Editing Middle Earth characters (section)

==Orcs==
'''Orcs/Goblins:''' See [[Orc#Tolkien|Orcs]]. Though not what you see with [[Stormtrooper|Imperial Stormtrooper variants]], they still come in a few varieties: 
* '''Snaga''': The Black Speech word for Slave or Servant. This contemptuous term is used amongst the Orcs of Mordor and Isengard to refer to the "lesser" AKA regular Orcs, with the implication that they are only fighting for their master because they are being forced to.
* '''[[Black Orc|Uruks]]:''' A superior breed of Orcs created by Sauron in the middle of the Third Age through either eugenic practices or dark sorcery, most likely both. Uruks are resistant to sunlight (or at least far more able to tolerate it), and are taller and stronger than their lesser kin, though possibly only almost as tall or strong as Men. ''Uruk'' is the Black Speech word for ''Orc'', which opens up a whole mess of questions as to why regular Orcs are not called Uruks while these orcs of superior breeding are, although it could simply be a matter of social hierarchy given the existence and roles of ''Snaga'' within Orc society.
**'''Black Uruks:''' Another name for the Uruks of Mordor who served Sauron. May possibly have been a title only granted to the cream of the crop of Uruks, being those were of the strongest breeding and greatest devotion to Sauron, and were possibly further augmented by being "infused" with Sauron's will or dark sorcerous enchantments. 
**'''Uruk-Hai:''' Saruman's take on the above project, with these Orcs being the product of either crossbreeding lesser Orcs with Goblin-Men or crossbreeding Goblin-Men with Men, all with his own sorcery added to the mix. This experiment is said to been even more successful than Sauron's own, with the Orcs produced being as tall and strong as Men and very-resistant/tolerant of sunlight. The etymology of their name has some interesting implications, as said above, ''Uruk'' is Black Speech for Orc, while ''Hai'' is the suffix for "''Folk''"/people, with the result being "Orc-Folk". By calling themselves this, the Uruk-Hai are saying that they are the Orc-People, while all the other Orcs are merely just Orcs and not worthy of being called a people, [[Nazi|which sounds very master-race-like doesn't it?]] In-universe, the other Orcs who interacted with them hate and distrust the Uruk-Hai of Isengard for placing themselves above them and looking down on them, which lends credence to this implication.
* '''Goblin-Men/Half-Orcs''': A hybrid of lesser Orcs and Humans. Look mostly human, albeit rather ugly and "sallow-skinned". Often serve as spies for their full-blooded kin, but most seemed to exist as outlaws and bandits, possibly being the descendants of fully Human criminals and outcasts who shacked up with the Orcs who lived in the Misty Mountains and other isolated areas. Half-Orcs may have been a distinctive breed apart from Goblin-Men, but the differences between the two are never made clear. Very, very minor part of the lore, and you hardly ever see them outside of the books proper.
* '''Mountain Orcs/Goblins:''' Orcs that live in the Misty Mountains and other northern mountain ranges. Largely left to do their own thing, they mug random passersby and launch raids against human settlements. Looked down on by Mordor Orcs and Uruk-Hai as being a bunch of feral tribals, who in turn look down on them for being "slaves to the Shadow" even though they are quick to bend the knee when emissaries from Mordor come calling. Sometimes called Goblins due to linguistic shenanigans, but either way they are the same size and "race" as other normal Orcs, although many extra-canonical works (including the movies and the video games based off of them), tend to call Mountain Orcs "Goblins" and portray them as being the smallest of the Orc breeds, distinct from "regular" Orcs. 
* '''Snufflers''': A race of small, darkfurred orcs with big nostrils who were used like humanoid hunting hounds by their larger cousins. May have simply been a mutation or breedable trait rather than an actual sub-race. Never seen or mentioned outside of the books, so they're a concept that didn't catch on with most folks. 

