Lord of the Rings Quiz
Frodo, Gandalf, Gollum and the One Ring: 15 questions on Tolkien's Middle-earth, from the Shire to Mount Doom.
Which hobbit is entrusted with carrying the One Ring to Mordor?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Frodo Baggins
Frodo inherits the Ring from his uncle Bilbo and volunteers at the Council of Elrond to carry it to Mordor, saying he will take the Ring though he does not know the way.
Tolkien originally called the character Bingo Bolger-Baggins in early drafts before settling on the name Frodo.
Which actor played Gandalf in Peter Jackson's film trilogy?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen played Gandalf in all three Lord of the Rings films and returned for The Hobbit trilogy, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for The Fellowship of the Ring.
Christopher Lee, who played Saruman, was the only cast member who had actually met Tolkien, and he reread the books every year.
Where must the One Ring be destroyed?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Mount Doom
The Ring can only be unmade in the Cracks of Doom inside Orodruin, the volcano in Mordor where Sauron forged it, so Frodo and Sam must carry it all the way into the mountain.
Orodruin is Sindarin for Mountain of Blazing Fire, and the Elves also called it Amon Amarth, which means Mount Doom.
What is the name of Bilbo and Frodo's home in Hobbiton?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Bag End
Bag End is the comfortable hobbit-hole dug into the Hill at Hobbiton where Bilbo lives in The Hobbit and which Frodo inherits, along with the Ring, at the start of the story.
Tolkien borrowed the name from his aunt Jane Neave's farm in Worcestershire, which locals called Bag End.
How many members make up the Fellowship of the Ring when it leaves Rivendell?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Nine
Elrond chooses nine walkers to set against the nine Ringwraiths: four hobbits, two men, an elf, a dwarf and a wizard. The company sets out from Rivendell on 25 December.
The Fellowship lasts less than two months before breaking up at Amon Hen, when Boromir falls and Frodo leaves with Sam.
Who forged the One Ring?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Sauron
Sauron secretly forged the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom to control the other Rings of Power, pouring much of his own strength into it so that he could dominate their bearers.
Celebrimbor and the Elven-smiths of Eregion made the three Elven rings without Sauron's help, which is why they stay untainted.
What is the name of Gandalf's horse?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Shadowfax
Shadowfax is the lord of the Mearas, the great horses of Rohan, and he allows Gandalf to ride him without saddle or bridle after the wizard escapes from Orthanc.
Snowmane is Théoden's horse, Brego is the horse Aragorn rides in the films, and Bill is Sam's faithful pony.
Which Elf-lord rules Rivendell?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven founded Rivendell as a refuge in the Second Age and hosts the Council that decides the fate of the Ring. He is also the father of Arwen.
Elrond's twin brother Elros chose a mortal life and became the first king of Númenor, making Elrond a distant kinsman of Aragorn.
Before the Ring warped him, Gollum belonged to which people?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Hobbits
Gandalf explains that Sméagol came from a river-dwelling branch of hobbit-kind, the Stoors, who lived near the Gladden Fields where the Ring had lain lost for centuries.
Gollum carried the Ring for nearly 500 years under the Misty Mountains, stretching his life far beyond any normal hobbit span.
What is the name of Aragorn's sword after it is reforged from the shards of Narsil?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Andúril
The Elven-smiths of Rivendell reforge the broken blade of Elendil for Aragorn, who renames it Andúril, Flame of the West. Narsil was the sword that cut the Ring from Sauron's hand.
Glamdring is Gandalf's sword and Sting is Bilbo's, and both were found in the same troll hoard in The Hobbit.
Which Ent leads the march on Isengard?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Treebeard
Treebeard, also called Fangorn, is the oldest of the Ents. After meeting Merry and Pippin he calls an Entmoot, and the Ents decide to march on Saruman's stronghold of Isengard and destroy it.
