Who is the strongest character? [Archive]

eowyngirl14

02-02-2003, 12:01 AM

I think Eowyn is the strongest charecter. Look at all she has been threw and delt with! And yet, she is still able to overcome it all and kill the Witchking and love Faramir? She is the strongest mentally anyway. Gimili is prolly the strongest pysically!:) :)

Shadowfax

02-02-2003, 01:16 AM

eh, I would say Aragorn is strongest physically, being the king and all...

Gwaimir Windgem

02-02-2003, 01:29 AM

Treebeard is probably the strongest character physically. Gandalf is strongest overall.

Narsil's master, I have no idea what he's about. :confused:

Nurvingiel

02-02-2003, 01:33 AM

Out of the Fellowship, Gimli is the strongest physically, but Gandalf is the strongest overall, due to his incredible mental toughness. (And he's not a wuss physically either!)

For just the Hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin are probably among the toughest hobbits ever (which would include Bilbo, and many brave hobbits who fought to save the Shire.)

Gwaimir Windgem

02-02-2003, 01:38 AM

Don't forget Bandobras! Frodo had an extremely tough will; Sam had an indomitable devotion. Merry was cool, and more active. In the books, Pippin seemed to me to be rather ineffective, considering he was a Took. Other than the (relatively) harmless interview with Sauron and a few things at Minas Tirith, there was little he did.

FrodoFriend

02-02-2003, 12:58 PM

Strongest, how? Physically, mentally, in wisdom or in characterization?

Physically - Treebeard, no question
Mentally - Frodo, the only person who managed to resist the Ring's evil (even if imperfectly)
In Wisdom - Duh, Gandalf
Characterization - Gollum, IMHO

eowyngirl14

02-02-2003, 01:07 PM

Originally posted by FrodoFriend
Strongest, how? Physically, mentally, in wisdom or in characterization?

Physically - Treebeard, no question
Mentally - Frodo, the only person who managed to resist the Ring's evil (even if imperfectly)
In Wisdom - Duh, Gandalf
Characterization - Gollum, IMHO

okay... I thought we were just talking about the fellowship!

pkysically: Treebeard, ya Id have to agree with that
mentally/emotionaly: i'm still with Eowyn on this one
wisdom: Gandlaf ya...
charecterization: Aragorn!!! Viggo was perfect!

Insidious Rex

02-02-2003, 02:55 PM

Originally posted by FrodoFriend
Mentally - Frodo, the only person who managed to resist the Ring's evil (even if imperfectly)

I dont know if you could really say Frodo truly resisted the rings evil because in the end he probably wouldnt have destroyed it when it came down to it. He needed help from Gollum to do that. I think the argument can be made that Sam ultimately is the strongest hobbit in the sense that his simple minded focus on mission and loyalty and doing the right thing allows the quest to be completed. And allows him to go down in hobbit lore as probably the most respected hobbit. While the effect of the ring breaks Frodo down in the end. Make now doubt though that Frodo resisted the ring much longer then any of the men or elves probably could have. Although this leads me to another question. Maybe Ill start a new thread....

azalea

02-02-2003, 03:15 PM

This really is more suited to the books forum. Moving.

samwise of the shire

02-02-2003, 05:57 PM

I agree with Insidious Rex...Sam has an amazing mental strength and as time goes on a physical strength as well induced by determination and love for his master (even though near the end of their quest Frodo turns into an insufferable, pathetic wet blanket). He is the true hero.
As far as physically goes I would say Gollum...;) Nah just kidding. Really I haven't gotten close enough to see Aragorns biceps...well now that I think about it...ANY of the characters biceps... ;)
Cheers,
Sam

Guardian_of_the_Forest

02-02-2003, 06:27 PM

I think the strongest overall physically has to be Treebeard, and strongest mentally may be Frodo. I mean, he did not completely resist the ring's evil, but he did not let it destroy him.

