The Silmarillion/Characters

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This character sheet incorporates some information from Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, The History of Middle Earth, and The Children of Hurin. Conflicts between these works and The Silmarillion are noted where they occur.

See also the character sheet for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which are set in the same universe (and, indeed, features some of the same characters).

Eru and the Valar

Eru Ilúvatar

Eru (the One), also called Ilúvatar (All-Father), is the monotheistic God of Tolkien's universe. He created the Ainur (Holy Ones), angelic spirits who aided in the creation of the universe, as well as his Children, the Elves and Men.

  • Crystal Dragon Jesus: Inverted, which says something about how awesome Tolkien is. Eru has a lot of similarities to the Christian deity (as to be expected from a Catholic author), but the way in which his creations worship him is very different from traditional Christian practice. There are very few ceremonies, only a few per year. And worship is never carried out in buildings; indeed, temples and churches are associated with evil by worshippers of Eru. In Númenorean worship, only the King could speak to Eru directly and make (bloodless) offerings, and most prayers or hymns seen in the mythology are addressed to one of the Valar.
    • Specifically: an unpublished essay ("The Marriage Customs of the Eldar") suggests that the Elves asked Eru to bless their marriages; they do not seem to bother Him for any other purpose. The Dunedain have a custom that vaguely resembles grace before meals, but it is less a case of "Thanks unto Eru for this food" than "If I forget thee, oh Númenor, then let my right hand forget its cunning"; that, and Denethor's throwaway line about "the heathen kings of old" being cremated rather than buried (The Gondorians obsessively cling onto their Númenorean history, and the only holy place allowed was the mountain Meneltarma in Númenor. Now that Númenor is gone they don't have holy places any more, but compensate for this by almost worshipping their past).
    • "Elbereth Gilthoniel" is basically the Elvish "Hail Mary", which Tolkien probably was aware of. The Dwarves worshipped their creator Aulë whom they called "Mahal". The Rohirrim worshipped Oromë, one of the Valar, whom they called "Bema". This is All in The Manual.
    • The reason why there is no formalised worship by Elves in Tolkien's works is that the Elves are fundamentally an Unfallen race and therefore still retain the close relationship with God that mankind has struggled ever to regain since the Fall.
      • Another unpublished essay mentions that Men have a prophecy hinting strongly at the coming of Christ ("the only way Eru could cure the world of Morgoth's poison is to enter it himself") but Tolkien dropped it because he was afraid it was turning into "a parody of Christianity".
  • Divine Delegation: Eru creates one so they can participate in the creation of the universe.
  • Divine Intervention: Eru prefers to observe the universe and let the Valar run things. But when the Númenoreans attacked Valinor and the Valar laid down their governance of the world, he simply had to act. He also granted independent souls to the Dwarves and the Ents, who were the creations of Aulë and Yavanna respectively. And hints are occasionally dropped in The Lord of the Rings that Eru is giving his creation the occasional nudge: Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and Frodo was meant to bear it, and not by the Enemy.
  • Humans Are Special: Eru was very fond of his earthly children but in particular seemed to favor the races of men. While the elves are powerful and immortal, their role is more as caretakers of the world. They must stay on middle earth until the world ends along with the Ainuar that descended into the world. The races of men while weaker, short-lived and vulnerable to illness are free of destiny/fate and capable of great or terrible things. At every major turn or upheaval on middle earth, the races of men or one of their members was at the heart of the events. Further, only the souls of men on death can travel beyond the world to a greater journey were as the elves' souls must stay in the halls of Mandos until they are sent back to middle-earth reformed into their original bodies.
  • God
  • The Only Way They Will Learn: This tends to be his MO. He gives being to the Music of the Ainur (the "source code" for the universe, so to speak) so that the Ainur could "see what they had done". And when Men awake in the world, he tells them that he wants them to learn and become wise on their own.
  • Parental Favoritism: Partially due to Humans Are Special and partially because the races of men are the The Unfavourite to the Valar. The races of men are the ones Eru has consistently given assistance to (though usually of the Mysterious Ways variety) and gotten involved with while rarely ever influencing or affecting the elves. This is implied to be because he made the elves to stay on middle earth and look after it while the races of men are free of fate and can do anything in exchange for a limited lifespan. Further, the Valar always favored the elves more and rarely gave the races of men any assistance or help leading Eru to getting involved more to pick up the Valar's slack.
  • World Sundering: The form his most spectacular Divine Intervention took: he removed Valinor from the world, sunk Númenor into the sea and turned the once flat world into a sphere.

The Valar

The Powers of the World. The most powerful of the angelic spirits created by Eru to effect and oversee his creation; they occupy a role somewhere between archangels and polytheistic gods. Manwë is their leader; he is the King of Arda (the world), under Eru, and lord of the airs. There were originally fifteen Valar, but Melkor was cast from their number. They are served by an unspecified number of Maiar (roughly angels or demigods). They dwell in Valinor (the Land of the Gods) in the utter west.

The Valar are:

  • Manwë, the High King of Arda. The ruler of winds and airs, and the leader of the Valar. Brother to Melkor. The great Eagles are his emissaries.
  • Varda, the Queen of the Stars, and their maker. Manwë's spouse. The Elves hold her in special esteem, and call her Elbereth Gilthoniel.
  • Ulmo, the Lord of Waters. Doesn't live in Valinor, but dwells alone in the Outer Sea. Stern and fearsome, but has endless compassion for the peoples of Middle-earth even when the rest of the Valar are angered by them.
  • Aulë, the Smith. The shaper of Earth's physical form. He created the Dwarves, and taught both them and the Elves the secrets of smithcraft. Both Sauron and Saruman used to be his servants.
  • Yavanna, the Giver of Fruits. Aulë's spouse. The creator of all plants and animals, including the Two Trees. Her argument with Aulë led to the creation of the Ents.
  • Mandos, the Doomsman of the Valar. Keeps the souls of the dead in the Halls of Mandos. The grimmest of the Valar, he pronounced the Doom of the North upon Fëanor and his sons.
  • Vairë, the Weaver. Mandos' spouse. Weaves everything that happens in history to her tapestries.
  • Lórien, the Master of Visions and Dreams. The people of Valinor go to the Gardens of Lórien to find rest and refreshment. Gandalf is of his household.
  • Estë, the Gentle. Lórien's Spouse. The healer of hurts and weariness, during days she sleeps in the Gardens.
  • Nienna, Lady of Mercy. The sister of Mandos and Lórien. She weeps always in grief for the ills of the world, but teaches pity and endurance.
  • Oromë, the Huntsman of the Valar. The most terrible of the Valar when angered. Used to go to Middle-earth to hunt Melkor's monsters, and during one of those hunts found the newly awoken Elves.
  • Nessa, the Dancer. Oromë's spouse. Able to outrun arrows, and the deer that follow her.
  • Tulkas, the Valiant. The Valar's champion who fights with bare fists. Laughs even in battle.
  • Vána, the Ever-young. The younger sister of Yavanna and spouse of Tulkas. Wherever she goes birds sing and flowers bloom.
  • Melkor, He Who Arises in Might. No longer counted among the Valar. See more of him under "Enemies".
  • Big Good: Manwë Súlimo
  • Boisterous Bruiser: Tulkas Astaldo
  • Cain and Abel: Melkor and Manwë
  • Cool Horse: Oromë has Nahar
  • Council of Angels/Fantasy Pantheon
  • The Cutie: Vána
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Mandos.
  • Divine Ranks: Eru > Valar > Maiar is just the start of it. The Valar too are divided into greater (Aratar) and lesser Valar, and the Maiar are by no means all equal to each other.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Inverted - Manwë unwisely lets Morgoth out of his prison because he is literally unable to understand what motivates Morgoth to do evil due to his own Incorruptible Pure Pureness.
  • God's Hands Are Tied: They avoid confronting the supernatural forces of evil directly so as not to interfere with other beings' free will and, more importantly, avoid wrecking continents. If things get bad enough, though, they will act.
    • Ulmo often goes against the other Valar to directly aid people and manipulate events, most notably when he recruited Tuor as his messenger to Gondolin.
  • God Is Flawed: While the Valar are all good, they're not perfect, and from time to time have to regret their past mistakes.
  • Happily Married: The only ones not married are Ulmo and Nienna. Ulmo is a loner and Nienna is eternally sad.
  • The High Queen: Varda
  • I Have Many Names: All of them. Manwë Súlimo, Varda Elentári Tintallë, Námo Mandos, Irmo Lórien, Yavanna Kementári Palúrien, Aulë Mahal, Oromë Aldaron, Tulkas Astaldo...
    • It is implied that every single one of them has tons of names given by various peoples of Men, but only some are known, such as Orome's Rohirric name "Bema".
  • The Lancer: Ulmo's main role is often to act as a foil for Manwë.
  • Mad Scientist: Aulë is a benevolent version, though his skills and creations can be misused.
  • The Maker: While Eru is THE Maker of the whole universe, Aulë is the creator of the Dwarves. They even call him Mahal, "the Maker".
  • Mother Nature: Yavanna. She's not the earth itself, but the shaper and protector of all living creatures.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Their clear favoritism of the elves would end up biting them and the children of Eru in the ass hard. While the did everything they could to rescue the elves from Melkor and educate them on the world and Eru they spared no such effort on the races of men, many of whom were corrupted by Melkor and later Sauron to fight on the side of evil which further aliened the elves and men through distrust. It was because the Valar were so negligent when it came to the races of men that Eru often had to personally step in and work on behalf of the races of men (albeit in secret).
  • Not So Different: Sauron and Aulë. They both had similar (good, but rebellious) intentions in their own schemes. The only difference, according to Word of God, is that Aulë repented and Sauron only considered doing so.
  • Obstructive Code of Conduct: subverted by the Valar, at least at first. They decide to bring the Elves to their realm, Valinor, to guide and teach them. When that backfires horribly, they decide to interfere with Elves and Men much less.
  • Our Angels Are Different: Technically they're really this, but function in-story like traditional polytheistic gods.
  • Physical God: All of them, of course, with different provinces and powers.
  • Sexless Marriage: A curious case. Originally Tolkien intended the Valar to have produced children, but then later decided they cannot reproduce. Apparently they don't have sex drive either, and their marriages are of platonic companionship rather than of union of bodies.
  • Sibling Triangle: What perhaps happened between Melkor, Varda and Manwë. Originally, Melkor was in awe of Varda and her light, but she recognized that he had started to fall into evil and rejected him. Later, Melkor hated Varda and still she was the one of the Valar he feared the most.
  • Spirit Advisor: They're not supposed to rule over the Elves and Men like kings and queens, but act as their advisors and guides.
  • The Stoic: Mandos
  • Tender Tears: Nienna. Even her name means "Gift of Tears"
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: Any of them can appear in a wide variety of forms; Yavanna in particular is fond of appearing as a tree.
  • War God: Tulkas, of course.


