The world of The Lord of the Rings is home to a slew of legendary swords and blades which have been carried in the hands of some of Middle-Earth's greatest heroes.

Like the legends who wielded them, these blades' histories are rich and deep, and full of interesting tales and feats. These are some of the most famous blades in Tolkien's mythology, including entries from The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and beyond.

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Lord Of The Rings: 8 Strongest Weapons in Middle-earth

From swords to maces, here are Middle-earth's most powerful weapons witnessed in the Lord of the Rings lore.

Glamdring (The Foe Hammer)

Glamdring is a legendary sword most famously wielded by the wizard Gandalf during the War of the Ring. He first comes across the blade during the events of The Hobbit, scavenging it from the hordes of treasure Thorin's company uncover within a recently abandoned troll-cave. While Gandalf recognizes the sword and its value, it isn't until a later meeting with Elrond that he is able to recall its true name and purpose: Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer, which was wielded by the Elven king Turgon during the First Age.

Glamdring was forged for Turgon sometime during the latter part of the First Age, and was carried with him during some of the most bitter battles between the ancient Elves and Melkor's forces of evil. The blade was forged in the long-lost city of Gondolin, and is imbued with a magical property that causes it to glow bluish-white whenever it senses that Orcs are nearby. It's not known how exactly the sword ended up in the troll's cave by the time of The Hobbit, but after more than 6,000 years it was found by Gandalf and became his weapon of choice for the rest of time in Middle-Earth. When Gandalf finally departed for Valinor at the end of The Lord of the Rings, he took Glamdring with him as well, thus ending the sword's legendary history.

Orcrist (The Goblin Cleaver)

Orcrist is another Elven sword that is used most famously by Thorin Oakenshield during his quest to reclaim the Dwarven kingdom of Erebor in The Hobbit. The sword is discovered alongside Glamdring, among the treasure of the abandoned troll-cave, and is carried by Thorin for the remainder of his adventure. While the sword's original owner remains a mystery, Orcrist was wielded by the Elves of Gondolin to kill thousands of Orcs, earning it the name "Goblin Cleaver" in Elvish.

During his quest to the Lonely Mountain, Thorin and his company were captured by the Elves of Mirkwood, which led to Orcrist being confiscated by the Elven lord Thranduil. Thorin would never again wield the ancient sword, but after his death in the Battle of the Five Armies, Thranduil returned the sword to Thorin's tomb, where it remains as a beacon of goodwill between the races of Elves and Dwarves.

Ringil

During the First Age of Middle-Earth, the sword Ringil was a legendary blade used by the Elven hero Fingolfin. Fingolfin was one of the greatest Elves who ever existed in Arda, and ruled as the first High King of the Ñoldor for nearly 500 years. Fingolfin was one of the primary leaders in the bitter wars between the Elves and Morgoth, and his kingdom was heavily damaged by the Dark Lord's evil forces. After centuries of struggle, Fingolfin elected to try and end Morgoth once and for all. He rode unaided to his enemy's fortress in Angband, and challenged him to single combat in a fight to the death.

The battle between Morgoth and Fingolfin was fierce and terrible, and Fingolfin's strength was so great that he managed to strike the Dark Lord seven times. In his hand, Fingolfin brandished his sword Ringil, which was said to glow like ice amidst the darkness of Morgoth's attacks. Eventually, Fingolfin's might faltered, but before he was slain, he used Ringil to strike a crippling blow to Morgoth that left him forever lame. Fingolfin was killed, and the fate of his great blade remains a mystery.

Gurthang (Iron of Death)

Gurthang is another blade whose legends only exist within The Silmarillion, millennia before the events of The Lord of the Ring. Originally, Gurthang was known as Anglachel, and was forged by Eöl, the exiled "Dark Elf." Anglachel was believed to contain the very malice of its creator, and few dared to wield it in battle. Eventually, the sword was taken up by the Elven warrior Beleg when he embarked on a quest to rescue his friend Túrin from the captivity of Orcs. When Beleg found Túrin, he'd been driven nearly mad by the Orcs' torture. As Beleg cut his friend's binds, the dark blade nicks Túrin's arm, and he flies into a rage, slaying Beleg with the same sword he once carried.

After Beleg's death, Anglachel dulled, as it is believed that the dark blade mourned the death of its former master. Distraught with what he had done, Túrin reforged the sword, transforming it into one of the most famous blades of the First Age: Gurthang, Iron of Death. With Gurthang, Túrin accomplished some of the greatest deeds of his era, such as slaying the dragon Glaurung. After befalling a great deal of tragedy, Túrin ended his own life by falling upon the blade of Gurthang, shattering the sword and ending its story forever.

Sting

The dagger Sting is one of the most recognizable weapons from Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as it is famously wielded by the hobbits Frodo and Bilbo Baggins throughout their respective journeys. Sting is discovered alongside Glamdring and Orcrist during the events of The Hobbit, and is another blade of ancient Elven-make which glows blue whenever Orcs are nearby. The dagger is entrusted to Bilbo, who uses it to light his way when he becomes lost in the Goblin-caves of the Misty Mountains.

The dagger is first put to use when Thorin's company is captured by giant spiders in Mirkwood. Using the invisibility of his newfound "magic" ring, Bilbo slays the spiders with silent precision, causing him to christen the sword "Sting." Decades after his adventures, Bilbo passes the sword to his nephew Frodo, who carries it with him on his long and arduous journey to Mordor. Sting's greatest deed, however, comes at the hand of another hobbit: Samwise Gamgee, who brandishes it against the monstrouous Shelob in order to free Frodo from her foul webs.

Andúril (The Flame of the West)

Arguably the most famous of all the swords on this list, Andúril is the legendary blade wielded by Aragorn during the War of the Ring and his eventual reign as the King of Gondor. The sword is an important heirloom of Men of the West, having been reforged from the shards of Narsil and presented to Aragorn as a symbol of his highborn status.

The story of Andúril stretches back all the way to the First Age, when it was first forged as Narsil by the Dwarven smith Telcar. Hundreds of years later, the sword came to Elendil, the High King of Dûnedain, and he carried it valiantly into battle against Sauron during the Last Alliance of Elves and Men at the end of the Third Age. Sadly, the conflict saw Elendil slain and Narsil shattered, but his son, Isildur, managed to take up a piece of his father's sword and severed the One Ring from the hand of Sauron.

Isildur continued to carry the shards of Narsil as a reminder of his father's legacy, and when he was killed by an ambush of Orcs, his squire was able to save the broken sword and transport the remnants to safety in Rivendell. Here they remained until they were reforged for Aragorn, the heir of Isildur, to help him reclaim his birthright and take his seat as the King of Gondor. Aragorn named his new blade Andúril, the Flame of the West, and through his heroic deeds during the War of the Ring, he forged a legacy that rivaled the feats of forefathers.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.