10 Most Evil Characters In The Lord Of The Rings

Although he is only mentioned a handful of times in Peter Jackson's movies, Melkor was the most evil character Tolkien ever wrote about in his books. The only real mention of him in the films, comes when Legolas reveals that Gandalf had been taken by a Balrog of Morgoth.

In Tolkien's book, Aragorn refers to him as the former master of Sauron, having an even greater and more terrible power. But Tolkien expanded on this character in The Silmarillion.

Tolkien's follow up to The Lord of the Rings was published after his death, and included detailed histories and mythologies of his world, before the events of The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was a devout Christian and much of his writings were influenced by the Christian story of creation.

Melkor essentially followed a similar origin story to Satan. He was once an angelic being who went against the will of the gods, and sort to rule the world on his own. He's responsible for creating orcs in mockery of elves, trolls in mockery of ents, as well as balrogs, dragons and werewolves. He is simply the manifestation of all evil.