"For Fëanor was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind: in valour, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and subtlety alike: of all the Children of Ilúvatar, and a bright flame was in him."
He was indeed the strongest, but, in a very sacrilegious way, parallels Morgoth. Melkor was the mightiest of the Ainu, but fell far far deep into hubris and became Morgoth. Well, Feanor was the greatest of the Children of Iluvatar and, similarly, in great hubris, well pretty much just as low for his evil deeds. So yeah, too much power seems to doom you in Middle Earth.
He duelled the balrogs alone and did not die immediately (yeah he died shortly after from his wounds but whatever). Fëanor might have been the mightiest of the Children of IIúvatar but his greatest battle deed was still short of Fingolfin’s who truly was HIM
Yah, I think you got it about right there. I'd put Glorfindel up a notch, because evil forces like Sauron and the Witch-king carefully avoided engaging him directly, or outright panicked and fled from his presence when he got his aura up; plus he did that stuff while laughing and riding with jingle-bells on his horse, and spouting obscure ironic prophecies from his intimate knowlege of the songs of creation themselves. Elrond even suggested it would be bad strategy to send Glorfindel with the Fellowship, because at the first whiff that he was coming south with the ring, Sauron would freak out, guard up all his defenses, and throw everything else he had at them; and the whole might of Saurons forces at once was probably too much for Glorfindel to beat. All nine nazgul at once were NOT too much for Glorfindel to beat. That puts him in Maiar-like power levels right there. I mean, Gandalf had to fight off 5 nazgul on Weathertop by himself, which is badass enough. Glorfindel, however, just charged all 9 of them in a rush, and they lost their shit and dove suicidally into the river flood to flee away from him. That's 1 elf against 9 rings of power bearers there, no contest.
He died killing Balrog in his first life, in the battle of Gondolin during the first age. When he was sent back he was most likely much stronger like Gandalf when he was returned.
For me it’s gotta be High King Fingolfin, purely because of his awesome duel with Morgoth. That battle is easily in the top three coolest fights in the entire legendarium for me personally.
Fëanor - Crafting the Silmarils and the Palantiri. His fiery spirit literally burnt his body to ash as he died Fingolfin - Going 1v1 with Morgoth, inflicting permanent injuries on him Finrod - Battled Sauron in singing which is essentially Maiar magic Luthien - Every act she did in the Quest of the Silmaril These should be the most powerful elves.
Before watching the video - Luthien and Feanor probably top the list. They both did things that not even Maia could do (actually, even Valar themselves could not create Sillmarills or change Mandos' mind). Cirdan was very powerful in unusual ways. Ecthelion and Glorfindel you'd want on your team regardless of mission. Galadriel, Fingon and maybe Elrond are all somewhere in the mix. Personal favourites gotta be Finrod and Fingolfin though.
You gotta put Galadriel up there with Feanor. Be it age, lineage, intelligence, powe or wisdom she is exceptional in all aspects. Her hair is said to have captured the light of the 2 trees, you know, the main source if their power. Tolkien himself said that she is only second to Feanor in magic but surpasses him in wisdom
As I stated before, the silmarils weren't powerful because they were beautiful or even because the held the light of the trees, but because they were hallowed by Varda. Credit to Feanor for making them but in fact, nobody knew how he did it and it was something he could only accomplish once, as he himself said. When asked to give the silmarils to heal the trees he said he couldn't make them again. They were kind of one in a lifetime accomplishment, similar to Yavanna with the trees. You have to think the ability to do something wonderful only once must have come from Illuvatar himself. The Valar couldn't make silmarils? maybe but they made things far more important, like the trees, the sun, the moon, the stars and they shaped Arda. I don't think you can compare Feanor, or any elf for that matter to the Valar, or even the more powerful maiar like Melian, Eonwe or Arien.
"We're going to see the Elves!" Sorry, gotta give the title to Feanor. Terribly flawed but his hands made some of the most powerful and beautiful items in the world. His very life extinguished his mother's. Moreover his will and words moved and entire people. Close second I'd give to Galadriel. Taking down Dol Guldur single handedly albeit with a ring, as well as a strong mind and powerful words. Mighty in form as in grace
I say that Gil-Galad should be in the top ranking. He's the longest lived Noldoran king of Middle Earth, he survived the 1st age, he fought against Sauron in war twice. And brought down Sauron himself alongside Elendil in the Last Aliance. Which is insane because Sauron could best Galadriel in the 3rd age even without the one ring.
@@oguzhanenescetin5702 They were Morgoth's two High Captains of Angband, and Gothmog was Morgoth's chosen military leader. Gothmog and his Balrog's saved Morgoth from Ungoliant, Gothmog attacked and killed Feanor and his body guard, Gothmog lead the Battle of Sudden Flame, Gothmog lead the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, Gothmog attacked and Killed Fingon and his Guard, Gothmog Captured Hurin the greatest champion of Men,, Gothmog lead and destroyed Gondolin (Morgoth's most feared and hated city). Sauron during this time did not lead the armies but stayed in Angband until he was later made the Govenor of Tol-en-Garouth, where he was ultimately defeated, fled, and then disappeared for the rest of the first age.
Finrond Felagund deserves a higher ranking!! I mean he's awesome, he can shapeshift and as able to face a Maiar in a singing contest, and Maiars literally sang creation up!! Not any Maiar, but freaking Sauron the most powerfull one, whom even Gandalf was afraid of
Just a small mistake - singular is maia, plural are maiar. But I definitely agree. Finrod is my most favourite elf, but regardless of that I think he is very powerful and wise and deserves a higher place.
He died after busting out of chains and killing a werewolf bare handed to protect Beren while they were being imprisoned by Sauron! He certainly was very powerful.
I completely agree! It's important to realise that the "singing" was actually a contest of magic, expressed externally as singing. No other individual to my knowledge has taken on a Maia in a battle of purely magic without being one themselves. Not just his power but his bravery and loyalty bring him into the fray in this list.
I believe that Finwe, Feanor or Fingolfin are the most powerful elves to ever live. Finwe is the elf that actually convinces 2/3 of all elves with a speech to go to Valinor in Cuivienen in NoME, while Feanor is able to do the exact opposite even to elves like Galadriel (who hates him). Finwe is actually not even afraid by Morgoth and Ungoliant combined and fights them. Feanor has the same, allthough Pengolodh, who writes the Silmarillion, is pretty much antibiased of Feanor. I believe, rather than his desire for the Silmarils, Feanors charge could be motivated by the fact, that he is in battle trance or actually broken by the burning of his own son Amrod (in Morgoths Ring). Fingolfin on the other hand is probably the greatest king to ever rule in Middle earth as he is able of uniting all elven realms of the three branches of the Noldor through his entire reign. After his death, the sons of Feanor conspire against Finrod, and Orodreth, it is not Fingon as high king but Maedhros, who leads the war effort, there seems to be less coordination between the Noldor after his death, while during his reign, no one seems able to undermine his authority, nor beeing able in cutting his power, safe Morgoth only (and Thingol, whom he recognizes probably in a diplomatic move as king of Beleriand). Also it is he, who is capable of stopping Morgoths direct asault during the Dagor Bragollach with the power of Hithlum.
Lol I mean Finwe and Thingol were top G's but what about Ingwe? Everyone always forgets about Ingwe and the Vanyar elves. Thingol, Finwe, Feanor, Fingolfin and most of the strongest eleves ended up dying save Ingwe. He spent MILLENIA in Aman and was still (presumably) alive by the War of the Ring. We don't really know what he's capable of in terms of magic, combat, wisdom/foresight, crafting etc. at this point....
