Orcs

Orcs of Sauron as seen in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Orcs
Other names	Goblins, Uruks
Origins	Obscure; perhaps bred from Elves or Men
Languages	Orkish (Black Speech), Westron
Divisions	Boldogs, Eastern Orcs, Half-orcs, Hobgoblins, Isengarders, Mordor-orcs, Northern Orcs, Snagas, Uruk-hai
Lifespan	Varies drastically; may be similar to Men or may even be immortal[citation needed]
Distinctions	Most common servants of evil
Height	Almost man-high, or short

"Tolkien creates them to represent all that is bad about modern war."

—Lynette Nusbacher in The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of the Rings

Orcs were the primary soldiers of both Dark Lords' armies, and their most common servants. Invented by Morgoth during the Years of the Trees of the First Age, they served him and later his successor, Sauron, in their aims to dominate Middle-earth. It was believed by the Eldar that before Oromë first discovered Cuiviénen, Morgoth had kidnapped some of them and cruelly deformed them, twisting them into the first Orcs.

After the Battle of the Powers, many Orcs alongside other servants of Melkor survived in the deep caves, pits, chambers, and tunnels of Melkor's underground fortress, Angband. They multiplied there and later spread through northern Middle-earth. They were first seen by the Dwarves who reported them to Thingol, King of Doriath, causing the latter to seek weapons of war for the first time. From that time forward, Orcs would be present in almost all scenes of war and strife in Beleriand, and in Middle-earth after the First Age until Mordor was destroyed.

Orcs referred to themselves in the Black Speech with the term Uruk, which generally referred to the strongest of their kind, such as the Uruk-hai and Uruks of Mordor.

History

"They were Elves once, taken by the dark powers, tortured and mutilated, a terrible, ruined form of life..."

—Saruman in The Fellowship of the Ring film adaptation

First Age

Orcs of Morgoth, in the War of Wrath, by Firat Solhan

It is not known with certainty how the Orcs came to be. Melkor was the first to learn of the Awakening of the Elves at Cuiviénen, and soon began sending evil spirits among them, who planted seeds of doubt against the Valar. It is rumoured that some of these Elves were being captured by a "Rider" if they strayed too far, and it was believed by the Eldar that these unfortunate Elves were brought to Utumno, where they were cruelly tortured and twisted into Orcs.

In the last six centuries of the First Age, thousands of Orcs were bred in Angband by Morgoth and to participate in the Battles of Beleriand, which began after the Ñoldor arrived to north-western Middle-earth. They first appeared in the Battle of the Lammoth, where they were defeated by the Elves. When the House of Fëanor returned to Middle-earth Morgoth sent a force of Orcs against them. Although the Orcs outnumbered the exiles they were no match for the power and wrath of the Ñoldor, and were quickly and easily defeated. However, Fëanor could not defeat the power of Morgoth alone and he was killed by Balrogs, leaving the Orcs to continue to breed under the Dark Lord. Years later, when the House of Fingolfin arrived in Middle-earth, Orcs were sent against them as well, but they were utterly defeated in the Battle of the Lammoth.

Orcs served under Morgoth in the First Age and Sauron in the Second and Third Ages

After their crushing defeat in the Dagor Aglareb and in a minor raid on Hithlum, the Orcs nevertheless regained their numbers. In the Dagor Bragollach and Nírnaeth Arnoediad, they and their master won crushing victories against the free peoples. However, they were nearly destroyed in the War of Wrath that ended in FA 585, and those that survived fled eastwards into the Mountains of Angmar, Grey Mountains, or Red Mountains.

Second Age

Sometime around SA 1000, Sauron reappeared in Middle-earth and made the land of Mordor his realm, and then started to build the foundations of Barad-dûr. During the War of the Elves and Sauron in SA 1700, the Orcs formed the main host of Sauron's power. Despite the immeasurable number of Orcs present, the battle was won by the Elves and the Númenóreans due to their united force, superior weaponry, greater strength and stature and combat skill.

Orcs depicted by Jenny Dolfen

However, Sauron had not been able to gather all the Eastern Orcs into his armies, as they at first scorned him, seeing only his fair form. It was after his first defeat that Sauron went back among them, in a dark guise, and subdued them, and was able to begin rebuilding his power.

