Tolkien's "G" Characters Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gollum

Sméagol was most probably a Stoor, and lived on the banks of the Anduin river. While fishing with his friend Déagol, they found the One Ring where Isildur lost it about 2000 years prior. He bore the ring, mostly under the Misty Mountains. He was renamed Gollum because that was the guttural noise he would make while swallowing.

He eventually felt the call of the Ring, even though he had lost it to Bilbo Baggins, and attempted to get it back, and when he bit off Frodo Baggins' finger with the Ring still on it, he stepped back into the Cracks of Doom.

The Ring was destroyed by Gollum's hand, even though that was the furthest thing from his mind. All in all, Gollum was a slave to the Ring for about 600 years.

Answer: Grishnákh

Grishnákh was with the orc attackers at Parth Galen, where Boromir of Gondor was slain defending Merry and Pippin. The two hobbits were then bound and taken in the direction of Isengard, under the leadership of Uglúk, one of Saruman's orcs, of the Uruk-hai of the White Hand.

They were pursued by what remained of the Nine Walkers, Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn, to the eaves of Fangorn Forest, where the orc-party were wailaid by Rohan's Marshal Éomer Éadig. Grishnákh attempted, in the lull before Éomer's attack, to flee with Merry and Pippin under each arm.

The hobbits' luck held out, and Grishnákh was run down by a Rider just as he was about to kill the hobbits.

Answer: Fingon

Fingon and the Noldor host were the first to drive off Glaurung, in 265 of the First Age. Azaghâl and the dwarf host of Belegost drove off the mighty Glaurung in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, even though Azaghâl gave up his life in the attempt. Túrin Turambar finally killed Glaurung, although Túrin's doom was woven around the dragon, although indirectly. Glaurung was the first of the dragons, made by Morgoth himself, and first unleashed by him on Beleriand, but as he was not fully grown, he was driven back to Angband by Fingon. Glaurung was in the vanguard for the Dagor Bragollach and took an active part in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, where he met with the valiant dwarves of Belegost.

Answer: Glorfindel (of Gondolin)

Lord of the Balrogs, Gothmog was the mightiest of Morgoth's lieutenants. He wielded a mighty black axe, and had a guard of many of his own kind, and many trolls. He was first encountered in battle in the Battle-Under-Stars, where he came upon Fëanor, and a small host of elves, and in a mighty battle, killed Fëanor. The next battle that Gothmog is mentioned in is the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, where his huge army encountered King Fingon's forces, and he cleaved King Fingon himself, and captured Húrin Thalion. Gothmog finally led the battle for the Hidden City of Gondolin, and there he met his doom. In battle, he encountered Lord Ecthelion of the Fountain, and they slew one another.

Glorfindel was slain by a Balrog, but it happened after the destruction of Gondolin, and the name of the Balrog is not mentioned.

Answer: the Unhappy

He was a follower of Barahir, and a part of his outlaw band. When he was taken captive by the forces of Sauron, he was tricked into giving up the position of the camp of Barahir by a phantom image of his dead wife, Eilinel. Barahir and 11 of his followers were all slain, and the only one of the band to escape was Barahir's son Beren.

Answer: Glóin

Glóin son of Gróin was one of the thirteen dwarves that set out from Hobbiton with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf to Erebor. Glóin succeeded in this task, and proved valiant at the Battle of Five Armies, and presented his son to the Council of Elrond, and there asked for tidings of Moria, where his kinsman Balin had gone five years before.

Gimli was added to the Nine Walkers as a representative of the Dwarves, and most of the time was with Aragorn and Legolas, with whom he formed a very strong friendship. So strong in fact, that he was later known as Elf-friend, and he was Galadriel's champion. Gimli proved himself in battle time and time again, 42 orc necks he hewed at the Battle of the Hornburg, and in a lull in that battle he found (or fell back to) the glittering caves of Aglarond.

Gimli also walked the Paths of the dead after Aragorn, and took part in the defence of Minas Tirith, and in the final battle at the Morannon. After the War of the Ring was ended, Gimli returned to the Glittering Caves and founded a dwarf-realm there, naming himself Lord of the Glittering Caves. These dwarves were useful in services to both Gondor and Rohan, forming works such as new gates for Minas Tirith.

In the end, Gimli and Legolas built a ship and sailed with the bodies of King Elessar (Aragorn), Merry and Pippin (both of whom had been buried in Gondor) and sailed into the west. Thus Gimli became the only of the dwarves to be permitted to set foot in Valinor.

Answer: Galadriel

Galadriel was the youngest daughter of the Noldor Finarfin, and wielded the elven-ring Nenya, the Ring of Water. She and her spouse Celeborn ruled in Lórien after its ruler Amroth was lost during the Third Age. After the destruction of the One Ring, Galadriel's powers waned and she passed over to Valinor in the west.

Her only child, Celebrían, was wife of Elrond, and her grand-daughter was Arwen Evenstar.

Answer: Aiglos

"Gil-galad was an Elven-king.
Of him the harpers sadly sing
the last whose realm was fair and free
between the Mountains and the Sea."
LOTR Book 1, Chap. 11

Erenion Gil-Galad was the only son of High King Fingon, but Fingon fell in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad when Gil-Galad was still young and in the care of Círdan of the Grey Havens, so the title went to Gil-Galad's uncle Turgon. After the fall of Gondolin and the death of Turgon, Gil-Galad inherited the title. He became Lord of a kingdom that he founded, Lindon, and although Sauron came there after the recapture of Melkor in the guise of Annatar, he was rejected by Gil-Galad and Elrond. Sauron managed to sway the smiths of Eregion to forge the Rings of Power, and secretly forged the One Ring to bind them all to him. Gil-Galad drove Sauron out, and hid the Elven Rings from his, as he himself originally wielded Vilya.

Gil-Galad was a leader of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, along with Elendil and the survivors of Númenor. Together they waged war on Sauron in the Dark Tower. They managed to cut the One Ring off of his finger, although Gil Galad gave his life in the attempt. In that war, Gil-Galad wielded his bright spear, Aiglos, the snowthorn (there is a white-flowered thorn bearing the same name).

Answer: Galdor

Galdor the Tall was Lord of Dor-lómin after Hador was slain at the Dagor Bragollach, and had two sons: Húrin and Huor. His grandchildren were therefore Tuor, Túrin, Lailath and Nienor Níniel. Galdor was Lord for only seven years, until he was slain in the siege of Eithel Sirion, just before the birth of his first grandson, Túrin.

Answer: Gandalf

Five wizards came to the Middle-earth, but only one remained true to his real purpose, and this was Gandalf. He was chosen for his task by Varda herself, as she saw his greatness and although he was last chosen, he was said by her to be "not the last". Another who foresaw Gandalf's greatness was Círdan of the Grey Havens, who gave Gandalf into his keeping the mightiest Elven-ring, Narya the Red.

Gandalf was close to two kindreds, the Elves and the Hobbits, and sent many of both on strange quests, such as the Quest of Erebor. Gandalf was known as the "Grey Pilgrim", as he did not settle in any one place, and travelled the lands in a grey cloak. He managed to see most of the Middle-earth, and perceived that Sauron was growing steadily mightier, and finally brought about his downfall.

Gandalf was leader of the Nine Walkers, the company who set out to destroy the One Ring, but was lost in Moria, fighting a Balrog. Although he eventually killed the Balrog, his body was broken. He was sent back to the Middle-earth in spirit to complete his task, and when that was done, he sailed back to Valinor, on the ship of the Ring-Bearers, his toils finally complete.