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Troll (Middle-earth)
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's legendarium
, Trolls are large humanoids of great strength and poor intellect.
While in Norse mythology
, the Troll
was a magical creature with special skills, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to communicate with a known language.
they speak with very thick Cockney
accents. They turn to stone
when exposed to sunlight and they enjoy eating meat (such as mutton
, hobbit
s and Dwarves
) and drinking beer. While threatening, the trolls in The Hobbit serve as a comic element. They even have normal names: Tom, Bert, and Bill Huggins (the only case in which a surname is given).
Morgoth
, the evil Vala
, created the first Trolls before the First Age
. They were strong and vicious, but stupid creatures. Their major weakness was that they turned to stone in sunlight. Nobody knows how he managed to breed them, though it is stated by Treebeard
of the Ent
s that Trolls were "made in mockery of" them, as Orcs
were of Elves
, though not necessarily from Entish stock. However, they are likely a corrupted form of some other race of Middle-earth
, as both Morgoth and Sauron
could only corrupt creatures which already existed, not create any anew. There is reference that sunlight will return them to the stone from which they were made in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
.
During the wars of Beleriand, Gothmog (the Lord of Balrogs) had a bodyguard of Trolls. During the Nírnaeth Arnoediad
, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, in which Morgoth triumphed over the united armies of Elves, Men, and Dwarves, the great human warrior Húrin
faced Gothmog's Trolls when trying to protect the retreat of the Elven king Turgon
. As Morgoth had ordered to capture Húrin alive, the warrior managed to wipe out the Trolls before being captured by Orcs.
Many Trolls died in the War of Wrath
, but some survived and joined the forces of Sauron
, the greatest surviving servant of Morgoth. In the Second Age
and Third Age
, Trolls were among Sauron's most dangerous warriors.
During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields
, there is a reference to "men like half-trolls", also called troll-men
, but it is unclear whether these men actually had some trollish ancestry or were simply compared to trolls (for some readers, the first interpretation is supported by the similar and interchangeable terms "orc-men" and "half-orcs", referring to crossbreeds created by Saruman
).
' animated adaptation of The Hobbit depicts Bilbo's encounter with the trolls Bill, Bert, and Tom. In this film, the trolls are presented with tan-colored skin, large bulbous noses, and tusks. As in the book, they revert to stone when exposed to sunlight.
of The Lord of the Rings follows the book very faithfully in its depiction of the encounter with the troll in the Chamber; however, the troll does have toes here. Tolkien described the troll's foot as flat and toeless. There are no other trolls depicted.
Numerous trolls appear in Peter Jackson
's Lord of the Rings film trilogy
.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo
recounts his altercation with the three stone-trolls and later on, the four hobbits and Aragorn
are shown resting in the shelter of the petrified trolls. In the mines of Moria, a single cave troll is among the attackers. First sighted by Boromir
, the Troll barges through the open doors, and smashes much of the Chamber, including Balin
's tomb, in the ensuing fight. It has a collar with a trailing chain, suggesting it may have been a former labourer, and is undisciplined enough to attack some of its own allies in the fight. The troll stabs Frodo, who is saved by his mithril
shirt (in the book it is an Orc captain who spears him). After a hard fight, the Troll is killed by the members of the Fellowship, who spear and hack at it until Legolas
kills it with an arrow shot through its soft palate
.
In The Two Towers, shackled Trolls open and close the Black Gate to an army of approaching Easterlings
.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
, Mountain-trolls are shown being used to load catapults and to move extremely heavy objects such as siege towers and the battering ram Grond. After the gate of Minas Tirith is broken, Battle Trolls enter the city as shock troops, sporting armour and spiked club
s alluded to in the appendices. At least one survived and is seen later, attempting to break down a gate. During the Battle of the Morannon
, Aragorn fights one of the Olog-hai, whose upper body is covered in black plated-armour, making it more menacing. While most trolls in the films wielded clubs, this one wielded a sword and a mace.
The morphology and actions of these trolls is completely divergent from the interpretation of ents, implying Jackson assumed that they were not directly associated.
Various movie-only sources, like The Lord of the Rings: Weapons and Warfare and the spin-off games by Electronic Arts
, greatly expand on what Tolkien wrote about trolls.