Until Sauron's final downfall in the Third Age, Orcs remained the backbone of the armies of Mordor, and of Isengard while the wizard Saruman ruled it.

An Orc dwelling in Moria, by Giovani Bellofatto

Third Age

After the War of the Last Alliance Mordor was desolate and the surviving Orcs were concentrated in the Misty Mountains. With the return of Sauron to Dol Guldur and the spread of his evil influence, their numbers began to increase once more. In TA 2475 at the ending of the Watchful Peace, a new tougher, stronger breed of Orc appeared; the Uruk-hai, specifically bred for fighting Men.

Following the abandonment of Khazad-dûm by the Dwarves, Orcs eventually colonised the abandoned halls, killing King Thrór when he sought to enter his lost realm. This triggered the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, a massive conflict where the Dwarves gathered their full strength and destroyed every Orc-hold they could find in the Misty Mountains. This and the Battle of Five Armies greatly reduced the numbers of Northern Orcs, weakening their contribution to the War of the Ring.

Orcs of Mordor in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

In the meantime Sauron had returned to Mordor, rebuilding his fortress and creating a vast army of Orcs. He bred a huge breed of Orcs-soldiers with great strength, the Uruk-hai, some time before TA 2475, when they creatures first appeared from Mordor ravaging Ithilien and Osgiliath. Later, some of these Orcs populated the Misty Mountains and subdued local Orkish tribes. Sauron's pawn, Saruman the Wizard, also bred those Uruk-hai, who descended from the Hithaeglir and served him as mercenaries; he also experimented on cross-breeding of Orcs and Men, producing Half-Orcs even taller than Uruk-hai.

Following the destruction of the One Ring, the Orcs scattered, eventually dwindling and being hunted to extinction (or near-extinction levels) in the Fourth Age.

Characteristics

"For all that race were bred by Melkor of the subterranean heats and slime. Their hearts were of granite and their bodies deformed; foul their faces which smiled not, but their laugh that of the clash of metal, and to nothing were they more fain than to aid in the basest of the purposes of Melkor."

—J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fall of Gondolin

In J.R.R. Tolkien's writings, Orcs were cruel, sadistic, black-hearted, vicious, and hateful of most things, particularly of those who were orderly and prosperous. They were short in stature (unless of the Uruk-hai variety) and humanoid in shape. They were generally squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, bow-legged, with wide mouths and slant eyes, long arms, dark skin, and fangs (this description has become controversial, as Tolkien noted Orcs would appear to Europeans as "least-lovely Mongol types", and based the Uruk-hai on (what is now considered) a xenophobic depiction of the Huns from a Roman historian's perspective, so certain traits such as "slant-eyed" and having dark skin are more viewed today as racist depictions of Orcs characteristic to racial stereotypes of Tolkien's time). Tolkien describes one "huge Orc chieftain" as "almost Man-high", and some must have been close to Hobbit height, as Sam and Frodo were able to disguise themselves as Orcs in Mordor. They were roughly humanoid in shape with pointed ears, sharpened teeth and grimy skin. Their appearance was considered revolting by most of the other races. Most Orcs did not live long, as they were viewed as expendable by the Dark Lords; however, in peacetime, certain Orcs such as Azog and Bolg lived for well over a century,^{[citation needed]} so it is likely they lived quite long when not being ruled by the Dark Lords.

Orcs of Mordor as depicted by John Howe

Two different breeds of Orcs, as depicted by Alan Lee

Orcs made no beautiful things, but many clever ones including machines, tools, weapons, and instruments of torture. They were delighted by wheels, engines, and explosions, and could tunnel and mine as well as any but the most skilled Dwarves, though they are often untidy and dirty. This was so since the time Melkor created them (in an unknown process). They hated themselves, and had an even deeper secret hatred for Melkor, thus resulting as a violent and warlike race in a perpetual state of chaos with itself and others. Despite their abominable nature, Orcs were often crafty and clever rather than dim-witted. Tolkien writes that they were capable smiths and craftsmen, though things of their making are described as crude compared to those of the Free Peoples. They seemed to favor scimitars, as opposed to straight swords. Orcs also developed tunnel-making, so as to dwell underground away from the light. It is also worth noting that Orcs prefer to do no more work than they can help, as they would rather coerce others into working for them.

