Top 10 Strongest Swords in the Lord of the Rings Ranked

strongest swords lord of the rings

Lord of the Rings Movie is a phenomenal adventure narrative, but the book is also far more multi-dimensional than that. Tolkien, for instance, creates a large number of compelling characters, each with its own set of convincing characteristics. 

As a result of the fact that each individual is so “natural” and realistic, we can empathize with their predicaments and decisions. Many intrinsic arguments exist to support the claim that The Lord of the Rings is the greatest cinematic fantasy epic of all time. 

The majority of these justifications are related to the movies themselves, from their glorious ambition and original material to their extraordinary production efforts, tremendous duration, and flawless continuity, among other things.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy proposes us to a plethora of famous blades that have become legendary. Which characters, though, are the strongest in the series? What about the swords they’re wielding?

Barrow-Blades (Hobbit Swords)

During the Third Age, the barrow-blades held by the halflings in the Fellowship have initially fashioned as long daggers for use in battle against the Angmar Empire. Following the death of the last prince of Cardolan in battle, they were buried alongside him. A Wight captures and imprisons the halflings in the same barrow many centuries later. 

Tom Bombadil defeated the Wight, released the halflings, and handed the swords on to the halflings. The smiths of Arthedain enchanted Merry’s sword with the ability to slay the with-king of Angmar while it was being made, and this is how Merry came to possess this power. During the battle with the witch-king, Merry struck him in the leg with his sword, killing him. 

This caused the witch-enchantment king to be broken, allowing him to roam around and distracting the Nazguls. This provided Eowyn with the opportunity to plunge her blade into the shrouded head. Angmar’s witch-king was meant not to fall into the hands of the man, as it was written in the stars. In the end, a lady and a Hobbit were responsible for his death. The Burrow-Blade was used in the Battle of the Black Gate to kill a Hill-Troll, which Pippin did.

Thranduil’s Swords

This is the Elven sword that Thranduil used throughout the battles of Smaug and the Battle of the Five Armies in The Hobbit. Thranduil’s nameless sword resembles Hadhafang in appearance. 

It is also non-canon, as the filmmakers only included it for the film adaptation of The Hobbit trilogy. It is also possible that Thranduil’s blade was designed similarly to Hadhafang’s and was light enough to be handled with one hand. It’s a pity that it wasn’t given a proper name, for Thranduil, the Elven monarch of the Woodland Realm, used it with excellent efficiency.

Morgul-Knife

The Witch-king of Angmar wields the Morgul-knife, which he uses to inflict grievous wounds on Frodo. The Morgul-mechanism knife’s operation is such that it is meant to break off a fragment of the sword in each damage it has made. Even when the rest of the blade breaks to dust, the shard will continue to push its way into the perpetrator’s heart, rendering it a one-time use weapon. 

The Morgul-knife is a combination of a long knife and a blade. It can poison anybody who comes into contact with it. Elrond stated that if a shard of the Morgul-knife breaks off and lodges in the wound, the remainder of the Morgul-knife would dissolve and turn to dust, leaving the damage open. 

Between now and then, the shard that came off will continue to make its way into the victim’s heart. If the edge remains in the enemy’s body for an extended time, he will transform into a ghost.

Herugrim (Theoden Sword)

Théoden of Rohan’s sword Herugrim was kept concealed from him for long years by his treacherous councilor Grima Wormtongue, later executed for his crimes. Herugrim, in contrast to the preceding two characters, is canon and was invented by Tolkien himself. 

You guys may have previously seen it because of its distinctive appearance, which makes it difficult to overlook in The Two Towers; the current wielder at the moment is Théoden. It is, however, far ancient than Théoden, which actually lived for 500 years—and being handed on to whoever is proclaimed King of Rohan at the time of writing.

Ringil (Fingolfin Sword)

The sword of High King Fingolfin, Ringil, occurs in The Silmarillion as Fingolfin’s scepter. According to legend, it was an Elvish blade that bit with a piercing chill. Fingolfin wielded the sword in a fight with Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, who was thought to be the origin of all evil at the time. 

