Trolls are among the more frightening beasts in Middle-earth, and theLord of the Ringsmovies have demonstrated some of their different variations. Author J.R.R. Tolkien went to great lengths to fill his fictional world with living things. The races of Elves, Men, Dwarves, and Hobbits made up the forces of good, but there had to be dark creatures to face them in battle. The villain Sauron’s forces were made up predominantly by different sorts of Orcs, but other despicable creatures allied themselves with the Dark Lord as well—an example being the trolls.
Trolls were first introduced in Tolkien’sThe Hobbit, where they served as one of the first nasty villains Bilbo Baggins faced on his adventure with the Dwarves. From there, Trolls continued to appear as powerful but disposable forces on Sauron’s side of the various battles and conflicts. The same is true for theLord of the Ringsmovies. Peter Jackson’s original trilogy, as well astheHobbitmoviesand 2024’sThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimall featured a troll or two at one point or another. However,these beings differed depending on their type and origin.
5Mountain Trolls
The Worker Trolls Of Lord Of The Rings
Mountain trolls are perhaps the most common type inThe Lord of the Rings. They are massive and strong, but lack any evidence of intelligence.The orcs treat them like pack animals, and they are seen to serve a similar role in both the page and screen versions ofThe Lord of the Rings. While other types of trolls are more like traditional soldiers, mountain trolls are tasked with stupidly hauling heavy loads or breaking down barriers.
As far as theLord of the Ringsmovies,mountain trolls are seen inTwo TowersandReturn of the King. These beasts are chained to the mechanisms that open and close the Black Gate in Mordor, and are spurred into action by orcs with whips. Mountain trolls are also seen inReturn of the Kingwhen they pushed the massive wolf-headed battering ram, Grond, toward the gate at Gondor.
4Cave Trolls
The Underground Fighters
Cave trolls are likely the most recognizable of theLord of the Ringsfranchise thanks toBoromir’s line inThe Fellowship of the Ring—“They have a cave troll.” Like their mountain fellows, cave trolls are utilized inThe Lord of the Ringsfor their brute strength. However, as far as the movies are concerned, cave trolls seem to be a tad more intelligent. They are more practiced fighters, and are at least capable of analyzing their opponents for weaknesses and determining their risk. However,they are still treated like animals inThe Fellowship of the Ring, where they enter battle in chains.
The cave troll inFellowship of the Ringassumedly lived in Moria with the orcs who settled there, and was set free to confront the intruders. This troll wore no armor, but it was seen to behighly resistant to the weapons used against it by Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and the Hobbits. Perhaps the most effective tool against the cave troll was Frodo’s sword, Sting, though this likely came down to the well-placed wound to the creature’s foot.
3Stone Trolls
Trolls That Turn To Stone In Sunlight
The stone trolls ofThe Hobbitare significantly different from those inThe Lord of the Rings. Though equally despicable and villainous,the three that Bilbo met on his journey were more comical than menacing. Their names were Tom, Bert, and William, and they could speak with one another and their victims. Even more distinguishing is that the stone trolls are so named because they turn to stone when exposed to sunlight.
The Hobbit: 25 Differences Between The Book & The Movies
Most know The Hobbit as the beloved novel by JRR Tolkien, but the movie trilogy adaptation deviates from the source material in different ways.
The difference here can be attributed to the tonal shift Tolkien applied toThe Lord of the Ringscompared toThe Hobbit.
Trolls, like orcs, are sensitive to the sun and therefore can’t safely be out during the day. However, the stone trolls ofThe Hobbitare the only beings that turn into statues. Overall, the difference here can be attributed to the tonal shift Tolkien applied toThe Lord of the Ringscompared toThe Hobbit. Regardless, Jackson adopted the sillier version of trolls for hisThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
2Olog-Hai
Sauron’s Super Trolls
The word “Olog-hai” is never mentioned in theLord of the Ringsmovies, or even in the central books. Tolkien mentioned this word for trolls in the Appendices ofReturn of the King, where he explained that these were the types of trolls on the battlefield at the Battle of Pelennor Fields and the Battle of the Morannon. Like the Uruk-hai,the Olog-hai were trolls the Dark Lord genetically altered to serve his purposes better on the battlefield.
Tolkien said that the Olog-hai were larger and stronger than standard trolls, and were less unpredictable and more compliant (so they didn’t need to be chained by the orcs who commanded them). Additionally, the Olog-hai weren’t sensitive to sunlight. They wouldn’t transform like the stone trolls or be injured like cave and mountain trolls.Aragorn fights an armored Olog-hai in theThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingmovieduring the Battle of Morannon.
Aragorn was initially meant to fight Sauron himself in theReturn of the Kingmovie, but the Dark Lord was ultimately swapped out for a troll.
1Snow Trolls
The Monsters That Aided The Dunlendings
Snow trolls are another version of these beasts described in Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Rings. Little is said about how they differ from other types of trolls, though it can be assumed that they are better fit for freezing temperatures. Tolkien stated thatsnow trolls were present during the Dunlending siege on the Hornburgduring and following the death of Helm Hammerhand, king of Rohan.
Helm Hammerhand’s rule and death are central to the animatedLord of the Ringsmovie,War of the Rohirrim. The New Line Cinema and Warner Bros film featured animated versions of the snow trolls at what would eventually be named Helm’s Deep, just as Tolkien described.