Enemies

Melkor / Morgoth Bauglir

Melkor (He Who Arises in Might; later named Morgoth, the Black Enemy, by the Elves) is the originator of evil in Tolkien's universe. He is the most powerful of the Ainur. During the "Great Music" that is the creation process, he rebels against Eru by singing his own themes, corrupting many lesser Ainur to his side. When he and many other Ainur have entered the world, he tries to claim it for himself, and wars against his fellow Valar (the Powers) in an attempt to wrest it from them. Later, when Elves and Men come on the scene, he attempts to destroy them by using the massive armies of Orcs, Balrogs, and dragons that he created. His pursuit of evil causes him to lose most of his original power, and he is eventually banished from the world by the Valar. Sauron was his greatest servant, and takes over for his master upon his banishment.

  • And I Must Scream: He is imprisoned in Mandos for 3000 solar years by the Valar.
  • As Long as There Is Evil: He poured out his essence into the world, so that his evil continues to corrupt people long after he is gone. Just as his servant Sauron could not be destroyed as long as his Ring existed, Morgoth will never truly be gone as long as the world exists.
  • Authority Equals Asskicking: He is the most powerful created being, after all.
  • Big Bad
  • Blatant Lies: Claims to Húrin that he created Arda. Húrin doesn't believe him for a second.
  • The Corrupter: To all his minions, most of whom started off as well meaning and benevolent creatures but, like him, became more stereotypically evil as their vices got the better of them. The rest are either Exclusively Evil or a result of Being Tortured Makes You Evil.
  • Creative Sterility: Despite his best efforts to create life, he cannot make, but only mock Eru's creation. Orcs are a hollow imitation of Elves, Trolls the same for Ents, and so on.
  • Control Freak: Melkor wanted control of everything and what he couldn't control or own he tried to destroy. Ultimately, he was driven beyond sanity by his desire to control everything as he realized no matter what it everything would always belong to Eru in the end. This turned him into an Omnicidal Maniac that wanted to destroy everything just to spite Eru.
  • Dirty Coward: "...for though his might was greatest of all things in this world, alone of the Valar he knew fear."
  • Drop the Hammer: Grond.
  • Evil Overlord: He has the look down pat, and he declares himself the King of Arda. Instead of merely ruling the world, he wants to unmake it and reform it in his own image. This is more evident early on, when he destroys the Great Lamps and the Isle of Almaren out of jealous spite, before Orcus on His Throne set in.
  • God of Evil
  • The Heavy: The Silmarillion is a history more than a novel and as such can't really be said to have a single central character (unless you count Arda itself), but Morgoth is the thread tying most of the narratives together.
  • I Surrender, Suckers: The Valar released him from millennia of imprisonment and asked him if he had learned the error of his ways. He said yes, they believed him. And then he plunged the world into darkness. Again.
  • Large and In Charge: Even in his weaker Dark Lord form, he towers over most other creatures.
  • My Name Is Not Durwood: "Morgoth" was a name given to him by Fëanor after he stole the Silmarils. He himself continues to call himself Melkor, but everyone else uses Morgoth.
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast: As well as sounding evil in itself even in English, "Morgoth" means "the Dark Enemy".
  • Omnicidal Maniac: Toward the final days of his reign of terror, Melkor was extremely nihilistic and wanted to destroy everything as he realized that no matter what he did everything would always belong to Eru and the best he could hope for was to break in all to spite his father.
  • The Paragon Always Rebels: Was the greatest of the Valar and gifted by Eru with a portion of all their knowledge and powers. While the other Valar were specialists and the best at what they did, Melkor was good at everything they could do combined. Eru had intended for Melkor to be the one to direct the creation of Arda while the other Valar would bring his ideas into being. However the pride Melkor had at being the greatest of the Valar along with the envy he felt towards his father Eru for knowing that Eru would always be greatest, sowed the seeds of his fall from grace.
  • Physical God: Though like Sauron with the Ring, his physical power lessens as he divests his spiritual corruption into the fabric of Middle-earth.
  • Playing with Fire / An Ice Person: Both. While most of the Valar have various elemental attributes such as Manwë's affinity with the air and Ulmo's with the sea, Melkor's power rests in the unrestrained extremes of heat and cold. Which explains why Thangorodrim was both Grim Up North and a Volcano Lair.
  • Satan: Along with God/Eru, this is the closest Tolkien comes to identifying one of his characters with a biblical figure, though it's still not explicit.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: A couple of times. His unsealing was actually intentional, as it was promised to him by Manwë, who cannot go back on his word.
  • Villain Cred: Melkor was as prideful as the person he was based on and at the least wanted everyone else to respect and/or fear him. This was especially true of the armies of monsters he would later create as he grew weaker by the act of creating them and warping the substance of Arda to better control the world. He needed his minions to respect and fear him as he came the point that he no longer had to power to keep all of the creatures he ruled under control through sheer force. The Elf King Fingolfin used this against him by calling him out to duel at the gate of Melkor's keep. Melkor knew that none of his men would truly respect or fear him again if a small elf lord came banging on his door, challenged him to a fight while calling him a wussie and he turned down the challenge or order his Balrogs to pulverize him.

Sauron

A powerful Maia, formerly of Aulë, corrupted to Morgoth's service. He was the Enemy's right-hand. Ruled Tol-in-Gaurhoth in Morgoth's name, where he caused the death of Finrod Felagund before being driven off by Lúthien. Took over his master's position as the pre-eminent force of evil following his defeat. Sauron is the direct cause of the fall of Númenor, whose king and people he corrupted with promises of immortality. He is most well-known as the Big Bad of The Lord of the Rings--for tropes relating to him during that era, see The Lord of the Rings character sheet.

Ungoliant

A horrific creature of darkness incarnate as a Giant Spider, Ungoliant's origins and history are unknown, though she might was involved with Melkor on multiple occasions. She aided the Dark Lord in the theft of the Silmarils and the destruction of the Two Trees, but was driven off by the Balrogs after they fell to quarreling over the spoils. She later spawned numerous offspring, including Shelob, and ultimately was believed to have perished after she ate herself.

  • Big Eater
  • Casting a Shadow / Power of the Void: Her "Unlight", which is capable of trapping light itself.
  • Combat Pragmatist: She can manipulate her shadows to entrap enemies in webs, and into cords to strangulate them with.
  • Dark Is Evil
  • Diabolus Ex Nihilo: At first. (No one knew "from whence she came... from the Outer Darkness, maybe")
  • Eldritch Abomination: No one truly knows where Ungoliant came from but it is speculated that she came from the void of darkness outside of creation. She is a spirit of primal darkness that can change shape and takes the form of a spider-like being. She has a horrifying hunger to devour everything and it's implied that her appearance is less A Form You Are Comfortable With and more a reflection of her monsterousness and alien nature.
  • Enemy Civil War: With Morgoth over the Silmarils. He won, but only with the Balrogs' help.
  • Giant Spider: Her form resembles one in shape (eight limbs, bloated sack-like belly, multiple eyes, venomous fangs, armored skin), and she is capable of weaving webs, but she is actually a demonic entity of (presumably) the same order as Sauron and the Balrogs, who assume humanoid forms. And instead of producing silk, she produces Unlight, which she weaves into her webs of darkness.
  • Parental Incest: Mates with her own offspring to make sure she'll never run out of other spiders to devour.
  • The Smurfette Principle: She is one of the only two female villains that appear in the book (the other being Thuringwethil,) and the only one that actually appears while alive.
  • Villainous Glutton
  • What Could Have Been: In a story outline in The History of Middle Earth, Tolkien noted that Ungoliant was killed by Eärendil on his voyages. He later dropped this idea and had her devour herself...possibly.
    • Ungoliant was originally a primeval spirit of Darkness, whose origins were completely unknown, though presumably a creature from the Void. This is changed in later versions of The Silmarillion, where it is more evident that she was one of the Maiar that served Melkor, until she deserted him.
  • You Cannot Grasp the True Form: Even the Valar are confused by her webs of un-light.

Glaurung

Called the Father of Dragons, Glaurung was one of the greatest of Morgoth's servants in addition to being the first and progenitor of the great worms. He took over as The Dragon after Lúthien put Sauron out of commission. He fought at the Dagor Bragollach and the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, and commanded the force that sacked Nargothrond. He was also the primary enforcer of the curse of the House of Húrin, which he executed with tremendous skill and cruelty, only for this to result in his end when Túrin son of Húrin killed him.

Gothmog

Gothmog was the Lord of Balrogs and High-Captain of Angband, one of Melkor's greatest servants. He was the general of Melkor's armies, leading them in the Wars of Beleriand. Gothmog killed Fëanor and Fingon, and later was killed by Ecthelion in the sack of Gondolin.

Werewolves

Evil spirits incarnated as large wolves, the werewolves are servants of Melkor. Sauron especially is connected with them; one his titles is Lord of Werewolves. They feature in many stories of Middle-earth, notably in the Lay of Leithian, which saw two great werewolves, Draugluin and Carcaroth.

  • All Animals Are Dogs: Draugluin comes to die laying by the feet of Sauron, his master.
  • Angry Guard Dog: Carcaroth, guarding the Gates of Angband.
  • Big Badass Wolf
  • I Am a Humanitarian: They eat human flesh. Melkor hand-feeds Caracroth with elvish and mannish flesh, yet the most chilling example has to be the werewolf that came back again and again to drag away and eat one of Beren's companions until only he and Finrod were left.
  • Our Werewolves Are Different: They're not humans "infected by a bite" or under some curse or spell, but demonic spirits in the shape of wolves. They look like huge black wolves, not half-wolf/half-man hybrids.
  • Talking Animal: It's implied they can talk, as Draugluin says to Sauron "Huan is there!"

Thuringwethil

A mysterious character mentioned in the Lay of Leithian. She was a vampire that took the form of a bat serving Sauron as a messenger. Next to nothing is known of her or her kind, but she is often referenced in the discussion whether vampires exist in Middle-earth.