@@vintagesteel I actually dont think Thingol is that powerful or wise, looking at his actions (but we know very little, of what he might do, he is just tall and has a powerful wife). Now with Ingwe, i am not sure about Ingwe. He is probably mentally comletely op as it is said in NoME that he values the arts of mind rather than the arts of body. That means he probably cant really fight, but is rather wise and probably arrogant like Imin (who demands to decide for all Elves if they want to go to Aman) Now depending on how long a Valian Year is, (probably 144 Years) it is very possible that Ingwion has overtaken his position as King of the Elves, as the elves pass on their Titles, when they are interested in other things. During the War of the Ring Finrod is pretty much definetely reincarnated and Fingolfin also (about the others they will take longer to be reincarnated bc of things they did during life). So around that time you have probably Finrod of Fingolfin (when reincarnated) to be the most powerful Elf in Aman.
Nature of Middle Earth talks about Ingwe? That's awesome. Also, I didn't know that they eventually pass on their titles to their sons... Very interesting. If Ingwe values the art of mind as much as he does, I'm assuming his magical ability would be very impressive. I'm guessing better than Galadriel's... But yeah, Ingwe likely sucks in combat, Ingwion I'm guessing is much better since he fought in the War of Wrath. By the way Imin is my favorite elf in lotr he's so fascinating to me and it's a shame Ingwe just assumed leadership of the Vanyar after returning from Aman and totally disregarding what Imin had to say. Hopefully Imin didn't get abducted by Morgoth's servants and turned into an orc that would've been the worst possible outcome for him...
@@vintagesteel well since in Nature of Middle Earth Elves awoke in 1000 YT and Men around 1075 YT and Orcs cannot decent from elves bc of their very nature, Imin probably does just fade away in time or gets killed by Sauron, as Sauron harasses the elves on the great journey west with weather, shadows and lies. In NoME we learn, that Ingwil (Ingwion) and Indis are his two eldest children and he wants to go to Aman bc he wants to live in the presence of Varda. He is in principle the most peaceful elf I know so far. But for Ingwil we dont know if he survived the war of wrath. I picture the Vanyar like the Americans in WWI, when they entered on the western front and suffered very harsh casualties. Only their strength of the light of Valinor might be the thing that saw them victorious, but we do sadly know almost nothing about it. For example the Silmarillion as a book is just a legend of men and it almost does not touch the matter of the Vanyar, as they are of no concern to them.
@@Feanor1497I haven't read NoME or the Hobbit or lotr. I'm about halfway through the Silmarillion (listening to the audiobook) and it's the most beautiful book I've read, second only to the Bible. I thought it was pretty cool how the Silmarillion talks about Ilion and how the Ainur taught him their whole history. I also thought it was interesting how the Silmarillion stated that the early elves were greater in song and music but the later elves were more beautiful...
Turgon, King of Gondolin. He created a great kingdom and produced many wonderful items that most were lost in the destruction of the Kingdom. Not all great magical items are weapons. And Gondolin was said to be as close to Tol Erresa in the west as could be created.
I'd have put Glorfindel into that last category, only if and when we take into consideration that his deeds and his worth were such that the Valar gave him his life back and sent him back to Middle-Earth with power on par(?) with Maiar. He also had gifts of foresight, as he was able to confidently advise those around him that the Witch King's death would not come at the hands of a man. He kind of straddles the two categories. Also, I have always wished we would have gotten a little more character development of a Vanyar or two. If I remember correctly, they went to Middle-Earth for one of the first great battles against Melkor. And given the amount of elves running around with blonde hair, they did seem to like to get busy pretty often with the other two houses of elves. Lots of chances to have gotten to know a little about how awesome they must be.
Thought provoking fun on a Sunday afternoon. Your attention to the nuances of each character makes it easy to understand how difficult this task is. Here's a lazy man's thought- which one would you want by your side if you and only one of the elves was with you alone in the woods with 100 Orcs on your trail? Thank you for this, a happy subscriber.
I would move Cirdan the Shipwright up based solely on this unique and important role & his selfless service to all Elves. I agree that there isn't a ton of direct evidence of his power, though. Otherwise, I agree with your tiers.
Great video as always! Not sure if it would count but if so, Rog, of gondolin (hammer of wroth house I think) would make an interesting contender for best warrior I think. Keep up the great work!
If you want to talk about power, then i think lasting influence is a more important factor, and Feanor's actions, despite them being questionable, decided the fates of middle earth and morgoth. He makes the silmarils that make morgoth jealous and he rebels and leads the noldor when it was seemingly incovenient to everyone to do so, his oath forces the valar to intervene when they said they wouldn't meddle, and even in the second and third ages, his palantiri and his grandson are still influencing maiar, elves and men. It's no wonder Tolkien maintained his position about him despite there being wiser and nobler elves alive.
According to Eru Tolkien, It’s Feanor, Galadriel & Elu Thingol; then others follow. My greatest is Finrod Felagund ⭐️. I’ll take the rest of your list, thereafter 🤩.
Thingol is accounted as being the mightiest of the Eldar other than Feanor, and it was only due to this innate power that he was able to conceive a child with Melian the Maia: Time Scales fn4, Nature of Middle Earth: "Only one of the greatest of the Eldar in their early vigour could have supported a union of that sort (unique in all known tales)." The Grey Annals, The War of the Jewels: "Fingolfin, and he being of other mood than Feanor acknowledged the high-kingship of Thingol and Menegroth, being indeed greatly in awe of that king, mightiest of the Eldar save Feanor only, and of Melian no less." Cirdan is certainly one of the greatest elves based on his deeds alone. During the First Age he was close friends with the Noldor of Hithlum and aided them directly in their struggles against Morgoth, and even raised Gil-galad. During the Second Age he was the Lord of the Grey Havens, taught Tar-Aldarion, was entrusted one of the Elven Rings, and stood beside Gil-galad as he battled Sauron. During the Third Age he was the one who gave the Dunedain of Arnor the most aid against Angmar, and sent ships to attempt to rescue Arvedui. Furthermore, both Lord of the Rings and HOME state that he was the furthest-seeing of all the elves to remain in ME, including ones ranked "higher" on the list. Last Writings, Peoples of Middle Earth and Appendix B, the Third Age: "He is said in the Annals of the Third Age (c.1000) to have seen further and deeper into the future than anyone else in Middle-earth. This does not include the Istari (who came from Valinor), but must include even Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn."
When Yoystan left Ingwe out of the royalty/bloodline category I thought it was for lack of information. Interesting to think that, due to his early origins, unfathomable lifespan, and faithfulness and proximity to the Valar he could be immensely powerful. I didn't remember reading that he was technically High King of ALL Elves though. Where is that? In any case, no matter how many times I debate (with myself) the scaling of power in the legendarium, Feanor always comes out on top among Illuvatar's children. He was just so absurdly broken that his spirit of fire overwhelmed his mother at birth and literally self-cremated upon death! Like...who else?! Add to that his deeds of crafting--the power he had to imbue the light of the Trees in the Silmarils was easily Maia-level, plus weapons, language, and the Palantiri if I'm not mistaken--and his combat prowess--crashed through Morgoth's army and was only slain when surrounded by many Balrogs.
I agree with the others that Fingolfin was the B-est MF of all the Children of Iluvatar. Undoubtedly trained by Eonwe-BMF of the Maiar, and probably Orome and Tulkas as well (well, maybe not Tulkas). It’s cool, too, that you mention Ingwe as the High King of ALL the Elves. A lot of people forget that. In any case, you kinda wish Tolkien wrote more about these guys.
In knowledge, art, inventiveness, potentiality, without a doubt Fëanor. Imagine what would become of Arda with him alive. In courage, strength and physical power, definitely Fingolfin. In wisdom and innate power (a mini-Maia) Finrod Felagund; The most powerful female elf was certainly Lúthien and then Galadriel.
