as 'evil' myself, just as 'dodgy'.

[Gil-Galad]

all i have to say about the sinking of Numenor is that Eru was "The lesser of two evils"


brings into light a machiavelian aspect to Eru doesn't it...


weel Bill Ferny might be scary, hes no Sharku, i at first had no idea who Sharku was and that he had conquered the Shire when they were gone...


but the worse of all


Lobelia Sackville


scary

[Lord Halsar]

Originally Posted by hewhoarisesinmight

So, he still did it didn't he. As I said I wouldn't want to get the wrong side of him because obviously has no qualms about smiting.

(sigh) I probably shouldn't have mentioned him because conversations about Eru always get people worked up.

Indeed. i beleive that people get so worked up about him, because he is sort of like the christian/jewish version of God. Everyone has a deep inner desire to defend the Lord's name should he be insulted. why would Eru be any different?

[Rikae]

Honestly, I found Boromir the scariest. The Nazgul, the Barrow Wights, etc, were straightforwardly dangerous; but Boromir was a member of the Fellowship who became a threat. The scene where he tries to take the ring from Frodo is probably the scariest to me, maybe because it hits closest to home...the people we trust being the greatest danger.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

Really, I can't imagine he'd win an Elven lord in a song contest anymore. Not without the help of a bunch of Orcs.

I hope not!

More seriously, I think neeker-breekers are surely really horrible and possibly even scariest. Even the thought of them makes me shudder.

And in the Hobbit, Thranduil, his Elves (well maybe except the butler, Galion), the River and the whole Mirkwood are much more scary than say Smaug.

[Liriodendron]

Yes....eactly what were those woodelves doing with the movable fires and feasting, in and out, on and off? Were they luring the starving company into a trap? Were they dumbly oblivious? Or were they simply selfish, cold and uncaring......that whole bit was quite annoying. Weird creepy elves ......

[Volo]

Bill Ferny was actually very scary when I read the book for the first time.