Coney

02-02-2003, 06:29 PM

Tom Bombadil!!:)

Tar-Elendil

02-02-2003, 08:46 PM

strongest character..
Eru is pretty obvious;)

WallRocker

02-03-2003, 11:10 AM

Originally posted by Coney
Tom Bombadil!!:)

That was an obvious answer...:) I'd have to say Gandalf or Treebeard

Evenstar1400

02-03-2003, 07:03 PM

sam... hes got to resist his urge to throttle gollum

okay okay.... frodo cause hes gotta resist the ring

also faramir cause hes gotta ignore his fathers insults and overcome the fact that he isnt loved as much as boramir

legolas cause he can endure the elements

and sauruman cause he can fall out a window and land on a spiked wheel in the movie and then can get stabbed by wormtounge in the book! he survive having a sharp pointy thing in his stomach twice!

eowyngirl14

02-03-2003, 07:44 PM

Thats just it, Legolas edures the elements. He doesn't feel the cold, well if he does it doesn't arm him. He is like the witches from the HIS DARK MATERIELS trilogy. That doesn't make him strong, it makes him lucky!

Gwaimir Windgem

02-03-2003, 08:09 PM

Saruman's throat was slit by Thingummy Wormtongue, he wasn't stabbed.

Aragorn, best characterization? Please... :rolleyes: Regardless of how well Viggo did in the movie, the role he was given was not that of Aragorn.

eowyngirl14

02-03-2003, 08:26 PM

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
Saruman's throat was slit by Thingummy Wormtongue, he wasn't stabbed.

Aragorn, best characterization? Please... :rolleyes: Regardless of how well Viggo did in the movie, the role he was given was not that of Aragorn.

It was too, ye pansy! Aragorn, son of Arathorn. Heir to the throne of Gondor! (That's what is says on his trailer door atleast... not that I know by personal experience..)

Balrog_of_Morgoth

02-03-2003, 09:20 PM

If we are talking about the "good guys," I would say Gandalf, hands down. He is a Maia afterall. He cannot truly be killed.

He was able to resist the ring when it was right in front of him.

He was able to defeat a Balrog before losing his physical body, which consequently was a veil upon his true power.

He was able to sway the great and the wise with his mental toughness and wisdom.

Just going by lineage alone, next in line would be Galadriel wielding Nenya. Maybe Elrond with Vilya.

azalea

02-03-2003, 11:20 PM

Interesting above someone mentioning Bombadil: the two times we see him "battling," there is no battle. He uses his words/ position/ influence to defeat the enemy (Old Man Willow, Barrow Wights). That's an interesting take on strength, and reminds me of Gandalf being the one to light a flame under people (ie, Theoden), using his words, position, influence.

Gwaimir Windgem

02-03-2003, 11:21 PM

When did Aragorn ever have any of that "Afraid of who he is" "Scared of his lineage" crap/junk?

#1GaMGeeGuRL

02-04-2003, 09:40 AM

Out of the Fellowship:
Physically: Aragorn and Gimli
Mentally: Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn
Strength of Character: Sam (no contest!)
Strong Comic Relief: Merry and Pippin (duh!)

Just an observation, I've noticed nobody thought pretty boy Legolas was very strong in any of these categories.

Gwaimir Windgem

02-04-2003, 10:57 AM

Merry and Pippin are not supposed to be comic relief. :rolleyes:

Gandalf is the most powerful overall of the Fellowship, no question.

#1GaMGeeGuRL

02-04-2003, 11:01 AM

Merry and Pippin just turn out to be the comic relief in the movies. You're right. As far as books go they're not. And it depends on the situationt to see if Gandalf is the strongest. Against orcs say, everyone would have a fair shot at being the strongest character. But against a balrog, well Gandalf is the only one who knows the magic to fend it off. See what I mean?

Gwaimir Windgem

02-04-2003, 11:12 AM

Gandalf is the strongest overall character; there is little/no doubt in my mind of that.

Sister Golden Hair

02-04-2003, 02:40 PM

Originally posted by eowyngirl14
Thats just it, Legolas edures the elements. He doesn't feel the cold, well if he does it doesn't arm him. He is like the witches from the HIS DARK MATERIELS trilogy. That doesn't make him strong, it makes him lucky! Elves were resistant to the extreams of nature. That doesn't mean they were not effected by it. They just had a greater resistance than mortals. Read in the Sil, about when the Noldor came to Araman, and how they began to suffer anguish from the cold.

Laurus Nobilis

02-04-2003, 02:56 PM

Interesting topic!

