Reading J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Ringsor watchingPeter Jackson’sThe HobbitandLord of the Ringsmoviesmay create the impression that all the Elves inLotRwere good, but that isn’t the case.The Silmarillionrevealed a wide range of complex Elves, some of whom were awful from start to finish. What’s more,The Silmarillionwas no novel likeLotRbut was rather an Elvish historical document comprised of myths and legends. Like many great kings in real-world history, some Elvish leaders inThe Silmarillionwere liberators, pioneers, and ruthless murderers all at the same time.
In fantasy, villains tend to occupy a fairly clear-cut role, opposing heroes and neglecting human rights in acts of cruelty or selfishness. In a work likeThe Silmarillion, traditional hero and villain roles are complicated by default. InThe Silmarillionand the wider legendarium, there were few clear-cut villains amongLord of the Rings’diverse types of Elves. Of all the Elvish factions, the Noldor were the most controversial. Fëanor and even the least offensive of his sons committed villain-worthy acts, but the most offensive could give most fantasy villains a run for their money, even despite the debatable redemption of some.
10Maglor
The Minstrel
Perhaps the least villainous of the Elves who could qualify for villain status inLord of the Rings, Maglor nonetheless committed terrible atrocities.Maglor was a singer, poet, and one of the seven Sons of Fëanor, a Noldor king who created bright jewels called Silmarils which burned all evil and were stolen byLord of the Rings’tyrannical Morgoth. Becoming obsessed with the Silmarils, the namesake ofThe Silmarillion,Fëanor led his sons in an oath to regain them, come what may. Although the exact terms of the magic at play were never clear, oaths held dreadful power inLotR.
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Oaths normally appeared contractually binding, with significant consequences for breaking them. In this sense, Maglor was a victim as much as a perpetrator. And yet, he could have faced the consequences of breaking his oath long before he chose to.His oath led him through all three of the Fëanorian Kinslayings- massacres of Elvenkind. Cursed by the Vala Mandos for the first Kinslaying alone, Maglor finally regained a Silmaril, but his tainted soul could no longer bear its light. Poetically, he tossed it into the sea and went missing, with some saying he tossed himself into the sea along with it.
9Maedhros
The Tall
Of every controversial Elf inThe Lord of the Ringsand of every Elf that committed vile deeds, Maedhros - Maglor’s brother - was the least to blame and the most noble. Maedhros is, in fact, one of the greatest Elves inThe Lord of the Ringsand probably one of the top 10 heroes in the legendarium, immortalized inBlind Guardian’sSilmarillionconcept albumin the song “Blood Tears.” However,he killed thousands of innocentsand affected the lives of countless more throughout his time in Aman and Middle-earth.
Power metal band Blind Guardian released theirLord of the Ringsconcept album,Nightfall in Middle-Earth,in 1998.
Maedhros mustered the Union of Maedhros in a heroic and valiant attempt to unite Middle-earth’s various races against Morgoth, however disastrous its results. ButMaedhros, like Maglor, carried out all three Fëanorian Kinslayingsbefore he finally relinquished his father’s oath. Although he was subject to the Doom of Mandos like Maglor, it was a testament to his character that this could only mean suicide. Maedhros chose honor over other people’s lives and, eventually, his own.
8Amrod
Twin Of Amras
Amrod was one of Fëanor’s sons and followed him into his worst acts. He is seldom mentioned without Amras inThe Silmarillion, confirming that these two twins were nearly inseparable. Amrod was a Noldor prince who migrated from Middle-earth to Aman and back. Unfortunately,migrating from Aman to Middle-earth entailed the first Fëanorian Kinslaying. Subject to theOath ofFëanor, Amrod spilled blood on his way to power.
There is a statue of Fëanor in Eregion in Amazon Prime Video’sThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Once in Middle-earth, Amrod settled a land with his twin that would come to be known as Estolad. Amrod seemed like one of the less warlike Fëanorians. He partook in the Battles of Beleriand as required, fighting Morgoth for land, power, and Silmarils, but kept himself to himself much of the time. Both in Valinor and Middle-earth, Amrod was a hunter and explorer, preferring the wild to the court. However,he ended up participating in all three Kinslayings.
7Amras
Twin Of Amrod
Like Amrod,Amras took part in all three Kinslayings. Amrod and Amras don’t get much of a mention inThe Silmarillioncompared to Fëanor’s other sons, which probably reflects well on them. Like Amrod, Amras was a lover of nature and the unknown, exploring the outer regions of Aman during his time there. However, neither Amras nor Amrod were ever seen to speak out against the Oath of Fëanor.
The only reason that Caranthir, Celegorm, and Curufin didn’t participate in all three Kinslayings was that they died in the second.
Amrod and Amras' seemed to prioritize knowledge over power, keeping them away from the kind of treacherous scandals that some of their brothers were involved in. However,all of Fëanor’s sons, Amras included, chased the Silmarilsand killed all who stood in their way, when the time came. The only reason that Caranthir, Celegorm, and Curufin didn’t participate in all three Kinslayings was that they died in the second.
6Caranthir
The Dark
Fëanor’s son, Caranthir, was bound by his oath to protect the Silmarils for his family.Caranthir took part in the first and second Kinslayingsbut died in the second. Neither as great as Maedhros nor as inhumane as Curufin, Caranthir was one of Fëanor’s lesser-known sons. He established a realm in Thargelion, creating a profitable relationship with the Dwarves.
Caranthir lived in Valinor with his brothers until Morgoth stole the Silmarils, and they followed him overseas to Middle-earth.