Wickedness and violence were their nature, and it was not uncommon for them to kill each other in petty quarrels. They had a destructive effect on nature, especially forests, and often destroyed trees to fuel their war-making, particularly those near Isengard. Orcs had unchangeable disdain for all Elves, Dwarves, and Men, though they fought alongside wicked men under Morgoth and then Sauron in the First, Second, and Third Ages and were also said to have made alliances with wicked Dwarves.

Etymology

In Tolkien's Sindarin language, Orc is orch, plural yrch. In his late, post-Lord of the Rings writings (published in The Peoples of Middle-earth), he preferred the spelling "Ork", evidently mainly to avoid the form Orcish, which would be naturally pronounced with the c as /s/ instead of /k/. (In Tolkien's languages the letter c was always pronounced /k/.) It is also possible that the word is a Common Tongue Version of 'orch', the Sindarin word for Orc. The original sense of the word seems to be "bogey", "bogeyman", that is, something that provokes fear, as seen in the Quenya cognate urko, pl. urqui. In Old English, Orc means "demon."

The term Uruk-hai merely means "orc-folk" in the Black Speech, and was the Uruk-hai's name for themselves.

Other names

Glamhoth was a Sindarin word for Orcs that meant 'din-horde'.

Gorgûn was the name that the wild men of the Drúadan Forest used for Orcs in their own language. Although is was also the name of an orc in specific.

Yrch was the term used by Haldir and his brothers, who were Elves of Lothlórien. This same word was also used by Legolas, indicating that it was either Sindarin or Silvan Elvish in origin.

Uruk was the term used by Orcs in general, which referred to their race overall and their stronger kin in their own language (Black Speech).

Terminology

"Orc is not an English word. It occurs in one or two places [in The Hobbit] but is usually translated goblin (or hobgoblin for the larger kinds)."

—J.R.R. Tolkien, Preface to The Hobbit

Tolkien explained in a note at the start of The Hobbit that he was using English to represent the languages used by the characters, and that goblin (or hobgoblin for the larger kind) was the English translation he was using for the word Orc, the hobbits' form of the name. Tolkien used the term goblin extensively in The Hobbit, and also occasionally in The Lord of the Rings, as when the Uruk-hai of Isengard are first described: "four goblin-soldiers of greater stature".

A clear illustration that Tolkien considered Goblins and Orcs to be the same thing, the former word merely being the English translation of the latter is that in The Hobbit (the only one of Tolkien's works in which he usually refers to Orcs as goblins), Gandalf asks Thorin if he remembers Azog the Goblin who killed his grandfather Thrór, while in all his other writings Tolkien describes Azog as a "great Orc".

In The Hobbit, Tolkien mentions Orcs as a large variety of Goblins, leading some to the notion that the Northern Orcs of the Misty Mountains were of smaller build than average Orcs, although the "Great Goblin" and "Azog the Goblin" (as he was called in The Hobbit) were massive in size. Tolkien also described Goblins as big, ugly creatures, "cruel, wicked, and bad-hearted."

Named Orcs

• Azog
• Bolg
• Boldog
• Balcmeg
• Great Goblin
• Golfimbul
• Gorbag
• Gorgol
• Grishnákh

• Lagduf
• Lug
• Lugdush
• Mauhúr
• Muzgash
• Othrod
• Orcobal

• Radbug
• Shagrat
• Snaga
• Uglúk
• Ufthak

Quotes about Orcs

"But of those unhappy ones [elves] who were ensnared by Melkor little is known of a certainty. For who of the living has descended into the pits of Utumno, or has explored the darkness of the counsels of Melkor? Yet this is held true by the wise of Eressëa, that all those of the Quendi who came into the hands of Melkor, ere Utumno was broken, were put there in prison, and by slow arts of cruelty were corrupted and enslaved; and thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of the Orcs in envy and mockery of the Elves, of whom they were afterwards the bitterest foes. For the Orcs had life and multiplied after the manner of the Children of Ilúvatar; and naught that had life of its own, nor the semblance of life, could ever Melkor make since his rebellion in the Ainulindalë before the Beginning: so say the wise. And deep in their dark hearts the Orcs loathed the Master whom they served in fear, the maker only of their misery. This it may be was the vilest deed of Melkor, and the most hateful to Ilúvatar."

