Here’s Which Lord of the Rings Character You Are, Based on Your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type
I’ve always enjoyed trying to figure out the personality types of the characters in my favorite movies, particularly The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. These movies (and especially the books) have been favorites of mine since childhood, and I love how each character has their own unique way of fighting for their cause, be it good or bad. I recently re-watched all The Lord of the Rings films with my kids and fell in love with them all over again. If you’re also a fan, welcome! This place is for you. Let’s figure out which character aligns with your personality type!
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Here’s Which Lord of the Rings Character You Are, Based On Your Personality Type
Table of contents
- Here’s Which Lord of the Rings Character You Are, Based On Your Personality Type
- ISTJ – Thorin Oakenshield
- ISFJ – Samwise Gamgee
- ESTJ – Boromir
- ESFJ – Bilbo Baggins
- ISTJ – Aragorn
- ISTP – Legolas
- ESTP – Gimli
- ESFP – Pippin
- INTJ – Gandalf
- INFJ – Galadriel
- ENTJ – Saruman
- ENFJ – Faramir
- INTP – Smaug
- INFP – Frodo
- ENTP – Merry
- ISFP – Arwen
- ENFP – Tom Bombadil
- INTJ – Elrond
- ISFP – Eowyn
Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
ISTJ – Thorin Oakenshield
Reserved, determined, and practical, Thorin Oakenshield is an ISTJ with both good and negative qualities. He is intensely pragmatic and singularly-focused on restoring his home to its former glory. His belief and reverence for the past, his no-nonsense, direct manner of speaking, and sense of duty are all classic ISTJ qualities. Find out more about his type: The ISTJ Leader
ISFJ – Samwise Gamgee
Loyalty and faithfulness are hallmarks of the ISFJ personality type, and Samwise Gamgee embodies these traits well. While he loves the Shire and enjoys the routine he has there, he’s willing to risk it all to stand by his friend and keep his word. ISFJs are firm believers in following through on what they say, and he shows this so plainly as he tromps through the water after Frodo, insisting “I made a promise, Mr. Frodo, a promise. Don’t you leave him, Samwise Gamgee. And I don’t mean to. I don’t mean to.” Find out more about the ISFJ personality type: A Look at the ISFJ Leader
ESTJ – Boromir
Boromir embodies the strong ESTJ with his natural leadership capabilities, his no-nonsense outlook, and his respect for traditions. He yearns for leadership, seeing the choices of the fellowship as too impractical and needlessly inefficient. He values empirical evidence, and has no problem speaking his mind when he feels that the facts are being misrepresented. While he’s occasionally able to speculate about new ideas and foresee meanings (for example, when he predicted that the snow on the mountains was Sauron’s doing) he is more focused on his past experience and his duty than following after theories and the ideas of wizards.
ESFJ – Bilbo Baggins
Friendly, sentimental, and practical, Bilbo Baggins is one of the best examples of a male ESFJ hero there is. In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, no matter how much he may dislike a crowd of dwarves invading his home, Bilbo tries as hard as possible to remain polite and hospitable. He fills his home with heirlooms and nostalgic details and loves the familiar life of his hobbit hole in the Shire. While initially he might be afraid of change, after some thought and persuasion he can’t resist the pull of a journey to somewhere new. Because ESFJs have tertiary extraverted intuition, they often feel these longings in mid-life as that function develops. Bilbo solves problems using common sense and insight into the motivations of others.
ISTJ – Aragorn
Aragorn is, more than anything, bound by his loyalties and his duties. He keeps his inner feelings hidden, like most ISTJs, revealing only his pragmatism and his course of action. Although he feels deeply, his emotions are typically internalized and he doesn’t share needlessly; not even getting into the friendly arguments that Legolas and Gimli are bound to enjoy. Aragorn has the sensibility, dutifulness, and emotional reserve of the ISTJ personality type, while also having this type’s inner depth and loyalty.