  • One-Scene Wonder: She doesn't have even that one scene, she's just mentioned in one scene. Even then her only purpose is to have her skin being used by Lúthien as a disguise to sneak into Angband. Yet her unique status makes her rather well known.
  • Our Vampires Are Different: She is vampiric, evil and connected with bats.
  • The Smurfette Principle: Almost all of the truly evil bad guys are indeed guys. Only other female villain is Ungoliant, and she too is a loner who just happened to side with Melkor momentarily. This makes Thuringwethil the only known female in the servitude of Melkor.


The First Generation of Elven Royalty

Notice that all the characters in this section aren't necessarily of the first generation of Elves, but they're the founding members of the royal Elven houses. Most of the plot of the Silmarillion stems from the drama they started.

Ingwë

The High King of the first Elven clan, the Vanyar. Also considered to be THE High King of all Elves.

  • 100% Adoration Rating: Though some of the Noldor - especially in the House of Fëanor - might have different opinions.
  • Hair of Gold: The ruler of the Elves With Hair of Gold. Many other Hair of Gold characters in the story, such as Finrod, Galadriel and Idril, inherited theirs from his niece Indis.
  • Meaningful Name: Christopher Tolkien notes that his name is probably a reference to "Yngvi", an alternate name for the god Frey, king of the elves in Norse Mythology.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure
  • Royal Blood: Having him in your family tree instantly makes you a person of importance, and many characters in the legendarium indeed are his relatives in a way or another. It goes as far as Eldarion, the son of Aragorn and Arwen.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: Mentioned specifically for being a rare Middle-earth aversion. While he is looked up as the Highest of the High, after leading his people into Valinor he ceases to be an active part of the story. His influence is only seen through his descendants.

Finwë

The High King of the second Elven clan, the Noldor. His first wife Míriel died giving birth to their son Fëanor, and he married Indis, Ingwë's niece. However, it didn't work as well as he hoped.

  • Divorce Requires Death: Finwë's itention of getting married with Indis after Míriel's death causes much ado, as from the point of view of the Valar and the Elves this would have meant he had two wives. Eventually the Valar decided they can get married, but only if Míriel remains in the Halls of Mandos for ever.
  • Doting Parent: To Fëanor.
  • I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Ultimately. After he dies and meets Míriel again in the Halls of Mandos, he tells her all that has happened since her death, and she starts yearn to live again. Because the Valar have decided he cannot have two living wives, he chooses to stay dead himself so that Míriel can return to life. Even Mandos approves.
  • Last Stand: Against Melkor in Formenos.
  • Love Epiphany: While still mouring Míriel, he walks up the mountain of Taniquetil where Ingwë's family lives, and seeing him Indins is so happy she bursts into a song. Hearing her singing makes Finwë realize their mutual feelings.
  • Love Hurts: Oh does it ever...
  • Love Triangle: Míriel > Finwë < Indis
  • The Mourning After: After Míriel's death.
  • Parents as People: Tries his best to be a good husband and a father, but is somewhat biased towards Fëanor, and doesn't always make the best of choices. Both in-universe and in the fandom, some consider his decision to marry Indis to be a mistake in the first place.
  • Parent with New Paramour: Though Fëanor never gives it a chance, even refusing to live with them and moving out after the marriage.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure
  • Stuffed Into the Fridge: Has his head smashed and is left to be found by his family, finishing Fëanor's descent into villainy
  • Suddenly-Suitable Suitor: To Indis. She had loved him since long ago, but because he was already married, she though it was Star-crossed. Then he became a widower...

Míriel

Finwë's first wife and the mother of Fëanor. Giving birth to him exhausted her of all her strength, causing her to wish to die a true, mortal death. As an immortal Elf, this was beyond her reach. Instead she departed from her body and willingly passed into the Halls of Mandos. She refused to return to the world of the living even though Finwë was missing her. Because of this, Finwë was granted the right to marry Indis on the condition Míriel would never return, as one man cannot have two living wives.


Indis

The niece of High King Ingwë, the second wife of High King Finwë, and the mother of Fingolfin and Finarfin. Had loved Finwë for long, and when he was widowed she brought joy back into his life. However, Míriel's shadow didn't leave their family.

Elwë Singollo / Elu Thingol

The High King of the third Elven clan, the Teleri. He remains in Middle-earth and becomes the king of the Sindar, a branch of Teleri who stayed in Middle-earth. His brother Olwë becomes the king of those Teleri who journey to Valinor. Has his tropes below in a folder for his House.


The House of Fëanor

Fëanor

Fëanor was the son of Finwë, King of the Noldorin Elves. His spirit was so fiery that the strain of giving birth to him killed his mother. He was the greatest of the Elves in craftsmanship, and one of the most knowledgeable. Unfortunately, he was also extremely proud and arrogant. Fëanor swore revenge on Morgoth when Morgoth murdered his father and stole the Silmarils (holy jewels) he had made, and led the Noldor out of Valinor into Middle-earth to fight him, slaughtering the Teleri elves to steal their ships and betraying his half-brothers' hosts by abandoning them. Fëanor was killed in battle by Gothmog shortly after arriving in Beleriand; his rage was so great, his spirit incinerated his body as it left.


Nerdanel

The daughter of the renowed Noldorin smith Mahtan, Nerdanel was a strong and intelligent woman. She was a gifted sculptor and a blacksmith, even though smithery was usually seen as something belonging to men. She and Fëanor met and married young. They had seven children, more than any other Elven couple ever. Nerdanel was the only person Fëanor took advice from, but later on his growing instability and foul deeds separated them, causing her to finally leave him.

  • All There in the Manual: Most of what we know of her is from The History of Middle Earth series.
  • Birds of a Feather: While she lacks Fëanor's rashness and egoism, essentially they're very similar in nature. They both love knowledge, science and arts, are very gifted in their chosen field(s) and are adventurous.
  • Closer to Earth: Than Fëanor. A positive example, as she's a well rounded character on her own right.
  • Daddy's Girl: Perhaps, as she has inherited much of her qualites from him, shares his masculine interests, and in some versions after breaking up with Fëanor she moves back to live with him.
  • Divorce Assets Conflict: Her and Fëanor's break-up does not go nicely. During their last meeting she begs him to let her have at least some of their children, which he denies from her.
  • Fiery Redhead: Red hair is the signature mark of her family (and very rare among the Elves.) Both her father and three of her sons have it, and while it's actually never outright said, everyone assumes she's a redhead too. This has become such an integral part of the Silmarillion Fanon most people don't even realize its uncanonical status. As for the fieriness, she is certainly strong and won't let Fëanor push her around, but is still the calmer and wiser of the two.
  • Plucky Girl
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue Oni to Fëanor's Red. Calmed him down and gave him wise advice as long as she could.
  • Stay in the Kitchen: Oh like hell she will. Smithery runs in her blood too.
  • Tomboy: A possible case. Doesn't take away from her motherly qualities, as her sons love her, evident in how in Middle-earth all of the sans Curufin chose to use their mother-names instead of their father-names.
  • Trophy Wife: Subverted in-universe. When Fëanor chose her as his wife, some Elves were surprised by this as Nerdanel wasn't "among the most beautiful" of the Elven ladies out there.
  • Wrench Wench: Of The Blacksmith variety. Though her skills extend beyond just that.

Maedhros

Oldest son of Fëanor. Maedhros is more temperate and less rash than his younger brothers. He is captured by Morgoth, tortured, and then chained to Thangorodrim by his right hand. He is rescued by his cousin and best friend Fingon, but at the expense of his hand. He becomes one of the leaders of the Noldor in the war against Morgoth, ruling his brothers' hosts from the hill of Himring, but ultimately fails because of the Oath. Later on he came to hate and regret the Oath and the deeds he did in its name. He is one of the few to survive the war against Morgoth, but after he tries to steal back the Silmarils, they burn his hand so badly he leaps into a fiery chasm to escape the pain.

  • Anti-Villain: Type II.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Hits it on Thangorodrim, asking Fingon to slay him as a result. Then he hits it again after stealing the Silmaril and kills himself as a result.
  • Driven to Suicide
  • Mr. Fanservice: His Quenya name means "Well-formed one." Has loads and loads of fangirls.
  • Fiery Redhead: He is actually less fiery than his father and brothers.
  • Handicapped Badass: His right hand was cut off. His left hand proved to be more deadly to the Orcs.
  • I Cannot Self-Terminate: When captured by Morgoth and chained to a cliff. Fingon almost shot him but could free him by cutting off his hand.
  • I Gave My Word: He and all his brothers took the Oath of Fëanor, their father, to do anything necessary to recover the silmarils, even if it means sacking the last Elvish haven in Beleriand. He and Maglor are the only ones who don't die in battle because of this oath.
  • Implausible Fencing Powers: stated by Word of God to be Middle-earth's #1 swordsman.
  • Life or Limb Decision: He has to choose between death or having his hand cut off so he can be freed of a chain that restrains him.
  • Master Swordsman: He became a better swordsman with his left hand than he'd been with his right. The orcs would flee in terror from him during battle.
  • Offered the Crown: Would have become High King of the Noldor after Fëanor's death, but abdicates in favor of his uncle Fingolfin in an attempt to end the feud between him and the House of Fëanor.
  • Only Sane Man: Compared to his family.
  • The Southpaw
  • Team Dad: He leads his brothers and keeps them out of trouble... most of the time.
  • Took a Level in Badass: After recovering from the loss of his hand, he "lived to wield his sword with his left hand more deadly than his right had been."
  • Tragic Hero
  • Warrior Prince

Maglor

Fëanor's second son and reputed to be the most like their mother, resulting in wisdom and a gentler nature than with the rest of his brothers. His forces guard the pass of Maglor's Gap between Morgoth's lands and East Beleriand. He also survives the war and steals a Silmaril with his brother Maedhros, but casts it into the sea when the pain of its burning overwhelms him. He is the only son of Fëanor not reported to have died.

Celegorm

Third son of Fëanor; he and Curufin rule the plain of Himlad in East Beleriand. Celegorm and Curufin capture Lúthien to stop her from helping Beren recover the Silmaril, but Celegorm's hound Huan turns on him because of his treachery and helps her escape. He and Dior, son of Beren and Lúthien, kill each other in the sack of Doriath when the Sons of Fëanor attempt to steal back the Silmaril.