Hmm. The problem is you can't divorce Fëanor's inventiveness and creativity from his arrogance, pride, selfishness, and willingness to lead his people into a war they could not win.
In my view, I would give Finrod, Fingon, Glorfindel and Gil-galad one category higher. Not sure about Ingwë, he had a great origin, but I think that he had no big power in combat or crafting. At least I imagined him so. But we don't know enough about him. Great review, thank you! 🙌🏻
I think the problem you run into here is that Tolkien explicitly did not prize the kind of power that usually governs these lists - as though elves were superheroes with discrete "powers" of magic and making and combat that possessed similarly discrete "power levels" that can be compared and contrasted and even when it's an apples to oranges relation, we're a bit used to understanding things like "How Sue Storm stacks up against Ororo Munroe". But Tolkien's characters didn't have discrete powers, and their power levels were amorphous. Take the Istari. They had *immense* power - which they were *expressly forbidden* to use to contest Sauron might for might. Saruman only somewhat disobeyed this charge when he broke bad - even as a villain, he used his power to devise industry and bewitch with his Voice. Power is almost explicitly a *bad thing* in Middle Earth, being more obviously a province of the Shadow and its champions. Sauron is the only character regularly spoken of as having numerous discrete powers - he can change shape, command wolves, for example. Contrast to Bombadil, and the discussion about his "power" over the Ring - 'Say not that he had power over the Ring, say rather that the RIng had no power over him'. And 'I do not think there is power in him to resist the Shadow, unless that power be in the Earth itself...I think in the end he would fall, Last as he was First..." (I'm paraphrasing because I'm too lazy to get my book.) So props for not going in for a full ranking - it might or might not 'work', but it would kind of violate the principles of the power the Elves possessed, which was very much more about their deeds than some list of "powers" or chart of "power levels".
I'd move Cirdan way way up there. He is the oldest elf in Middle Earth, being one of the original born in Cuivienen. He is He is the greatest crafter of ships in the history of Middle Earth. Theres a reason that other elves who had spent time learning how to build ships under him didnt just go off and build them elsewhere. He was the best. He built the ship that carried Earendil to Valinor to seek help from the Valar in the fight against Morgoth. The same ship that slew Ancalagon the Black and now sails thru the sky as the "Morning Star" with the Silmaril. He taught the Numenoreans the art of ship building. He had probably the greatest foresight of any elf advising Celebrimbor against the forging of the Rings of Power. And was the one trusted with Narya when the 3 were made. He able to immediately identify who the Istari were upon their arrival to Middle Earth and giving Gandalf Narya. He fought in many battles against Sauron and the Witch King. He definitely should be way way up there.
Love the video, but only wondering about your placing of Thingol… Thingol is supposedly "the mightiest of the Eldar save Fëanor only", one of the Ambassadors, king of the Teleri and the only of all the Children of Illuvitar married to a Maia… and father of Luthien.
I think Luthien often forgotten or ranked quite low in similar videos. But i would expect her to me most powerful because of her heritage and deeds. I generally agree with the list, but i would move Thranduil one step up, it somehow better matches a power maia. The irony is that Amazon in the name of female power has turned the powerful and intelligent Galadriel in to a Teletubbie.
All the elves that changed the chamberpots and swept the mighty halls for thousands of years- They are the most powerful. The determination, sense of duty and loyalty must´ve been immense within them. Not to mention the streanght of their backs...
The most powerful Elf in Tolkiens world was Ingwe, the king of the Vanyar, or gold elves, the elves who never left Valinor after arriving there, except to join in the final battle against Morgoth at the end of the first age. In the old Middle-Earth roleplaying game, there was a book that gave stats to all notable named elves, and Ingwe was the highest level, only one who was more powerful than Feanor.
Feanor undoubtedly was the best crafter among the elves, with abilities that surpassed even the maiar and can even be compared to Aule. That is true, however, he did create the silmaril, and they were incredibly powerful objects as shown that they could break magic like the girdle of Melian or the enchanted island, but their power didn't come from Feanor but from Varda who hallowed them. Feanor of course deserves credit for crafting them, and capturing the light of the trees (he also didn't create that light, Yavanna, Nienna and Varda did).
Good list. Cant really argue with it other than maybe put Glorfindel and Ecthelion at the high point. They weren't "main characters" but they did kill Balrogs.
I haven’t watched the video yet but I’m commenting to say, I just know my boy Glorfindel is gonna be up there! If he’s not number 1, I’ll be very surprised!
I agree with all of these being on this List!!! This was interesting dividing this in 4 categories to sort them!!! Thanks Mellon for a Great Video, Until where indeed where the Hobbits during the First and Second Ages of Arda...Marion Baggins Out!!!
I dont know if it is canon, but currently there is a TV show running that is supposed to be about LOTR and an elf called Galadriel is UBER powerful in there based on the teasers I saw. She has to be the strongest elf based on her fighting skills.
You didnt place Elrond. Or did i just miss it. Surely he places in the list of powerful elves for his combination of leadership, combat abilities and magic! Ive not read the books yet as i just haven't had the cash to buy them but he seems very powerful in the films.He is a great leader and combatant as seen in his roll in the final gathering of Elves, men and dwarves against Sauron. He has amazing healing abilities and we know he has the gifts of telepathy and foresight.
Tolkien seemed to always pointed out that the earlier elves were by default more powerful, so imo more elves from the first age would be more powerful: Maedhros, Fingon, Turgon, Finrod, and maybe even Maglor because the power of music. But as you point out in many cases there's not much info making it hard to estimate. And probably that is the best part of Tolkien's work: not everything is explained
I think that Glorfindel should be in the fourth category. He was sent back to Middle Earth after he died, kind of like how Gandalf was, and Gandalf was a Maiar, so Glorfindel must be something special.
Doesnt matter we know nothing about Ingwe so he might be greater than Feanor , cause it is mentioned by Professor Tolkein clearly that Fëanor "was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind, in valour, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and subtlety alike: of all the Children of Ilúvatar, and a bright flame was in him, this includes Ingwe or any other Vanya elf
Extremely hard list to make. No question Feanor was the most powerful elf to be in the Tolkien legendarium. Sure his arrogance didn't keep him around long but he was the most powerful
thingol is sooo low here- his marriage to a Maia likely further empowered him, one of the first 3 elves in valinor, viewed the trees not saying he as high as feanor or igwe but defo a level above your ranking
So rich, thank you! I was listening to a Tolkien podcast recently. They were discussing the Vanyar High Elves. Rather than the Vanyar being the most powerful, I had an image of them being the most innocent. Almost childlike. Did they participate at all in the wars against Morgoth? I could be mistaken, but I think not. Almost coddled by the Valar. Ingwe was titular High King, but he seems ... untested. BTW, did you mention Elwe who married Melian?
The Vanyar Elves came to middle earth for the war of wrath at the end of the first age, they were among the host of valar under the leadership of eonwe. So yes they are battle expirienced and were for sure very powerfull.
Also I think Fingon should be higher, sure, he was only a warrior, not known for magic (although maybe he did have magic powers because of his lineage) but I put him definitely above Elrond. He rescued Maedhros on his own, he defeated Glaurung with other archers (surely a young Glaring but still) and he was slayed by Gothmog only because another balrog held his hands. Put it this way, if I wanted council, or healing I would prefer Elrond, but if I am in a war, I would certainly would prefer to have Fingon rather than Elrond. Elrond was surely powerful, but his abilities were outstanding in the third age, but would have been so much in the first age. I also disagree regarding Earendil and Elwing. Surely their actions caused the fall of Morgoth, but it was more by chance, and the help of Ulmo. All Earendil did was sail to Valinor, and all Elwing did was cast herself in the sea only to be rescued by Ulmo, then by giving the silmaril to Earendil they could reach Valinor. Earendil did slay Ancalagon, but at this point he had been empowered by the Valar, was using a hallowed Vingilot and had the help of the eagles, that were even more formidable than in the third age.