—J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion, Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor

"And ere long the evil creatures came even to Beleriand, over passes in the mountains, or up from the south through the dark forests. Wolves there were, or creatures that walked in wolf-shapes, and other fell beings of shadow; and among them were the Orcs, who afterwards wrought ruin in Beleriand: but they were yet few and wary, and did but smell out the ways of the land, awaiting the return of their lord. Whence they came, or what they were, the Elves knew not then, thinking them perhaps to be Avari who had become evil and savage in the wild; in which they guessed all too near, it is said."

—J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion, Of the Sindar

In other writings

Goblins appear in some of Tolkien's other writings outside of the legendarium. For example, in Letters from Father Christmas, they were enemies of Father Christmas and of Red Gnomes, Green Elves, and Snow Elves. In this account, Goblins used a pictographic writing system.

In adaptations

Films

The Hobbit (1977 animated film)

In The Hobbit, the Orcs are called Goblins and have a more bloated and squat appearance compared to other adaptations plus they tend to have horns.

Depiction in 1978

The Lord of the Rings (1978 animated film)

In The Lord of the Rings, the Orcs are voiced by extras. They are all humanoid beings with red eyes and many inhuman features; there doesn't seem to be much variation among them outside of three types.

The first and most prominent type is distinguished by their clawed hands and feet, fangs, black body hair, feline cheeks, and potentially green skin. In addition, they are quite broad-shouldered and have a stooped posture. Their attire is mostly consistent: many wear robes resembling togas and double-horned helms similar to Viking helmets; a few members of Uglúk's group seem to be wearing jet-black body suits instead of togas (and these ones tend to be skinnier than the rest); further still, at least two Orcs (seen both at Moria and as a part of Uglúk's group) wear very scaly armor and are shorter than the rest.

Another less-common Orc type has more apelike features, including large mouths, thick teeth, heavy brows, long faces with flat noses, and a lot of head hair; they stand tall, lack claws, and wear robe-like tunics and no headgear. They appear after Merry and Pippin are captured and are extensively featured throughout the Battle of Helm's Deep.

Finally, a third type is observed, faintly resembling the previous two but wearing tunics and head-bandages that reveal nothing but their eyes and noses (though, at least one can be seen with fangs). They are the least prominent variety, appearing until after Merry and Pippin are captured.

Depiction in 1980

The Return of the King (1980 animated film)

In The Return of the King, the Orcs are voiced by Paul Frees. They resemble the Goblins seen in The Hobbit, but have grey skin and are generally more thin.

Peter Jackson's films

In Peter Jackson's two film trilogies, Orcs range greatly in appearance. Skin colour ranges from bone white (Azog and Bolg) to peachy colours (Orcs like the lieutenant Gothmog in The Return of the King), to shades of green. Most Orcs however are shown as having darker shades of black or brown skin. Some are more human-like than others; Azog looks like a large and muscular but pale and hairless human, whilst Gothmog has a very deformed face. In general the Orcs tend to be shorter than most men. Some Orcs shown are particularly slack with poor posture and broad with long arms, a shape represented best in Grishnákh's portrayal in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; others, such as all Uruks, have a human posture. A new rendition of Orcs was introduced in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: short mutated creatures covered in dubious warts and unidentified growths. They have pallid pinkish-white skin, large heads, and bat-like or porcine facial features.

Bolg in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The clothing and armour worn by Orcs in the films vary greatly. The Orcs wear an assortment of different styles of armour and clothing and also commonly have various piercings and tribal scars. Other Orcs wear specifically designed and made uniform armour for battle. They are often bald or are balding, while others have long, coarse hair. Their hair is most often dark or greying in colour, but in The Return of the King some Orcs with blond hair and beards are seen marching from Minas Morgul.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Orcs are featured throughout The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, often being antagonists in many encounters. In the show, Orcs refer to themselves as "Uruks" and prefer to be called "Uruk".

