Films and Fiction

Beards play a bigger role in The Lord of the Rings than you might imagine. Dwarf women can grow them while both elves and Hobbits can’t. Beards are worn by several members of the Fellowship, including Aragorn, Gimli and Gandalf, and there’s even a talking tree that has one. So with beards so important in Middle Earth, it’s only fair to pay homage to some of the greatest.

10. Theoden

It’s not the greatest beard, but it’s still worn by a King, which must give it extra points. It’s also interesting to see how Theoden’s beard is longer when he’s under the influence of Wormtongue, but gets shorter after Gandalf breaks the spell. Beards are magical.

9. Gimli

As a dwarf, Gimli naturally had a beard, and was quite proud of it famously shouting “Not the beard” when Aragorn grabbed it to stop him falling. I bet he teased Legolas about his lack of facial hair too!

8. Saruman

Beards can be evil, too. Most bad guys, like Orcs, don’t have beards in the Lord of the Rings, but Saruman makes up for it with his long, elegant white beard. He must have been really annoyed when Gandalf showed up and had basically stolen his entire look.

8. Dain

Yes, he does ride a pig for some reason, but that doesn’t make his beard any less impressive, with ornaments and plaits fastened into it to make it look even grander. Let’s face it, considering the kind of beards *some* dwarves had in The Hobbit, it’s just nice to see he’s got a proper one.

7. Treebeard

He’s a tree and he has a beard. Like the rest of him, it’s made of wood, but it still looks great, and he was able to destroy Isengard, so his beard is officially better than Saruman’s. Does he use a saw to keep it trimmed?

6. Radagast

Maybe wizards have best beard contests, they seem to have a bit of a rivalry going on. Radagast might not have the greatest, but he certainly has the wildest. It looks like the kind of beard a bird would nest in, and given Radagast’s love of animals, they probably have.

5. Balin

Even at the height of a quest, dwarves never seem short on hair care products. Well, I suppose if you’re trying to defeat a dragon you might as well look your best. Forget Thorin Oakenshield, here’s Balin Bestbeard!

4. Beorn

Sometimes he’s a bear, so that probably influences how his hair looks. It certainly hasn’t harmed him though, and he’s managed to grow one of the best beards in Middle Earth. I suppose shaving seems pointless when you spend half your life covered in fur.

3. Aragorn

It’s not really a good beard, but it is a great one. Aragorn’s beard is the kind that says ‘I’m ready for anything’ and of course when he becomes king, he gives it a trim. Still, a Ranger wouldn’t be a Ranger without a rough, hardy looking beard.

2. Boromir

Yes, he did try to steal the Ring, but that didn’t have anything to do with his beard. He gets extra points for inspiring Faramir to grow one. It’s obviously no coincidence both brothers have one when Denethor doesn’t.

1. Gandalf

If Frodo was the Ring bearer then Gandalf was the Beard bearer, carrying the weight of facial hair for the entire Fellowship. He also gets to have two beards, a white one and a grey one, definitely beating Saruman in the All Wizards Middle Earth Beard Face-Off.

Thanks for reading!