Similarly, while they get less attention than the Free Peoples, there are still some named Orc/Uruk-hai characters in the franchise:

* '''Azog the Defiler''': An Orc Chieftain of Moria prior to the events of The Hobbit. He murdered the Dwarven King Thrór, and had the gall to say that he executed him for "trespassing" in Moria. He beheaded Thrór, branded his own name on his forehead in Dwarven Runes, and even dismembered his corpse after insulting Thrór's companion Nár and throwing a small bag of gold coins to him. This event started the ''War of the Dwarves and Orcs'', which ended when Dáin II Ironfoot slew Azog at the Battle of Azanulbizar. Azog was succeeded by his son Bolg.
** The Peter Jackson Hobbit movies had him survive his canon death so as to effectively become the main villain of the trilogy. [[Rage|Most fans were not impressed]].
* '''Bolg''': Bolg, son of Azog, was an Orc Chieftain who led a coalition of Orcs during the time of The Hobbit. Vengeful over his father's death at the hands of the Dwarves, he rallied the Orcs of the Misty Mountains along with the Orcs of Goblin Town at Mount Gundabad, and along with a host of Wargs, marched them to battle at Erebor for the Battle of Five Armies. Bolg was killed in battle by Beorn, who had taken the shape of a bear. 
**In the Hobbit Trilogy, Bolg is demoted to a second-in-command due to dad still being alive, and Legolas kills him instead after a battle that [[Wat|involves him defying gravity.]] 
* '''Uglúk''': An Uruk-Hai of Isengard who led the company which attacked the Fellowship at Amon Hen and captured Merry and Pippin. After being harried and encircled by Riders of Rohan under Éomer's command, Uglúk and his entire company were slain in battle, with Uglúk being personally killed by Éomer in a sword-fight.
* '''Gothmog''': Only mentioned briefly in Return of the King and no other description given than "Castellan of Minas Morgul", he took command over Mordors force that was still besieging Minas Tirith after the Witch-King was slain. The reason he is listed here is because Peter Jackson made him a heavily scarred Orc in the movie adaptation, the books never mention his race. Some Tolkien Scholars hold the opinion that he was actually one of the Nazgûl. 
* '''Grishnákh''': An Orc Captain of Mordor who led his own raiding party of Mordor Orcs in search of the Fellowship. He crossed paths with Uglúk's company in Rohan and tried to intimidate him into turning over Merry and Pippin to his custody, but was unable to do so and lacked the numbers to overtake the individually superior Uruk-Hai. He attempted to depart to the east, but was driven back towards Uglúk's company by the encircling Riders under Éomer, and thus made his last stand together with Uglúk's company near the eaves of the Fangorn Forest.
* '''Gorbag''': A Black Uruk Captain of Mordor who personally served the Nazgûl in Minas Morgul. He; together with Shagrat; found a paralyzed Frodo while on patrol near Cirith Ungol. He was rather observant and wily for an Orc, and was able to deduce that Frodo was not alone in his trespassing and was merely paralyzed by Shelob instead of dead. He attempted to steal Frodo's mithril shirt for himself, but in doing so provokes a fight with Shagrat, which in turn sparks a small insurrection which pitted Gorbag's patrol against Shagrat's garrison. After shanking Shagrat and failing to finish him off with a broken spear, he is killed and trampled by Shagrat. In the movies, it's Shagrat who tries to take the shirt and Gorbag who is loyal to Sauron, and Sam kills him instead. 
* '''Shagrat''': A Black Uruk Lieutenant of Mordor who commanded the garrison of the Tower of Cirith Ungol. Shagrat disagreed with Gorbag about what to do with Frodo, and tensions between him and Gorbag's troops sparked a small insurrection. After slaying Gorbag and defeating his underlings, Shagrat took Frodo's mithril shirt and journeyed to Barad-dûr. After delivering the mithril shirt and news of the incident at Cirith Ungol, he was executed by Sauron. In the movie, he's the one who tries to take the shirt for himself, but otherwise presumably dies in the same way.