In the world of the films, mountain-trolls, including the cave-trolls of Moria, are about 18 feet (5 m) tall, with massive limbs, potbellies, and dark scales on the back and shoulders. They come in stony colours, with the most common being grey. They have 22 teeth, including two fangs on the lower canines. As in the book, their blood is black, and is so hot that when spilt, it sizzles on the floor. They are mainly carnivorous, but can digest plant matter if need be. The eyes are either grey or blue. They wear loincloth
s of leather that they find in the Mines or are given by the Goblins
. They sometimes roar when in a battle rage, but are incapable of forming words or language. They often wield either a great club or a hammer. Cave-trolls are usually found with small groups of Orcs. They are too unintelligent to hunt food for themselves, often consuming whatever hapless creature they come across, so food is an advantage they get from working with the Orcs. Their fingernails extend to most of their fingers, and were allegedly used to dig holes into the rock itself.
The Olog-hai differ from the other Trolls depicted in the New Line movies
in that they have more forward-facing eyes, as well as hair on their bodies, suggesting that they are a more advanced form of Troll. They are usually grey to black in colour. Mountain trolls and Olog-hai have much in common: they are both much larger and more intelligent than most trolls and more resistant to light. However Olog-hai are certainly far superior to Mountain trolls in all these aspects.
Forest trolls were invented for the EA game version of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. They have hard grey skin, are resistant to arrow fire, and carry a large quiver of wood logs (to use as firewood and projectiles), as well as a mace like a cave troll.
For the game version of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
, trolls also returned as enemy units. Although they were slow, their attacks couldn't be blocked and were very strong, but there was often a war pike
around that made them easy to kill. They also appeared as enemies in "Lord of the Rings: The Third Age". In this game, they were also slow but powerful, and could take a lot of damage before dying. Some of the later trolls in the game (these were called attack trolls) wielded a pair of large swords, while a stronger kind carried massive war hammer
s, as well as at least one troll encountered in Moria who carried a pair of drums, which were used to heal and increase the damage of an accompanying troll. Trolls also appear as controllable units in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
, its sequel, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
and its expansion The Rise of the Witch-king. In The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
, it is necessary for a regular mountain troll to gain a rank (after destroying enemy units, etc.), to become an attack troll where it gains an armour bonus and can heal by itself as the only non-hero unit who is able to do so. In The Battle for Middle-earth II, attack trolls can be made from a Rank 3 Troll Cage. In The Rise of the Witch-king, the Angmar faction has a troll hero named Rogash. In all the Battle for Middle-earth games, Trolls are depicted as "tank" units (slow, very strong, can take massive damage before being killed).
In the The Lord of the Rings Online MMO, wood-trolls that appear to be semi-entish and made of wood appear in the Trollshaws. They are particularly difficult to kill and deal a lot of damage.
The Lord of the Rings tabletop wargame
, produced by Games Workshop
, includes an Isengard
Troll, which is depicted as wearing armour and carrying a shield similar to Uruk-hai
.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
, Trolls are large humanoids of great strength and poor intellect.
While in Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, the Troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
was a magical creature with special skills, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to communicate with a known language.
Literature
In The HobbitThe Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
they speak with very thick Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
accents. They turn to stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
when exposed to sunlight and they enjoy eating meat (such as mutton
Lamb (food)
Lamb, mutton, and hogget are the meat of domestic sheep. The meat of a sheep in its first year is lamb; that of a juvenile sheep older than 1 year is hogget; and the meat of an adult sheep is mutton....
, hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
s and Dwarves
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
) and drinking beer. While threatening, the trolls in The Hobbit serve as a comic element. They even have normal names: Tom, Bert, and Bill Huggins (the only case in which a surname is given).
Morgoth
Morgoth
Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...
, the evil Vala
Vala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
, created the first Trolls before the First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
. They were strong and vicious, but stupid creatures. Their major weakness was that they turned to stone in sunlight. Nobody knows how he managed to breed them, though it is stated by Treebeard
Treebeard
Treebeard is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The eldest of the species of Ents, he is said to live in the ancient Forest of Fangorn and stands fourteen feet in height and is tree-like in appearance, with leafy hair and a rigid structure. Fangorn Forest...
of the Ent
Ent
Ents are a race of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees. They are similar to the talking trees in folklore around the world. Their name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for giant....
s that Trolls were "made in mockery of" them, as Orcs
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
were of Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
, though not necessarily from Entish stock. However, they are likely a corrupted form of some other race of Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, as both Morgoth and Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
could only corrupt creatures which already existed, not create any anew. There is reference that sunlight will return them to the stone from which they were made in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
.
