10 Most Evil Characters In The Lord Of The Rings

Christopher Lee's portrayal of the White Wizard Saruman was a masterful display of acting. Lee was an avid fan of Tolkien; supposedly, he read the books once a year, every year for decades, and was able to quote entire phrases in Black Speech from memory. This guy knew his sh*t.

Although Jackson changed Saruman slightly in the films, Lee knew exactly what to do with him. Originally Saruman was sent to Middle-earth by the Valar, along with Gandalf and the other Wizards to help in the fight against evil. He was one of the wisest and most knowledgeable beings in Middle-earth, but his studies of the Rings of Power ultimately led to his corruption. He came to the conclusion that the only way to defeat Sauron was by claiming the Ring for himself. He feigned allegiance to the Dark Lord, but ultimately his true intent was discovered. This led him to invade Rohan and send his own forces to seek the One Ring before Sauron could find it.

In the films he's presented more as a servant of Sauron rather than a character with his own motivations. But this still led him to being one of the more evil characters in the trilogy.