Lord Of The Rings: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Wizards

10. Saruman Was One Of The Last Characters Tolkien Created

Tolkien spent years writing The Lord of the Rings. Originally, his publishers wanted a follow-up to The Hobbit, but as Tolkien progressed through his tale, he realised the story was far darker and more grand in scope than he initially envisioned.

According to his son, Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings from start to finish three times before he was finally satisfied. The third draft eventually developed into the story we all know. All manor of aspects were changed throughout; Strider had originally been a hobbit named "Trotter", for example.

One of the biggest changes was the addition of the character of Saruman. For several years Tolkien had not come up with a satisfying reason for Gandalf not returning to the Shire and helping Frodo travel to Rivendell. He eventually devised a character named "Saramond the White" or "Saramund the Grey", who would betray and trap Gandalf, preventing him from helping his friend.

Eventually this character become integral to the overriding plot, and Tolkien worked him into the narrative. One of the final additions to the story was the revelations that Saruman had disguised himself as a character named "Sharkey", and taken over the Shire after his defeat in Rohan.