During the wars of Beleriand, Gothmog (the Lord of Balrogs) had a bodyguard of Trolls. During the Nírnaeth Arnoediad
Nirnaeth Arnoediad
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth, the Nírnaeth Arnoediad or Unnumbered Tears was the climactic Fifth Battle in the Wars of Beleriand.-The Fifth Battle as told in The Silmarillion:...
, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, in which Morgoth triumphed over the united armies of Elves, Men, and Dwarves, the great human warrior Húrin
Húrin
Húrin is a fictional character in the Middle-earth legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as a hero of Men during the First Age, said to be the greatest warrior of both the Edain and all the other Men in Middle-earth...
faced Gothmog's Trolls when trying to protect the retreat of the Elven king Turgon
Turgon
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Turgon "the Wise" is an Elven king of the Noldor, second son of Fingolfin, brother to Fingon, Aredhel and Argon, and ruler of the hidden city of Gondolin....
. As Morgoth had ordered to capture Húrin alive, the warrior managed to wipe out the Trolls before being captured by Orcs.
Many Trolls died in the War of Wrath
War of Wrath
The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, is a key plot development in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, portraying the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age....
, but some survived and joined the forces of Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
, the greatest surviving servant of Morgoth. In the Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
and Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
, Trolls were among Sauron's most dangerous warriors.
Troll types
Tolkien used several different terms for types of trolls, though there seems to have been some overlap in meanings;- Stone-trolls were Trolls who turned into stone during daylight, like the Trolls in The HobbitThe HobbitThe Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
. They could speak, and used a debased form of WestronWestronWestron, or the Common Speech, is a fictional language in the fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien.Westron is the closest thing to a lingua franca in Middle-earth, at least at the time during which The Lord of the Rings is set. "Westron" is an invented English word, derived from West...
(rendered into Cockney English in The Hobbit).
- Hill-trolls are described as having killed Arador, Chieftain of the Rangers of the NorthRangers of the NorthIn J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Rangers of the North, also known as the Dúnedain of the North, were the descendants of the Dúnedain from the lost kingdom of Arnor...
and grandfather to AragornAragornAragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
. Tolkien described the trolls of that region, including the three from The Hobbit, as stone-trolls, suggesting that hill-trolls might be a sub-class or alternate term for such. However, the Army of the West fought "hill-trolls" of Gorgoroth that could move in sunlight at the Black Gate, implying that these hill-trolls, at least, were Olog-hai rather than stone-trolls. - Cave-trolls were seen in MoriaMoria (Middle-earth)In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
. One was described as having dark greenish scales and black blood. Their hide was thick enough that when BoromirBoromirBoromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....
struck one in the arm his sword was notched and did no damage. However, Frodo BagginsFrodo BagginsFrodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
was able to impale the "toeless" foot of the same troll with the enchanted dagger Sting. - Mountain-trolls were mentioned once, wielding the great battering ram Grond in shattering the gates of Minas TirithMinas TirithMinas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
. - Snow-trolls are mentioned only to describe Helm HammerhandHelm HammerhandHelm Hammerhand is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His story appears in the appendices of The Return of the King, and he is referred to briefly in the main story of The Lord of the Rings.- Literature :...
. When Helm went out clad in white during the Long Winter to stalk and slay his enemies, he was described as looking like a snow-troll. It thus seems implied that these trolls were white in colour and lived in cold climates, but otherwise nothing is known of them. - Olog-hai were "strong, agile, fierce, and cunning" trolls created by Sauron, not unlike the Uruk-haiUruk-haiThe Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...
, and were able to withstand sunlight while under the sway of Sauron's will. They seldom spoke and were said to know no language other than the Black SpeechBlack SpeechThe Black Speech is a fictional language created by J. R. R. Tolkien.One of the languages of Arda in Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, it was spoken in the realm of Mordor...
, in which Olog-hai means "troll-folk" (singular Olog "troll"). Because of their cunning, they were thought by some to be giant Orcs, rather than trolls. They appeared towards the end of the Third Age and could be found near Dol GuldurDol GuldurDol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...
and in the mountains around MordorMordorIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
. In the Battle of the MorannonBattle of the MorannonIn J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Battle of the Morannon or Battle of the Black Gate is a fictional event that took place at the end of the War of the Ring...