Sorry but Luthien by far wins this list if we are including her. What she did is literally considered the greatest deed among elves and men, as stated by Tolkien himself
They were the most loyal and like the Valar. The Noldor were the best craftsman and warriors and lovers of knowledge. It’s fair to say the Vanyar were more aligned with the true essence of what the Quendi were meant to be and had the potential to be. The Noldor had the tougher road and had way more conflict. Hence, why the Quenta Silmarillion is 80% about them and only 1% is about the Vanyar.
Nope, to clear some big rumor that came of out thin air that the VANYAR Elves are the fair elves, described by their great skills of poetry, and arts and being the fairest of all the Eldar, there is no single account of them being the greatest and most powerful of all the Eldar, the terms ''most powerful'' and '' greatest'' are used in the description of the Elves from NOLDOR AND TELERI clans(Execpt the fact that as I assume that characters like Galadriel and all the children of Finwe from his second wife are referred and also like to be counted among NOLDOR even though their mother was a Vanyar elve. So their innate strength and definitions of their greatness do not pass through their Vanyar blood but their own Noldorin blood. Such as Feanor is a pure-blood Noldor stated by Tolkien to be the greatest of all the Eldar by creation) Anyway let's back to the topic and swiftly explain that the title given to the Ingwe is only because he was able to survive through all the ages of the world by being one of the 3 ambassadors first to behold Aman. Ingwe's authority and titles come from him dwelling in Aman, and living close to the King of Arda (Manwe Sulumo), anything we can assume a power level of Ingwe comes from his son's role in War of Wrath being the military commander of the Host of the Vanyar, which Ingwe did not attend to the battle we can say that Ingwion being the leader of the host of Vanyar indicated that he is fighter and warrior of great power to withstand dragon-fire, fiery whips of Balroq and countless other dreadful creatures which attend on Morgoth's side in the war. So Ingwe can be assumed to be a powerful elf by being the father of a powerful warrior son. Ingwe is only addressed as the highest of the hierarchy and majesty(Excluding Dior son Of Beren and Luthien said to be the fairest being and greatest of majesty in creation while he wears Nauglamir which holds a Silmaril)(ICLUDİNG THE MAIAR in the writing) So Ingwe is not the High King of all Elves in Arda because he is the most powerful and greatest, but because the reason that he lived through all the ages of Arda as being one of the 3 ambassadors who behold the light of the Trees of Valinor for the first time among the Eldar and dwell near the feet of Manwe 🤣 Ingwe, Ingwion or whoever can it be from the VANYAR could imagine going through and facing the challenges NOLDOR AND TELERİ suffered through the FİRST AGE and be resilliant as much as them, sorry for the VANYAR fan club but without the comfort of dwelling in Aman and the assistence they get from the Valar they are the weakest of all the Elves in terms of everything include that of not being able to encounter anything includes hardness and turmoil and most importantly they are the only elve clan that does not have any influence or participate in the FATE of the middle earth. Sorry for it being long but Hatred of Ingwe's exaggeration within me sparkled :D😃🥰
I love Galadriel, but I think she would belong in the 3rd category with her husband & Cirdan. I would also put Glorfindel in the last category with Fingolfin for when he returns he was granted powers almost equal to the Miar. Other than that I have no other disagreements. Fingolfin was the best though.
I have a question, since having elven children takes a toll on the parents up to and including death, does that mean that every subsequent generation is less strong & or powerful than the earlier ones?
Though there are so many different metrics to judge by, I guess that an overall metric could be: *”How much influence did they have in changing the world around them?” I.e. whether through combat prowess, skill in art or craft, political influence, changing history, etc; whoever changed the world or the course of history in the biggest way. (Since separate metrics and individual feats are subject as to which are deemed more “important”, the overall resulting influence that an individual went on to have, despite how they achieved it, is less implicit? 🤷♂️)
The fact that Galadriel is in the same category as Luthien, Feanor, and Fingolfin shows how the RoP destroys her character. Also important to note that the famous female elves are in the top tier.
I actually did record for him, but scraped it because he was too hard to place. He created some of the greatest blades ever, but I don’t know which category that alone would place him in.
@@MenoftheWestGreetings from the sunny and warm Harad (Costa Rica) would it ne possible to have a "Who are the most powerful Men in Middle Earth?. I'd really love to see Hurin, Tuor, Beren, Turin, Elendil, etc ranked!
Some fans have this misconception that “being powerful” in Tolkien’s books means to be like a superhero, with super strength and near-invulnerability. It’s clear that the elves and the Numenorians were special, but they were like Steve Rogers: peak human performance, but not with superhuman abilities. Tolkien conceited far more powerful one’s ability to naturally project authority, which was the case of Galadriel. When someone looked at her, the person would feel almost compelled to yield to her majesty. This is similar to what the One Ring caused: it didn’t turn Sauron into Thanos. It wouldn’t make him lift a troll with one hand. What it did was to make others more vulnerable to submit to his will. It was like Saruman’s voice, but amplified. This why turning the Balrogs into this gigantic creatures doesn’t work. One thing is Melkor, but not the Maiar.
@@licmir3663 You are simplifying things. Numenoreans also had supernatural abilities and the power of someone wasn’t limited to the extreme charisma. It could also show itself in super-strength.
The elven leaders were those with the most power. In Valinor, probably Ingwe and Feanor. In middle earth, the descendants of Finarfin and Fingolfin of which Galadriel is probably the most powerful. Luthien I would classify differently as she was half Maiar. At the time of the Lord of the Rings 1) Galadriel 2) Elrond and 3) Cirdan. It’s hard to know where Celeborn would be.
Ingwion as the leader of the Vanyar in the Host of the Valar might be a better choice than his father. He was a victorious war leader and unlike Ingwë was in Middle Earth after the Great Journey.
But which of these elves left Valinor to craft toys at the North Pole for Santa to deliver to all the good boys and girls? Maybe Feanor and Celibrimbor? Or perhaps that is what really happened to Maglor?
"For Fëanor was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind: in valour, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and subtlety alike: of all the Children of Ilúvatar, and a bright flame was in him."
He was indeed the strongest, but, in a very sacrilegious way, parallels Morgoth. Melkor was the mightiest of the Ainu, but fell far far deep into hubris and became Morgoth. Well, Feanor was the greatest of the Children of Iluvatar and, similarly, in great hubris, well pretty much just as low for his evil deeds. So yeah, too much power seems to doom you in Middle Earth.
He duelled the balrogs alone and did not die immediately (yeah he died shortly after from his wounds but whatever). Fëanor might have been the mightiest of the Children of IIúvatar but his greatest battle deed was still short of Fingolfin’s who truly was HIM
And yet Fingolfin was the strongest and most valiant of the sons of Finwè. With this contradiction, let’s go to the deeds to decide.
lol “…and subtly alike”
Yea he sure was subtle about the kin slaying….
Exactly. Whether you like him or not, he is on paper the greatest of the first children with Galadriel being told to be second in power to him.
Fingolfin is the BMF champion of all elves
Totally.
Not just Elves, IMO, but out of all the Legendarium.
One does not simply give Morgoth a limp in one-on-one combat and take a silver medal.
@@glowstickofdestiny1290 BMF’s of the entire legendarium…… now there’s a video idea
@@brim5792May sound silly but what is "BMF"?😅
@@TheDream6842 i can guess the mf part...badass mf?
