The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 7 books · 1937 to 2007

J. R. R. Tolkien

FantasyEpic and high fantasy

J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth runs from the creation myths of The Silmarillion through The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings, in which Frodo Baggins carries the One Ring to Mordor with his gardener Sam and the Fellowship.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. The Lord of the Rings is listed as its three volumes. The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and The Children of Húrin were edited by Christopher Tolkien after his father's death.

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Who appears in which book

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LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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J. R. R. Tolkien books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Middle-earth

7 books · Set in Middle-earth · story order differsEpic and high fantasy
  1. 1The Hobbit1937With Bilbo BagginsBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Fellowship of the Ring1954With Frodo BagginsBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The Two Towers1954With Frodo BagginsBuy on Amazon
  4. 4The Return of the King1955With Frodo Baggins and Samwise GamgeeBuy on Amazon
  5. 5The Silmarillion1977Buy on Amazon
  6. 6Unfinished Tales1980Buy on Amazon
  7. 7The Children of Húrin2007With Túrin TurambarBuy on Amazon

Characters

13 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

Middle-earth