, there appear "hill-trolls" of Gorgoroth which are implied to be Olog-hai in one of the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings (the term is not used within the story proper). These were described as being taller and wider than men, and their hide or armour was described as a mesh of horny scales. They had black blood. Peregrin TookPeregrin TookPeregrin Took, more commonly known as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. Pippin is introduced as a Hobbit who plays a major role as one of the companions of Frodo Baggins, in his quest to destroy the One Ring.Peregrin was the only son of...
slew the leader of these trolls at the Battle of the MorannonBattle of the MorannonIn J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Battle of the Morannon or Battle of the Black Gate is a fictional event that took place at the end of the War of the Ring...
; and after the destruction of the One RingOne RingThe One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
and the fall of Sauron, the surviving trolls scattered as if mindless.
During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Battle of the Pelennor Fields
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy fiction, the Battle of Pelennor Fields is the battle for the city of Minas Tirith between the forces of Gondor and its allies, and the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron...
, there is a reference to "men like half-trolls", also called troll-men
Troll-man
The troll-men of Far Harad are a fictional race from J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy book, The Lord of the Rings....
, but it is unclear whether these men actually had some trollish ancestry or were simply compared to trolls (for some readers, the first interpretation is supported by the similar and interchangeable terms "orc-men" and "half-orcs", referring to crossbreeds created by Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
).
Rankin/Bass' 'The Hobbit'
Rankin/BassRankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
' animated adaptation of The Hobbit depicts Bilbo's encounter with the trolls Bill, Bert, and Tom. In this film, the trolls are presented with tan-colored skin, large bulbous noses, and tusks. As in the book, they revert to stone when exposed to sunlight.
Bakshi's animated film
Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated versionThe Lord of the Rings (1978 film)
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is a 1978 American fantasy film directed by Ralph Bakshi. It contains both animation and live action footage which is rotoscoped to give it a more consistent look throughout the length of the movie. It is an adaptation of the first half of the high fantasy...
of The Lord of the Rings follows the book very faithfully in its depiction of the encounter with the troll in the Chamber; however, the troll does have toes here. Tolkien described the troll's foot as flat and toeless. There are no other trolls depicted.
Peter Jackson's trilogy
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
recounts his altercation with the three stone-trolls and later on, the four hobbits and Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
are shown resting in the shelter of the petrified trolls. In the mines of Moria, a single cave troll is among the attackers. First sighted by Boromir
Boromir
Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....
, the Troll barges through the open doors, and smashes much of the Chamber, including Balin
Balin (Middle-earth)
Balin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is an important supporting character in The Hobbit, and is mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring.-In the books:...
's tomb, in the ensuing fight. It has a collar with a trailing chain, suggesting it may have been a former labourer, and is undisciplined enough to attack some of its own allies in the fight. The troll stabs Frodo, who is saved by his mithril
Mithril
Mithril is a fictional metal, originally used in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. It is described as silvery and stronger than steel but much lighter in weight. The malleability, lack of tarnishing and use of the metal in jewellery suggest some similarity to the non-fictional metal...
shirt (in the book it is an Orc captain who spears him). After a hard fight, the Troll is killed by the members of the Fellowship, who spear and hack at it until Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
kills it with an arrow shot through its soft palate
Soft palate
The soft palate is the soft tissue constituting the back of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is distinguished from the hard palate at the front of the mouth in that it does not contain bone....
.
In The Two Towers, shackled Trolls open and close the Black Gate to an army of approaching Easterlings
Easterlings
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, "Easterling" and "Easterlings" were generic terms for Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, who mostly fought under Morgoth and Sauron, not directly but rather on behalf of their own High Lord....
.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
, Mountain-trolls are shown being used to load catapults and to move extremely heavy objects such as siege towers and the battering ram Grond. After the gate of Minas Tirith is broken, Battle Trolls enter the city as shock troops, sporting armour and spiked club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s alluded to in the appendices. At least one survived and is seen later, attempting to break down a gate. During the Battle of the Morannon
Battle of the Morannon
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Battle of the Morannon or Battle of the Black Gate is a fictional event that took place at the end of the War of the Ring...
