The Lord of the Rings is a series populated with many magical creatures big and small. These creatures show up at various points in the books and films, and sometimes they help the heroes along their way while other times they are enemies.
The magical creatures from the world of Middle-earth have captured the imaginations of decades of fans, but there are some that are more lovable than others. If you’ve ever wanted a magical pet, we look at which creatures from the series would be a good option and which would be terrifying.
Want: Mumakil
The mumakil, called oliphaunts by Sam and other Hobbits, is basically a giant elephant. While their huge size would make them pretty impractical for most people to have as a pet, it’s clear in the movies that they can be tamed enough to be ridden.
Because things don't always have to be completely practical when talking about fantasy worlds, the idea of having a humongous elephant you could ride is appealing.
Would Not: Wargs
might seem like a good idea for a pet in one way because they can be tamed and ridden into battle. In fact, they are used as a steed by orcs many times in the series.
Wargs are basically a strange breed of wolves that were used mostly by orcs. While it’s not clear whether all wargs are prone to be evil or if they are just used for evil purposes, they are quite terrifying.
Want: Smaug
This is another inclusion on this list that is not anywhere in the line of being practical, but it is really exciting to think about. Having a pet dragon is something that many people who love the fantasy genre have always wanted, but it would be hard to do.
While in some fantasy series people are able to have dragons as animal companions and pets, the dragons in Middle-Earth are highly intelligent, mostly evil beings who would never be friends with a human.
Would Not: Ogres
Ogres are similar in some ways to the trolls from Middle-Earth but even less intelligent. As such, they seem more like an animal and less like a humanoid being. However, they aren’t a pleasant creature at all.
They are large, prone to be evil, and violent. Their huge size and ugly appearance would mean it wouldn’t even be worth it to try and tame them as some orcs did in the series.
Want: Bill the Pony
Bill is the animal in this list who would make the most practical sense to have as a pet because he was just a normal pony. Since ponies are real-life animals that exist in our own world, it wouldn’t be hard to get one as a pet.
While he’s nothing special, he was a good, faithful pet, and many people watching the movie worried for his safety when he had to be sent away before the Fellowship entered the Mines of Moria.
Would Not: Balrog
Balrogs are a strange, terrifying kind of creature because they basically used to be a kind of god. In the lore of Middle-earth, Balrogs were once Maiar who were seduced by Melkor to the darkness and turned into these huge, scary beasts.
While being able to control one might be cool, they are so powerful even the Gandalf had to die and be resurrected to beat one.
Want: Great Eagles
The Great Eagles in The Lord of the Rings are more than just giant eagles. The year in fact an intelligent, proud race of their own. They are a mostly good race that helps Gandalf and others in certain times of need.
Because of this, they wouldn’t be pets exactly, but it would be amazing to get to interact with them as intelligent beings in their own right.
Would Not: Fellbeasts
Similarly to having a dragon, there is something that could be appealing about having a fell beast as a pet, but they are also so terrifying and vicious it’s hard to imagine wanting to interact with them unless you were a dark being yourself.
Their origins are unknown, but it’s likely they were bred by Sauron which means they would have been creatures of great evil. They would have to be evil in order to withstand being the Nazgul's steeds.
Want: Shadowfax
Shadowfax is another extremely practical and realistic pet from the series. Similar to Bill the Pony, he’s a realistic animal to have as a pet, but he also has a magical element.
He is known as the “lord of all horses” and was a descendant of Felaróf who was known as the greatest horse ever in Middle-earth. Shadowfax was a Mearas meaning he was a more intelligent, superior horse than the regular species. Having such a loyal, intelligent animal, and one that Gandalf rode, as a steed would be amazing and useful.
Would Not: Shelob
While there are some people who like spiders and keep certain kinds of spiders as pets, Shelob wouldn’t appeal to many people. So many people are scared of regular-sized spiders, so the thought of a giant spider is terrifying.
Also, Shelob is more than just a giant mindless animal, she is an evil entity who was the offspring of Ungliant, the primordial spider of Middle-Earth.