Yah, I think you got it about right there. I'd put Glorfindel up a notch, because evil forces like Sauron and the Witch-king carefully avoided engaging him directly, or outright panicked and fled from his presence when he got his aura up; plus he did that stuff while laughing and riding with jingle-bells on his horse, and spouting obscure ironic prophecies from his intimate knowlege of the songs of creation themselves.
Elrond even suggested it would be bad strategy to send Glorfindel with the Fellowship, because at the first whiff that he was coming south with the ring, Sauron would freak out, guard up all his defenses, and throw everything else he had at them; and the whole might of Saurons forces at once was probably too much for Glorfindel to beat. All nine nazgul at once were NOT too much for Glorfindel to beat.
That puts him in Maiar-like power levels right there. I mean, Gandalf had to fight off 5 nazgul on Weathertop by himself, which is badass enough. Glorfindel, however, just charged all 9 of them in a rush, and they lost their shit and dove suicidally into the river flood to flee away from him. That's 1 elf against 9 rings of power bearers there, no contest.
Yes, Glorfindel became after his return to Middle-earth from the halls of Mandos a very, very powerful elf, so I agree with you.
He died killing Balrog in his first life, in the battle of Gondolin during the first age. When he was sent back he was most likely much stronger like Gandalf when he was returned.
And he was sent back as an emisary of the Valar themselves!
For me it’s gotta be High King Fingolfin, purely because of his awesome duel with Morgoth. That battle is easily in the top three coolest fights in the entire legendarium for me personally.
My favorite
Any Elf that beheld the light of the Two Trees or even just spent time amongst the Valar already are of a higher level to those who haven’t.
Fëanor - Crafting the Silmarils and the Palantiri. His fiery spirit literally burnt his body to ash as he died
Fingolfin - Going 1v1 with Morgoth, inflicting permanent injuries on him
Finrod - Battled Sauron in singing which is essentially Maiar magic
Luthien - Every act she did in the Quest of the Silmaril
These should be the most powerful elves.
Great vid man, Tolkien's Legendarium really is something else...
Who on earth thought they could, or was even a good idea to try and adapt it.
Fingolfin the G O A T
A great video. I would love to know more about Celeborn and hope our great friend and gracious host offers some insights on this character.
Before watching the video - Luthien and Feanor probably top the list. They both did things that not even Maia could do (actually, even Valar themselves could not create Sillmarills or change Mandos' mind).
Cirdan was very powerful in unusual ways. Ecthelion and Glorfindel you'd want on your team regardless of mission. Galadriel, Fingon and maybe Elrond are all somewhere in the mix.
Personal favourites gotta be Finrod and Fingolfin though.
You gotta put Galadriel up there with Feanor. Be it age, lineage, intelligence, powe or wisdom she is exceptional in all aspects. Her hair is said to have captured the light of the 2 trees, you know, the main source if their power. Tolkien himself said that she is only second to Feanor in magic but surpasses him in wisdom
👍🏻
@@Grancigul Exactly, she is actually equal to Fëanor.
As I stated before, the silmarils weren't powerful because they were beautiful or even because the held the light of the trees, but because they were hallowed by Varda. Credit to Feanor for making them but in fact, nobody knew how he did it and it was something he could only accomplish once, as he himself said. When asked to give the silmarils to heal the trees he said he couldn't make them again. They were kind of one in a lifetime accomplishment, similar to Yavanna with the trees. You have to think the ability to do something wonderful only once must have come from Illuvatar himself.
The Valar couldn't make silmarils? maybe but they made things far more important, like the trees, the sun, the moon, the stars and they shaped Arda. I don't think you can compare Feanor, or any elf for that matter to the Valar, or even the more powerful maiar like Melian, Eonwe or Arien.
Great video. Don’t over think it. Your opinions alone are valid enough. I’d like to see more videos on the different races!
"We're going to see the Elves!"
Sorry, gotta give the title to Feanor. Terribly flawed but his hands made some of the most powerful and beautiful items in the world. His very life extinguished his mother's. Moreover his will and words moved and entire people.
Close second I'd give to Galadriel. Taking down Dol Guldur single handedly albeit with a ring, as well as a strong mind and powerful words. Mighty in form as in grace
I say that Gil-Galad should be in the top ranking. He's the longest lived Noldoran king of Middle Earth, he survived the 1st age, he fought against Sauron in war twice. And brought down Sauron himself alongside Elendil in the Last Aliance. Which is insane because Sauron could best Galadriel in the 3rd age even without the one ring.
The power for Cirdan is his ability to just give Narya to Gandalf. That's all it takes.
I learnt a new Elven character Tolkien created; Ingwe.Thanks as always
I just loved that. Concurred with so much of it I think the rating is really sound within the lore. Well done sir.
Slightly longer video! Nice!
Outside of Fingolfin, Echtelion is the greatest warrior of all elves.
Gothmog was the equal of Sauron, and Morgoth's greatest slayer of elves.
@@napoleon6071Gothmog wasn’t Sauron’s equal
You took the words outta my elven mouth
I was looking for this comment!
@@oguzhanenescetin5702 They were Morgoth's two High Captains of Angband, and Gothmog was Morgoth's chosen military leader. Gothmog and his Balrog's saved Morgoth from Ungoliant, Gothmog attacked and killed Feanor and his body guard, Gothmog lead the Battle of Sudden Flame, Gothmog lead the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, Gothmog attacked and Killed Fingon and his Guard, Gothmog Captured Hurin the greatest champion of Men,, Gothmog lead and destroyed Gondolin (Morgoth's most feared and hated city). Sauron during this time did not lead the armies but stayed in Angband until he was later made the Govenor of Tol-en-Garouth, where he was ultimately defeated, fled, and then disappeared for the rest of the first age.
Finrond Felagund deserves a higher ranking!! I mean he's awesome, he can shapeshift and as able to face a Maiar in a singing contest, and Maiars literally sang creation up!! Not any Maiar, but freaking Sauron the most powerfull one, whom even Gandalf was afraid of
I agree!! Ranked too low for sure.
Just a small mistake - singular is maia, plural are maiar.
But I definitely agree. Finrod is my most favourite elf, but regardless of that I think he is very powerful and wise and deserves a higher place.
He died after busting out of chains and killing a werewolf bare handed to protect Beren while they were being imprisoned by Sauron! He certainly was very powerful.
Definitely! His magical battle with Sauron was epic. Shown magic, music and a selfless sacrifice.
I completely agree! It's important to realise that the "singing" was actually a contest of magic, expressed externally as singing. No other individual to my knowledge has taken on a Maia in a battle of purely magic without being one themselves. Not just his power but his bravery and loyalty bring him into the fray in this list.
I believe that Finwe, Feanor or Fingolfin are the most powerful elves to ever live. Finwe is the elf that actually convinces 2/3 of all elves with a speech to go to Valinor in Cuivienen in NoME, while Feanor is able to do the exact opposite even to elves like Galadriel (who hates him). Finwe is actually not even afraid by Morgoth and Ungoliant combined and fights them. Feanor has the same, allthough Pengolodh, who writes the Silmarillion, is pretty much antibiased of Feanor. I believe, rather than his desire for the Silmarils, Feanors charge could be motivated by the fact, that he is in battle trance or actually broken by the burning of his own son Amrod (in Morgoths Ring). Fingolfin on the other hand is probably the greatest king to ever rule in Middle earth as he is able of uniting all elven realms of the three branches of the Noldor through his entire reign. After his death, the sons of Feanor conspire against Finrod, and Orodreth, it is not Fingon as high king but Maedhros, who leads the war effort, there seems to be less coordination between the Noldor after his death, while during his reign, no one seems able to undermine his authority, nor beeing able in cutting his power, safe Morgoth only (and Thingol, whom he recognizes probably in a diplomatic move as king of Beleriand). Also it is he, who is capable of stopping Morgoths direct asault during the Dagor Bragollach with the power of Hithlum.