  • Animal Talk: Oromë taught him to speak it.
  • Bishounen: He's noted as the most handsome of Fëanor's sons.
  • Blond Guys Are Evil: Mentioned to have fair hair in one of the older versions. Part of the fandom ignore this as outdated, because golden hair is considered to be the signature mark of the good House of Finarfin. Cue to WMG of how he got his hair. Most fanartist illustrate him as a blond.
  • Brains and Brawn: He and Curufin have shades of this, with him as the brawn.
  • Disproportionate Retribution: Being turned down by Lúthien and embarassed by Beren, he encourages his brothers to attack Doriath to take the Silmaril there by force. This leads to the kingdom's downfall and many Elven deaths.
  • Great White Hunter: Eventually drops the heroic part of this trope in Middle-earth, but clearly starts out as one. In Valinor he was a friend of Oromë, who taught him the languages of animals. Which incidentally is also a skill his rival Beren has learned aswell.
  • Heroes Love Dogs: While still being heroic, and after turning villanous, he surely loves dogs - until they turn against him, at least. (And horses. Liking them seems to go hand-in-hand in Middle-earth.)
  • Hot-Blooded: Even more so than his brothers. Especially clear when contrasted with his little brother Curufin.
  • I Have You Now, My Pretty: He tries to force Lúthien to marry him so he can gain rulership of Doriath. He fails.
  • Jerkass
  • Meaningful Name: His means "hasty riser", referring to his quick temper and habit of jumping up when angered.
  • Mutual Kill: He and Dior, Lúthien's son, kill each other.
  • Platonic Life Partners: Close friends with his half-cousin Aredhel, who shares his outdoors hobbies.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Curufin's blue. More obvious in The History of Middle Earth
  • Rousing Speech: We're told he inherited his fathers oratory skills. He uses them to convince the Elves of Nargothrond to his side.
  • Those Two Bad Guys: With Curufin
  • Warrior Prince

Caranthir

Fourth son of Fëanor, "the harshest and most quick to anger". He ruled the land of Thargelion to the east of Beleriand, where he prospered from trading with the Dwarves. Caranthir accepted the aid of the Swarthy Men in the war against Morgoth, but the tribe of Ulfang betrays the Union of Maedhros at a critical moment, costing them the Fifth Battle. He died in battle in Doriath.

  • Big Damn Heroes: Showing up to save Haleth and her people in the last possible moment. While playing trumpets, of course. Why, this is Middle-earth.
  • Elves vs. Dwarves: Averted. Granted this is before Elves vs. Dwarves really kicked off, but even then Caranthir got along with Dwarves much better than most Elves--apparently because of his skill at crafting, and because his gruff temperament was closer to theirs.
  • Fantastic Racism: Played with. While noticeably non-racist towards the Dwarves, he's initially racist towards Men. Then Haleth's courage makes him change his mind about them. This leads to him trusting Ulfang's sons...
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: When you're a prince, this can and will lead to major political problems.
  • Hot-Blooded
  • Horrible Judge of Character: Leading to his betrayal by the sons of Ulfang.
  • Loners Are Freaks: While his brothers go in duos, he's a loner. He's a freak even among them.
  • Non-Idle Rich: He manages to become rich even among the Eldarin princes by his dealings with the Dwarves, and by being tactically situated on their trade route to Beleriand.
  • Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Trust Caranthir to ruin your negotiations.
  • The Unfavourite / Middle Child Syndrome: While not obvious, there appears to be enough hints for various fans to independently from each other to conclude he's Fëanor's unfavourite, or at least the one that got least attention. Him being the least attractive in appearence and personality, having no particular gift, not being the oldest or the youngest, being stuck between the handsome Celegorm and the official favourite Curufin, and being a sulky loner are considered to be valid clues. Cue to him having inferiority complex towards his brothers being a rather popular Fanon portrayal of him.
  • Warrior Prince

Curufin

Fifth son of Fëanor; he most fully inherited his father's talent in craftsmanship. He ruled Himlad with Celegorm. Curufin aided Celegorm's plan to ransom Lúthien and tried to kill her when it failed, but wounded Beren instead; because of his treachery, Thingol refused to join the Union of Maedhros. Curufin also died in the attack on Doriath. His son Celebrimbor inherited his skill and was the creator of the Rings of Power.

  • The Blacksmith: Just like his father and his son.
  • Brains and Brawn: Has shades of this with Celegorm; is Brains to Celegorm's Brawn.
  • The Chessmaster: What he is aiming for. He manages to pull it off for a while, until the pawns see through it.
  • Jerkass
  • Like Father, Like Son
  • Parental Favoritism: He was Fëanor's favorite son.
  • Pet the Dog: A very curious case of the author wanting to give such moment but not quite succeeding. Tolkien wrote in The History of Middle Earth he felt Curufin appeared more villainous than he really was because he was mostly present in the Lay of Leithian where he has the role of an antagonist. To change this Tolkien wrote a scene where Curufin's cousin Aredhel is escaping from her Domestic Abuser husband Eöl, and Curufin captures Eöl who is on her trail. Curufin is perfectly able of killing Eöl there and then, and none of his men would object. However, Curufin spares Eöl because killing him would be a cold blooded murder, and even Curufin has standards. Nontheless, Curufin is chiefly remembered as a pure-bred villain, so the effect wasn't great enough.
  • Smug Snake
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue Oni to Celegorm's Red. Compare their respective speeches to the people of Nargothrond.
  • Those Two Bad Guys: With Celegorm
  • The Usurper: Plots to get his half-cousing Finrod killed to get the rule of his kingdom for Celegorm. Adds to this the extra plan of marrying Celegorm with Lúthien to also gain the rule of Doriath.
  • Warrior Prince
  • You're Not My Father: At the receiving end of this by his son Celebrimbor, who repudiated him and refused to follow him when he and Celegorm were cast out of Nargothrond.

Amrod

Sixth son of Fëanor; twin brother of Amras. He is the only one of Fëanor's sons to speak against him because of his father's murder of Amras. Amrod claimed rulership of the empty lands of East Beleriand, where he became a great hunter. He dies in the attack on the Havens of Sirion, in pursuit of a Silmaril.

Amras

Youngest son of Fëanor, twin brother of Amrod. In the published Silmarillion he ruled East Beleriand with Amrod and died alongside him; but according to The History of Middle Earth, Amras was shocked by his father's deeds and planned to sail one of the ships back to Valinor to reunite with his mother, but Fëanor kills him by burning the ship he was sleeping in.

  • Accidental Murder: Intended to leave back to Valinor and crept into one of the ships. Fëanor was aware of his plans and burned the ships to stop anyone from going back, unaware that Amras was already onboard. He was dismayed to find out the truth when Amrod came to ask him if he had awakened Amras before setting the ships on fire.
  • Defector From Decadence
  • Fiery Redhead
  • Momma's Boy: Apparently even back in Valinor. When Fëanor and his host were about to leave for Middle-earth, Nerdanel came to beg he would let his sons stay with her, or at least Amras, hinting that he was her favourite.
  • Nice Guy: He and Amrod were the only ones of Fëanor's sons to question their father's plan.
  • Prophetic Names: Named Umbarto, "Fated", by his mother Nerdanel. Fëanor was bothered by such an ominous name, and pretended to have misheard it as Ambarto.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Attempted. However, it's doubtful he would have been allowed back to Valinor.
  • Single-Minded Twins: Look and behave similarily. Were mistaken for each other when children, but as they mature Amrod's hair grows darker and others are able to tell them apart.
  • Theme Twin Naming: Originally Nerdanel gave the both twins the name "Ambarussa". Fëanor objected to this, pleading that the boys would at least have different names. This lead to the above Prophetic Names situation. The twins still called each other Ambarussa.

Celebrimbor

The son of Curufin. Celebrimbor survived the ruin of Beleriand and settled in the elf-realm of Eregion in the Second Age, which he ruled after Galadriel and Celeborn relocated to Lothlórien. Like his father and grandfather, Celebrimbor was the greatest smith of his age. Against Galadriel's advice, he created the Rings of Power with the disguised Sauron, but suspecting his partner, he created the Three Rings of the Elves in secret, which were not corrupted by the Dark Lord. When the treachery was uncovered, Sauron declared war on Eregion and slew Celebrimbor, but not before the Three Rings were entrusted to Gil-galad and Galadriel.

The House of Fingolfin

Fingolfin

The half-brother of Fëanor and full brother of Finarfin. Father of Fingon, Turgon, and Aredhel. When Fëanor rebels against the Valar, he joined so as not to leave the Noldor solely to his leadership, but took no part in the Kinslaying. He and his host were betrayed by Fëanor, who stranded them on the shores of Valinor; Fingolfin led them on foot across the Grinding Ice in the utter north to enter Middle-earth. After Fëanor's death, Maedhros waived his right to kingship in gratitude to Fingon, and Fingolfin became High King of the Noldor. He ruled Hithlum to the north of Beleriand, to maintain the Siege of Angband. When it broke, Fingolfin went to Angband and challenged Morgoth to single combat, where he perished.

  • Cain and Abel: Is Abel to Fëanor's Cain
  • Cool Horse: Rochallor, who refuses to leave his master during his duel with Morgoth, even though they are surrounded by the host of Angband.
  • Determinator: Crossing of the Helcaraxe.
  • Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?
  • Due to the Dead: After killing him, Morgoth was going to tear Fingolfin's body apart and feed it to his werewolves if Thorondor hadn't swooped in at the last second.
  • The Dutiful Son
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: In the last hours of his life.
  • I Shall Taunt You: Morgoth was not rushing to answer the door when Fingolfin came knocking at the gates of Angband. Fingolfin had to call him craven, knowing Morgoth's minions would hear, to force the Evil Overlord to battle him personally rather than just commanding his Orcs and Balrogs to Zerg Rush the Elf king.
  • Last Stand / Combat by Champion
  • Nobody Calls Me Chicken: an Invoked Trope and used by him against Melkor. While he wasn't sure if his goading would actually rouse Melkor's ire and Melkor's pride would force him to duel One-On-One with him (it, in fact, did not and Melkor didn't care about being taunted) he made sure that he sent out his challenge to Melkor at the gate of his keep where his men could hear and word would spread though Melkor's forces that the elf king was challenging him. Both he and Melkor knew that Melkor now had no choice but to accept as Melkor would lose face and the respect/loyalty of his minions if he turned down the duel.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge
  • Sibling Rivalry: Over the love and the crown of their father. Guess with whom?
  • Turn the Other Cheek: Tries this with Fëanor. It doesn't work.
  • Warrior Prince: Just like the other Noldorin leaders.

Fingon

Oldest son of Fingolfin, who joined him in exile. Upon arriving in Middle-earth and learning of his friend Maedhros's capture, Fingon climbs Thangorodrim and rescues him, partially healing the rift caused by Fëanor's betrayal. He serves as a vassal of Fingolfin in Hithlum and later leads the Noldor after his father's death. Fingon is himself killed in battle by Gothmog only a few years later.