As for phyisical strength, I agree with everyone who mentioned Treebeard.

Mentally strongest, though... that's hard to answer. Most of the characters prove themselves much stronger than they looked. But, in my personal opinion, it's a tie between Frodo and Sam.

durin's bane

02-04-2003, 07:32 PM

Well, here's my opinions:
Physically: Probably Gimli, but out of my favourites, Legolas or Gandalf
Mentally: Probably Sam and Frodo, they were the strongest to the resistance to the Ring (well, Frodo gave in, in the end, but he had to bear it for all those long miles, and for a whole year and stuff...)
Wisdom: Gandalf, hands down. Or perhaps Treebeard.
In characteistics: Gollum...he's one of the most complex characters I've ever read about! But, that's common for most of the Lord of the Rings characters. They've got layers and layers of characteristics.

Tar-Elendil

02-04-2003, 09:22 PM

Originally posted by Tar-Elendil
strongest character..
Eru is pretty obvious;)

what was i thinking?!?!

PIPPIN

Narsil's Master

02-06-2003, 01:07 PM

excuse my powertrip i meant to ask who is the strongest physycally but got carried away with my plans of world domination. plus it was my first post and i was and still am a moron.

eowyngirl14

02-06-2003, 04:51 PM

treebeard!

francod

02-06-2003, 05:58 PM

no doubt, who did not fear sauron?

eowyngirl14

02-06-2003, 06:01 PM

I don't fear Sauron!:) :) I do however tremble at the sight ofTom Bombadil!

FrodoFriend

02-07-2003, 07:16 AM

Did someone mention 'Frodo' and 'blanket' in the same sentence? :D

Just one point . . . Sam did not have to bear the Ring. If he had been the Bearer, I'm quite sure he wouldn't have managed it as well as Frodo. When subjected to the same test he would have done worse. Therefore I stick with Frodo as mentally toughest!

afro-elf

02-07-2003, 08:03 PM

"
Just an observation, I've noticed nobody thought pretty boy Legolas was very strong in any of these categories.

Not true one of the posters did mentionhimabove and ....

From JRRT

there was nothing filmy or transparent about the heroic or majestic Eldar of the Third Age of Middle-earth. Long afterwards, my father (Cristopher Tolkien's referring to Ronald - E.G.) would write, in a wrathful comment on a "pretty" or "ladylike" pictorial rendering of Legolas:
He was tall as a young tree, lithe, immensely strong, able swiftly to draw a great war-bow and shoot down a Nazgl, endowed with the tremendous vitality of Elvish bodies, so hard and resistant to hurt that he went only in light shoes over rock and through snow, the most tireless of all the Fellowship."
The Book of Lost Tales 2, "The History of Eriol or Aelfwine

urmom

02-08-2003, 01:43 AM

i would say ur mom is the strongest :------ )(

gollum9630

02-09-2003, 03:18 PM

<edit: posting insults like this is not allowed>

eowyngirl14

02-09-2003, 03:27 PM

Originally posted by gollum9630
[B<edited>[/B]

that seemed a littel inapropriate!!
I don't like Legolas either, but he is not gay! he may be a pretty boy elf- but he is not gay!

Lena

02-09-2003, 03:45 PM

i think legolas or aragorn are the strongest characters because one legolas is not only an elf but he is smart and not dimwitted like some of the fellowship, and two Aragorn is strong willed to resist the ring and all even if people say men are weak look at Aragorn he turned out alright!:D

urmom

02-09-2003, 07:18 PM

I love you

Lena

02-09-2003, 07:26 PM

cool im not alone!!!

Gwaimir Windgem

02-09-2003, 11:09 PM

Originally posted by Narsil's Master
i was and still am a moron.

Ummmmm.... No comment. :rolleyes: ;)

Anyway, once more: Gandalf is a Maia. The power hierarchy, if you will, basically goes:

Man<Elf<Maia.

Gandalf is the most powerful of the Fellowship. I don't really see why there is any reason why someone would think he is not.

Unless you are speaking of physical strength, of course. Then it MIGHT not be Gandalf. ;)

Lena

02-10-2003, 07:05 PM

im sorry but im not a gandalf fan im a legolas aragorn fan!!

