Lord Of The Rings: 10 Smartest Changes Peter Jackson Made From The Books
5. Giving The Orcs, Goblins And Uruk-Hai Different Characteristics
In Tolkien's writing he often used the term 'orc' and 'goblin' interchangeably. The only real distinction he made was giving the larger breeds the title of 'Uruk-hai'. He also made some references to the smaller breeds being called 'Snaga' which means slave in orc speech.
When it came to designing the orcs and goblins of Middle Earth, Peter Jackson felt it was necessary to have very defined sub categories. Rather than just having a generic ramble of foul looking creatures throughout, Weta Workshop came up with some truly memorable and distinct orc cultures.
The goblins of Moria were intended to evoke the feeling of scurrying cockroaches who live deep underground. They appeared in stark contrast to the tall Uruk-hai of Isengard; who were designed with snubbed-nose, canine faces, similar to a bunch of fighting bull dogs.
By the time it came to designing the orcs for the third movie, Jackson wanted to really push the boat out. They couldn't be too similar to what had appeared before, so the team came up with some truly grotesque designs.
Their faces were designed to looked more "lived in", as if they were worn out by the toxic fumes of Mordor. Not only did this give further depth to the world, but it also allowed certain orc characters to act as primary antagonists.