The Lord of the Rings franchise is one of the most successful and popular in the history of cinema. Creating the world of Middle Earth in an incredibly realistic manner that nobody ever expected. Bringing the fantastic story to life over the course of a trilogy, the movies have become some of the most beloved ever.
With an amazing collection of characters, incredible special effects and physical props and make-up the movies won all the awards they deserved.
While the movies are heavy on the action, that isn’t all they’re known for. There is a brilliant amount of focus on the character details themselves, and within this article, we will rank the main characters in terms of their intelligence.
Gollum
Nobody else could really take the bottom place, could they? Whether you have massive sympathy towards Gollum or you simply detest him, there’s no doubt that he isn’t the brightest spark in the movie. Gollum is cunning, and he is sneaky, and perhaps his intelligence is even a little underrated.
However, it is hard to say that he is smarter than any of the other characters given the way he acts. Whether it be smashing his own head with a rock or just his general mannerisms, Gollum’s intelligence is certainly fading, and a lot of that is down to the ring itself.
Peregrin Took
Out of the four main hobbits in Lord of the Rings, Peregrin Took is the least intelligent. He is an incredible singer and a man who can drink beer and eat plenty of food but he isn’t the smartest. However, that doesn’t stop him from being a loveable character.
Pippin just often puts his foot in his mouth at the wrong times and doesn’t always think before he speaks. His actions aren’t always well thought through, although he does make up for that in his loyalty and bravery, which is particularly highlighted in the final movie.
Frodo Baggins
Despite the fact he is arguably the most important character in the entire franchise, that doesn’t mean Frodo Baggins is one of the smartest. Frodo has no real knowledge of the world outside of The Shire, and his lack of experience is clear to see throughout the movies.
Much like Gollum, Frodo ends up being consumed by the ring which seems to taint his intelligence. As his journey progresses he makes continuous bad decisions, such as judging his own best friend. While he manages to complete the task he was given, it does take a lot more work than it should due to his poor decision making.
Meriadoc Brandybuck
Next up is another of the hobbits, Meriadoc Brandybuck, who similarly to his best friend Pippin is more brave than clever. His desperate desire to be a fighting warrior is charming, but it isn’t exactly the smartest decision when you really think about it.
How well does Merry actually think he is going to do in a full battle against the orcs? While he somehow doesn’t die, he isn’t exactly the next major knight of Middle Earth. He does make fewer poor decisions than his pal Pippin though, and he is always the life of the party, so at least he’s got that going for him.
Samwise Gamgee
The last of the core hobbits on this list, making him the smartest of the bunch, is Samwise Gamgee. While he would top this list if it came to loyalty, he doesn’t quite take the same spot in terms of his smartness. While Samwise isn’t exactly stupid, much like the rest of the group, he’s not experienced life outside of The Shire.
That lack of experience halts his knowledge to a degree, although he does get to grips with things quicker than the rest. Samwise seems to find a solution for absolutely everything, no matter the situation and his ability to think fast on his feet proves his intelligence.
Gimli
Gimli is the man who represents the dwarves in the fellowship, and he does a fantastic job at it. He might not be as smart as others in the group, but he does have great intelligence when it comes to battle. He might be small, but he is fierce and not someone to be messed with.
Gimli has lived a long and difficult life and that is something that is clear to see. Unlike the rest of the group, Gimli doesn’t get too many moments to actually show his intelligence that much, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t smart. He proves that with his ideas in battle, which is where he really shines.
Aragorn
Aragorn might just be a mere mortal man, but he is certainly an incredibly gifted one. With a heightened sense that helps him track things greater than any character in Lord of the Rings, Aragorn is incredibly smart. But he isn’t just smart in that sense, he is also great with people.
Aragorn is incredibly kind and compassionate, he listens and understands. While that might not seem like a great sign of intelligence, it is something most characters in the franchise lack. There’s a reason that he is made King at the end of it all because he has the knowledge and power to control the situation.
Legolas
Even though Aragorn is the one who is given the major plaudits at the end, it is Legolas who is the smarter member of the fellowship. His ability to sense when enemies are nearby the change of the wind is an amazing skill that nobody else possesses.
On top of that, the manner in which Legolas fights takes incredible brains. Being able to use the wind and trajectory to know when to fire his arrows is something that often gets taken for granted. Plus, he just simply has great brains, knowing when the group should do certain things, proving he is one of the smartest characters in the movies.
Saruman
One of Lord of the Ring’s powerful wizards, Saruman is quite obviously one of the most intelligent characters in Middle Earth. He is billed as the most powerful wizard around and therefore he is extremely intelligent, even though he uses that ability for evil.
It is Saurman who is responsible for the development of the orc army, and it is through him that he shows his real smartness. Even though he is one of the franchise’s major villains, his incredible intelligence cannot be denied.
Gandalf
While he might not be as strong as his nemesis, Saruman, he does have him beat when it comes to brains. Because Gandalf isn’t engulfed in hate he is less clouded with his judgment, which allows him to use his magic and wizardry in greater ways.
Gandalf is an incredibly wise character and that is the reason he is put in charge of leading the fellowship in the first place. He watches over all of them without them even knowing it, and when he returns as Gandalf the White, he is even more powerful than before.
