JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is, without question, the greatest epic fantasy ever written. It has inspired scores of imitators, and its impact on fantasy is immeasurable. A significant part of what makes Tolkien’s work so timelessly relevant is the way in which it portrays villainy.
His work is not as morally absolutist as some make it out to be, and his villains are as complex as his heroes. Through the lens of the twelve signs of the zodiac, one can get a more nuanced appreciation of how these characters function and draw the reader to identify with them.
Aries -Witch-king of Angmar
The Witch-king of Angmar is Sauron’s chief lieutenant. Once a powerful king, he was seduced into servitude with one of the Rings of Power. As an Aries, he is a being of relentless drive, determined to see his master’s will brought to fruition, no matter who must be crushed in the process.
However, his stubbornness also proves to be his undoing when he refuses to take the threat from Eowyn seriously, resulting in his ultimate destruction.
Taurus – Saruman
One of the most fascinating aspects of Tolkien’s work is his ability to create good characters who slowly fall into evil. That is the case with the Wizard Saruman, whose Taurus desire for order is in part what drives him into the arms of Sauron.
He is a canny thinker with an eye toward the future, and he clearly is able to put elaborate plans together and, were it not for a certain group of hobbits, he might have succeeded.
Gemini – Gríma Wormtongue
One of the key characteristics of the Gemini is their ability to present two faces to the world, and that is one of the key things that the novel makes clear about Gríma Wormtongue. Though he pretends to be in service to King Théoden of Rohan, he is in actuality a plant of Saruman’s, put into the court to bring about the ruin of the kingdom.
He’s notoriously unreliable, as revealed by the fact that he ultimately turns against and murders his master Saruman.
Cancer – Denethor
The interesting thing about the film version of the character of Denethor is that he is not nearly as noble and detached as his book counterpart.
Instead, he is painted as very Cancer-like in his behavior, prone to being easily offended and suspicious, particularly when he challenges Gandalf about the latter’s desire to supplant him with Aragorn on the throne of Gondor. However, as a Cancer he is very loyal to his elder son Boromir.
Leo – Balrog
A spirit of shadow and flame, the Balrog is the perfect distillation of the power of the Leo, one of the most potent and terrifying signs in the zodiac.
As soon as the creature emerges in Moria, it is immediately clear that it is going to sweep all before it, and even the mighty Gandalf finds himself hard-pressed to defeat it. With its dominant personality, it’s not hard to see how a Leo like this could exercise a hold on Moria for so long.
Virgo – Sauron
Sauron is the big bad of the entire story, the entity against which the forces of good are arrayed. However, there is more to Sauron than meets the eye. He isn’t a mindless sort of evil but is instead a creature focused on the creation and maintenance of order.
However, it is his unwillingness (or inability) to temper that desire with compassion (a problem for many Virgos) that ultimately leads him down the road to his attempted domination of Middle-earth.
Libra – Gollum
In all of Tolkien’s vast legendarium, Gollum is in some ways the most interesting and contradictory character. Even though deeply corrupted by the One Ring, he also shows signs that all is not lost, that there is a small kernel of goodness.
Through much of the film, these two sides are held in balance, a key part of the Libra personality. However, Gollum is ultimately undone by his own fundamentally unstable nature.
Scorpio – Mouth of Sauron
This Tolkien villain doesn’t get nearly enough attention or affection from fans. Though he only appears briefly, he makes quite an impression, since he has somehow managed to become incredibly close to Sauron himself.
As a Scorpio, he has a bit of a cruel streak in him, which he displays when he taunts Gandalf and company with the thought that Frodo has been captured and is now enduring horrific torments at Sauron’s hands.
Sagittarius – Lurtz
Lurtz is a character created specifically for the films. He is the first of Saruman’s Uruk-hai to be created, as such he is sent out on the mission to intercept the Company and to procure the Ring.
He is shown to be a creature that, like most Aries, is not at all patient. More importantly, he is also shown to be very overconfident, and it is his belief in his own invincibility that ultimately is his undoing, and he is slain by Aragorn.
Capricorn – Shelob
The Capricorn, like all earth signs, is disciplined, cautious, and patient, three words that aptly describe the giant spider Shelob. One of the most horrifying aspects of the entire series of films, she lies in wait for those foolhardy enough to step into her webs.
However, she also shows herself to be more than a little stubborn, and it is her unwillingness to let either Sam or Frodo escape that leads to her grievous wounding at the former’s hands.
Aquarius – Gothmog
Gothmog is one of the stranger characters to appear in the films, which makes him a perfect Aquarius. A hideously disfigured Orc, he leads the forces of Mordor as they launch their brutal assault against the city of Minas Tirith.
As an Aquarius, he has a very extremist attitude toward the battle, and his ruthless approach means that nothing will stand in his way in his effort to destroy the last bastion of goodness.
Pisces – Gollum
A tendency toward self-indulgence is one of the drawbacks of the Pisces, along with a desire to live in the world that might be rather than the one that is and an inclination to be self-destructive. Both of these are things that characterize Gollum.
Throughout the films, he continues to yearn for the Ring and to imagine what it would be like to have it, even though he knows, at some level, that it will destroy him.
