In honour of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) being released on Amazon, I’m going to be doing a huge rewatch of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogies. I’ve heard a lot of positive reviews about the show so far which made me feel really relieved since I had my skepticisms. As a massive fan, I’m super excited to revisit Middle-earth – I honestly rewatch all of the movies at least once every year anyway. With that being said, I thought it’d be fun to do a quick ranking of my favourite characters before totally immersing myself in Lord of the Rings content.

1. Samwise Gamgee

Ever since I first watched the original LOTR trilogy, I have yet to find a more faithful and compassionate friend as Samwise Gamgee. We could all use a friend like Sam – or honestly, we just need more people like him in this world. Like many people, I wholeheartedly believe he is the true hero of the story and that Frodo would’ve failed the mission miserably if it had not been for Sam. His unchanging positivity, pure innocence, and down-to-earth disposition are just some of the many reasons why Sam is my favourite character. While he doesn’t have the flashiest of moves or the coolest fight sequences, his speech on the good in the world is truly one of my favourite movie moments of all time.

There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

Samwise Gamgee

It brings tears to my eyes every time. The newfound hope it brings to the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) is immediate and I even feel it carrying over to the start of the next film. It’s rare to see a character just so undoubtedly good and virtuous, I can’t help but put Sam in my number one spot. I just love the character so so much.

2. Legolas

I’m sure you’re not surprised to see Legolas on my list as he’s certainly a fan favourite. While he has the least number of lines out of anyone in the Fellowship, he always manages to make his presence known. Whether it’s with bold entrances or unbelievably awesome fight moves, he’s definitely a stand out (who didn’t love seeing him take down an Oliphant?!). As nerdy as this is going to sound, when I first watched the movies back in my high school days, I wanted to learn Elvish after seeing how cool the Elves were (and yes, Legolas was a big reason for that interest).

Whenever I rewatch the movies, I hold my breath right before Legolas is about to do some cool move. He’s definitely iconic in the movie world and I just adore how over the top and extravagant he is. I love watching Legolas as part of the trio with Aragorn and Gimli, and his honest ignorance is at times hilarious. While it’s true Legolas is the least explored character of the Fellowship, I just really loved the way his character was designed and written. I’m probably a bit biased because of how much I love the Elves though. Orlando Bloom looking as handsome as he did definitely helped too 🙂 Only honest thoughts here!

3. Aragorn

A worthy king who isn’t corrupt and is actually loyal to his companions and to the people? Yep, he’s making it on my list. I remember the first time I watched the LOTR trilogy, one of my genuine fears was that Aragorn was going to succumb to his supposedly cursed bloodline. Thank god he didn’t. Seeing him crowned as the King of Gondor was so fulfilling and emotionally satisfying after watching him on this long journey. While his first appearance was a bit intense (I didn’t actually know if he was good or bad), I loved the reveal of his true gentle and kind nature.

It’s hard not to love Aragorn when we repeatedly see him bravely and heroically charge into battle on the frontlines. He isn’t cowardly at all and I knew from the first movie that he would be an excellent leader. His intentions were always sincere and he always kept the best interest of his people at heart. Similar to Sam, there’s a goodness in his heart that is so endearing. It’s hard not to love this character when he does nothing wrong.

Comment down below what your favourite LOTR characters are! Let me know if you agree with my list or not. Will you be checking out the new Amazon series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)?