The characters in Lord of the Rings were a wide range of ages, but many were actually much older than they seemed. The beings of Middle-earth—even the humans—are far different from those of the real world. Immortal beings could be endlessly regenerated, and even those who were mortal could often live to advanced ages. Dwarves could live to be around 250 years old, and it wasn’t terribly uncommon for Hobbits to continue on after reaching 100.
The difference in life expectancy in Middle-earth compared to our world, combined with the younger ages of the actors in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films, has contributed to the misconception that Tolkien’s characters are far more youthful than they are. Though immortal Elves like Elrond and Legolas are expected to be thousands of years old, and Ring-bearers like Gollum and Bilbo are explained to have lived longer than expected, other characters’ ages aren’t discussed in the Lord of the Rings movies. However, Tolkien’s books reveal the truth.
10 Frodo – 50 Years Old
Hobbits reach adulthood at 33 in The Lord of the Rings
Since Elijah Wood was only 18 years old when he started playing Frodo in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, it’s often assumed that Frodo was around the same age. This is supported by Biblo and Gandalf repeatedly calling him “a boy” and young. However, in the Lord of the Rings books, Frodo turned 33 on Bilbo’s 111th birthday and was 50 when he set out from the Shire for Rivendell. 33 is when Hobbits are first considered adults, which means Wood’s youthful appearance is likely accurate for the character.
9 Gandalf – Alive Since The Beginning Of Time
Gandalf is an immortal, shape-shifting Maia in Lord of the Rings.
There’s no question that Gandalf is old in Lord of the Rings. The whole point is that he is a wisened wizard, full of guidance to give. However, in truth, Gandalf is an immortal shape-shifter who could look youthful and beautiful if he so chose. He was “born” before Eru Ilúvatar created the universe and the concept of time. As an angel-like Maiar, Gandalf was tasked with assisting in Middle-earth’s creation and is, therefore, one of the oldest beings.
8 Saruman – Alive Since The Beginning Of Time
Saruman was “born” around the same time as Gandalf.
Like Gandalf, Saruman only takes on the appearance of an old man to look trustworthy as he assists Middle-earth in the fight against Sauron. However, he is another of the Maiar who were created before the beginning of time and helped create the universe. Of course, unlike Gandalf, Saruman turned from his mission and sought power to take Sauron’s place instead. Though it’s only seen in the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers extended edition, Grima Wormtongue murdered Saruman, and he would have been no less (though likely much more) than 60-thousand years old.
7 Aragorn – 87 Years Old
Aragorn aged differently than other Men in Lord of the Rings.
Though he didn’t look it, Aragorn was 87 years old during the events of The Lord of the Rings. The films’ extended editions mentioned this, but it was left out of Peter Jackson’s standard cut. Despite his age, Aragorn was still a relative youth when considering his life expectancy. As a Dúnedain descended from the High Men of Númenor, Aragorn aged differently than the average Men of Gondor of Rohan. He ultimately lived to be 210, having ruled his kingdom for 122 years.
6 Cirdan – Over 10,000 Years Old
Cirdan was among Middle-earth’s oldest Elves.
Cirdan wasn’t a central character in the Lord of the Rings movies since he only appeared in the background of a few scenes. However, throughout Tolkien’s works, he is an Elf of significance. He was once the bearer of one of the Three Elven Rings and is tasked with guiding a ship between the realms of Middle-earth and Valinor. Though he looks the same age as Elrond and his fellows, Cirdan is one of Middle-earth’s oldest Elves. He was present through each of the world’s ages and is approximately 10 thousand years old.
5 Shelob – Unknown
Shelob’s mother was the primordial being, Ungoliant.
Shelob appears to be your run-of-the-mill giant fantastical spider in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, but her story and her family go back to the beginning of time. Shelob’s mother was a beastly spider called Ungoliant, whom the Dark Lord Morgoth discovered in the void surrounding the universe. She is one of the few beings of Tolkien’s lore with no explanation of where she came from or who created her since it can be assumed that such an evil being wasn’t made by Eru Ilúvatar. Similarly, it’s unclear when Shelob was born, but it certainly wasn’t any time close to her fight with Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings.
4 Gwaihir – Over 6,000 Years Old
The Great Eagles of Middle-earth aren’t immortal but can live thousands of years.
Gwaihir the Windlord is one of the Great Eagles of Middle-earth and a particular friend to Gandalf the Gray. The Valar conceived these wise and ancient beings to keep an eye on the exiled Ñoldor (Galadriel’s people) as they roamed Middle-earth during the First Age. Gwaihir, who was Lord of the Eagles during the events of The Lord of the Rings, is the son of Thorondor, the first generation of Eagles. Clearly, these beings are very different than the eagles of the natural world, and though Gwaihir wasn’t immortal like the Elves, he was at least 6,000 years old in The Lord of the Rings.
3 Gimli – 139 Years Old
Dwarves live an average of 250 years in Lord of the Rings.
Actor John Rhys-Davies was 55 when he first started playing Gimli in Lord of the Rings, so it’s easy to assume that this is about the age of the character. However, though not immortal, Dwarves can live several centuries. During the events of The Hobbit, Gimli would have been about 60, and this was considered far too young to accompany his father, Glóin, on the quest to turn out Smaug. By the events of Lord of the Rings, the character was 139 years old.
2 Denethor – 89 Years Old
Denethor’s line lives slightly longer than regular Men of Middle-earth.
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Denethor actor John Noble was around 56 when The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was released, but his character was meant to be 89 years old when he died. This puts Denethor’s tragic end into perspective, especially since he was greatly respected as a ruler during his time as Steward, but years of hard times diminished his hope and made him overly fearful. Additionally, the man could feasibly have continued to serve Gondor as Steward for a couple more decades since his distant connection to Númenor gave his line a slightly extended lifespan (though nothing compared to the Dúnedain).
1 Isildur – 232 Years Old
Isildur ruled Gondor for 120 years before obtaining the One Ring
It’s easy to image Isildur as the young and reckless king whose greed saw Gondor to ruin, especially given the character’s depiction in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, but this wasn’t the case according to canon. In truth, Isildur had already been ruling as king, alongside his father, for 120 years before he defeated Sauron and claimed the One Ring. When he was betrayed by Sauron’s weapon and killed by Orcs, he would have been about 232 years old. This makes sense when remembering that Isildur is Aragorn’s ancestor and one of the few remaining High Men of Númenor, but the Lord of the Rings movies certainly make him seem far younger.