ISTP – Legolas
Legolas thinks quickly on his feet, reacts to the present moment, and keeps a witty, clever tongue on him at all times. Like most ISTPs, he’s quiet, but he also enjoys playful banter with Gimli, turning his conquests into a game rather than getting overwhelmed by the heat of battle and the threat of imminent death. At the same time, like all ISTPs, Legolas’s sensing side and intuitive side work in tandem. We can see this through his near spiritual connection to nature, the trees, and even the wind. He’s someone who is very present in the real world, but can also sense deeper meanings and patterns. ISTPs and ISFPs also have this back and forth, symbiotic relationship with their sensing and intuitive sides.
ESTP – Gimli
Active and adventurous, Gimli captures the humor, cleverness and bravado of the ESTP perfectly. Despite his smaller size, he’s able to hold his own in battle by reacting quickly to ever-changing situations. He is excited by danger, stimulated by a challenge, and isn’t afraid to state his opinion or enjoy some humorous banter with Legolas while slaying orcs.
ESFP – Pippin
Pippin captures the enthusiasm, humor, and liveliness of the ESFP in an unforgettable way. He is driven by curiosity and a sense of adventure. He is highly empathetic to the plight of Faramir and others he meets along his journey, and he believes in telling the truth even if it might be dangerous for him. His kind-hearted, spontaneous, playful personality is what makes him and other ESFPs so lovable.
INTJ – Gandalf
Perceptive, strategic, and rational, Gandalf is the embodiment of the healthy INTJ. At one time in my life, I thought he could be an INFJ, but I believe that’s more Galadriel’s realm. Gandalf is straightforward, direct, but also kind, like the healthy INTJ. He doesn’t sugarcoat things and he’s no empath, rather he critiques directly when there’s a problem and helps everyone stay on task and aware of their part in battles. His eye for strategy, commanding nature, and alignment with his values against all odds are in alignment with INTJs at their very best. While he does care deeply for others, he’s not a “warm and fuzzy” kind of person, he simply tries to keep everyone’s eye on the big picture and the promise of an unrealized future. His intuitive abilities make him able to see past the turmoil of the present moment to the vision he has of what the world could be.
INFJ – Galadriel
Galadriel has a far-reaching vision, as well as an insight into human nature that epitomizes the INFJ personality type. She is always peering behind the surface of what’s going on in real time, seeing people’s true feelings and motivations, even when they try to hide them. During Frodo’s struggles, she repeatedly comes to him in visions to aid him, and the elves have come to rely on her for her wisdom, perceptiveness, and ability to sense patterns and outcomes. She knows that Boromir will try to take the ring from Frodo after only a few moments, and can sense Frodo’s struggles, as well as her own potential corruption where she to be given the One Ring. This ability to sense what will unfold, see patterns that aren’t obvious to others, and intuit others’ emotional experiences is characteristic of the INFJ personality type.
ENTJ – Saruman
Fiercely powerful and intensely strategic, Saruman has the intellect and far-reaching vision typical of ENTJ personality types. Unfortunately he demonstrates this in unhealthy or corrupted ways, but we can still appreciate his strengths nonetheless. He is knowledgeable, rational, and extremely perceptive of how events will likely play out in the future. He has strong leadership capabilities and knows how to place people (and orcs) to achieve his goals.
ENFJ – Faramir
Faramir is willing to do whatever it takes for the good of his people, even if it conflicts with what he believes internally makes sense. He is a good example of how ENFJs value both logic and feeling, but will choose following their values and the needs of others over what they know is the most sensible plan sometimes. He is highly empathetic with others and clearly moved by his values and the feelings of those around him. He is deeply wounded by his father’s rejection of him, but rises to the occasion anyway because he is so personally moved by his father’s desires. He would make a strong leader, capable of bringing many different people together, but his father prefers his brother’s more headstrong way of handling things. Find out more about the ENFJ personality type here.
INTP – Smaug
Curious, clever, and wildly independent, Smaug is the perfect example of an INTP villain. Unlike a TJ villain, he doesn’t wish to control or have power over others. He craves a solitary life, and the only people who interest him are the ones who challenge his intellectual capabilities and make him think and toy with ideas.