Their closer portrayal in the series compared to in previous adaptations (e.g. Adar and his followers who had renounced their loyalty to both Morgoth and his successor Sauron, and the revelation of Glûg having a wife and child he deeply cherished) has stirred controversy among fans, as with other changes.

Ironically, this was something Tolkien was also troubles by as the notion of Orcs being evil as a race contradicted his Catholic upbringing which influenced his works.^{[citation needed]}

Orcs in the Rings of Power are generally less "developed", having emerged from the War of Wrath, and are presumably descended from the elves corrupted and tortured into becoming the first Orcs. After the War of Wrath, they are gathered by Sauron, who wants to become the next Dark Lord, and experiments cruelly on Orcs in the fortress of Durnost in Forodwaith during the early Second Age. These experiments alienate Adar, who hates Sauron further when Sauron gives a lengthy speech to the Orcs on his coronation, telling them they have no choice but to follow him, since their race is hated by everyone else, and after an Orc tries to assasinate him, cruelly stabs the Orc in the eye multiple times. This prompts Adar, who is trusted with crowning Sauron, to stab Sauron in the back with his crown, and the Orcs help Adar "kill" Sauron, hailing Adar as their new leader; after this, they travel to the Southlands, enduring many hardships.

Upon reaching the Southlands, Orc-holds are established, with Adar and his followers building tunnels and enslaving Elves and Southlanders to build tunnels above ground; many Uruks of the Southlands help capture Arondir and others, and were injured or slain when Arondir led a failed revolt; these Uruks later hailed Adar as he approached them, and were noted to speak of him with reverence. During the Battle of Ostirith, many Uruks were injured; after the Battle of Tirharad, Uruks happily chanted "Udun" as Mordor was brought into being.

During Adar's rule of Mordor, many Uruks/Orcs helped him enslave and brand (or kill) the remaining Southlanders in Mordor. The legions of Orcs/Uruks are later led out of Mordor by Adar, who hears from Halbrand (Sauron in disguise) that Sauron is alive and seeking to enslave the "children" of Adar again.

Adar, after getting the proof from a captive Galadriel that Sauron is Halbrand, and is in Eregion, leads the Uruks/Orcs to war against Eregion. However, as Adar makes decisions that are rash and lead to the deaths of many Uruks, while showing less concern due to his desire to defeat Sauron to free the Uruks from his potential control, many Uruks led by his right-hand, Glug, begin opposing Adar. When Glug and his soldiers encounter Sauron later during the siege of Eregion, they submit to Sauron, and stab Adar to death, hailing Sauron as their new "Dark Lord"; the Uruks/Orcs who did not betray Adar, upon hearing an Uruk/Orc referring to "Lord Sauron", are forced to submit to him as well. However, the Orcs/Uruks retreat after Dwarves reinforce Eregion, but are forced back into war by Sauron, who kills Glug sadistically for reporting to him that many Orcs/Uruks will die if they continue fighting.

Video games

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth

Orcs appear in both the Mordor and Isengard factions of The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth (2004). In the Mordor faction they comprise basic infantry and archer units, and operate siege weapons such as the Battering Ram and Catapult. In the Isengard faction, Orcs are far fewer in comparison to the Uruk-hai, serving as the faction's calvary units (Warg Riders) and laborers. Goblins would appear as neutral evil enemies.

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II

Orcs within the Mordor and Isengard faction largely retain their prominence and roles in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II (2006), along with the introduction of Orc builder units for all the evil factions. Two new evil factions would also be introduced: Goblins and Angmar. The latter being introduced in the Rise of the Witch-king expansion.

Formerly a neutral evil enemy encountered in the first game, Goblins return as a fully-fledged faction and would retain their appearance drawn from their portrayal in Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring, such as their crude weapons and armor, hunched postures, smaller statures, and large eyes. The Goblins specialize in fast-paced shock-and-awe tactics, as their basic units (though weak) are highly mobile, inexpensive, and can quickly traverse the map (even able to climb walls) and threaten an unprepared opponent. A baseline Orc would also serve as the Goblins' builder unit.