He even succeeded in inflicting seven wounds on Morgoth before succumbing to his injuries. Before Morgoth murdered him, Fingolfin contrived to deliver a devastating blow on Morgoth’s leg in the final moments. Ringil was an Elvish sword with a chilling cold bite, a blade that sparkled like ice in the light of the stars and bit with a chilly bite. 

Fingolfin used it to devastating impact against Morgoth throughout their fight outside the walls of Angband, injuring him seven times in the process. A foot of the Dark Lord struck Fingolfin in the neck, and he died due to his injuries.

Narsil (Isildur Sword)

Among the Dnedain’s successors, the sword of the King is considered to be their preferred weapon. King Elendil held it during the struggle against Sauron in The Last Alliance of Men and Elves, shown in the films. Unfortunately, things didn’t work well, and Narsil was broken into fragments after Sauron beat Elendil in battle. 

When King Elendil carried a longsword during the Conflict of the Last Alliance, his son, Isildur, used it to remove the One Ring from Sauron’s hand throughout the last fight of that war, it was known as Narsil.

After being reforged as Andruil, it was eventually used by Aragorn II Elessar to defeat the Black Riders of Mordor.

Orcrist

It was known by the names “Goblin-cleaver” and “Biter,” and it was another of the Elven swords of Gondolin. It is said to have slain dozens of goblins, and it can also glow in the presence of orcs, making it a dangerous adversary. 

Unlike its sibling Sting, the blade had markings on it that indicated its actual name was Orcrist, as opposed to Sting. Orcrist was a magnificent sword with a gorgeous scabbard and a jeweled hilt that the Elvensmiths made of old. 

The name of the weapon was written in runes on the blade itself. At first sight, Gandalf thought the sword was an “excellent blade,” and he was right.

Orcrist, like Glamdring and Sting, shone brightly whenever Orcs were in the vicinity.

Sting (Bilbo’s Present)

It is one of the most well-known blades in the Lord of the Rings and even The Hobbit trilogy, and it is called Sting. Initially crafted by the Elves, this small sword was an ideal weapon for Hobbits because of its short length and lightweight. 

As a result, it ended up in possession of Bilbo Baggins, who used it as his trademark sword and weapon until he could locate the One Ring. Bilbo gave the sword to Frodo right before he left Rivendell, and the two of them set forth on their journey. After the destruction of Sauron, Frodo handed it to Sam, who in turn passed it down to his descendants as a legacy to the Gamgee line.

Glamdring (Gandalf Sword)

Glamdring is among the few swords capable of piercing the Balrog’s flesh without becoming worthless due to the damage it sustains. Furthermore, because Gandalf is a great wizard, he can channel lightning assaults through the sword, which was successful in slaying the Balrog. 

Likewise, Gandalf the Grey (and subsequently, the White) did not stand out from the rest of them. As a result, in addition to his staff, he held Glamdring, a legendary sword that was even more dreaded than Orcrist. The fact that Glamdring is the preferred weapon of a wizard means that it is no ordinary sword.

The rune markings on the handle and shield of the blade were added by the Elven Smith who made it.

Anduril (Aragorn Sword)

swords from movies

In addition to working as a means of proving Aragorn’s ancestry, as the previous sword of King Elendil, it was also a formidable weapon in its own right. Take into consideration that this was the sword that, while being shattered, could destroy Sauron the very first time. 

Aragon II Elessar created (or reforged) Andril, the unique sword in The Lord of the Rings since it was made specifically for him. When Aragorn first saw Andril, he thought it was a piece of Narsil, but it turned out to be a reforged sword created by the Elves of Rivendell (played by Elrond in the film). 

When the elves worked on the sword’s scabbard this time, they carefully included an enchantment that would prevent the sheath from breaking or staining.

Jordan Rosolenne

Hi, I’m Jordan Rosolenne, the founder of Swordscorner.com. I’ve been a sword enthusiast all my life and I consider it a serious hobby of mine. I love everything about Swords, Katanas, Medieval Weapons, Anime, and much much more!

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