INFP – Frodo
Willing to give up everything for the cause he believes in, Frodo embodies the most valiant of INFPs. His open-minded, gentle demeanor hides a fiery passion for the fate of the Shire and the world at large. Frodo can’t live unless he adheres to his convictions and values, and this is evident in every decision he makes. His compassion for Gollum, his willingness to turn his whole life upside down the moment he is needed, and his integrity are all qualities that reveal his mature INFP nature.
Find out more about INFPs: What Each Myers-Briggs® Personality Type Loves About INFPs
ENTP – Merry
Merry (or Meriadoc) is known as being intellectual, clever, and the most perceptive of the Hobbits in the Lord of the Rings books. He is far more strategic in the books than in the movies; realizing even before the Quest of the Rings what is about to happen and how to prepare. He is stimulated by change and capable of switching gears as the situation changes, finding ingenious solutions in the midst of turmoil.
ISFP – Arwen
Quiet, contemplative, and deeply passionate, Arwen has all the mystery and insightfulness of the ISFP personality type. More than anything, she must do what she believes is right, even if it goes against the grain of her community or her father’s expectations. She’s also swift to react to changes in her environment, paying attention to details, and managing to evade threats quickly without getting overwhelmed. Yet Arwen has a symbiotic relationship between her sensing and intuition. She has a heightened awareness of the present moment, but also can future-forecast how things may go in the future, tending towards a singular vision of what she must do. Find out more about the ISFP functions here: The ISFP’s Cognitive Functions Guide
ENFP – Tom Bombadil
Spry, quick, and playful, Tom Bombadil emulates the energy and enthusiasm of the ENFP personality type. Although left out of the movies, Tom Bombadil plays an integral role in the books, even rescuing Merry and Pippin from an angry tree towards the beginning of the stories. He has power over the forest and can communicate with all the living things within it. Like most ENFPs, Tom is more interested in dreams, theories, and concepts than raw reality. He speaks in riddles, songs, and musings, jumping from one idea to the next, and showing no vulnerability to the Ring whatsoever, even going so far as to play with it and then hand it right back to Frodo. Maybe one day they will include Tom Bombadil in a Lord of the Rings series, but today is not that day.
INTJ – Elrond
Elrond can see beyond the present and anticipate future potentials, much like any Intuitive Judging personality type. But he also has the straightforwardness, rationality, and directness of a TJ type. Tolkien described Elrond as a “strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer.” INTJs at their best can emulate all of these things. They have the insight that can lead others to make effective decisions, the eye for strategy and logic, and the inner values and principles that keep them compassionate. While we may rarely see Elrond smile (typical INTJ), we know that his heart is loyal to what he believes is right.
ISFP – Eowyn
Eowyn marches to the beat of her own drum and doesn’t want to be relegated to the typical female tasks of her day. She’s driven to do what she believes is right, even if it may put her in the face of danger or cause her to disregard her father’s orders. As an ISFP, her values come first, against all odds. She’s also highly attuned to her environment, reacting quickly in the face of danger and keeping a calm outlook. This attunement to the environment is something that Sensing-Perceivers are known for and something that we can see in both her and Arwen, her fellow ISFP.
What Are Your Thoughts?
Do you agree with my assessment on these Lord of the Rings characters? Disagree? Let us know what you think! We are always open-minded if you have a good argument for a different type for any of the characters 🙂 In fact, I’ve recently modified this post after talking to some of you more in depth about the characters and realizing I was wrong about two of the types (Aragorn I initially typed as ISTP, and Gandalf as INFJ).
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Hi Susan, I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I enjoy your articles. My wife (ISTP) and I (INFJ) enjoy reading the articles together to broaden our understanding of MBTI and to learn more about ourselves and others. Interestingly, I recall reading that in your family, you are the INFJ and your husband the ISTP. We are reversed in my family along the male / female aspects. Wishing you and yours all the best!
