Incredible family tree includes every character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legendarium

The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. was building out the world of Middle-earth for pretty much his entire life. “Wordbuilding” is a term because of him, and no one did it like the original. Middle-earth is a dazzlingly complex place, with a rich history, a complicated topography, and a criss-crossing network of characters it would be near-impossible to graph.

But not completely impossible. Redditor Gandalf117 worked for eight years to build a family tree depicting every character from Tolkien’s saga, which spans multiple books including The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. This family tree begins with the Valar, the gods of Middle-earth, and goes all the way down through the ages the hobbits we know so well. So you can see exactly Aragorn is distantly related to actual gods. Take a look:

"The Definitive Family Tree of the Tolkien Legendarium V5 by me (8ish years of work) by u/Gandalf117 in lotr"

You can see a bigger version of the image here. Gandalf117 also made a 47-page key with details about every character on there. We appreciate the hard work!

Just how complicated is J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legendarium?

Now you have an idea of just how complicated Tolkien’s Legendarium is, let’s dive deeper into this family tree. Lots of Tolkien jargon incoming, so grab your notepads!

We all know about elves, immortal beings who are leaving Middle-earth during the time of The Lord of the Rings. But there was a time when they were young and outnumbered mortal men.

The three main groups of elves were the Vanyar, Noldor and Teleri, all of which were born in Middle-earth, although most eventually went to the Undying Lands to dwell with the god-like Valar. The Vanyar were the most respected of the Elvish people. They made a bee-line for the Undying Lands and pretty much stayed put once they got there. The Noldor, on the other hand, were more proud, and left the Undying Lands to seek revenge against a dark Valar named Morgoth.

The Noldor included some of the most famous characters in the Legendarium, including Galadriel. Then there’s Fëanor, a highly gifted and passionate Noldorin prince who created the Silmarils, three jewels that contained the light of the Two Trees of Valinor. His tragic story of obsession and betrayal has become one of the most iconic in all of Tolkien’s work.

The Teleri, so named because they tarried along the way to the Undying Lands, were divided into the Sindar and Nandor. The Sindar were led by Thingol, the Elvenking of Doriath, and his Maia wife Melian. The Nandor, on the other hand, were those who did not cross the Misty Mountains into Beleriand and instead remained in the forests of the east.

Men were created by Eru Iluvatar, the same god-like being who also created the Elves and the Valar themselves. The most prominent of the Men were the Edain, who allied themselves with the Elves during the First Age. The Edain were divided into three tribes: the House of Bëor, the House of Hador, and the House of Haleth. These tribes played significant roles in the events of the First Age and the wars against Morgoth.

The Dwarves were created by Aulë, one of the Valar. The Dwarves are a tough and resilient people known for their mining skills and craftsmanship. Despite their gruff exterior, the Dwarves formed strong alliances with other races during the events of the Legendarium.

And all of them are on that family tree. The connections between the different races and individuals is fascinating and have inspired fans for decades. Tolkien’s imagination has created a legacy that will continue to captivate people for generations to come.

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