10 Most Powerful Weapons in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Universe, Ranked

Author J. R. R. Tolkien wrote about many weapons in his long, extensive Middle-Earth saga. So of course, many of these weapons wound up making it to the screen, too, when they were adapted by Peter Jackson. Many of these weapons have their own unique names and abilities, which makes some more powerful than others.

You could argue that the One Ring itself is the most powerful weapon in Middle-Earth, however, you could also say that it isn’t so much of a weapon per se, so much as it is a magical piece of jewelry that gives its wearer certain powers. On the other hand, there are other objects which are most certainly intended to be used as weapons that also hold quite a lot of power.

10 Herugrim

Wielded by: King Théoden

Herugrim in itself has no particular power or enchantment assigned to it. But it does carry quite a bit of political power. The beautiful sword boasts a golden hilt inlaid with rubies, and is given only to the Kings of Rohan. When Théoden’s (Bernard Hill) curse is removed, he is given the sword to restore his status as King of Rohan again.

He then carries the blade into battle at Helm’s Deep and Pelennor Fields. While he met his eventual end during the latter engagement, his faithful sword slew many an orc and gave the people of Rohan a symbol of hope to look up to. The significance of it, especially to the Rohirrim, is ultimately what sets it apart from other swords.

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9 Sting

Wielded by: Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins

Sting is an Elvish blade found within a troll horde in An Unexpected Journey (2012). Due to how small it is, it is given to Bilbo (Martin Freeman). It then becomes a tool that saves his skin on many occasions. The blade itself has an enchantment on it which makes it glow blue whenever orcs or goblins are nearby.

Apart from that, it seems to have some sort of burning ability that leaves a lasting sting on whatever it cuts, hence its name. Bilbo would later give the sword to his nephew, Frodo (Elijah Wood), who also relied on it in times of great need. The sword was twice used to control Gollum (Andy Serkis), who very much feared its burning bite.

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8 Barrow-Blades

Wielded by: Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, Meriadoc Brandybuck

The Barrow-Blades aren’t mentioned by name in the movies. In fact, they appear as nothing more than unassuming swords that are wielded by the rest of the hobbits. In the films, the swords are given to them by Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen). However, there is an interesting piece of lore behind them that the movie doesn’t entirely explore.

The blades in the book are acquired from a tomb in the Barrow-Downs. Little do the hobbits know that the swords were made by ancient men and are specifically made to fight the Nazgûl. The Nazgûl, aka the Ringwraiths, are immortal, phantom-like beings. The swords have an enchantment on them that can break their immortality. It is this hidden ability that renders the Witch-King (Lawrence Makoare) mortal after he is stabbed by Merry (Dominic Monaghan), which then allows Éowyn (Miranda Otto) to deliver the killing blow.

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7 Black Arrow

Wielded by: Bard the Bowman

The Black Arrow was a large bolt intended to be fired from a ballista. It was known for being the only thing that could pierce the scaly hide of Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). When Smaug first attacked Erebor and Dale, the arrow was loosed at him, which poked a hole in his thick armour.

When the dwarves later retook their kingdom and Smaug let loose upon Esgaroth, the arrow was recovered by Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans). He then improvised a giant bow of sorts to loose the arrow at Smaug once again. It struck true, finding the hole in the dragon’s hide and piercing his heart, ending his terrible reign once and for all. Perhaps it’s slightly anti-climactic, but in all fairness, it happened the same way in the book. While it’s unclear what enchantments, if any, are on the arrow, it’s obvious that any weapon that can take down a dragon harbours an immense amount of power, especially given the size of the dragons in Middle-Earth.

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6 Morgul Blades

Wielded by: The Nazgûl

Morgul Blades are particularly cruel weapons used by the Ringwraiths. The swords can only be used by the wraiths, and disintegrate in the hands of anyone else. But that isn’t their primary attribute. Their main effect is a devastating and unique poison. Any small scratch suffered from the blades activates a necrotizing poison that spreads throughout the body, slowly resulting in death.

