10 Lord Of The Rings Book Characters We're Thankful Were Left Out Of The Movies
5. The Orc Chieftain
In the first movie, the fellowship awaken a horde of Orcs after entering the Mines of Moria. Even though the Nine Companions barricade themselves inside the Chamber of Mazarbul, the Orcs break through, accompanied by a cave troll. This is one of the most epic moments in the trilogy for the characters (as well as the audience) since the fellowship have never faced such a daunting foe before.
But if the film stuck to the source material, this scene wouldn't have the same weight. In the novel, the Skirmish of Balin's Tomb is led by a nameless orc chieftain. Armed with a spear, shield and scimitar, the armoured goblin stabs Frodo before being killed by Aragorn. Because of Frodo's Milthril shirt, he survives the chieftain's attack.
The orc chieftain doesn't sound particularly imposing. since he is described as being shorter than a man. As a result, Peter Jackson thought this scene would work better with a troll because... well, you can't have an epic fantasy story without a troll, can you?
Interestingly, the orc chieftain does appear in the 1978 film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.