The Lord of the Rings Study Guide

Some characters in The Lord of the Rings are unequivocal protagonists, and others are absolute antagonists. However despite criticism that the book's characters "are all either black or white", some of the 'good' characters have darker sides that feature in the story, and likewise some of the villains have "good impulses". Therefore the categorization of characters as either 'protagonists' or 'antagonists' below indicates their general role in the story.

Protagonists

• Fellowship of the Ring (characters):
  • Frodo Baggins, bearer of the One Ring, given to him by Bilbo Baggins
  • Samwise Gamgee, gardener and friend of the Bagginses
  • Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry), Frodo's cousin and friend
  • Peregrin Took (Pippin or Pip), Frodo's cousin and friend
  • Gandalf the Grey, a wizard, leads the Fellowship until his fall in Moria, returns from death as Gandalf the White to lead the armies of the West against Sauron
  • Aragorn, descendant of Isildur and rightful heir to the thrones of Arnor and Gondor
  • Legolas Greenleaf, an Elf prince and son of King Thranduil of the Silvan Elves of Northern Mirkwood
  • Gimli, son of Glóin, a dwarf
  • Boromir, the eldest son and heir of Denethor
• Denethor, ruling Steward of Gondor and Lord of Minas Tirith
• Faramir, younger son of Denethor
• Galadriel, Elf co-ruler of Lothlórien, and grandmother of Arwen
• Celeborn, Elf co-ruler of Lothlórien, husband of Galadriel, and grandfather of Arwen
• Elrond Half-Elven, Half-elven Lord of Rivendell and father of Arwen
• Arwen Undómiel, daughter of Elrond, love interest of Aragorn
• Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's cousin
• Théoden, King of Rohan, ally of Gondor
• Éomer, the 3rd Marshal of the Mark and Théoden's nephew. Later King of Rohan after Théoden's death.
• Éowyn, sister of Éomer, who disguises herself as a male warrior named Dernhelm to fight beside Théoden
• Treebeard, oldest of the Ents

Antagonists

• Sauron, the Dark Lord and titular Lord of the Rings, a fallen Maia who helped the Elves forge the Rings of Power in the Second Age.
• The Nazgûl or Ringwraiths, men enslaved by Sauron when they accepted his treacherous gifts of Rings of Power
  • The Witch-king of Angmar, the Lord of the Nazgûl, and Sauron's most powerful servant, who commands Sauron's army
• Saruman the White, a wizard who seeks the One Ring for himself. Originally the chief of the order of wizards of which Gandalf is also a member; corrupted by Sauron through the palantír .
• Gríma Wormtongue, a secret servant of Saruman and traitor to Rohan, who poisons Théoden's perceptions with well placed "advice"
• Gollum, a river hobbit originally named Sméagol
• Shelob, a giant spider who dwells in the passes above Minas Morgul
• Durin's Bane, a Balrog dwelling beneath the Mines of Moria