Legolas_Frodo_Aragorn

02-10-2003, 10:57 PM

i think that frodo is the stongest chracter. He bears the burden of the ring through out most of the triology(sp?) and he volunteers to take it when no one will

Meriadoc

02-14-2003, 10:20 PM

I agree with Legolas_Frodo_Aragorn and he never gave up.

Gwaimir Windgem

02-14-2003, 11:37 PM

I wouldn't say he never gave up. At least, if you mean gave up hope. It seemed to me, at least, that he had no hope; that is, he did not presume to hope that he would succeed, not that his task was hopeless. But despite his belief that he would fail, he pressed on, and continued, no matter what. His goal, I think, was not to destroy the Ring and purge the Evil of Sauron. I believe his goal was to do the very best he could, to TRY to do it, to give until he had nothing left to give, and then to die knowing he had done his best.
*resists urge to get onto rather irrelevant rabbit-trail*

Of course, I was referring to 'who has the most overall power', as in like hacking orcs, battling Balrogs (what is the plural of Balrog, btw?) etc. But in the sense that you are speaking of, then Frodo would certainly be a candidate for strongest character.

But in the kind of 'strength' to which I was referring, I don't think that there can be a question of who was strongest. I think it has to do with being a 'Legolas fan', an 'Aragorn fan', a 'Gandalf fan', or a fan of any other character. If I am correct, than in that sense, Gandalf is the strongest; fact, not opinion.

Ulmo

02-15-2003, 01:55 AM

Eh...how many actually did give up?

Anyway, I say Gandalf without reservation. He was the strongest physically, mentally, etc. as well as what I see as the most developed literary character. More of his personal nature is revealed throughout The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings than any other character. We see all sides of him and I saw no side that could've been improved.

azalea

02-15-2003, 02:56 PM

Well, he was quick to anger...Fool of a Took! Although that is helpful in tense situations where the job needs to get done, it is an aspect of his interpersonal relationships that could be improved...and did, actually, after Sauron was defeated. He also had that "rude" habit of disappearing, "just when a wizard would have been most useful.":) I would say that he was the most powerful physically, but not the strongest. No matter how you slice it, the body of an old man is different from that of a young warrior.

Lord Manafirogh

02-18-2003, 05:37 PM

Its hard to choose but i'd say Gandalf would be the strongest. When he came back as Gandalf the white and gimli, legolas and aragorn though he was saruman and took out their weapons, gandalf just kind of froze them and their weapons went on the ground as i record. I don't think anyone from the fellowship could kill a balrog. Gandalf is a wizard a maia which makes him the strongest. However i am a fan of aragorn and he comes very close to gandalf.

legolas7410

02-21-2003, 10:10 PM

i think frodo is the strongest!! i think this because he has done so much like geting stabed by the wrath and still haveing the ring also many other things.

gimli7410

02-22-2003, 02:09 PM

i say gimli is the strongest after all he lasted in the battle of helms deep after almost being killed

samwiselvr2008

02-23-2003, 02:07 PM

Physically, I would say Gandalf, mentally would be eather Samwise or Aragorn, Aragorn was not greedy, and Samwise handed the Ring back to Frodo when he didn't HAVE to. Then, Sam also cept going, and never gave up, he was always trying to think on the bright side.:)

gollum9630

02-24-2003, 04:48 PM

I say Aragorn is, he never let the ring posses him, or try to take it either.

Eowyn, Lady of Rohan

02-25-2003, 01:51 AM

I have to say Aragorn, no Sauron.

entss89

02-27-2003, 09:04 PM

of course the strongest character is aragorn because think of the hobbits that would have died if he wa not there! lol:p :p :p

hobbitgurl

03-03-2003, 10:07 PM

I would say elves because they live forever (except if slain or a broken heart,) they're really good at bows and arrows, they can hear sounds far away and they have pointy ears :)

Gwaimir Windgem

03-03-2003, 11:00 PM

Allow me to point out that it said 'character', not 'race'. :)

hobbitgurl

03-05-2003, 10:24 PM

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
Allow me to point out that it said 'character', not 'race'. :)

Ohhhh.......Sorry. That's different then. I would say Frodo because he had to carry the heaviest burden out of anyone.