Most Sincerely,
Gary
Thank you so much Gary! I’m so glad you and your wife are enjoying the articles 🙂 My husband is actually an ESTP, but a few years ago he thought he was more introverted so we had him mistyped as an ISTP. Still very similar! Thanks again for the kind words!
Yes!! I love this article! As a Lord of the Rings fan (I’ve read the books and watched some of the movies) this was informative, as well as a lot of fun to read! I’ve always empathized with Farimir and Gandalf and Frodo, though Gandalf is my favorite. So many of these were spot on! Thanks for this article! I’d love to see a Harry Potter or a Marvel one as well!
Yesss @Harry Potter and Marvel. I’d happily throw in Game of Thrones as well!
Oooh, this looks fun! It has been a while since I have watched the films and even longer since I read the books, well The Hobbit and LOTR (I tried to read The Silmarillion, but it felt too much aimed at the Si reader, all those lists of names and titles). That said, now I feel like giving it another go, especially because of this post, so yay :).
I think I agree with most of your typings (especially Gandalf, so very INFJ, and Sam), but Radagast the Brown I don’t feel so sure about, I had him pinned as an Ni user mainly because of his affinity with nature, Ne dominant doesn’t quite fit the picture of a hermit living out in the wilderness, also recall that he liked to have things settled, taking decisive action which suggests a Judging personality. I hesitantly would type him as an ENTJ, we haven’t seen so much of him so difficult to say (and the films did some weird things with the characters), but he does seem to have strong Te, remember it was Radagast that persuaded Gandalf not to rejoin the others and instead to join him to Dol Guldur to settle things, Gandalf responded to that with “You want me to cast my friends aside?”, and the implicit answer was yes, Radagast did, with his dominant Te massively outweighing his inferior Fi wanting things settled and looking past feelings like friendship that concerned Gandalf as a Feeling type. I think his energetic nature as you describe it comes from tertiary Se. We see him riding his rabbit-drawn carriage at breakneck speed, pulled by Rhosgobel rabbits no less, this I believe demonstrates an ability to stay alert fully engaged with both his senses and surroundings, whilst having fun with it, feeling alive as the wind blows through his hair (including his beard), wild and free and so Se :)… “I’d like to see them try” :D.
For an ENFP, I think of my favourite character from LoTR, Tom Bombadil! He had a very bright cheery personality, loving to laugh and sing and felt very carefree, so a Perceiving type (perhaps too perceiving, as Gandalf cited that as a reason that he would not make a good guardian of the ring, he would forget about it and thus not keep it safe), he seemed to enjoy entertaining people in an Ne-Si kind of way, learning about them, wanting to laugh, sing, and share stories etcetera. I love Tom Bombadil! 🙂
Thanks so much for your input on this! I had SUCH a hard time with Radagast and finding an ENFP, but after reading what you’ve written I agree with you. I will have to find an ENFP to replace him – I will definitely look into Tom Bombadil! Thank you again!!
My pleasure Susan, what can I say, INTJ, we hardly ever make mistakes, haha (yes, I have strong Se too).