The Angmar faction would have Orcs of Gundabad within their ranks, serving as the faction's builders, basic infantry, and its only true calvary in the form of its Wolf Riders. These units would complement Angmar's more expensive and advanced units.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Orc culture is largely expanded through the use of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor's (2014) Nemesis System, wherein Orcs serve as the primary enemies but the player-character Talion must take advantage of their cultural hierarchy to oppose Sauron's armies.

Orcs range in height and body type from smaller and hunched over to taller and muscular, or medium height and rounder, with skin-colors that are mainly in hues of green. Orc Captains lead grunts, and usually have titles that describe their personality or some feat they have accomplished. These titles may also change to reflect their change in status, great victories or defeats. Orcs are also shown to have more nuanced personalities, they have fears that can be exploited and cause them to retreat, or they may become enraged and fight harder, others even have the trait to mercifully spare their opponents, or humiliate them without finishing off a downed opponent. They may form rivalries with other Orc's, Talion can even form alliances with a small number of them. At the heart of the Orc social hierarchy is the infighting amongst them as they seek to climb the ranks, something that Talion can seek to exploit. The leader of the Orcs in the regions of Udun and Nurn are the Warchief, who may travel with bodyguard subordinates. Partway through Talion gains the ability to 'Dominate' Orcs by instilling enough fear in them that they defect from Saurons forces. A key component of the Nemesis system is the ability for slain Uruk's to come back upon defeat, either due to their hardy bodies healing or the use of powerful Orcish medicine. The Orcs love of the alcoholic drink Grog is also showcased, something that can be weaponized against them via poison or its explosive nature.

A later DLC campaign showcases the Orcs attempt to tame the local wildlife of Mordor into their armies, with some Orcs even treating them compassionately as pets. This foreshadows the introduction of new enemy types in the sequels.

A separate DLC campaign shows the Ringmaker Celebrimbor's failed attempt to conquer Mordor with the One True Ring, which he uses to rally an ancient army of Orcs to campaign against Sauron.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

The Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) sequel expands on almost every mechanic from the prior game, including the Nemesis system, and the interaction and complexity of the Orcs.

The Orcs are now divided into several distinct tribes with their own unique tactics and weaponry. These include the the Mystic tribe uses black magic and necromancy, the Dark tribe focuses on stealth and ambush, the Feral tribe has mastered hunting and the domestication of Mordor's fiercest animals, the Maurader Tribe live for plunder and loot, the Machine tribe have mastered Mordor's burgeoning industry, the Warmonger tribe revere warfare itself, the Terror tribe are obsessed with both causing and receiving pain, and with the DLC there are also the Slaughter tribe that butcher their enemies and consume the meat, and the Outlaw tribe that pursue a policy of Mordor for the Orcs, shunning both the Dark and Bright Lords. The Half-Troll Olog-Hai are also introduced, many of whom speak either in Black-Speech or a heavy accent.

Orcs feature an expanded number of interactions, including the raiding of supplies of rival orcs, or leading them into ambushes, feats of strength against the Mordor wildlife or fights to the death in fighting pits to prove their worth, and the execution of rivals. Many of these interactions can be taken advantage of by the player character. They also feature an expanded set of personality traits- the player character has the ability to recruit a bodyguard amongst the Orcs who may nobly save the player, or in fact double-cross them. Some Orcs form friendships and alliances so strong with one another they become blood-brothers, refusing to come into conflict and vowing revenge on their blood-brothers killer. Orcs may continue to survive grievous battle wounds from their natural resistance, or Orcish medicine, but necromancy adds an additional complication, with some Orcs practicing necromantic arts. Certain Orcs are iron-willed refusing domination, while others are more likely to retreat upon losing a battle. In addition to domination, the player may also shame defeated Orcs, inflicting mental anguish on them as a punishment or to lower their level for subsequent fights. This has a chance to mentally break an enemy, while they may stay a dangerous combatant they are reduced to gibbering nonsense. Others however may gain the unashamed trait becoming impossible to further shame. Orcish relations are important to manage, as failing to appreciate them can easily lead to mutiny's and double-crosses from dominated Orcs.