Ereinion Gil-galad

The son of Fingon[1] and the high king of the Noldorin Exiles after Turgon's death. Gil-galad remained king throughout the Second Age, ruling from Lindon, and befriended the Men of Númenor and, later, Arnor and Gondor. He received two of the Three Rings of the Elves, but gave Vilya to his herald, Elrond, and Narya to his friend, Círdan. He was killed in Mordor in the War of the Last Alliance.

Turgon

Brother of Fingon; he initially rules Nevrast south of Hithlum, but a message from Ulmo caused him to lead his people to found the the secret city of Gondolin, which lasted longest of all the Elven realms in the war against Morgoth. Turgon took up the kingship of the Noldor after Fingon's death. Turgon died in the sack of Gondolin when his tower collapsed with him within it. His sword Glamdring was taken by the Orcs and, millennia later, was found by Gandalf.

Idril

Turgon's daughter and the princess of Gondolin. Both the mortal hero Tuor and her cousin Maeglin love her, but she contemns Maeglin and marries Tuor. She becomes the mother of Eärendil and the grandmother of Elrond. Unlike her father, who ignores the warning Tuor brings from Ulmo, Idril prepares for the coming doom and manages to save many of her subjects.

  • Does Not Like Shoes: Called Celebrindal, "Silver-foot", for her habit of not using shoes.
  • Dumb Blonde: Completely Averted. She's the only one in the whole doomed city who knows something must be done, and thus urges Tuor to secretly build Idril's Secret Way, through which some of the citizens are able to escape when the attack comes. Also the only one to realize there's something wrong with Maeglin.
  • Everything's Better with Princesses
  • Hair of Gold: Thanks to her Vanyarin mother.
  • Interspecies Romance: With Tuor. The only non-tragic example of this in Tolkien's legendarium: her father accepts the marriage, they're happy together and it's implied that in the end Tuor is allowed to become an Elf and thus immortal.
  • Missing Mom: Her mother Elenwë died during the perilous journey to Middle-earth.
  • Princess Classic

Aredhel

Adventurous, willful daughter of Fingolfin and sister to Turgon and Fingon. She initially resided with Turgon in Gondolin before tiring of the kingdom's isolation. Her brother reluctantly allowed her her to depart, leading to her capture by the Dark Elf, Eöl, who forced her into marriage and had a son with her, Maeglin. Aredhel and Maeglin escaped back to Gondolin, but Eöl followed them and killed Aredhel; Eöl was executed for his crimes.

  • Faux Action Girl: Although she does get points for crossing through a dangerous (where isn't?) forest by herself.
    • Though you could argue she isn't even ment to be a real Action Girl in the modern sense, as she never joins any fight. She survives travelling around in wild country, and as Tolkien mentioned while discussing Lúthien, that wasn't something people expected of lonely noble women in that era.
  • Love Martyr: To Eöl.
    • Plucky Girl: Finally decides to escape Eöl and take her son with her.
  • Platonic Life Partners: With all of the Sons of Fëanor, while Celegorm seems to have been her favourite.
  • Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
  • Rebellious Princess: Deconstructed. Her actions ultimately contributed to Gondolin's downfall.
  • Stockholm Syndrome: Originally held captive by Eöl, she falls in love with him.
    • Eöl used trickery rather than force to kidnap her, so for a long time she wasn't aware that she was being held a captive. As far as she knew Eöl was just a nice guy who invited her to live with him after she got hopelessly lost.
  • Taking the Bullet: Takes a poisoned javelin thrown by Eöl that was meant for her son.
  • Tomboy: Riding, hunting and spending her time with the Sons of Fëanor.
  • Woman in White: Known as the White Lady of the Noldor, she is always arrayed in silver and white.

Maeglin

The son of Aredhel and Eöl. He learned smithcraft from his father and the Dwarves, becoming one of the greatest smiths of the Noldor. After Eöl's death, Maeglin grew up in Gondolin and fell in love with his cousin, Idril, which was forbidden among the Elves. When Tuor arrived and won Idril's heart, Maeglin's jealousy caused him to betray the city to Morgoth when he was captured by Orcs. He was killed in the following battle by Tuor.


The House of Finarfin

Finarfin

Finwë's youngest son, half-brother of Fëanor and full brother of Fingolfin. Taking after his Vanyarin mother, he was the wisest and kindest of the three, and tried to stay away from his brothers' quarrels. Instead he preferred the company of the sea-loving Teleri, and married Eärwen, the daughter of Olwë, the king of Teleri in Valinor and the brother of Thingol. This put him into very uncomfortable position during the unfortunate events that came. Finarfin didn't want to leave Valinor, and when most of the Noldor and his family - including all his children - went into exile, Finarfin stayed behind with some of the Noldor, becoming their High King in Tirion.

Finrod Felagund

Oldest son of Finarfin and Eärwen of the Teleri. His epithet is Dwarvish (specifically Sindarinized Khuzdul) meaning "hewer of caves", and it was given to him by the Dwarves he hired and worked with to build the city of Nargothrond, of which he was king. He was also the first of the Eldar to meet Men, the Younger Children of Ilúvatar, and he helped secure territory for them to live in from Thingol, King of Doriath. Also nicknamed "Nom the Wise."

  • A Father to His Men: And a Friend of Men in general.
  • Back from the Dead: It's briefly mentioned that he was allowed to return to life, and live with his father Finarfin and lover Amarië, both of whom stayed behind in Valinor.
  • Elves Versus Dwarves: Thoroughly averted. Finrod was a strong ally of the Dwarves and they shared much knowledge with each other. The Dwarves bestowed the name "Felagund" upon him.
  • First Contact: He was the first Elda to meet Men. (Not the first Elf, as Men had already encountered Dark Elves in their journey, but the first Elf who had been to Valinor and knew of the Valar in detail).
  • Hair of Gold
  • Heroic Sacrifice: In the dungeons of Tol-in-Gaurhoth, Felagund manages to break his bonds as a werewolf comes to devour Beren (Sauron was saving Felagund for last, since he could tell he was someone important). He kills the werewolf barehanded but is mortally wounded during the fight.

"I go now to my long rest in the timeless halls beyond the seas and the Mountains of Aman. It will be long ere I am seen among the Noldor again; and it may be that we shall not meet a scond time in death or life, for the fates of our kindreds are apart. Yet perchance even that sorrow shall in the end be healed. Farewell!" [2]

  • Hidden Elf Village: Nargothrond, though not quite as hidden as Gondolin--Morgoth knew of Nargothrond (just not its actual location), whereas the existence of Gondolin was a complete surprise to him.
  • I Owe You My Life: To Barahir son of Bregor, who saved him in a Big Damn Heroes moment in the Dagor Bragollach. Felagund gives him his ring, and he swears to come to the aid of Barahir, or any of his kin, in their time of need.
  • Magic Knight
  • Magic Music: Felagund is practically the archetypal Dungeons & Dragons bard. Not the spoony one, but the epic-level one.
  • Memento MacGuffin: His ring, which he gives to Barahir (and which eventually finds its way to Barahir's distant descendant, Aragorn).
  • Mentor: To Bëor and his followers; they named him Nóm, "wisdom".
  • The Power of Rock: Felagund and Sauron have a Magic Music duel in Tol-in-Gaurhoth. Unfortunately, Sauron rocked harder and Felagund, Beren, and their companions are subdued and thrown into the dungeons.
    • Incidentally, note that Tolkien's use of music and verse in his vague references to "magic" become Fridge Brilliance when you know that the Ainur sung the world into being. So if music can create the world, it stands to reason that it can also change it--especially given that it's always sung by either an Ainu (Sauron, Melian) or those taught by one (Felagund, Lúthien).
  • The Wise Prince
  • Warrior Poet: Upon meeting Men for the first time, he impresses them by composing a lay on the harp.

Angrod

Son of Finarfin. He and his younger brother Aegnor ruled the highlands of Dorthonion until defeated and killed by invading armies of Morgoth. In early versions Orodreth is his brother, in later versions Orodreth is his son. Very little is said of him otherwise.

  • Hair of Gold
  • One Steve Limit: He and his brother Finrod were both originally named Aráto. Finrod's name was then changed to Findaráto, and Angrod's to Angaráto. Thus Finrod and Angrod in their Sindarized forms.
  • Those Two Guys: He and Aegnor often get ovelooked by the fans.
  • Warrior Prince

Orodreth

In early versions he is a son of Finarfin, in later versions he is the son of Angrod and therefore a granchild to Finarfin. Originally granted lordship over Tol Sirion as a vassal to Finrod, when Sauron conquered it he retreated to Nargothrond, which he became lord of after Finrod's death. Killed by Glaurung in the sack of Nargothrond. Father of Finduilas. He should also be the father of Gil-Galad, but Christoper self-addmittedly messed that part up in the published Silmarillion, making him the son of Fingon instead.

Finduilas

Daughter of Orodreth, friend of Túrin, and fiance of Gwindor before the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. When Gwindor returns to Nargothrond fourteen years later, her feelings for him are no longer the same, and she is torn in heart as she falls for Túrin. She is captured by Orcs in the sack of Nargothrond; when Túrin elects to save his mother and sister instead of her[3], Finduilas is murdered by the Orcs.

Aegnor

Son of Finarfin. He and his older brother Angrod ruled the highlands of Dorthonion until defeated and killed by invading armies of Morgoth. Aegnor was in love with the mortal woman Andreth, but didn't marry her for multiple reasons. Ironically he dies much before her.

  • Hair of Gold
  • Interspecies Romance: With Andreth. Special points for being the only Interspecies Romance written by Tolkien where the female was the more mundane participant.
  • Love At First Sight: He first saw Andreth as a reflection in the water while she was kneeled down to look into the waters of the lake Aeluin.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: He's an immortal, she's a mortal. Even in death their fates are separated, as mortal souls leave the world altogether, journeying to an unknown destination, while the slain Elves must remain in the Halls of Mandos.
  • Those Two Guys: Often overlooked by fans with his brother Angrod.
  • Unstoppable Rage: He was terribly furious in battle.
  • Warrior Prince
  • Wartime Wedding: Elves avoid these, which was at least partially the reason he didn't marry Andreth.
  • Wild Hair: His hair was stiff and straight, stiking out of his head as if golden flames of fire.