Tolkien said he created the Ents partly out of disappointment that Birnam Wood never truly marched on Dunsinane in Macbeth.
Who kills the Witch-king of Angmar at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Éowyn
Éowyn, fighting in disguise as the rider Dernhelm, strikes the fatal blow after Merry stabs the Witch-king from behind. The prophecy said that no living man could kill him.
The Barrow-blade Merry uses was made by the men of Westernesse specifically to fight the Witch-king's realm of Angmar.
In the books, who is the wife of Tom Bombadil?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Goldberry
Goldberry, the River-daughter, lives with Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest and shelters the hobbits after Tom rescues them from Old Man Willow. The whole episode was cut from the films.
Tom Bombadil was based on a Dutch doll owned by Tolkien's son Michael and first appeared in a 1934 poem.
In the Scouring of the Shire, who turns out to be the ruffians' boss known as Sharkey?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Saruman
The hobbits return home to find the Shire under the thumb of Sharkey, who is revealed to be Saruman. He is killed on Bag End's doorstep by Wormtongue, who is then shot by hobbit archers.
Sharkey comes from sharkû, an Orkish word meaning old man, and the chapter is one of the biggest omissions in Peter Jackson's films.
How many Academy Awards did The Return of the King win at the 2004 ceremony?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
11
The Return of the King won all 11 of its nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, tying the record total shared by Ben-Hur and Titanic and setting a record for a clean sweep.
It was also the first sequel to win Best Picture since The Godfather Part II nearly 30 years earlier.
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All Literature quizzes →About the Lord of the Rings Quiz
J.R.R. Tolkien spent more than a decade writing The Lord of the Rings, and the three volumes have sold well over 150 million copies since 1954. Peter Jackson's film trilogy then turned Middle-earth into a global phenomenon, with The Return of the King sweeping all eleven of its Academy Award nominations in 2004.
These 15 questions follow the One Ring from Bag End to the fires of Mount Doom. You will meet the nine members of the Fellowship, name swords, horses and Elf-lords, and face a few deeper cuts that only readers of the books will know, like Tom Bombadil and the Scouring of the Shire. It suits anyone who has read the books or watched the films, with the final questions saved for true Tolkien fans.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
How many questions are in the Lord of the Rings Quiz?
There are 15 multiple choice questions, each with four options, and every answer comes with an explanation and a bonus fact.
Is this quiz based on the books or the films?
Mostly the books, since the questions follow Tolkien's story, but a few questions cover the iconic Peter Jackson film trilogy too.
How hard is the Lord of the Rings Quiz?
It is rated Medium. The opening questions are easy for anyone who has seen the films, while the last few reward readers who know the books well.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- Which hobbit is entrusted with carrying the One Ring to Mordor?
Frodo Baggins Frodo inherits the Ring from his uncle Bilbo and volunteers at the Council of Elrond to carry it to Mordor, saying he will take the Ring though he does not know the way. Tolkien originally called the character Bingo Bolger-Baggins in early drafts before settling on the name Frodo. - Which actor played Gandalf in Peter Jackson's film trilogy?
Ian McKellen Ian McKellen played Gandalf in all three Lord of the Rings films and returned for The Hobbit trilogy, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for The Fellowship of the Ring. Christopher Lee, who played Saruman, was the only cast member who had actually met Tolkien, and he reread the books every year. - Where must the One Ring be destroyed?
Mount Doom The Ring can only be unmade in the Cracks of Doom inside Orodruin, the volcano in Mordor where Sauron forged it, so Frodo and Sam must carry it all the way into the mountain. Orodruin is Sindarin for Mountain of Blazing Fire, and the Elves also called it Amon Amarth, which means Mount Doom. - What is the name of Bilbo and Frodo's home in Hobbiton?
Bag End Bag End is the comfortable hobbit-hole dug into the Hill at Hobbiton where Bilbo lives in The Hobbit and which Frodo inherits, along with the Ring, at the start of the story. Tolkien borrowed the name from his aunt Jane Neave's farm in Worcestershire, which locals called Bag End. - How many members make up the Fellowship of the Ring when it leaves Rivendell?