Seriously though, I also had a hard time typing Radagast as well.hence why I only “hesitantly” typed him as an ENTJ… as I was reading down your article I heard whispers at the back of my mind with imagery of Radagast (one of my favourite characters) and whispering NTJ, then I got down to the bottom and went ooh yes, you included him, yay, and then looked at the ENFP typing, and I almost convinced myself that he types as an ENFP and cursing my subconscious mind for thinking NTJ, I mean classifying him as a Thinking type, what in middle-earth was I thinking? All of that love and caring for non-humanoid animals, he wasn’t an NFJ, I knew intuitively that he wasn’t that, my mind felt hazy, it was 4am in the morning and I hadn’t been having such a good day, yet still I had a nagging, yet I still felt uneasy with him as an ENFP, whispers still came out of the dark telling me he had Ni, the way he loved and cared for the all life, yet living as a hermit. he was definitely extrovert, no doubt about that, so logically he must exist as an ENTJ, but how? I started explaining my doubts, at least I wouldn’t look like I had completely lost my mind despite the high level of fog that surrounded it, and the more I wrote, the more I turned to youtube, everything I could find, trying to settle it one way or the other, ENFP or ENTJ, his fighting skills, was that Ne or Se? I turned to the 43 minute long The White Council Movie on youtube, edited clips from the films of Radagast, just to make sure I got all the clips to pour over, trying to assuage my doubt and put together a somewhat coherent argument for my wacky typing. The more I watched, the more I noticed little extra bits that backed my hypothesis, like the quote “I’d like to see them try”, so incredibly Se. I think that explains why I (and perhaps you also) found Radagast so difficult to type, he has such strong Se which we in society don’t find so common in society. Seriously, after re-watching that rabbit chase many many times over I had almost convinced myself that he was actually an ESFP! I had to keep reminding myself that no, overall he has a judging personality, just that once he has made his decision with Te-Ni, he then allows himself to have fun with Se-Fi :)! Given his age of around 3000 years old, one would have expected him to have mastered his tertiary and perhaps inferior functions, right?
I think this makes for an interesting case-study between comparing Radagast and Saruman, both of the same age and yet two very different ENTJs, so much so that one finds it so difficult to recognise them both as ENTJs. One of the differences seems to come from their approach to the world, as an ENTJ-T and ENTJ-A respectfully, but I think it goes much deeper than that, Radagast nurtured his other tertiary and inferior functions, whilst Saruman seems to have (deliberately?) shut them off. Damn, now I try to figure out Saruman’s thought processes, how did he fail so badly? None of his functions seem to work properly at least compared to Radagast, Te, where was his action? Ni, where was he being open to other perspectives? I think his failure came from the burden of responsibility, as leader of the White Council, I think his Te saw that he needed to study, to come up with viable tactics against Sauron, himself, his contraptions, and his magic, and so he poured his Te and Ni into that, abandoning his other functions in the process. Because of this, Saruman isolated himself, he cut himself off from the world, he became a very unhealthy ENTJ, his Te took him away from the outside world, and because that task took him to reading up on the dark magics of Sauron and The One Ring, to quote your selected quote of Nietzche “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. If you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back at you”.
Ooooooh, I feel awed by al of this insight! Have I ever mentioned how much I love the MBTI? 🙂
To make matters a tad more confusing/interesting depending on your perspective, I believe, after some more thinking, that the actor who plays Radagast, Sylvester McCoy, I believe he might type as an ENFP… and when I say “I believe”, I mean really (95%+) certain as I have been aware of him for a decade or two before The Hobbit films.
As we both exist as dominant Ni types, I think we can all too easily pick up on both the actor acting, and the character that the actor portrays, as we all too easily get inside their heads, especially if the actor has such a different personality and finds it difficult to not put themselves into the role. Maybe this even produces a feeling similar to dysphoria within us, especially as we start to become aware that two different people exist there. I think I felt that last night, toing and froing between ENFP and ENTJ and not getting a clear signal for either types. I feel satisfied now that I have this explanation :). I can explain more about the actor if you like as I have it all nicely broken down in my head now, but for now I leave it here :).
Oh, and thank you btw for that huge compliment from you and also for the chance to make these wonderful discoveries :).
Great article Susan~ I strongly relate to Frodo as an INFP,
I have caught a single mistake in your article. In the paragraph where you speak of Faramir ,”He would make a strong leader, capable of bringing many different people together, but his father prefers his brothers more headstrong way of handling things.” it should be “brother’s”. He has only one single brother, does he not?
Thank you Kaven! Will fix that now 🙂
As an ENFP, thank you so much. I’ve always felt a connection with Arwen.
Yay!! Glad you connect with her 🙂
Spot on! but thought that Arwen would for sure be INFP and Sauroman could potentially be an INTJ, but I see the ENTJ side for sure.