Galadriel

Youngest child of Finarfin and his only daughter. Galadriel was the wisest and most powerful of all Elven-women. Though she hated Fëanor, she took part in his rebellion out of a desire to rule her own kingdom in Middle-earth. In the published Silmarillion she travelled into Middle-earth over the ices of Helcaraxë with the rest of the Noldor, and lived in Doriath where she met and married Celeborn. Later in The History of Middle Earth this was revised: she and Celeborn married already in Valinor and sailed into Middle-earth on their own. During the Second Age she took up in Eregion under Celebrimbor, and after its fall, she became the White Lady of Lothlórien. See The Lord of the Rings character sheet for tropes that apply to her in that work.

  • Canon Immigrant / God-Created Canon Foreigner: Silmarillion is the original Middle-earth mythos. Later upon writing The Lord of the Rings Tolkien decided to move it into the same universe as the Silm. In LotR he came up with the character of Galadriel and took liking in her. Long story short, he decided to add Galadriel into the original Silmarillion tales too.
  • Hair of Gold
  • Intergenerational Friendship: With Melian (older than her) and later Elrond (younger).
  • Lady of War: Only in the published Silmarillion, before Tolkien rewrote her history so she took no part in the Kinslaying.
    • Even in the original version of the tale she didn't take part in the Kinslaying, instead she fought with the Teleri against the Noldor. How come she afterwards still joined the Noldor in their escape wasn't explained.
  • Lineage Comes From the Father: Counted among the Noldor, even though proportionally has more Vanyarin and Telerin blood.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Like many other Middle-earth characters, she is known in legends not by her birth name (Artanis Nerwen) but by the name given to her by her lover Celeborn. Galadriel means Maiden Crowned With Radiant Gardland, a reference to her hair considered wondrous even by Elven standards.
  • Pride: Her reason for going into exile, and later for refusing the pardon of the Valar. Her Final Tempation in The Lord of the Rings was the moment she overcame this flaw.
  • Rebellious Princess
  • Rewrite: Tolkien could never really make up his mind about what she was doing before The Lord of the Rings. Therefore three alternative histories exist for her:
    • What is written in LotR: that she came into Lórien from Beleriand before its destruction in the War of Wrath, and met and married there Celeborn, a local wood-elf.
    • What is written in the published Silmarillion: that she was there the night Fëanor gave his infamous speech in Tirion, joined the exile out of Valinor (but in fought on the side of the Teleri in Alqualondë), crossed Helcaraxë by foot, lived with Melian in Doriath and met and married there Celeborn, a local Sindar Elf.
    • What is written in the latest documents of The History of Middle Earth: that she met and married Celeborn, a Teleri Elf of Alqualondë, already in Valinor, and took no part whatsoever in Fëanor's rebellion, but sailed into Middle-earth independently on a Telerin ship.
  • Statuesque Stunner: She was exceptionally tall at 6'4".

Gwindor

A prince of Nargothrond (vassal of the House of Finarfin but not related to them) and a friend of Túrin Turambar. Taken captive when he rushes out of cover impulsively in battle, he escapes from Morgoth's mines many years later and is rescued by Túrin. After Túrin's freakout upon killing Beleg, Gwindor takes him to safety in Nargothrond. He is killed in Nargothrond's fall.

  • I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Gwindor's reaction when he finds out that his betrothed, Finduilas, has fallen in love with Túrin. He does warn her, though, that Túrin has been cursed by Morgoth and has a dark destiny ahead of him, and that the Eldar and the Edain should not wed because of all the differences between them, save for a few exceptions Because Destiny Says So (he outright says "Túrin is not Beren"). Túrin, however, doesn't reciprocate her feelings.
  • Leeroy Jenkins: He led the first charge in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. A company of Orcs marched before the western host commanded by Fingon, where Gwindor was serving with the companies from Nargothrond, and to taunt them the Orcs brought forth a prisoner and cut him to pieces while he was still alive. That prisoner was Gwindor's brother, Gelmir, and seeing this triggered a Roaring Rampage of Revenge from Gwindor, with many of Fingon's host following behind him, and they tearassed across Anfauglith right up to the doors of Angband, where they were finally overwhelmed and taken prisoner.
  • Made a Slave: After he was captured by Morgoth's forces, he was forced to labor in Angband's mines for years before he escaped.
  • Please Don't Leave Me: Inverted when Gwindor, mortally wounded, begs Túrin to leave him and try to save Finduilas, whom they both love (in different ways).
  • Shell-Shocked Veteran: His PTSD comes not from war, but from being a slave in Angband for fourteen years before finally escaping.
  • Trying to Catch Me Fighting Dirty: He advocated that Nargothrond continue to use stealth and guerilla tactics against Morgoth. Túrin disagreed.
  • What Measure Is a Non-Badass?: Gwindor, in-universe. Nargothrond started to see him like this when compared to Túrin, even if he did some undeniably Badass things in the past. The main reason he seemed non-Badass was due to his PTSD and the fact that he had a much more pragmatic outlook on Nargothrond's chances against Morgoth. Gwindor favored staying in hiding and striking from the shadows. Túrin wanted open battle, and if defeat was inevitable if they fought openly, he would prefer to go down in a blaze of glory. His words and martial prowess swayed the hearts of the people of Nargothrond, and thus sealed their doom.
  • You Will Be Spared: As with many other Noldor, Gwindor was captured and put to work in the mines and forges of Angband, as a great many Noldor were skilled in smithcraft.


The House of Thingol

Elu Thingol

Elvenking of Doriath and one of the most important monarchs of the First Age. While leading his people, the Teleri, through Middle-earth on the way to Valinor, Elu Thingol (then known as Elwë Singollo, his Quenya name) met Melian in the woods of Nan Elmoth and fell in love with her. They stayed there enchanted by each other for centuries, and the greater part of the Teleri stayed in Middle-earth to search for him; they became the Sindar, or Grey-elves. When they finally reunited with Thingol's people, they founded the kingdom of Doriath. Together, they had a daughter, Lúthien Tinúviel.

Thingol was a wise but overly proud king, and when he learned of the Kinslaying, he forbid any Noldor from entering his kingdom save only the children of Finarfin, the son-in-law of his brother, who took no part in the massacre. Thingol had no love for Men, and when Beren fell in love with his daughter, he sent Beren on a suicide mission to take a Silmaril from Morgoth--at which he succeeded, which changed Thingol's opinion of Men. He later became the foster-father of Túrin. Thingol was murdered by the dwarves of Nogrod, whom he refused to pay for creating the Nauglamír and who killed him as revenge.

  • Anti-Hero: Type IV.
  • Berserk Button: When he hears about the Kinslaying, he is so horrified and furious that he immediately banishes all the Noldor from his realm and forbids Quenya to be spoken within Doriath.
  • Character Development: Started out with a strong dislike of the race of Men. Beren changed his mind (eventually).
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: Apparently Tolkien never came up with a way for Thingol to die that satisfied him. The story of his death in The Silmarillion is pretty anticlimatic for such an important character.
  • Elves vs. Dwarves: It's been hinted that he's the one who started it, albeit without meaning to. He hired a group of Dwarven smiths; once they completed their job, they demanded to keep the item he'd hired them to make (specifically, fitting a Silmaril into the Nauglamír). He tossed off a dismissive comment and, in response, they murdered him. It Got Worse from there.
  • Engagement Challenge: Initiates one of these as a way to get rid of Beren. It doesn't work out as he'd hoped.
  • Fantastic Racism
  • Fatal Flaw: Pride.
  • Good Is Not Nice: He has strong morals and adores his family more than anything, but boy...
  • Happily Married: To Melian, a Maia.
  • Hidden Elf Village: Hidden Elf Kingdom, really. He rules one.
    • Not really hidden in the sense that most people don't know where it is, but the Girdle of Melian makes it impossible for anyone to actually enter Doriath without leave (unless Destiny Says So, like for Beren). Also, Morgoth's gaze could not penetrate the barrier, so Doriath is 'hidden' from him.
  • Interspecies Romance: With Melian.
  • Jerkass: Arguably, until Beren's return.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Morphs into one by the time he fosters Túrin.
  • Large and In Charge: He was the tallest of all the Children of Ilúvatar. No actual measurement is given, but considering that Elendil was just shy of eight feet, Thingol must have been a giant.
  • Love At First Sight: Mutually, with Melian again.
  • Noble Bigot: Pretty much the only openly racist character who isn't an Anti-Hero or worse, though he becomes less so after Beren proves his worth.
  • Not So Different: With Beren, since he's the lesser being in an Interspecies Romance himself. The irony is lost on him.
  • Overprotective Dad
  • Parental Marriage Veto: He thinks he gets one. He doesn't.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: Rarely (if ever) leaves his kingdom, but still manages to have a lot of influence where he wishes. Doriath is arguably the most peaceful and prosperous realm in Beleriand until his death.
    • He's the one who makes the decisions, but it's Melian who protects the realm.
  • Unscrupulous Hero: He was a good king and genuinely cared for his wife and Lúthien. It didn't stop him from sending Beren on a suicide mission and imprisoning his own daughter.

Melian

One of the holy Maiar, Melian loved to stray from Valinor to the woods of Middle-earth, and there met Thingol. Together they founded the kingdom of Doriath, which Thingol ruled and she protected with the Girdle of Melian, an enchantment that bewildered any unbidden intruders. Melian gave birth to Lúthien, and after her husband and daughter's deaths, she left Doriath in grief and returned to Valinor. She was a friend and mentor to Galadriel.

Lúthien Tinúviel

Lúthien was the daughter of Thingol, the Elven-king of Doriath. Her mother was a Maia, one of those spirits that helped create the universe. Her magical powers were essential in helping Beren achieve his quest. She chose to become mortal so that she could be with Beren forever.

Lúthien came to him, and said that he should be stripped (of his body)... and his ghost be sent quaking back to Morgoth; and she said: "There everlastingly thy naked self shall endure the torment of his scorn, pierced by his eyes, unless thou yield to me the mastery of thy tower."

She wavered, and she stayed her song.
'The road,' she said, 'was wild and long,
but Thingol sent me not, nor knows
what way his rebellious daughter goes.'

