The father of modern fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien created one of the most in-depth fantasy worlds of all time. While Middle-Earth may be extremely popular thanks to the success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the history of this fictional world stretches far beyond the confines of these two stories. While there are hundreds of named characters in LOTR, Tolkien created closer to 1,000 – many of which were among some of the most powerful characters the genre’s ever seen.

While many of the most powerful beings never make an appearance in The Lord of the Rings, that's not to say that this fantasy epic doesn’t feature its fair share of impressive characters. So how exactly do the main players in the War of the Ring stack up against one another in terms of sheer power?

While Tolkien may have dedicated much of his life to developing the language and histories of Middle-Earth, his magic system was largely left up to interpretation. We simply don't know the extent of many of these character's supernatural abilities. So in certain instances, we'll just have to go off of what we've seen these heroes and villains do on both the page and the screen.

For the sake of this list, we'll largely be sticking to characters that made an appearance in the movies (so you won't be finding the mysterious Tom Bombadil taking the top spot here).

Here is Every Major Lord of the Rings Character Ranked From Weakest To Strongest.

25 Pippin

via Digital Spy

While Pippin may have developed more as a character than Merry throughout the course of the story, he spends much of his time throughout the journey doing things that are somewhat dim-witted. When we first meet him, he is easily the most immature of the four hobbits that go on to join the fellowship.

This is on full display when Pippin does things such as causing a ruckus while they’re hiding in the mines of Moria, or stealing a look into the Palantiri. All things considered, Pippin comes across as more of a liability than an asset.

24 Merry

via Vaaju.com

While he is certainly prone to his fair share of foolishness – especially when he’s teamed up with Pippin – Merry also proves himself to be a competent warrior in the fight against the Dark Lord. In the books, Merry found out about the Ring long before he ever departed with Frodo.

His knowledge about lands beyond the Shire also aided the hobbits during the earlier part of their journey. Of course, we also can’t forget about the role that Merry played when it came to helping Eowyn defeat the Witch-King.

23 Gollum

via Inverse.com

Gollum’s greatest weakness is the One Ring, which he was so obsessed with upon first coming into contact with it, that the power held within it led him to take out his best friend right on the spot. But while he may be the character who is most easily tempted by the Ring, it’s this obsession that has also allowed Gollum to continue on for so long.

Gollum survives much longer than he should, taking his obsession all the way to Mount Doom, where he succeeded in winning back his most prized possession before finally meeting his demise.

22 Frodo

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Frodo bears the One Ring all the way from Hobbiton to Mordor – a task which was thought impossible by many, and it almost cost Frodo his life and his sanity in the process. So why isn’t Frodo much higher on the list?

Even Frodo admits that he couldn’t have made the journey alone, especially without Sam. He resists the Ring’s power far longer than most, but the power of the Dark Lord does eventually take its toll on him, and he certainly wouldn’t have made it to Mordor without the help of the fellowship.

21 King Theoden

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While King Theoden is somewhat restored to his former glory by the end of his story, we can’t ignore the fact that he was so easily controlled by Grima Wormtounge. When Gandalf shows up to Rohan, we quickly discover that Grima is no master sorcerer, but rather a full-blown coward who is actually rather pathetic.

Even still, Wormtounge was able to drive Theoden mad, showing just how easily the king could be manipulated. Without Gandalf saving him, Theoden would have surely wasted away.

20 Sam

via ew.com

Many regard Sam to be the true hero of The Lord of the Rings. He may be a simple gardener at the start of the story, but he ultimately makes the journey from Hobbiton to Mordor with Frodo, where he emerges in far better shape than his master.

Sam may just be a hobbit, meaning that he’s nowhere near many of the other characters in terms of raw power, but he does have one superpower, which comes in the form of his complete loyalty to Frodo. This means doing whatever he must to help Frodo destroy the One Ring.

19 Faramir

via Middle-Earth Films Wiki

When considering which one of his characters he was most like, Tolkien picked the character of Faramir, sighting that the man of Gondor was modest and merciful.

In the movies, Faramir proves himself to be a competent warrior. He leads the Rangers of Ithilien and is skilled with both a sword and blade. One of his downfalls, however, is that he continues to live in the shadow of his brother, Boromir. Without this weighing him down, it's possible that Faramir could have become just as powerful as his departed brother.

18 Eowyn

via Fanaru.com

In The Return of the King, it’s Eowyn who is largely responsible for destroying Sauron’s second-in-command and one of the most powerful characters throughout all of The Lord of the Rings. Of course, we’re talking about the Witch-king of Angmar. In the books, however, she has considerable help from Merry and his Dunedain dagger, which was imbued with ancient magic.

Even still, no one can deny that Eowyn has no shortage of courage and competence throughout the story, especially when she is not only being held back by the enemy, but by her allies as well.

17 Boromir

via themightybean.com

One of the strongest fighters in all of Gondor, Boromir was an obvious choice when it came to joining the fellowship. Throughout the course of The Lord of the Rings, Boromir is easily one of the most powerful combatants. Even when his defeat is imminent, he continues to fight longer than many others could.

But like so many other characters, Boromir's downfall is his desire for power, which ultimately makes him break his vows to protect Frodo and the One Ring.