Lol I mean Finwe and Thingol were top G's but what about Ingwe? Everyone always forgets about Ingwe and the Vanyar elves. Thingol, Finwe, Feanor, Fingolfin and most of the strongest eleves ended up dying save Ingwe. He spent MILLENIA in Aman and was still (presumably) alive by the War of the Ring. We don't really know what he's capable of in terms of magic, combat, wisdom/foresight, crafting etc. at this point....
@@vintagesteel I actually dont think Thingol is that powerful or wise, looking at his actions (but we know very little, of what he might do, he is just tall and has a powerful wife). Now with Ingwe, i am not sure about Ingwe. He is probably mentally comletely op as it is said in NoME that he values the arts of mind rather than the arts of body. That means he probably cant really fight, but is rather wise and probably arrogant like Imin (who demands to decide for all Elves if they want to go to Aman) Now depending on how long a Valian Year is, (probably 144 Years) it is very possible that Ingwion has overtaken his position as King of the Elves, as the elves pass on their Titles, when they are interested in other things. During the War of the Ring Finrod is pretty much definetely reincarnated and Fingolfin also (about the others they will take longer to be reincarnated bc of things they did during life). So around that time you have probably Finrod of Fingolfin (when reincarnated) to be the most powerful Elf in Aman.
Nature of Middle Earth talks about Ingwe? That's awesome. Also, I didn't know that they eventually pass on their titles to their sons... Very interesting. If Ingwe values the art of mind as much as he does, I'm assuming his magical ability would be very impressive. I'm guessing better than Galadriel's... But yeah, Ingwe likely sucks in combat, Ingwion I'm guessing is much better since he fought in the War of Wrath. By the way Imin is my favorite elf in lotr he's so fascinating to me and it's a shame Ingwe just assumed leadership of the Vanyar after returning from Aman and totally disregarding what Imin had to say. Hopefully Imin didn't get abducted by Morgoth's servants and turned into an orc that would've been the worst possible outcome for him...
@@vintagesteel well since in Nature of Middle Earth Elves awoke in 1000 YT and Men around 1075 YT and Orcs cannot decent from elves bc of their very nature, Imin probably does just fade away in time or gets killed by Sauron, as Sauron harasses the elves on the great journey west with weather, shadows and lies. In NoME we learn, that Ingwil (Ingwion) and Indis are his two eldest children and he wants to go to Aman bc he wants to live in the presence of Varda. He is in principle the most peaceful elf I know so far. But for Ingwil we dont know if he survived the war of wrath. I picture the Vanyar like the Americans in WWI, when they entered on the western front and suffered very harsh casualties. Only their strength of the light of Valinor might be the thing that saw them victorious, but we do sadly know almost nothing about it. For example the Silmarillion as a book is just a legend of men and it almost does not touch the matter of the Vanyar, as they are of no concern to them.
@@Feanor1497I haven't read NoME or the Hobbit or lotr. I'm about halfway through the Silmarillion (listening to the audiobook) and it's the most beautiful book I've read, second only to the Bible. I thought it was pretty cool how the Silmarillion talks about Ilion and how the Ainur taught him their whole history. I also thought it was interesting how the Silmarillion stated that the early elves were greater in song and music but the later elves were more beautiful...
Turgon, King of Gondolin. He created a great kingdom and produced many wonderful items that most were lost in the destruction of the Kingdom. Not all great magical items are weapons. And Gondolin was said to be as close to Tol Erresa in the west as could be created.
Then it's Feanor, because of the silmarils, the most important made thing🤷♂️ 😁 But the most powerful is Fingolfin for sure.
I'd have put Glorfindel into that last category, only if and when we take into consideration that his deeds and his worth were such that the Valar gave him his life back and sent him back to Middle-Earth with power on par(?) with Maiar. He also had gifts of foresight, as he was able to confidently advise those around him that the Witch King's death would not come at the hands of a man. He kind of straddles the two categories.
Also, I have always wished we would have gotten a little more character development of a Vanyar or two. If I remember correctly, they went to Middle-Earth for one of the first great battles against Melkor. And given the amount of elves running around with blonde hair, they did seem to like to get busy pretty often with the other two houses of elves. Lots of chances to have gotten to know a little about how awesome they must be.
Thought provoking fun on a Sunday afternoon. Your attention to the nuances of each character makes it easy to understand how difficult this task is. Here's a lazy man's thought- which one would you want by your side if you and only one of the elves was with you alone in the woods with 100 Orcs on your trail? Thank you for this, a happy subscriber.
I think Fingolfin is the strongest, but in that situation I would want Beleg.
I can never decide between fingolfin and feanor. Also glorfindel and ecthelion are way up there!
I would move Cirdan the Shipwright up based solely on this unique and important role & his selfless service to all Elves. I agree that there isn't a ton of direct evidence of his power, though. Otherwise, I agree with your tiers.
Great video as always! Not sure if it would count but if so, Rog, of gondolin (hammer of wroth house I think) would make an interesting contender for best warrior I think. Keep up the great work!
If you want to talk about power, then i think lasting influence is a more important factor, and Feanor's actions, despite them being questionable, decided the fates of middle earth and morgoth. He makes the silmarils that make morgoth jealous and he rebels and leads the noldor when it was seemingly incovenient to everyone to do so, his oath forces the valar to intervene when they said they wouldn't meddle, and even in the second and third ages, his palantiri and his grandson are still influencing maiar, elves and men. It's no wonder Tolkien maintained his position about him despite there being wiser and nobler elves alive.
According to Eru Tolkien,
It’s Feanor, Galadriel & Elu Thingol; then others follow.
My greatest is Finrod Felagund ⭐️.
I’ll take the rest of your list, thereafter 🤩.
Thingol is accounted as being the mightiest of the Eldar other than Feanor, and it was only due to this innate power that he was able to conceive a child with Melian the Maia:
Time Scales fn4, Nature of Middle Earth:
"Only one of the greatest of the Eldar in their early vigour could have supported a union of that sort (unique in all known tales)."
The Grey Annals, The War of the Jewels:
"Fingolfin, and he being of other mood than Feanor acknowledged the high-kingship of Thingol and Menegroth, being indeed greatly in awe of that king, mightiest of the Eldar save Feanor only, and of Melian no less."
Cirdan is certainly one of the greatest elves based on his deeds alone. During the First Age he was close friends with the Noldor of Hithlum and aided them directly in their struggles against Morgoth, and even raised Gil-galad. During the Second Age he was the Lord of the Grey Havens, taught Tar-Aldarion, was entrusted one of the Elven Rings, and stood beside Gil-galad as he battled Sauron. During the Third Age he was the one who gave the Dunedain of Arnor the most aid against Angmar, and sent ships to attempt to rescue Arvedui. Furthermore, both Lord of the Rings and HOME state that he was the furthest-seeing of all the elves to remain in ME, including ones ranked "higher" on the list.
Last Writings, Peoples of Middle Earth and Appendix B, the Third Age:
"He is said in the Annals of the Third Age (c.1000) to have seen further and deeper into the future than anyone else in Middle-earth. This does not include the Istari (who came from Valinor), but must include even Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn."
When Yoystan left Ingwe out of the royalty/bloodline category I thought it was for lack of information. Interesting to think that, due to his early origins, unfathomable lifespan, and faithfulness and proximity to the Valar he could be immensely powerful. I didn't remember reading that he was technically High King of ALL Elves though. Where is that?
