Shagrat

"I have my orders. And it's more than my belly's worth, or yours, to break 'em. Any trespasser found by the guard is to be held at the tower. Prisoner is to be stripped. Full description of every article, garment, weapon, letter, ring, or trinket is to be sent to Lugbúrtz at once, and to Lugbúrtz only. And the prisoner is to be kept safe and intact, under pain of death for every member of the guard, until He sends or comes Himself. That's plain enough, and that's what I'm going to do."

- The Two Towers, "The Choices of Master Samwise"

Shagrat was a large, long-armed orc, Captain of the Tower of Cirith Ungol, and one of the orcs who found Frodo Baggins after he had been poisoned by Shelob. Later his Black Uruk tower garrison fought with an orc patrol from Minas Morgul over possession of Frodo's Mithril mail-shirt. Shagrat interpreted his orders literally: all captives to be searched, but left unharmed and they and their possessions taken to Barad-dûr. Gorbag, leader of a patrol sent up the Stair of Cirith Ungol to investigate matters, coveted Frodo's pretty mithril dwarf-mail shirt for himself. A fight soon started. Gorbag wounded Shagrat in the arm with a knife, but was eventually killed by Shagrat. Their respective followers began fighting also, and slaughtered each other wholesale over the next several hours.

Later Sam, carrying the One Ring, infiltrated the Tower of Cirith Ungol and soon realized that the garrison was effectively wiped out. Unfortunately, Shagrat managed to get past him carrying Frodo's armor and other personal items and escaped to take them to Lugbúrtz as ordered.

It is possible that Shagrat was killed by Sauron or the authorities at Barad-dûr for the events that occurred at the Tower of Cirith Ungol. Alternatively, he may have been rewarded for his loyalty by being allowed to march to the Black Gate alongside his fellow orcs and Uruks as one of their captains. If so, it's unknown whether he was killed in the battle or the subsequent destruction of Mordor following Sauron's downfall, or if he survived and fled.

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
"The scum tried to knife me. KILL HIM!"

- -Shagrat to the other Orcs, in the movie

In the film version of The Return of the King, it's Gorbag who explains Shelob's eating habits, while Shagrat takes the Mithril shirt, saying it's his, and escapes with it. (Later in the film the Mithril shirt appears again, in the possession of the Mouth of Sauron.)

Given Shagrat's adaptational disloyalty, he would almost certainly have been punished (probably executed) for going against Gorbag's authority, which was aligned with the Dark Tower's interests.

Video Games
In the video game of The Return of the King, Shagrat appears in the level of Cirith Ungol. After Sam kills Gorbag, Shagrat steals mithril and runs out of Cirith Ungol.

In The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (GBA), he appears as a secret villain who can be unlocked after the player finishes the evil campaign in hard level.

In LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game, he is a playable character. In the main campaign, he fights Shelob, alongside Sam (this was done to make the level co-op friendly). Like all Orcs, he has super strength, which is used to pull heavy handles.

External link


Schagrat Shagrat