There are few cinematic franchises as richly developed as The Lord of the Rings. Across the three installments of this epic film trilogy, boatloads of characters are introduced for the viewer to root for or to detest. On the one hand, when you think about the likable personas in Lord of the Rings, you think of the humility of Sam, the leadership of Gandalf, and the courage of Middle Earth's three amigos.
On the other hand, the villains of the saga are simply...vile. Credit director Peter Jackson for the effective presentation of these characters as antagonists with little to no redeeming value. In their own terrible way, these villains wreaked havoc on the Fellowship's quest to plunge the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom.
Boromir: When Willpower Fails
To be fair to Boromir, he had his fair share of heroic moments, particularly when he came to the defense of Merry and Pippin as the Uruk-hai assault began. There’s no denying, though, that this hardly makes up for the irreparable damage that he inflicted just moments earlier.
Succumbing to temptation, Boromir attempts to seize the Ring from Frodo. Badly shaken by this incident, Frodo decides to abandon his companions and finish the Quest alone. Conclusion: if you are a member of the Fellowship and you manage to drive the Ring-bearer away, you’re a pretty awful person.
Denethor: When Willpower Fails, Part II
Just as Boromir could not fend off temptation, his father Denethor failed to overcome his own emotions. Certainly, the death of one's son is an overwhelming burden to bear. As Gandalf reminded Denethor, there was no time to grieve the passing of Boromir as the forces of Mordor drew near.
Despite Gandalf's counsel, the steward of Gondor did not rise to become the leader that he needed to be. Denethor's descent into madness was completed when he thought his only other son, Faramir, to have fallen as well. If it weren't for the timely return of Gondor's true king, Denethor's incompetence might have led to a key victory for Sauron's army.
Shelob: A Killer In The Darkness
Nasty, deadly creatures count as villains, right? In that case, the giant spider Shelob was a pretty formidable adversary that literally stood between Frodo and the completion of his quest. Even the orcs of Mordor knew not to mess with her: they were well-aware of her super sticky webs and overpowering venom that paralyzes any creature that she stings.
Bonus hero points, then, have to go to Samwise Gamgee for overcoming this unholy monster. Whereas his friend Frodo fell victim to the venom, Sam wielded a combination of the Elvish dagger Sting and Galadriel's phial of light in order to overcome Shelob.
Lurtz: Monster, Leader, Slayer
One of the creepiest scenes in the entire trilogy was the "manufacturing" of the Uruk-hai towards the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Saruman was mightily pleased when he saw one particular Uruk-hai immediately get into a violent streak by strangling the very orc that molded him into life.
Unsurprisingly, Saruman gave that Uruk-hai (which went by the name Lurtz) the command of the army, along with the instruction to "find the Halflings." While the Fellowship was already in shambles, the attack led by Lurtz was essentially the final blow to that short-lived union. Lurtz, of course, can also claim credit for the ultimate demise of the mighty warrior Boromir.
Grima: Smooth Talker, Sinister Intentions
In yet another example of how the Men of Middle-Earth could be corrupted, Theoden of Rohan failed to properly exercise his kingship for a period of time. The reason: he was being poisoned by the sweet nothings whispered by Grima Wormtongue. Channeling the dark magic of Saruman, Grima ensured that Rohan would offer no opposition to the machinations of Isengard.
In a memorable sequence in The Two Towers, the toxic mouthpiece of Saruman finally got his comeuppance. Without the aid of their weapons, the trio of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli let their fists fly as they struggled with the soldiers under Grima's control. As the brawl ensued, Gandalf managed to lift Saruman's spell over Theoden, who promptly drives Grima away.
The Balrog: One Hell Of A Whip
As the Merlin figure of the Fellowship, Gandalf was slated to lead the band of companions to Mordor in one piece. If anything ever happened to this powerful, intelligent wizard, the Fellowship was sure to go awry. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened in the Mines of Moria, when Gandalf failed to finish the job against his gargantuan foe.
This foe, known as the Balrog of Moria, was so feared that the goblins and orcs fighting the Fellowship all scurried for their lives as he approached. Though Gandalf did not let the Balrog pass over the bridge, the Balrog waved his infernal whip to drag the Grey wizard with him into the dark chasm. The Balrog, then, caused the first domino to (literally) fall as far as the ill-fated Fellowship goes.
The Witch-king: Unrighteous Right-hand Man
Long after the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo must have had nightmares about the very first harrowing ordeal that he went through in the Quest. On his way to Bree, Frodo had to run for his life as dark, mysterious figures gave chase. Though these enigmatic creatures were all menacing, their leader was a special kind of deadly.
The Witch-king of Angmar may have been Sauron's most trusted lieutenant, and in The Two Towers, he came within seconds of snatching The Ring from Frodo's grasp. Despite coming up short in this effort, the Witch-king continued to lead Sauron's army as they came closer to seizing control of Minas Tirith. His hubris, though, may have been his ultimate flaw as he fell at the hands of fearless Eowyn.
Gollum: The Traitor Who Turned The Tide
In the Lord of the Rings saga, Gollum is next only to Sauron in terms of possessing The Ring for the longest time. The hobbit formerly known as Smeagol is the prime example of The Ring's influence: an insatiable thirst that essentially ruins all aspects of one's life.
Can Gollum at least be forgiven for his role in leading Frodo and Sam "safely" to the threshold of Mordor? On the one hand, his subsequent moves—turning Frodo against Sam, leading Frodo into Shelob's lair, and grabbing the ring at the expense of Frodo's finger—are truly detestable. On the other hand, his actions ultimately led to the destruction of The Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. So...yay, Smeagol?
Saruman: Unlovable Through And Through
Let's be honest: Saruman would not have been such a memorable character in the movies if it weren't for the masterful performance of the late Christopher Lee. Thanks to Lee's greatness, Saruman was presented as a quintessential villain: a frightening, treacherous figure who bears absolutely no qualities for the audience to like.
As was the case with his servant Grima, Saruman's purely despicable ways made for a highly satisfying comeuppance. When Treebeard and his Ents laid siege to Isengard, viewers were all too delighted to see the downfall of the tyrannical wizard. No longer would they have to put up with Saruman's creepy voice, foul arrogance, and twisted ambitions.
Sauron: The Big Boss At The End Of The Game
Do you realize that The Lord of the Rings gets its title, not from its protagonist, but from its main villain? From his dominance in the Second Age, all the way to the terror that he wielded during the trilogy, Sauron was peerless in his streak of evil.
Though his domain of Mordor was thousands of miles away from the starting point of the Quest, it always seemed like Sauron was right around the corner, ready to snatch his One Ring from Frodo. Whole armies of monstrous creatures, as well as the formidable magic of Saruman, were at his disposal as he sought to regain full power. Sauron's invincibility was only ever thwarted by an accidental fall, but otherwise, there was no villain that could even come close to matching his supreme power.