Despite their allegiance, Caranthir disliked the Dwarves for their “unloveliness,” demonstrating problematic bigotry. Caranthir also despised the children of Finarfin, a Noldor relative, sparking in-fighting and arguing among his people. Although a strong leader in the fields of battle and commerce, and subject to a powerful oath,Caranthir was, ultimately, a participant in two bloody slaughters.
5Fëanor
King Of The Noldor
King, inventor, warrior, and smith, Fëanor is a Noldor hero as much as a Teleri villain. J.R.R. Tolkien said that “Galadriel was the greatest of the Noldor, except Fëanor maybe,” confirming his complexity. Forger ofLord of the Rings’legendary but disastrous Silmarils, Fëanor wouldn’t surrender them to Morgoth after their theft.Fëanor’s oath to reclaim the Silmarils cast legions of Arda’s innocent under the wheel of his jealousyand possessiveness, not least of all his sons. Perhaps the most telling of Fëanor’s acts was his embroilment of all seven of his sons in his lethal oath to win the Silmarils.
Both Gimli and Fëanor asked Galadriel for her hair and tellingly, she only gave it to Gimli.
This oath started the War of the Jewels and effectively ensured that the whole ofLotR’sworld was kept at war for the entire First Age. But more to the point, it illustrated Fëanor’s ruthlessness, thoughtlessness, and selfishness, showing that he valued the abstract notion of the Noldor name above his own family.When the Teleri wouldn’t lend Fëanor ships to pursue Morgoth, he led his people to slay themand steal their ships in the first Kinslaying, which got all Noldor cursed and exiled by the Valar - Tolkien’s demigods. Both Gimli and Fëanor asked Galadriel for her hair and tellingly, she only gave it to Gimli.
4Curufin
The Crafty
Curufin the Crafty was one of Fëanor’s sons, therefore subject to Fëanor’s earth-shattering oath, but was more mercenary and backstabbing than Maglor and Maedhros. Curufin doesn’t have heroics like those of Maedhros' to work in his favor in a reckoning ofLord of the Rings’worst Elves. Nor does he have the relative gentleness of Maglor, who preferred singing to slaying.Curufin took part in the first Kinslayingand, after a lot of war and strife, ended up harbored in Nargothrond, one ofthe toughest strongholds inLord of the Rings, by his cousin, Finrod. He proved to be an ungrateful guest.
Barahir savedLord of the RingsElf Finrodin battle, so Finrod swore to help Barahir’s son, Beren, on his mission to claim a Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown as Lúthien’s bride price. This clashed, of course, with Curufin’s oath, so Curufin plotted against his cousin. Buta Silmaril wasn’t enough for Curufin, who sought more power. Promising Lúthien help, he lured her to Nargothrond, where he imprisoned her and planned to marry her, against her will, to his brother, Celegorm. When Lúthien escaped, Curufin pursued her and tried to kill her when she nearly got away. Curufin met a fitting end in his next Kinslaying.
3Celegorm
The Fair
The only good thing Celegorm was famous for was his looks. He was a good huntsman and friends with the hunter of the Valar, Oromë, who gifted him a hunting dog called Huan. But Huan soon switched his loyalty to the far more likable Lúthien, suggesting Celegorm’s lack of scruples.If Maedhros was Fëanor’s most infamous son,Celegorm the Fair may have been Fëanor’s most inglorious son.
A traitor and a tyrannical noble, Celegorm took part in the first and second Kinslayings along with his brothers, Maglor, Maedhros, Curufin, Amrod, Amras, and Caranthir. He died before he could enact the third Kinslaying, slain in the second.It was Celegorm, in fact, who had stirred up his brothersto plan and implement the Second Kinslaying. He was also party to the same Machiavellian plotting as his brother, Curufin.
2Maeglin
Traitor Of Gondolin
The misdeeds of both Maeglin and his father, Eöl, were so heinous that they made their way into Blind Guardian’sNightfall in Middle-Earth.Maeglin’s treachery was so greatthat it is sung of in Middle-earth and the real world. Maeglin’s mother was essentially kidnapped by his father, setting a poor example for the young Maeglin. Maeglin ended up in the great city of Gondolin, but he was to be its ruin.
Falling in love with Idril, Maeglin saw that his love wasn’t returned, and he turned to Morgoth in spite, desperation, and jealousy. Maeglin’s travels had brought him within Morgoth’s grasp, and he accepted Morgoth’s deal.Maeglin betrayed the location of the top-secret Gondolin, thinking Morgoth would subjugate the city and force Idril to be his wife. In an all-around tragedy, the city was destroyed by Morgoth’s forces and Maeglin was killed by Tuor, Idril’s husband.
1Eöl
The Dark Elf
The Fall of Gondolin can be traced back to Eöl, the Dark Elf. The Fall of Gondolin is one ofThe Lord of the Rings’best stories, told in oneSilmarillionchapter and subsequently expanded upon in its book. Referred to as one ofMorgoth’s worst crimes, along with the creation of the Orcs, the sacking of this city saw to the end of what may have been Middle-earth’s most beautiful city.
Forcing Aredhel to be his wife, Eöl fathered Maeglin. When Aredhel and Maeglin finally escaped to Gondolin, Aredhel’s top-secret home, Eöl followed them and demanded them back. When offered death or accommodation in the secret city, he chose death, attempting the vengeful murder of his son and failing. At his execution,Eöl cursed his sonwith his dying breath. Like oaths, curses were often binding inThe Lord of the Rings. Eöl cursed and influenced Maeglin to destroy Gondolin, cementing his status as the most evil of Middle-earth’s Elves.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