  • Shiny Midnight Black
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: With Beren. Ultimately the only way they can be together is in death - and she has to become an unique exception to the rules of metaphysics to even have that.
  • Tender Tears: In the Halls of Mandos she cries these while singing a song about the pain of life so sad she manages to move Mandos's heart.
  • Together in Death: Ironically her Heroic Sacrifice of giving up her immortality to enable him to return to life allows them to finally be eternally together. As an Elf she would have been ultimately separated from him, as the souls of dead mortals pass out of the world, and the Elves, even when their bodies die, must stay inside it until the end of time. But when she becames a mortal too, their souls will leave the world and face the unknown fate outside it together.
  • What Could Have Been: The first versions of her and her tale are very different from how the story finally shaped out to be. Originally she was a blue eyed blonde dressed up in white, Daeron was her brother and Beren was an Elf, Sauron was a huge cat, she didn't die but walked into Valinor over Helcaraxë to meet Mandos and so forth.
  • World's Most Beautiful Woman

Dior

Son of Beren and Lúthien, he became the king of Doriath after Thingol's death, leading the realm into a new rise after all the tumultous events. However, he was slain only four years after his coronation when the Sons of Fëanor assaulted Doriath in the Second Kinslaying, killing much of its inhabitants. The kingdom never recovered.

Elwing

Daughter of Dior. Her family died in the attack by the Sons of Fëanor, but she escaped with the Silmaril and married Eärendil the Voyager, and gave birth to the twin sons Elrond and Elros. Once while Eärendil was on the sea, the Sons of Fëanor attack trying take the Silmaril by force, but she rather cast herself into the sea. Ulmo Lord of Waters then gave her the shape of a sea bird, and she flew till she found Eärendil's ship.

  • Animal Talk: She would learn to speak with birds.
  • Animorphism: Ulmo gave her the form of a sea bird, and later she would be able to turn into a swan on her on will, to fly among the sea birds to meet Eärendil when he's returning back home from his voyages on the night sky.
  • Half-Human Hybrid: Married to another Half-Human Hybrid, Eärendil. In them the two lineages of Half-Elves join, only to be divided again into the lineages of Elrond and Elros (which will rejoin yet again through Aragorn and Arwen.)
  • I Will Wait for You: Elwing could be seen as the symbol of all women left on the shore waiting for their sailor husbands.
  • Last Of Her Kind: Last of the House of Thingol.
  • Mage Tower: While she's not exactly a mage, she's a person with distinctive magical powers, and she ends up living in a lonely tower by the sea.
  • No Escape but Down: Cornered by the Fëanorians, she jumps off the cliffs into the sea.

Daeron

A loremaster, linguist and minstrel in Thingol's court. He was renowed as the greates minstrel that ever lived, and he also invented the Cirth alphabet (the runes). In the original version he was also Thingol's son and Lúthien's brother, but in the published Silmarillion he was not related to the ruling family. Instead he loved Lúthien and played music to her dancing, but she only saw him as a friend. He betrayed her trust twice out of jealousy by informing Thingol of her intentions. When she escaped Doriath to help Beren, Daeron sought her but never found her, and was lost himself.

Beleg Cúthalion

A captain in Thingol's army, Beleg was the greatest tracker among the Gray-elves. He aided Beren and Thingol in hunting the wolf Carcharoth, and years later becomes a dear friend and brother-in-arms of Túrin, whose band of raiders he joins. Beleg was grievously wounded when their hideout was discovered and Túrin captured, but risked his life to rescue his friend. Tragically, when Beleg undoes Túrin's bindings, Túrin mistakes him for an enemy and kills his friend.

Mablung

Chief captain of Thingol. Unlike Beleg, who's almost always at Doriath's borders, Mablung is positioned in the capital Menegroth, and is present at many important events, such as Beren's arrival at Menegroth and the hunt for Carcharoth. He was killed by the dwarves of Nogrod after they killed Thingol.

  • Glory Seeker: Perhaps, as he didn't want to be left out of the Union of Maedhros just because his king Thingol wouldn't join the Union out of personal reasons.
  • Last Stand: When the Dwarves attacked Doriath in the Battle of the Thousand Caves, Mablung defended the treasury where the Silmaril was locked, until he was killed before its doors.
  • Must Make Amends: Tries in vain find to Morwen or Niënor from the wilderness after losing them even though entrusted by Thingol as their guard.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: A subtle example. When he finally finds Túrin he tells him the news of his family, without knowing the information he brings will cause Túrin to commit suicide. Yes, nothing seems to work right for this guy.
  • My Greatest Failure: He considers the dissapearance of Morwen and Niënor to be this.

Saeros

A Nandorin Elf and one of Thingol's councilors. Jealous of the favor Túrin enjoyed in Thingol's court, Saeros harassed the young Man, but Túrin took his abuse with grace. That is, until Saeros insulted the pride of both his people and his mother, whereupon Túrin hurled a goblet at his face and injured him. The next day Saeros ambushed Túrin, but Túrin got the better of him, stripped him naked, and drove him through the woods as payback--which ended in tragedy when Saeros fell into a ravine in his panic and died, causing Túrin to voluntarily exile himself in shame.

Men of the Edain

Haleth

Chieftainess of the Haladin, the second of the three tribes of the Edain. Haleth's father Haldad led their people into Beleriand, where they settled on Caranthir's land. When Orcs attacked their encampment, Haldad was killed but Haleth rallied the Haladin for seven days before Caranthir's forces arrived. Under her leadership, the Haladin removed to the forest of Brethil and renamed themselves the Folk of Haleth.

Beren Erchamion

Beren was a mortal Man who fell in love with Lúthien, princess of the Elven kingdom of Doriath. Her father Thingol was displeased and demanded a Silmaril in exchange for his daughter's hand in marriage. With the help of some Elves and Lúthien herself, Beren accomplished this seemingly hopeless quest. Later, after Thingol was killed by Dwarves, Beren led a counter-attack on the Dwarves and got the Silmaril back from them.

"Death thou canst give unearned to me
but names I will not take from thee
of baseborn, spy, or Morgoth's thrall.
Are these the ways of Thingol's hall?"

    • Also, when Lúthien is in danger. It doesn't happen too often, since she's a Badass Princess, but when it does look out!
  • Determinator
  • Dude, Where's My Respect? - He lives alone as an outlaw in Taur-Nu-Fuin, once his homeland, now overrun with Orcs and worse, and when things get bad enough he is forced to travel south through Ered Gorgoroth, "The Mountains of Terror", and Nan Dungortheb, "The Valley of Dreadful Death", a feat few Elves have managed. And when he's brought before Thingol, he's treated like the scum of the earth.
  • Earn Your Happy Ending
  • Engagement Challenge: He faces one.
  • Friend to All Living Things - the animals that lived in Dorthonion weren't too happy with the land being taken over by Morgoth either, and they helped Beren survive when he was left alone after his father & their band of outlaws were killed by Sauron's forces. During this time Beren ate no creature that was not in the service of the Enemy.
  • Handicapped Badass - After he loses his hand.
  • The Hero -Possibly the greatest hero of the First Age. And that's really saying something.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: He dies saving Thingol from Carcharoth.
  • Impossible Task
  • I Will Wait for You: When he lays dying, Lúthien begs him to wait for her. What she means is the spirits of Men first go to the Halls of Mandos like those of Elves, but soon afterwards they set sailing out of the world into an unknown destination. So Lúthien is begging him to wait in the Halls before passing out of the world, so when she dies too she will get to see him one last time. He obliges.
  • Last of His Kind: After the Dagor Bragollach, his mother Emeldir led the women and children of the House of Bëor out of Dorthonion to the relative safety of Hithlum. Beren, his father Barahir, and 10 companions chose to stay behind, becoming outlaws in their own land. One of their band was tricked and captured by Sauron, and after torment and further trickery he revealed the location of their hideout. Barahir and all the outlaws were killed, and Beren only survived because he had been sent on a scouting mission by his father.
  • Love At First Sight: With Lúthien.
  • Together in Death: He and Lúthien. Because she choses to become a mortal, when they die their souls will go to the same destination.


Húrin Thalion

The heir of the House of Hador and Lord of Dor-lómin. Húrin stumbled upon Gondolin with his brother Huor as a youth and befriended Turgon; later he became a hero in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad (Battle of Unnumbered Tears), covering Turgon's retreat and killing seventy trolls before being taken alive by Morgoth. Húrin defied the Dark Lord when tortured for the location of Gondolin, and so his family was cursed and Húrin forced to watch from afar as his children (Túrin and Nienor) died. Finally, Morgoth released Húrin as a tool of his malice, leading to the ruin of Doriath and the discovery of Gondolin.

Morwen Eledhwen

Wife of Húrin and mother of Túrin and Nienor. The proud yet noble Morwen raised her children alone after Húrin was captured by Morgoth, and sent Túrin to Doriath for his protection. Years later, when she felt it safe to do so, she and Nienor traveled to Doriath to reunite with Túrin but found he had departed. Hearing rumor of Túrin in Nargothrond, they set out to find him but were ambushed by Glaurung. Morwen fled into the wild and never saw her children again. Two years later, broken and weary, Morwen found her children's grave and was herself found by Húrin, in whose arms she died. She was buried with her children, and the site of their grave, Tol Morwen, remained above the waves when Beleriand was drowned.

Túrin Turambar

Túrin was a Man whose father, Húrin, had defied Morgoth. In retaliation, Morgoth cursed Húrin's family, and Túrin got the brunt of it. He ran away from his foster-father Thingol, accidentally killed his best friend, got caught in a love triangle, brought about the fall of the Elven kingdom Nargothrond through bad advice, brought suffering upon his people, and married his sister, causing both of them to commit suicide upon the revelation. In spite of all this, he did manage to kill the most powerful dragon in Middle-earth at that time.

The Children of Hurin is primarily about his life.

Nienor Níniel

Daughter of Húrin and Morwen and sister of Túrin. She grows up in the occupied region of Dor-Lomin with her mother before their escape to Doriath, where her brother was sent before her birth; however, he had long since departed. When word reached Doriath about his whereabouts, Nienor followed Morwen in the search for Túrin against her mother's wishes. The search party was ambushed and scattered by Glaurung, and the dragon inflicted Nienor with amnesia. She was discovered by Túrin in Brethil, and they were wed years later.

Tuor

The son of Huor, first cousin of Túrin. Tuor was chosen by the Vala Ulmo to fulfill his prophecy of a messenger to warn Turgon of impending doom of Gondolin. Tuor's warning was ignored and Gondolin fell, but Tuor escaped and saved many survivors. While in Gondolin, he wedded Turgon's niece Idril; their son was Eärendil. Tuor sailed over the sea, and is said to be the only Man to attain immortality.

  • The Chosen One
  • Hair of Gold
  • Interspecies Romance: With Idril, daughter of Turgon.
  • Jumped At the Call: Though he briefly questions Ulmo's judgment in making him his messenger, Tuor follows his instructions without hesitation.
  • Made a Slave: He was separated from his elven foster family as a teenager, captured, and made to serve Lorgan the Easterling for three years before escaping.
  • Touched by Vorlons: Though born a mortal Man, he was raised by Elves and learned their lore and had bearing like them. In the end he was counted as an Elf, a once-in-the-universe exception (like Lúthien becoming of the kindred of Men).

