The Lord Of The Rings: Ranking Every Major Villain From Worst To Best

10. Gríma Wormtongue

Gríma Wormtongue – who served as a spy for Saruman whilst masquerading as King Théoden’s advisor – certainly wasn’t an awful character, he just felt a bit too much like a pantomime villain.

First introduced in The Two Towers, Gríma was an oily, snake-like character who was clearly a villain despite his position alongside Théoden. His attempts to win the affection of Éowyn were particularly unsettling, as was the unhinged and slightly twisted nature of his movements and dialogue.

As creepy as Brad Dourif’s performance was, Gríma was not a very effective antagonist. Whilst he did manage to temporarily keep his true loyalty hidden, the moment Gandalf turned up he was cast aside almost at once.

In fact, the most interesting aspect of Gríma occurred in the extended edition of The Return of the King. Following the Ents' assault on Isengard, Gríma then betrayed his master by stabbing him in the back on the pinnacle of Orthanc.

However, aside from this scene, Gríma was a rather unremarkable villain.