In a key story beat- the Orc ally of convenience of the prior game, Ratbag, is portrayed as having a strong friendship with an Olog-Hai he names Ranger in honor of Talion. Ranger himself detests Ratbag, speaking only in Black Speech, but he allied with Ratbag sensing his strong survival instincts. When Ranger is captured by Bruz, a traitor in the Bright-Lord's army, Ratbag becomes uncharacteristically determined to find and save Ranger. When they ultimately rescue them, the subsequent shaming of Bruz is so brutal that it shocks even someone as low as Ratbag, and both he and Ranger quietly leave the Bright Lords service in response.

An additional rank in the Orcish Hierarchy is introduced with the Overlords- Orcs that command numerous war-chiefs from a Stronghold that governs a region of Mordor. These Overlords will rally their forces with speeches in the event of a siege or assault, but wait at the center of their stronghold to face the Bright Lord with their bodyguards, followers, and a customized defensive environment.

More video games

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2002)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) for Playstation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, Gameboy Advance
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) for Playstation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, Gameboy Advance
• The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring
• The Hobbit: The Prelude to The Lord of the Rings (2003) for Playstation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, Gameboy Advance
• The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (2004) for Playstation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, Gameboy Advance
• The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (2010) for Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
• J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Volume 1 (1994) for SNES. Orcs appear as minotaur-like creatures in four different colors: green, blue, red, and gray.

Gallery

Orcs

Azog in The Hobbit film trilogy

Bolg in The Hobbit film trilogy

Orcs

Orcs of the Misty Mountains

Orc Archer at the Battle of the Pelennor

Gothmog in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

Orcs as seen in the prologue of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Orcs as portrayed by illustrator Alan Lee

Trivia

• Considering how much J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium influenced countless fantasy works after it, there's no doubt the Orcs he invented became the basis for their countless iterations in other fantasy works such as games like Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, and The Elder Scrolls, Dragon's Dogma Online, Dungeon Keeper, as well as anime/light novel/manga Sword Art Online, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Delicious in Dungeon, and many more. Though such portrayals tend to emphasize their barbaric lifestyle, Orcs in such works are, sometimes, more than often a naturally occurring race (not descended from members of pre-existing ones corrupted and disfigured by evil like suggested by Tolkien's original versions), and even displayed better capacity to choose between good and evil.

Translations

Foreign Language	Translated name
Amharic	ዖርችስ
Arabic	الأورك
Armenian	Ործս
Basque	Orkora
Belarusian Cyrillic	Оркі
Bengali	ওর্চ্স
Bosnian	Orci
Bulgarian Cyrillic	Орките
Chinese	兽人(Lucifer Chu Edition) /奥克(Deng Jiawan Edition)
Croatian	Orci
Czech	Skřeti
Danish	Orker
Dutch	Orks
Esperanto	Orko
Finnish	Örkit
French	Orques
Galician	Orco
Georgian	ორკები
German	Orks
Greek	Ορκς
Gujarati	ઑર્ચ્સ
Hebrew	אורקים
Hindi	ॐर्च्स
Hungarian	Orkok
Icelandic	Orkar
Italian	Orchi
Japanese	オーク
Kannada	ಓರ್ಕ್ಸ್
Kazakh Cyrillic	Орцс
Korean	오크
Kyrgyz Cyrillic	Орцс
Laotian	ອrຈຊ ?
Latvian	Orks
Lithuanian	Orkai
Macedonian Cyrillic	Орци
Marathi	ॐर्च्स
Mongolian Cyrillic	Орцс
Nepalese	ॐर्च्स
Norwegian	Orker
Pashto	ورچس
Persian	اورک
Polish	Orkowie
Romanian	Orcii
Russian	Орки
Sanskrit	ॐर्च्स्
Serbian	Оркови (Cyrillic) Orkovi (Latin)
Sinhalese	ඕර්ච්ස්
Slovak	Ohyzdi
Slovenian	Orki
Spanish	Orco
Swedish	Orcherna
Tajik Cyrillic	Орчс
Tamil	ஓகர்ஸ்
Telugu	ఓర్చ్స
Thai	ออร์ค
Turkish	Orklar
Ukrainian Cyrillic	Орки
Urdu	ورچس
Uzbek	Орчс (Cyrillic) Orchs (Latin)
Welsh	Orchod
Yiddish	ױרשס