The Dark Lord is one of the most well-known fantasy tropes, and the most famous is easily the villain of J. R. R. Tolkien‘s The Lord of the Rings, Sauron. Once the most powerful servant of the original Dark Lord, Morgoth, Sauron took up the mantle after his master was defeated and made it his mission to unite Middle-earth under his rule to bring order to what he saw as a chaotic world. To do this, he crafted the One Ring, a magic item filled with his essence that would allow him to dominate all life.
Despite his impressive powers, Sauron can’t be everywhere at once. Thus, he relies on numerous dark minions and allies to help him with his wars of conquest. Some of these beings are slaves to his will, while others retain more autonomy and work with Sauron because doing so benefits them. From unimpressive underlings to mighty supporters, Sauron’s greatest allies are among the most dangerous characters in The Lord of the Rings.
10 Thuringwethil and Draugluin
Appears in The Silmarillion
During Morgoth’s war against his fellow angelic beings, the Valar, he created numerous evil monsters, including werewolves and vampires. Sauron was given rulership over these dark creatures and kept them on the island of Tol Sirion, which he renamed Tol-in-Gaurhoth after claiming it from the elves. The greatest of these beasts were Draugluin, the first werewolf who fathered Carcharoth, the mighty hound of Angband, and Thuringwethil, a vampire who served as Sauron’s messenger.
Though Thuringwethil and Draugluin only briefly appear in The Silmarillion, they hint at the great extent of evil from both Sauron and Morgoth. Exactly where they came from is unknown, but given that Thuringwethil could shapeshift from vampire to bat-form, it’s possible she was a fallen Maiar, making her the same type of creature as Sauron. Both were finally brought down by Huan, a mighty hunting hound loyal to the Valar of the hunt, Oromë, and their skins were used by the heroes Beren and Lúthien in a heist to steal a Sylmaril from Morgoth’s crown.
9 Corsairs of Umbar
Appears in The Silmarillion and The Return of the King
During the Second Age, the island kingdom of Númenór established several colonies on Middle Earth, including Umbar. Following Númenór’s fall, it was inhabited by the rebel faction called the King’s Men, or Black Númenóreans, while the Faithful founded the kingdom of Gondor. Umbar became known for its pirate corsairs, who would conduct numerous raids along Gondor’s coast.
Given their hatred for Gondor, the pirate corsairs of Umbar needed little provocation to join Sauron and sailed a fleet of ships to aid him in taking Minas Tirith. However, they were ambushed by the mighty hero Aragorn and the dead men of the mountains, and their ships were used to transport Gondorian reinforcements to the battle. As such, they contributed the least of all of Sauron’s human allies.
8 Easterlings
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
When the race of men first emerged in Middle Earth, Morgoth sought them out and swayed some of them to his side. Known as the Easterlings, they aided Morgoth in his battles against elves, dwarves, and their fellow men until his defeat forced them to flee to the eastern lands of Rhûn. There, they established new kingdoms, pledged fidelity to Sauron, and waged several wars against the West.
The Easterlings were some of the most feared warriors in Middle Earth, and their armies vastly outnumbered the forces of the West. However, by the time of the War of the Ring, the Easterlings were divided in their loyalty to Sauron, thanks to the efforts of the two blue wizards. This division prevented him from calling their full strength to war, and their numbers were further diminished in attacks against the Lonely Mountain and Minas Tirith.
7 Haradrim
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
When the Númenóreans began establishing colonies, they encountered the men of the south, known as Haradrim, and taught them many skills in agriculture and craftsmanship. However, when the Númenóreans began to resent their mortality, they demanded tribute from the Haradrim, and Sauron also made them worship him as a god-king. Eventually, the Haradrim become Sauron’s servants, though some were able to rebel thanks to the efforts of the blue wizards.
The Haradrim are perhaps the most tragic of the men in service to Sauron, as their history has been primarily trapped between multiple oppressive forces. They are also the most iconic thanks to their signature war beasts, the massive elephants known as Mûmakil. The Haradrim ride their Mûmakil to battle against the Riders of Rohan, led by King Théoden, in one of the most iconic conflicts in the war, the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
6 Shelob
Appears in The Two Towers
The last and greatest child of the primordial spider-like being, Ungoliant, Shelob established a lair in Chirith Ungol long before Sauron turned Mordor into his territory. From her mountain home, she prayed indiscriminately on orcs, men, and anything else that wandered into her lair. Sauron tolerated Shelob’s presence since she made an effective guardian and was even known to refer to her as his cat.