In any case, no matter how many times I debate (with myself) the scaling of power in the legendarium, Feanor always comes out on top among Illuvatar's children. He was just so absurdly broken that his spirit of fire overwhelmed his mother at birth and literally self-cremated upon death! Like...who else?! Add to that his deeds of crafting--the power he had to imbue the light of the Trees in the Silmarils was easily Maia-level, plus weapons, language, and the Palantiri if I'm not mistaken--and his combat prowess--crashed through Morgoth's army and was only slain when surrounded by many Balrogs.
I agree with the others that Fingolfin was the B-est MF of all the Children of Iluvatar. Undoubtedly trained by Eonwe-BMF of the Maiar, and probably Orome and Tulkas as well (well, maybe not Tulkas). It’s cool, too, that you mention Ingwe as the High King of ALL the Elves. A lot of people forget that. In any case, you kinda wish Tolkien wrote more about these guys.
In knowledge, art, inventiveness, potentiality, without a doubt Fëanor. Imagine what would become of Arda with him alive.
In courage, strength and physical power, definitely Fingolfin.
In wisdom and innate power (a mini-Maia) Finrod Felagund;
The most powerful female elf was certainly Lúthien and then Galadriel.
Hmm. The problem is you can't divorce Fëanor's inventiveness and creativity from his arrogance, pride, selfishness, and willingness to lead his people into a war they could not win.
what would become of Arda with Feanor alive? probably a wasteland.
You know your lore
In crafting there’s no competition. It’s Feanor. Battle wise would undoubtedly Finfolgin or the resurrected 3rd age Glorfindel.
Finally a video I can get behind
Let’s go an elf video glorflindel for the win
it's crazy how powerful morgoth and saurons armies must have been to be a challenge to all these people
Fingolfin is my favorite
In my view, I would give Finrod, Fingon, Glorfindel and Gil-galad one category higher. Not sure about Ingwë, he had a great origin, but I think that he had no big power in combat or crafting. At least I imagined him so. But we don't know enough about him.
Great review, thank you! 🙌🏻
Oh, It's Sunday again. Here comes Yoystan as recompense. 😊❤😊
I think the problem you run into here is that Tolkien explicitly did not prize the kind of power that usually governs these lists - as though elves were superheroes with discrete "powers" of magic and making and combat that possessed similarly discrete "power levels" that can be compared and contrasted and even when it's an apples to oranges relation, we're a bit used to understanding things like "How Sue Storm stacks up against Ororo Munroe".
But Tolkien's characters didn't have discrete powers, and their power levels were amorphous. Take the Istari. They had *immense* power - which they were *expressly forbidden* to use to contest Sauron might for might. Saruman only somewhat disobeyed this charge when he broke bad - even as a villain, he used his power to devise industry and bewitch with his Voice.
Power is almost explicitly a *bad thing* in Middle Earth, being more obviously a province of the Shadow and its champions. Sauron is the only character regularly spoken of as having numerous discrete powers - he can change shape, command wolves, for example. Contrast to Bombadil, and the discussion about his "power" over the Ring - 'Say not that he had power over the Ring, say rather that the RIng had no power over him'. And 'I do not think there is power in him to resist the Shadow, unless that power be in the Earth itself...I think in the end he would fall, Last as he was First..." (I'm paraphrasing because I'm too lazy to get my book.)
So props for not going in for a full ranking - it might or might not 'work', but it would kind of violate the principles of the power the Elves possessed, which was very much more about their deeds than some list of "powers" or chart of "power levels".
I'd move Cirdan way way up there. He is the oldest elf in Middle Earth, being one of the original born in Cuivienen. He is He is the greatest crafter of ships in the history of Middle Earth. Theres a reason that other elves who had spent time learning how to build ships under him didnt just go off and build them elsewhere. He was the best. He built the ship that carried Earendil to Valinor to seek help from the Valar in the fight against Morgoth. The same ship that slew Ancalagon the Black and now sails thru the sky as the "Morning Star" with the Silmaril. He taught the Numenoreans the art of ship building. He had probably the greatest foresight of any elf advising Celebrimbor against the forging of the Rings of Power. And was the one trusted with Narya when the 3 were made. He able to immediately identify who the Istari were upon their arrival to Middle Earth and giving Gandalf Narya. He fought in many battles against Sauron and the Witch King.
He definitely should be way way up there.
“Hey wait! Wasn’t Gil-Galad a manager for a popular burger franchise also?!” -Jeff Bezos
5:08 Cirdan is most certainly of royal blood. He’s kin to both Elwe and Olwe
Love the video, but only wondering about your placing of Thingol…
Thingol is supposedly "the mightiest of the Eldar save Fëanor only", one of the Ambassadors, king of the Teleri and the only of all the Children of Illuvitar married to a Maia… and father of Luthien.
Dude just had to sneak someone in ahead of Feanor 😂
I think Luthien often forgotten or ranked quite low in similar videos. But i would expect her to me most powerful because of her heritage and deeds. I generally agree with the list, but i would move Thranduil one step up, it somehow better matches a power maia. The irony is that Amazon in the name of female power has turned the powerful and intelligent Galadriel in to a Teletubbie.
Its gotta be between Fingolfin and Glorfindel! I was considering Eonwe, but i forgot he’s a maia
i think Glorfindel would not be a match for Fingolfin even after getting resurrected and extra power
I would say Ingwion, the leader of the host of the Valar would be the most powerful. He probably learned to fight from Eonwe.
What? Glorifindel? He isn’t in the same league as fingolfin and Fëanor 😂.
"Power is the one fact of the human condition you cannot fake." ~ Stalin
All the elves that changed the chamberpots and swept the mighty halls for thousands of years- They are the most powerful. The determination, sense of duty and loyalty must´ve been immense within them. Not to mention the streanght of their backs...
The most powerful Elf in Tolkiens world was Ingwe, the king of the Vanyar, or gold elves, the elves who never left Valinor after arriving there, except to join in the final battle against Morgoth at the end of the first age. In the old Middle-Earth roleplaying game, there was a book that gave stats to all notable named elves, and Ingwe was the highest level, only one who was more powerful than Feanor.
As far 100% elves go defeating Gothmog is probably the highest achievement
I remember in the jackson movies, the sword carried by elron and later arwen , was the sword of elwing , its mentioned in the visual dictionary
Feanor undoubtedly was the best crafter among the elves, with abilities that surpassed even the maiar and can even be compared to Aule. That is true, however, he did create the silmaril, and they were incredibly powerful objects as shown that they could break magic like the girdle of Melian or the enchanted island, but their power didn't come from Feanor but from Varda who hallowed them. Feanor of course deserves credit for crafting them, and capturing the light of the trees (he also didn't create that light, Yavanna, Nienna and Varda did).
Ingwe was also the favorite of Manwe
Yet another flaw of his, then
Good list. Cant really argue with it other than maybe put Glorfindel and Ecthelion at the high point. They weren't "main characters" but they did kill Balrogs.
Cirdan should have been rated higher, he made most of the ships that could travel to and from Valinor for most of the History.
I haven’t watched the video yet but I’m commenting to say, I just know my boy Glorfindel is gonna be up there! If he’s not number 1, I’ll be very surprised!
I agree with all of these being on this List!!!
This was interesting dividing this in 4 categories to sort them!!!
Thanks Mellon for a Great Video, Until where indeed where the Hobbits during the First and Second Ages of Arda...Marion Baggins Out!!!
I dont know if it is canon, but currently there is a TV show running that is supposed to be about LOTR and an elf called Galadriel is UBER powerful in there based on the teasers I saw. She has to be the strongest elf based on her fighting skills.