Yes, I’m not 100% set on Arwen as an ENFP. It may be that there are no ENFPs in LOTR. It’s very difficult to tell with her because there isn’t much information on her in the books other than how beautiful and wise she was!
Casting my vote for Eowyn as an ENFP. She’s a strong-willed, goes-with-her-gut, kinda chick, who is more of a playful extrovert than Arwen.
yes, sounds like it
My vote is for Tom Bombadil as an ENFP. My partner is a ENFP and just the same, seems silly and child-like superficially but is smart and deep thinking really – he’s not missed a trick! It’s his dislike of being committed and bogged down that makes him so carefree. He seems lazy sometimes but actually his priorities are just different – he couldn’t care less about most people’s ambitiouions. He’s most into connecting with others and enjoying life. However underneath he is honerable, thoughtful and feelings run deep. Tom Bombadil is just like this, he lives in his word of fun and happiness, somehow cleverly evading the evil people. And to me he seems clearly extroverted, but needs some degree of space from others, just like a ENFP. Tom Bombadil is my absolute favourite character from LOTR bar Gandalf – I fell in love with him, just like my partner! I’m an infj btw – which I guess is why I love Gandalf so much.
By the way, I love your discription of Gandalf as an INFJ. I agree so much, he even did the classic “INFJ burn out” when he fell to the Belrog and disappeared for ages. I can identify with that. I’m a doctor, and psychiatrist (classic high achiever who likes to help others) but am off sick for the last 3 weeks (hence up at midnight reading internet blogs about self-actualisation) due to exhaustion plus morning sickness (I’m racked with guilt at having to cancel clinics – but my doctor has instructed me to remain at home!). As a side note – interestingly I’ve really stuggled to cope with the increased sense of smell in early pregnancy – after reading some of your articles I have come to realise that my tiny underdeveloped Se is now being forced on me and I’m struggling to know what to do with this super smelling sense I’ve gained! I am really enjoying these articles, I don’t normally allow myself the pleasure of getting so lost in something like this.
Sorry to waffle! Tom Bombadil for ENFP – what do you think?
This is very cool! I always love seeing the connections between MBTI and things like different literary characters n_n . I agree with a lot of these, however the main one I’d probably disagree with was Bilbo. I haven’t seen the newer Hobbit movies (save for the first one), but book Bilbo doesn’t seem like an extrovert at all. He gets thrown into everything and does eventually grow immensely, but at his core he’s happy to give up much of his treasures and just live peacefully in the Shire.
Just because he went adventuring, stepped up to task when needed, appreciated his new friends, and pushed himself out of his comfort zone doesn’t mean he’s not as introverted as can be.. We like doing all those things, too! 😉
I think Aragorn is an ISTJ. High in integrity, responsible and dutiful. Aragorn to Frodo ‘If by my life or death I can protect you, I will”
Everyone Is mistyped
It’s true, Tom Bombadil is an ENFP! Wait… if ENFPs are a more dynamic version of Arwen, I just REALLY hope that Luthien Tinuviel from the Silmarillion <3 is one of them!
I read the description under Thranduil as an INTJ, but I am curious as to how you arrived at that conclusion. Can you elaborate further on what evidence you found to paint him as an INTJ? I would think typing one would be difficult, especially as INTJs live in their head so much and in every scene you see Thranduil in, he’s talking to someone. Not to mention, INTJs tend to have trouble with social situations, and maybe it’s the multiple millennia that has given him the ability to connect to his inferior functions and adapt to sociability I don’t know. But as a king, and from what we see, he doesn’t seem to have too much issue with social skills (just a huge problem listening to reason from Bard due to his desire for those jewels).
So I am curious as to what scenes/words/observations of him led you to your conclusion, and in more detail please 🙂
Thank you!
INFP writer trying to do justice to characters in my fan fictions (also original author, which is why MBTI fascinates me because it can help me write my various characters more effectively).
What about Eowyn? She should be included in this analysis. She has a more prominent role in the series than Arwen does.