Eärendil

The son of Tuor and Idril, Eärendil was half Elf and half Man. During his time, all the Elven and human kingdoms had been destroyed by Morgoth. He realized that the Valar would have to send aid to defeat Morgoth, so he set sail to Valinor. He was unable to reach it, because of the barriers the Valar had set up, until his wife gave him the Silmaril, which could cut through the darkness. Eärendil asked the Valar for pardon and aid, and they granted it. His ship, bearing the Silmaril, was put up into the sky as a star, as a sign of his success. In the resulting war, Morgoth was overthrown and banished from the world.

Eonwë, the Herald of the Valar: Hail Eärendil, of mariners most renowned, the looked for that cometh at unawares, the longed for that cometh beyond hope! Hail Eärendil, bearer of light before the Sun and Moon! Splendour of the Children of Eru, star in the darkness, jewel in the sunset, radiant in the morning!

He pleads his case before the Valar. And his prayer is answered.


Númenoreans

Elros Tar-Minyatur

Eärendil's son and Elrond's brother, Elros chose to be counted among the Edain at the end of the First Age. He became the first king of Númenor (Tolkien's version of Atlantis) and established a royal line of long-lived Men that lasted for millennia. Ar-Pharazôn, Elendil, Isildur, and Aragorn are among his noteworthy descendants.

Ar-Pharazôn

The last King of Númenor, a descendant of Elros. Ar-Pharazôn was extremely proud, and when he heard that Sauron had claimed the title of "King of Men", he decided to overthrow Sauron and claim that title for himself. Sauron surrendered to him, and Ar-Pharazôn took him to Númenor as a hostage. Sauron quickly used his powers to bewitch Ar-Pharazôn and win his freedom. From there he convinced Ar-Pharazôn and the Númenoreans to worship Melkor and attack the Valar. As a punishment, Númenor was destroyed, the world was made round so that humans could never get to Valinor again, and Ar-Pharazôn was buried under a landslide.

Elendil

While the kings of Númenor fell deeper into decadence and impiety, the Lord of Andúnië, descended from a prince of the royal house, led the Faithful, a faction who remained loyal to Ilúvatar, the Valar, and the friendship of the Eldar. The last Lord, when Ar-Pharazôn came under Sauron's sway, was Elendil. When Ar-Pharazôn led his armada against the Valar, Elendil and the Faithful escaped to Middle-earth, where he and his sons founded the kingdoms of Arnor (which he ruled) and Gondor. Elendil led the surviving Faithful in the War of the Last Alliance and was killed by Sauron on Mount Doom.

Isildur

The eldest son of Elendil. Before the White Tree of Númenor was destroyed by Sauron, Isildur stole one of its fruits, keeping its line alive. After arriving in Middle-earth after the Downfall, Isildur and his brother Anárion founded the kingdom of Gondor. In the War of the Last Alliance, when Elendil was killed by Sauron, Isildur took the shards of his father's sword Narsil and cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand. Rather than destroy the Ring and end Sauron's threat forever, Isildur was tempted by its power and claimed it as his own. When Isildur rode north to claim the kingship of Arnor, he was attacked by Orcs and fled into the River Anduin, invisible thanks to the Ring, but the Ring slipped from his finger and betrayed him to his death. Isildur was the direct ancestor of Aragorn, one of the protagonists of The Lord of the Rings.

Others

Huan

A great hound of Oromë, given as a gift to Celegorm son of Fëanor. He followed his master into Middle-earth, and later befriended Lúthien and Beren there, helping them in their Quest for the Silmaril. He had a human intelligence, being able to understand speech, but he was destined to speak only thrice before his death - and he wouldn't die but fighting the greates wolf that ever lived.

  • Badass: Fighting werewolves and, you know, Sauron.
  • Canis Major: His exact size is vague, but he is large enough to carry Lúthien on his back like a horse.
  • Dulcinea Effect: Lúthien causes this in him.
  • Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Is Huan a real dog in a world where all living creatures can gain some kind of spapience, or is he some kind of spirit, given his longevity, intelligence and ability to speak against all the laws of anatomy?
  • Heroes Love Dogs: His friendship is an indicator of the humanoid character's heroism: Celegorm loses it after kicking the dog by leaving Finrod and Beren to die to force Lúthien to marry him instead, and Lúthien and Beren gain it by their nobleness.
  • Heroic Sacrifice
  • Talking Animal: He spoke thrice during his life, just as prophecied.

Eöl

A Dark Elf living in the woods of Nan Elmoth near Doriath. He hated the Noldor and was a friend of the Dwarves. Yet when Aredhel daughter of Fingolfin wandered into his woods, he took her in and married her. They had a son, Maeglin. However, Eöl forbade them of ever leaving his forest or going to see her family, causing them to rebel and run away. He followed them into Gondolin, where he threw a poisoned spear at Maeglin, accidentally killing Aredhel instead when she interposed herself. He was executed by being thrown off the cliffs of Gondolin.

Glorfindel

Glorfindel was a great Elven warrior from the hidden elf city of Gondolin. When the city was attacked by Morgoth's armies and destroyed, Glorfindel died in a duel with a balrog protecting the escaping survivors, including Idril and Eärendil. Later he was allowed to reincarnate and leave the Halls of Mandos to live in Valinor. There he befriended Gandalf. He was then sent back into Middle-earth to help in the fight against Sauron. In The Lord of the Rings he lives in Rivendell, serving Elrond son of Eärendil, and comes to rescue Aragorn and the Hobbits when they're chased by the Ringwraiths.

Círdan

The Shipwright, the oldest and wisest known Elf in existence--so old that he had a long silver beard, a trait unknown in any other Elf in the mythos. Círdan was one of the Teleri who stayed behind to search for Thingol and later became the lord of the Sindar on Beleriand's coast, whom he ruled as Thingol's vassal. He built the ship in which Eärendil sailed to Valinor.

In the Second Age, Círdan founded the Grey Havens in the west of Middle-earth and was entrusted with Narya, one of the Three Rings of the Elves, by Gil-galad. He fought alongside Gil-galad in the War of the Last Alliance and stood with Elrond in futilly urging Isildur to destroy the One Ring. He greeted the Wizards when they arrived in the Third Age, and sensing Gandalf's wisdom and power, gave Narya over to him. In The Lord of the Rings, Círdan built the Last Ship that bore Galadriel, Elrond, Gandalf, Bilbo, and Frodo to Valinor.

  • Big Damn Heroes: He saves Fingon's army from an orc invasion through a surprise attack from the sea.
  • Cassandra Truth: He was given a warning about Nargothrond's imminent fall by Ulmo and delivered it to Orodreth, but the warning went unheeded.
  • The Chosen One: Not in the traditional sense. Instead, he was charged by Ulmo to aid and abet the forces of good throughout the ages, though he himself never took center stage. To do this, he had to forsake his greatest desire--to see the Undying Lands--for more than three ages of the world.
  • Intergenerational Friendship: With Eärendil, Gil-galad, and several princes of Númenor.
  • Parental Substitute: For Gil-galad.
  • Supporting Leader: He was a very important personage among the Elves of Middle-earth, but is never at the center of any stories.
  • Time Abyss: He is one of the original generation of Elves and the oldest of the Free Peoples known to exist. At the time of The Lord of the Rings, he is over 15,000 years old--the equivalent of someone today born in the late Stone Age.
  • Wizard Beard: He's not literally a wizard, but his beard does signify his exceptional age and wisdom.

Thorondor

The greatest of the Great Eagles created by Manwë to keep watch over the mountains of Middle-earth to bring news to him in Valinor. Thorondor helped Fingon rescue Maedhros from his torture on Thangorodrim and later kept watch over the hidden city of Gondolin. When Morgoth slew Fingolfin, Thorondor swooped down, scarred the Dark Lord's face with his talons, and bore Fingolfin's body to his place of burial on a mountain above Gondolin.

  • Big Badass Bird of Prey
  • Big Damn Heroes
  • Due to the Dead: After Melkor finally killed Fingolfin in a long, hard fought duel, he intended to string of Fingolfin's corpse up as a trophy and have his armies repeatedly desecrate it (stoning, beating, parading the head around, and possibly other... [I Love the Dead|things]]). However, before Melkor can even touch Fingolfin's body, Thorondor swoops in to retrieve it and attacks Melkor a few times to escape. Thorondor wanted to make sure Fingolfin was given a proper ceremony and honored for his heroism.
  • Giant Flyer
  • Talking Animal

Mîm

An aged Dwarf whose dwelling Túrin takes over after his men kill Mîm's son. Though he bonds with Túrin, Mîm's resentment over his son's death and the appearance of the Elf Beleg stoke his resentment, and eventually he betrays Túrin to Orcs. Mîm's second son is killed in the fight, but he escapes, and after the death of Glaurung he claims the Dragon's treasure for himself. Here Mîm is found and slain by Húrin, but the Dwarf cursed the treasure, leading to the downfall of King Thingol.

  • Fantastic Racism: His hatred of Elves. It stems from the fact that, long before the Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost came to Beleriand, the exiles who would become the Petty-dwarves (from whom Mîm was descended) entered the land and were hunted by the Sindar. The Sindar did not know what they were, and when the rest of the Dwarves settled in Ered Luin, they realized their mistake and left the Petty-dwarves alone. Mîm and his people hated the Noldor even more, however, as they claim the Noldor drove them from their dwellings when they arrived.
  • Last of His Kind: He is the last of the Petty-dwarves, the stunted outcasts of the great Dwarven cities.
  • Our Dwarves Are All the Same: Averted. He and his sons actually are different from the other Dwarves of Middle-earth and most stock Fantasy dwarves. They were descendants of exiles from the Dwarven cities east of Ered Luin who eventually wandered west into Beleriand. They dwindled in stature and in their knowledge of smithcraft, becoming a stealthy and secretive people. By the time The Silmarillion takes place, only Mîm and his two sons remain.
  • Turncoat
  1. ↑ ...in the published Silmarillion; this was an error on Christopher Tolkien's part. JRRT settled on him being Orodreth's son
  2. ↑ The third sentence, referencing the Second Music, can be found in The History of the Middle-earth: The Lost Road, but was not included in the published Silmarillion
  3. ↑ who were never in danger to begin with, Glaurung having lied to him
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