16 Eomer

via Imgur.com

Much like Boromir, Eomer is one of the strongest fighters among the race of man. Even when he’s cast out by his king, Eomer continues to protect Rohan by leading his band of Rohirrim to crush any Orcs who threaten their borders.

Even the savage Uruk-Hai come to fear crossing paths with Eomer in the books, and Eomer goes on to play a vital role in the defeat of the enemy at both Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith. Unlike many of his fellow men, Eomer also seems like he is far less interested in acquiring power for himself.

15 Gimli

via ScreenRant.com

Being the comic-relief character, it can be easy to underestimate Gimil’s prowess on the battlefield. While he may have the stature of a hobbit, Gimili was about as ferocious as a dwarf could come. Even when defeat appeared imminent, Gimil showed no signs of backing away from a fight – whether it be against a cave troll or an army of Uruk-Hai.

And when it came to slaying Orcs, the sole dwarf on the fellowship was even able to keep up with his foe-turned-friend Legolas.

14 Shelob

via A Tolkienist’s Perspective

While Shelob may present a relatively minor hiccup throughout Sam and Frodo’s epic journey, the giant spider looms large in Tolkien’s lore. Shelob is the child of Ungoliant, a giant arachnid who wreaked havoc during the first age.

Shelob feasted on anyone who crossed her path, whether they be an enemy or ally of the Dark Lord. With a stinger that could stop anyone in their tracks, Shelob was one of the most formidable creatures in Middle-Earth – so much so that the enemy was content with letting her serve as an unofficial guardian of Cirith Ungol.

13 Aragorn

via IGN.com

Undoubtedly the most powerful man in The Lord of the Rings, Aragorn is a fearless warrior who also fails to be tempted by the power of the One Ring like so many others from his race.

Aragorn is the heir of Isildur and a member of the Dunedain. He was raised by Elrond and would go on to be one of the greatest assets in the fight against Sauron. Aragorn wages war against the enemy all the way from The Prancing Pony to the Black Gate, and afterward, he helps reunite the realm as a king.

12 Treebeard

via ScreenRant.com

Treebeard may be slow to spring into action, but would you expect anything less from one of the oldest living creatures in all of Middle-Earth? Treebeard is the leader of the Ents who resides in Fangorn Forest when he crosses paths with Merry and Pippin.

Treebeard comes to lead a march against Saurman, who was destroying Treebeard's home in order to fuel his war effort. As a result, Treebeard and the other Ents completely destroy Isengard, leading to the downfall of the white wizard.

11 Legolas

via ScreenRant.com

While Legolas might not be able to beat out Aragorn in terms of his ability to rule and unite the world, even Tolkien himself has said that Legolas was the most skilled fighter in the fellowship, second only to Gandalf.

Legolas was the oldest member of the fellowship, and his elvish ancestry gave him a number of supernatural abilities – including enhanced senses, immunity to sickness, and telepathy over short distances. In the movies, Legolas’s ability to use a bow, coupled with just how light he is on his feet, also make him a nearly unstoppable warrior.

10 Arwen

via Wallpaperplay.com

Considering that Arwen plays a much more significant role in the movies than in the novels, she can be a difficult character to rank in terms of power. Originally, Arwen was largely just the love interest to Aragorn. But she’s turned into a fearless warrior in the films, one capable of bringing down the Nazgul using her magical abilities.

This feat alone, coupled with all of the other abilities that elves demonstrate, already puts Arwen above most other characters in TLOTR – despite the puzzling fact that Arwen doesn't demonstrate these powers at any other time.

9 The Nazgul

via Wallup.com

Of the nine men who were gifted the Rings of Power by Sauron, all of them came to be corrupted by this power, turning them into the Nazgul that we come to known in The Lord of the Rings.

The Nazgul have one purpose: to hunt down the One Ring and return it to their master. They don’t eat, don’t sleep, and can only be defeated – albeit, temporarily – using water or fire. This undoubtedly makes the Nazgul one of the most intimidating enemies throughout the War of the Ring.

8 Elrond

via DigitalSpy.com

One of the wisest and most-powerful elves in all of Middle-Earth, Elrond has long been an adversary against the Dark Lord and his Rings of Power. So when the One Ring resurfaces, it’s Elrond who calls a council to decide what should be done with it.

While his days as a warrior may seem slightly behind him, Elrond should not be underestimated as a fighter. He’s also the bearer of the Ring of Air, which is said to grant him many additional abilities.

7 Gandalf The Grey

via mckellen.com

A member of the Maiar, Gandalf originally went by the name of Olorin before he was sent to Middle-Earth. While there, it was Gandalf’s mission to unite the powers of good against the Dark Lord.

There is no denying Gandalf’s wisdom at the start of the story. He often knows the best course of action, and few are stupid enough to question the words of the wizard. However, Gandalf the Grey is also the first member of the fellowship to meet his demise, proving that he’s far from invulnerable.

6 Durin’s Bane

via GeekTyrant.com

Early on in their journey, the fellowship crosses paths with one of the ancient evils of Middle-Earth: a Balrog that goes by the name of Durin’s Bane. A descendant of the First Age, Durin’s Bane is composed of fire and shadow, meaning that swords, axes, and arrows don’t stand a chance against this creature's wrath.

If not for the magical powers of Gandalf, Durin’s Bane could have been the end of the fellowship's quest. Of course, the standoff also cost Gandalf his life in the process.