Nine Elrond chooses nine walkers to set against the nine Ringwraiths: four hobbits, two men, an elf, a dwarf and a wizard. The company sets out from Rivendell on 25 December. The Fellowship lasts less than two months before breaking up at Amon Hen, when Boromir falls and Frodo leaves with Sam. - Who forged the One Ring?
Sauron Sauron secretly forged the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom to control the other Rings of Power, pouring much of his own strength into it so that he could dominate their bearers. Celebrimbor and the Elven-smiths of Eregion made the three Elven rings without Sauron's help, which is why they stay untainted. - What is the name of Gandalf's horse?
Shadowfax Shadowfax is the lord of the Mearas, the great horses of Rohan, and he allows Gandalf to ride him without saddle or bridle after the wizard escapes from Orthanc. Snowmane is Théoden's horse, Brego is the horse Aragorn rides in the films, and Bill is Sam's faithful pony. - Which Elf-lord rules Rivendell?
Elrond Elrond Half-elven founded Rivendell as a refuge in the Second Age and hosts the Council that decides the fate of the Ring. He is also the father of Arwen. Elrond's twin brother Elros chose a mortal life and became the first king of Númenor, making Elrond a distant kinsman of Aragorn. - Before the Ring warped him, Gollum belonged to which people?
Hobbits Gandalf explains that Sméagol came from a river-dwelling branch of hobbit-kind, the Stoors, who lived near the Gladden Fields where the Ring had lain lost for centuries. Gollum carried the Ring for nearly 500 years under the Misty Mountains, stretching his life far beyond any normal hobbit span. - What is the name of Aragorn's sword after it is reforged from the shards of Narsil?
Andúril The Elven-smiths of Rivendell reforge the broken blade of Elendil for Aragorn, who renames it Andúril, Flame of the West. Narsil was the sword that cut the Ring from Sauron's hand. Glamdring is Gandalf's sword and Sting is Bilbo's, and both were found in the same troll hoard in The Hobbit. - Which Ent leads the march on Isengard?
Treebeard Treebeard, also called Fangorn, is the oldest of the Ents. After meeting Merry and Pippin he calls an Entmoot, and the Ents decide to march on Saruman's stronghold of Isengard and destroy it. Tolkien said he created the Ents partly out of disappointment that Birnam Wood never truly marched on Dunsinane in Macbeth. - Who kills the Witch-king of Angmar at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields?
Éowyn Éowyn, fighting in disguise as the rider Dernhelm, strikes the fatal blow after Merry stabs the Witch-king from behind. The prophecy said that no living man could kill him. The Barrow-blade Merry uses was made by the men of Westernesse specifically to fight the Witch-king's realm of Angmar. - In the books, who is the wife of Tom Bombadil?
Goldberry Goldberry, the River-daughter, lives with Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest and shelters the hobbits after Tom rescues them from Old Man Willow. The whole episode was cut from the films. Tom Bombadil was based on a Dutch doll owned by Tolkien's son Michael and first appeared in a 1934 poem. - In the Scouring of the Shire, who turns out to be the ruffians' boss known as Sharkey?
Saruman The hobbits return home to find the Shire under the thumb of Sharkey, who is revealed to be Saruman. He is killed on Bag End's doorstep by Wormtongue, who is then shot by hobbit archers. Sharkey comes from sharkû, an Orkish word meaning old man, and the chapter is one of the biggest omissions in Peter Jackson's films. - How many Academy Awards did The Return of the King win at the 2004 ceremony?
11 The Return of the King won all 11 of its nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, tying the record total shared by Ben-Hur and Titanic and setting a record for a clean sweep. It was also the first sequel to win Best Picture since The Godfather Part II nearly 30 years earlier.
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