, Aragorn fights one of the Olog-hai, whose upper body is covered in black plated-armour, making it more menacing. While most trolls in the films wielded clubs, this one wielded a sword and a mace.
The morphology and actions of these trolls is completely divergent from the interpretation of ents, implying Jackson assumed that they were not directly associated.
Beyond the screen
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, greatly expand on what Tolkien wrote about trolls.
In the world of the films, mountain-trolls, including the cave-trolls of Moria, are about 18 feet (5 m) tall, with massive limbs, potbellies, and dark scales on the back and shoulders. They come in stony colours, with the most common being grey. They have 22 teeth, including two fangs on the lower canines. As in the book, their blood is black, and is so hot that when spilt, it sizzles on the floor. They are mainly carnivorous, but can digest plant matter if need be. The eyes are either grey or blue. They wear loincloth
Loincloth
A loincloth is a one-piece male garment, sometimes kept in place by a belt, which covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks.-History and types:Loincloths are being and have been worn:*in societies where no other clothing is needed or wanted...
s of leather that they find in the Mines or are given by the Goblins
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
. They sometimes roar when in a battle rage, but are incapable of forming words or language. They often wield either a great club or a hammer. Cave-trolls are usually found with small groups of Orcs. They are too unintelligent to hunt food for themselves, often consuming whatever hapless creature they come across, so food is an advantage they get from working with the Orcs. Their fingernails extend to most of their fingers, and were allegedly used to dig holes into the rock itself.
The Olog-hai differ from the other Trolls depicted in the New Line movies
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
in that they have more forward-facing eyes, as well as hair on their bodies, suggesting that they are a more advanced form of Troll. They are usually grey to black in colour. Mountain trolls and Olog-hai have much in common: they are both much larger and more intelligent than most trolls and more resistant to light. However Olog-hai are certainly far superior to Mountain trolls in all these aspects.
Forest trolls were invented for the EA game version of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. They have hard grey skin, are resistant to arrow fire, and carry a large quiver of wood logs (to use as firewood and projectiles), as well as a mace like a cave troll.
For the game version of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
, trolls also returned as enemy units. Although they were slow, their attacks couldn't be blocked and were very strong, but there was often a war pike
Pike (weapon)
A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
around that made them easy to kill. They also appeared as enemies in "Lord of the Rings: The Third Age". In this game, they were also slow but powerful, and could take a lot of damage before dying. Some of the later trolls in the game (these were called attack trolls) wielded a pair of large swords, while a stronger kind carried massive war hammer
War hammer
A war hammer is a late medieval weapon of war intended for close combat action, the design of which resembles the hammer.The war hammer consists of a handle and a head...
s, as well as at least one troll encountered in Moria who carried a pair of drums, which were used to heal and increase the damage of an accompanying troll. Trolls also appear as controllable units in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth is a PC real-time strategy game developed by EA Los Angeles. It is based on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, in turn based on J. R. R. Tolkien's original novel. The game uses short video clips from the movies and a number of the...
, its sequel, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, abbreviated BFMEII, is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts. It is based on the fantasy novels The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and its live-action film trilogy adaptation...
and its expansion The Rise of the Witch-king. In The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth is a PC real-time strategy game developed by EA Los Angeles. It is based on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, in turn based on J. R. R. Tolkien's original novel. The game uses short video clips from the movies and a number of the...
, it is necessary for a regular mountain troll to gain a rank (after destroying enemy units, etc.), to become an attack troll where it gains an armour bonus and can heal by itself as the only non-hero unit who is able to do so. In The Battle for Middle-earth II, attack trolls can be made from a Rank 3 Troll Cage. In The Rise of the Witch-king, the Angmar faction has a troll hero named Rogash. In all the Battle for Middle-earth games, Trolls are depicted as "tank" units (slow, very strong, can take massive damage before being killed).
In the The Lord of the Rings Online MMO, wood-trolls that appear to be semi-entish and made of wood appear in the Trollshaws. They are particularly difficult to kill and deal a lot of damage.
The Lord of the Rings tabletop wargame
The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game
The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game , and often referred to by players as Lord of the Rings, is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop . It is based on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, and the book that inspired it, written by J. R. R...
, produced by Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
, includes an Isengard
Isengard
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress. Both names mean "Iron fortress" In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress....
Troll, which is depicted as wearing armour and carrying a shield similar to Uruk-hai
Uruk-hai
The Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...
.