The Lord Of The Rings: 10 Most Powerful Items In Middle Earth

Throwing something different into the mix, athelas is no garment or weapon, but a weed. And no, not the type that most LOTR characters smoke.

Athelas, while regarded as useless by most people of Middle Earth, is in fact a herb brought to the world by the Numenoreans that holds healing properties. By the time that the events of the Lord of the Rings take place, the knowledge of its healing effects have been lost.

There are few in Middle Earth who know about the healing powers of athelas, and fewer who know how to use it. Fortunately, Aragorn, being a descendent of the line of Numenor, retained this knowledge and put it to good use after Frodo was stabbed by the Witch King. The blade that injured Frodo would have turned the hobbit into a wraith, like the black riders, had Aragorn not stopped the effects with athelas.

He later uses the herb to greater effect after the Battle of Pelennor Fields in The Return of the King, with Merry and Eowyn succumbing to the black breath, a fatal condition caused from contact with the ringwraiths. Athelas was also responsible for bringing Faramir back from the brink of death after his failed attempt to recapture Osgiliath. All these lives saved thanks to a seemingly useless weed.