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LOTR orcs are the worst orcs.

Worst Kench NA·3/26/2019, 6:06:58 PM·1 votes·1,513 views

If anyone feels differently, please let me know why.

As someone that's come to love orcs across a span of different series (Elder Scrolls, Warcraft, Warhammer orks etc.) and not really putting the time in to reading LOTR before, I find their characterization really poor and one dimensional. They're basically more organic weapons than actual people, created to just kill and genocide anything that gets in their way. It seems like there's absolutely zero chance that they could be redeemed in any possible way either. I've come to love modern fantasy for how out there it can be when it comes to innovative art and design, and I realise that Tolkien is basically the foundation for all of that and is important in his own right because of it. I think that he's fantastic when it comes to worldbuilding, and it's not like everyone in the LOTR/Hobbit is characterized badly, most aren't (I absolutely adore Smaug) but the orcs are just... too terribly one dimensional to ignore.

I suppose it's good then that I think they're the worst because it shows evolution in the genre and an attempt to give depth to old creatures that may as well have just been placeholders for generic evil that required slaying. That's just me though. Am I wrong? Have I not been looking far enough ahead to see something about them that I'm missing?

13 Comments

Arvail3/26/2019, 6:14:06 PM8 votes

So one of the recurring things in Tolkien's works is that Evil can't really create something. Instead, it warps and twists existing things. The exact origins of Orcs isn't clear, but they have been thoroughly corrupted. In order to properly characterize Evil the way Tolkien tries to present it, it is NECESSARY for Orcs to be one dimensional. They come across as drab only because they must be irredeemable.

It's rare for fantasy fiction to impose such clear separations of good and evil anymore, but Tolkien really stuck with it. If anything, having Orcs be capable of redemption or depth would take away from his world in a meaningful way.

Rock MD3/26/2019, 6:30:50 PM4 votes

Not everything or everyone needs characterization.

That's what I hate about modern day "critics". Orcs aren't supposed to be good in any capacity. They're mindless, warped beasts. We're not supposed to feel sorry for them, they're supposed to be the enemy.

This is different from modern fiction writing (i.e. WoW) because these companies want to make the orcs playable characters, and doing so needs some sort of incentive to play them. Therefore you need characterization and reasons to identify with them.

Tolkien needs a bad guy you wholly understand is the bad guy. Orcs serve this purpose.

Schoenberg3/26/2019, 6:12:23 PM3 votes

Duality vs. distinct good and evil / right and wrong.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this is what we call taste.

Edit: and what arvail said.

CLG ear3/26/2019, 6:15:53 PM1 votes

I liked that scene where the uruk hai leader threw the knife at aragorn, and aragorn had to bat it away with his sword

dragfin123/26/2019, 6:33:04 PM1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Worst Kench NA,realm=NA,application-id=yrc23zHg,discussion-id=73KNpej4,comment-id=,timestamp=2019-03-26T18:06:58.497+0000)

If anyone feels differently, please let me know why.

As someone that's come to love orcs across a span of different series (Elder Scrolls, Warcraft, Warhammer orks etc.) and not really putting the time in to reading LOTR before, I find their characterization really poor and one dimensional. They're basically more organic weapons than actual people, created to just kill and genocide anything that gets in their way. It seems like there's absolutely zero chance that they could be redeemed in any possible way either. I've come to love modern fantasy for how out there it can be when it comes to innovative art and design, and I realise that Tolkien is basically the foundation for all of that and is important in his own right because of it. I think that he's fantastic when it comes to worldbuilding, and it's not like everyone in the LOTR/Hobbit is characterized badly, most aren't (I absolutely adore Smaug) but the orcs are just... too terribly one dimensional to ignore.

I suppose it's good then that I think they're the worst because it shows evolution in the genre and an attempt to give depth to old creatures that may as well have just been placeholders for generic evil that required slaying. That's just me though. Am I wrong? Have I not been looking far enough ahead to see something about them that I'm missing?

I will always refer to Mr. Tolkien's' work, especially when it comes to Orcs as he is pretty much their creator. Everyone after that are copycats and threw in their own flavor.

Stars Shaper3/26/2019, 6:37:55 PM1 votes

As others have said, they aren't supposed to be redeemable.

They were originally elves who got twisted and molded into the beasts that serve the dark lord and nothing more.

Mordepool3/26/2019, 7:11:47 PM1 votes

Orcs are one dimensional killing machines in LOTR because a GOD made them that way. He needed an Army and he made and effective unruly Mob which are easily cowed.