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Middle Earth is a rich world inhabited by many kinds of creatures. In The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, these creatures play their part in the events of Middle Earth, sometimes in a big way, as they come into contact with the main characters.
Like most things in Middle-earth, even its fauna has taken a side in the battle between good and evil. Some, like Wargs, are used almost exclusively for evil, being ridden into battle by the Orcs. Others, such as the eagles, give their help to the good side, assisting Gandalf (Ian McKellen) on his journey.
Warg
Being hideous creatures themselves, the Orcs need an even more hideous creature to use as a mount. Their ride of choice is the warg, a wolf-like beast that's a more effective cavalry mount than any horse.
With its fangs and claws, the warg is a living weapon and can bring down a horse and rider on its own. Their Orc masters can barely keep the savage animals in check and are in almost as much danger as their enemies from the hungry beasts, with several riders bearing scars their wargs have given them.
Cave Troll
Trying to find a safe route to Mordor, the Fellowship travel through Moria at Gimli's (John Rhys-Davies) suggestion, but the mines are no longer a dwarf stronghold and have been overrun by Orcs, and an even bigger problem; cave trolls.
When the Orcs attack, the Fellowship barricade themselves in Balin's burial chamber, but the cave troll smashes through the door and begins wreaking havoc. It manages to stab Frodo (Elijah Wood) with a spear, and he's only saved because of the Mithril chain mail he's wearing. The troll is eventually brought down with an arrow shot by Legolas (Orlando Bloom).
Shadowfax
Before and during the War of the Ring, Gandalf spends much of his time traveling across Middle-earth on his quests. As a result, he needs a strong mount to carry him. A normal horse won't do for the wizard. Instead, he chooses to ride Shadowfax.
Shadowfax is s a Mearas, the strongest and fastest horses in Middle-earth. Originally he belonged to Théoden (Bernard Hill), but the king couldn't train him. When Gandalf came across him, he immediately recognized the horse's ancestry and took him as his mount, taming him and even riding Shadowfax without needing a saddle.
Watcher in the Water
Finding the right password isn't the only problem the Fellowship faces at the gates of Moria. Inside the dark lagoon by the gate is a tentacled terror that's just waiting for some unsuspecting traveler to come its way and be dragged below the water.
It's unclear what kind of creature the Watcher is, but it has several tentacles and is vaguely octopus-like. It also seems to be quite intelligent, as it reaches to take Frodo first, most likely because he was the Ring-bearer, and suggesting that the Watcher was after the Ring's power like everyone else.
Fellbeasts
The Ringwraiths are pretty scary on their own, with their faceless hoods and black robes, but when riding a fellbeast, they're petrifying. During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Theoden is killed by the Witch King's fellbeast when it throws him from his horse.
Each of the Ringwraiths has a Fellbeast to ride when not using their horses, allowing them to fly over Middle Earth and patrol the skies above Mordor. As they can't breathe fire, the fellbeasts aren't dragons, and it's not clear where they originated, seeming to be created in Mordor by Sauron for his dark agents to use.
Giant Spiders
For many people, the scariest things in Middle-earth are the giant spiders. Not only is there Shelob, the giant guardian of the pass of Cirith Ungol, but also a whole nest of the creatures living in the forests of Mirkwood.
The spiders can spin webs strong enough to hold a human and paralyze their victims with a non-lethal sting. Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and Frodo encountered the creatures on their respective quests, and both times their sword Sting helped them out. The sword's name came from a spider screaming, "It stings," when Bilbo used the weapon against it.
The Balrog
The decision to go through the Mines of Moria was a pretty bad one, as the Fellowship encountered one terror after another as they traveled through the dark passages. One of the worst things to dwell there is the Balrog, a demonic creature uncovered by the Dwarves digging too deep for precious metals and stones.
At the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, the Balrog catches up to the Fellowship, and Gandalf stays back to fight it. The creature is able to overpower Gandalf, dragging him down into the depths of Moria, where the two fight an epic battle. Although the wizard can defeat the monster, he is severely injured and reborn as Gandalf the White, returning to Middle Earth to finish his mission.
Eagles
The eagles might be the inspiration for one of the most contentious fan theories ("Why didn't the eagles just fly the Fellowship to Mordor?)", but they have a much more critical role in the story than just that. Gandalf has a good relationship with the eagles and calls upon them several times when he's in a tight spot.
Able to carry a full-grown man on their backs, the giant eagles helped rescue Thorin's party from Orcs, freed Gandalf from Orthanc, saved him after his duel with the Balrog, and finally showed up in time to turn the tide in the Battle of the Black Gate, rescuing Frodo and Sam from Mount Doom.
Mumakil
These huge creatures are ridden by the Haradrim like war elephants, using them to ride over their enemies with ease. At the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, the Rohan cavalry is outmatched by the beasts as they trample over the battlefields, their massive tusks sweeping everything before them.
The Mumakil are a great psychological weapon, intimidating their opponents in battle. They're not indestructible, however, as Legolas can shoot one down with arrows. The beasts have a mythological status in Middle Earth, as Sam (Sean Astin) has heard of them and considers it a rare privilege that he got to see one with his own eyes.
Smaug
The quest to kill Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) and retake the Lonely Mountain is the catalyst for everything that follows, including Bilbo's discovery of the Ring. Gandalf knew about Smaug's importance, believing he could be an asset to Sauron later and decided to assist the dwarves for that reason.
While he might seem like a bitter miser, Smaug is highly intelligent and knows about the Arkenstone's power and how it will affect Thorin. Like most dragons, he can fly and breathe fire, easily laying waste to Laketown. Conventional weapons are useless against him, and only the Black Arrow can successfully pierce his thick hide.