Befitting her status as Ungoliant’s child, Shelob is one of the most vile and deadly creatures in Middle-earth. Her hide is strong enough to deflect most weapon attacks, and her stinger produces a potent venom that causes paralysis, allowing her to devour them at her leisure. However, Shelob met her match when the hobbit Samwise Gamgee, armed with the elven blade Sting, wounded her so grievously that the orcs believed she had battled with an elvish prince.
5 Orcs
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
Created by Morgoth from elves, orcs became his primary soldiers in his wars for control over Middle-earth. Though not as strong in battle as men, elves, or dwarves, orcs can breed much quicker and are skilled at devising crude devices for war. By the time of Morgoth’s fall, the orcs were so twisted by evil that they fell under Sauron’s will and, under his command, led many wars against the free people until their kingdoms were shadows of their former glory.
Tolkien created the orc as a representation of the evils of warfare and how it can devolve people into monstrous states. When they’re not pitted against the free people, orcs will war with one another for petty reasons and take pleasure in destroying anything good and beautiful in the world. Under the command of Sauron, they were a terrifying force, marching into battle with lockstep discipline since they feared their master’s wrath more than the enemy in front of them.
4 The Mouth of Sauron
Appears in The Return of the King
One of the surviving Black Númenóreans who worshipped Sauron as a God, the Mouth of Sauron proved more cruel and cunning than the orcs. For this, he was made Lieutenant of Sauron’s fortress, Barad-dûr, and made Sauron’s emissary. When the armies of Middle-earth rode to the Black Gate to distract Sauron so Frodo Baggins could destroy the One Ring, the Mouth of Sauron rode out to meet them and offered harsh terms for survival.
While not the most powerful of Sauron’s servants, the Mouth remains one of the most memorable thanks to his unique position. He is one of the few beings who speaks directly to Sauron and thus knows the greater details of his master’s plans. His cruelty and malice also know no bounds, as demonstrated when he brought some of Frodo’s possessions to the meeting to unnerve and taunt the hobbit’s friends regarding his fate.
3 Saruman
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
To combat Sauron’s evil, five Maiar were sent to Middle Earth in human form, becoming the five wizards. Their leader, Saruman the White, was tasked with spearheading the fight against Sauron and spent much of his time delving into ancient lore. However, Saruman grew to admire Sauron and his dark arts and eventually swore loyalty to him, mustering armies of orcs to attack the kingdom of Rohan.
As the leader of the Ishtar, Saruman is an unmatched master of sorcery, only being surpassed by Gandalf when he was returned to Middle Earth as Gandalf the White. His vast knowledge allowed him to breed armies of improved orcs, known as Uruk-hai, who could move in sunlight and design explosives strong enough to break stone walls. Yet his deadliest weapon was his mastery of words, allowing him to manipulate others and play to their weaknesses, even when his back was against the wall. Thus, Saruman became one of Sauron’s key allies in spreading his control throughout Middle-earth.
2 Nazgûl
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
Disguised as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, Sauron convinced the elven smith, Celebrimbor, to forge sixteen rings of power with which, through his One Ring, he could control the free people of Middle Earth. Nine of these rings were given to human kings, and unlike the other races, they became slaves to Sauron’s will. In time, they ended up trapped in a state of undeath, becoming the Nazgûl or Ringwraiths.
The Nazgûl have lost any semblance of humanity or free will, meaning that they act as an extension of Sauron himself. Though impressive enough with their blades, their shrieks were their greatest weapon and could fill the hearts of any who heard them with paralyzing fear. Their deathless nature also meant that the Nine could return to life even if their bodies were destroyed. Their seemingly indestructible nature made them mighty and feared throughout Middle-earth, but they depended on the One Ring’s existence.
1 The Witch-king of Angmar
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
The most powerful of the Nazgûl is their leader, known as the Witch-king of Angmar. Early into the Third Age, he was tasked with weakening Sauron’s enemies, which he did by destroying the northern king of Arnor, claiming the city Minas Morgul from Gondor, and killing King Eärnur, beginning the rule of the Stewards of Gondor. For his service, the Witch-king was granted many dark secrets and tasked with leading Sauron’s armies in the War for the Ring.
The Witch-king’s greatest strength was the powerful sorcery he could implement alongside the abilities granted to him as a Nazgûl. These include the ability to shatter any weapon that touches him, deadly Morgul Blades that can turn people into lesser wraiths under his control, and the power to light his sword on fire. So great was his power that it was believed no living man could kill him. In the end, the Witch-king met his end at the hands of the hobbit Meriadoc Brandybuck and the daring Éowyn, niece of Théoden.