This agonizing process can only be cured by elvish medicine. However, even that is imperfect. Even if one were to survive the wound, the victim would feel intense pain in that spot whenever a Ringwraith came near, regardless if the wound were fully healed. This is shown to happen to Frodo, who is stabbed by the Witch-King in The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), and continues to feel the pain of it in The Return of the King (2003).

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5 Orcrist

Wielded by: Thorin Oakenshield

Orcrist, which translates to “Goblin-Cleaver,” is an elvish blade found in the same troll horde as Bilbo’s Sting. The elegant shape of it looks pretty, but the weapon itself is also very effective. It is given to Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), who then uses it on the goblins encountered in the Misty Mountains. The goblins recognize the blade immediately, and can’t even bear to look at it or touch it without feeling an intense burning.

As its name suggests, the sword was specifically created to hunt and kill goblins. Any goblin or orc who is unlucky enough to get hit with it will feel immense pain aside from the pain of being cut. It’s powerful enough to knock the Goblin King (Barry Humphries) off of his feet, which is really something considering his gargantuan figure.

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4 Glamdring

Wielded by: Gandalf

Glamdring translates to “Foe-Hammer,” and is another sword that is famous among the goblins. Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) finds this sword in the troll horde as well, although he takes this one for himself rather than giving it to Bilbo or Thorin. Throughout the rest of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf can be seen taking the sword into battle. He uses it to slay the Goblin King and the Balrog of Morgoth, and to fend off orcs at the Black Gate after his staff is broken by the Witch-King.

What particular enchantments or powers this elvish weapon hadn’t been revealed; however, they must be powerful in order for it to slay such formidable enemies. It was so infamous among the creatures of Mordor that the goblins even had their own name for it: Beater.

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3 Narsil/Andúril

Wielded by: Isildur, Aragorn

Narsil was the sword originally wielded by the Kings of Númenor. During the Siege of Barad-Dûr, Isildur (Harry Sinclair) famously took the blade off of his father’s body. It was then broken by Sauron. However, Isildur uses the remains of the sword to slice the One Ring of Sauron’s finger, defeating the Dark Lord.

Narsil was then reforged by the elves of Rivendell into Andúril, the Flame of the West. This sword was given to Aragorn, who is heir to Isildur’s line. The sword boasts quite an impressive amount of power. Not only does it hold political power, as many recognize it as belonging to the future King of Gondor, but it also holds the power to command the Army of the Dead.

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2 Sauron’s Mace

Wielded by: Sauron

Sauron’s Mace wasn’t exactly given a name, but its power certainly becomes apparent within the first few minutes of The Fellowship of the Ring. There appears to be some sort of enchantment on it that can send multiple people careening through the air at once in a flash of light.

Sauron uses the mace during his final confrontation with the Last Alliance, where he cleaves his way through several groups of warriors to get to the King. Aside from being huge, its knockback ability makes it ideal for carving your way through entire armies with ease. Assuming you can lift it, that is.

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1 Wizard Staves

Wielded by: Gandalf, Saruman the White, Radagast the Brown

Wizard Staves vary in appearance, and are only wielded by the Istari, or the five wizards. Three out of five wizards have been named and have appeared in the films: Gandalf, Saruman the White (Sir Christopher Lee), and Radagast the Brown (Sylvester McCoy). These staves are what give the wizards their ability to cast spells. All three wizards throw around some pretty powerful magic over the course of the franchise.

Radagast primarily uses his to heal sick animals and defend himself against the Ringwraiths at Dol Guldur. Saruman and Gandalf can be observed using it on each other. Not only do they just throw each other around, but Saruman even summons a whole lightning storm to attack the Fellowship as they traverse the Pass of Caradhras. Gandalf also uses it to destroy the bridge of Khazad-Dûm, to lift Théoden’s curse, and to ward off Ringwraiths who are attacking soldiers of Gondor. It’s also made clear that the staves are very necessary in order for the wizards to perform these spells, as Gandalf refuses to part with it before he meets Théoden. Of course, they’re also handy if Gandalf wants to use them as a physical weapon, too. In short, the variety of attacks and uses of staves make them the most powerful weapon in the Middle-Earth cinematic universe.

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