Wait, you did not include Don Lemonless from RoP in your review? I wonder why 😂
But why it's soooooo not good 😂😂😂
Legolas's kills still just only count as one. So he could not be higher on the list.
I like your logic for the list
Luthien! Being able to break the will of TWO Valar says enough!
And Sauron? She could just step aside and let her dog deal with him.
Ingwion to be specific would be the most badass elf warrior. He probably learned to fight from Eonwe himself.
Wait, didn't Melian share some of her powers with Thingol ? He didn't get to demonstrate his powers but I feel like he should be higher than Elrond
Will we get a video about Ecthelion? We got one for our other Balrog slayer, Glorfindel. Especially since Ecthelion took down three?
The most powerful Elf in fighting as everyone knows was Galadriel who killed an Ice Troll in under 10 seconds.
I liked the discussion. It's similar a question to - "Who is more powerful, Mike Tyson or Oppenheimer?"
You didnt place Elrond. Or did i just miss it. Surely he places in the list of powerful elves for his combination of leadership, combat abilities and magic! Ive not read the books yet as i just haven't had the cash to buy them but he seems very powerful in the films.He is a great leader and combatant as seen in his roll in the final gathering of Elves, men and dwarves against Sauron. He has amazing healing abilities and we know he has the gifts of telepathy and foresight.
Tolkien seemed to always pointed out that the earlier elves were by default more powerful, so imo more elves from the first age would be more powerful: Maedhros, Fingon, Turgon, Finrod, and maybe even Maglor because the power of music.
But as you point out in many cases there's not much info making it hard to estimate. And probably that is the best part of Tolkien's work: not everything is explained
I love Beleg; he often feels unsung to me.
I think that Glorfindel should be in the fourth category. He was sent back to Middle Earth after he died, kind of like how Gandalf was, and Gandalf was a Maiar, so Glorfindel must be something special.
Doesnt matter we know nothing about Ingwe so he might be greater than Feanor , cause it is mentioned by Professor Tolkein clearly that Fëanor "was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind, in valour, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and subtlety alike: of all the Children of Ilúvatar, and a bright flame was in him, this includes Ingwe or any other Vanya elf
I would say it's the Vanyar Elves. They bailed the Noldor and the Sindar in the War of Wrath.
I thoroughly disagree with people who say Yoystan is now sponsored by Amazon and no longer objective
Extremely hard list to make. No question Feanor was the most powerful elf to be in the Tolkien legendarium. Sure his arrogance didn't keep him around long but he was the most powerful
Canon or Rings of Power scale? Lol. Cirdan the Shipwright is underrated.
thingol is sooo low here- his marriage to a Maia likely further empowered him, one of the first 3 elves in valinor, viewed the trees not saying he as high as feanor or igwe but defo a level above your ranking
Great Video! But what about Glorfindel?
So rich, thank you!
I was listening to a Tolkien podcast recently. They were discussing the Vanyar High Elves. Rather than the Vanyar being the most powerful, I had an image of them being the most innocent. Almost childlike. Did they participate at all in the wars against Morgoth? I could be mistaken, but I think not. Almost coddled by the Valar. Ingwe was titular High King, but he seems ... untested.
BTW, did you mention Elwe who married Melian?
The Vanyar Elves came to middle earth for the war of wrath at the end of the first age, they were among the host of valar under the leadership of eonwe. So yes they are battle expirienced and were for sure very powerfull.
Thank you
Also I think Fingon should be higher, sure, he was only a warrior, not known for magic (although maybe he did have magic powers because of his lineage) but I put him definitely above Elrond. He rescued Maedhros on his own, he defeated Glaurung with other archers (surely a young Glaring but still) and he was slayed by Gothmog only because another balrog held his hands.
Put it this way, if I wanted council, or healing I would prefer Elrond, but if I am in a war, I would certainly would prefer to have Fingon rather than Elrond. Elrond was surely powerful, but his abilities were outstanding in the third age, but would have been so much in the first age.
I also disagree regarding Earendil and Elwing. Surely their actions caused the fall of Morgoth, but it was more by chance, and the help of Ulmo. All Earendil did was sail to Valinor, and all Elwing did was cast herself in the sea only to be rescued by Ulmo, then by giving the silmaril to Earendil they could reach Valinor. Earendil did slay Ancalagon, but at this point he had been empowered by the Valar, was using a hallowed Vingilot and had the help of the eagles, that were even more formidable than in the third age.
This is close to the Lore and Megovanen!
Clearly its Haldir, he was everywhere during the events of The Lord of the Rings. As an example, he was the one who pushed gollum into mount doom.
Sorry but Luthien by far wins this list if we are including her. What she did is literally considered the greatest deed among elves and men, as stated by Tolkien himself
I believe the Vanyar elves were considered the greatest rather than the Noldor.
They were the most loyal and like the Valar. The Noldor were the best craftsman and warriors and lovers of knowledge. It’s fair to say the Vanyar were more aligned with the true essence of what the Quendi were meant to be and had the potential to be. The Noldor had the tougher road and had way more conflict. Hence, why the Quenta Silmarillion is 80% about them and only 1% is about the Vanyar.
Nope, to clear some big rumor that came of out thin air that the VANYAR Elves are the fair elves, described by their great skills of poetry, and arts and being the fairest of all the Eldar, there is no single account of them being the greatest and most powerful of all the Eldar, the terms ''most powerful'' and '' greatest'' are used in the description of the Elves from NOLDOR AND TELERI clans(Execpt the fact that as I assume that characters like Galadriel and all the children of Finwe from his second wife are referred and also like to be counted among NOLDOR even though their mother was a Vanyar elve. So their innate strength and definitions of their greatness do not pass through their Vanyar blood but their own Noldorin blood. Such as Feanor is a pure-blood Noldor stated by Tolkien to be the greatest of all the Eldar by creation) Anyway let's back to the topic and swiftly explain that the title given to the Ingwe is only because he was able to survive through all the ages of the world by being one of the 3 ambassadors first to behold Aman. Ingwe's authority and titles come from him dwelling in Aman, and living close to the King of Arda (Manwe Sulumo), anything we can assume a power level of Ingwe comes from his son's role in War of Wrath being the military commander of the Host of the Vanyar, which Ingwe did not attend to the battle we can say that Ingwion being the leader of the host of Vanyar indicated that he is fighter and warrior of great power to withstand dragon-fire, fiery whips of Balroq and countless other dreadful creatures which attend on Morgoth's side in the war. So Ingwe can be assumed to be a powerful elf by being the father of a powerful warrior son. Ingwe is only addressed as the highest of the hierarchy and majesty(Excluding Dior son Of Beren and Luthien said to be the fairest being and greatest of majesty in creation while he wears Nauglamir which holds a Silmaril)(ICLUDİNG THE MAIAR in the writing) So Ingwe is not the High King of all Elves in Arda because he is the most powerful and greatest, but because the reason that he lived through all the ages of Arda as being one of the 3 ambassadors who behold the light of the Trees of Valinor for the first time among the Eldar and dwell near the feet of Manwe 🤣 Ingwe, Ingwion or whoever can it be from the VANYAR could imagine going through and facing the challenges NOLDOR AND TELERİ suffered through the FİRST AGE and be resilliant as much as them, sorry for the VANYAR fan club but without the comfort of dwelling in Aman and the assistence they get from the Valar they are the weakest of all the Elves in terms of everything include that of not being able to encounter anything includes hardness and turmoil and most importantly they are the only elve clan that does not have any influence or participate in the FATE of the middle earth. Sorry for it being long but Hatred of Ingwe's exaggeration within me sparkled :D😃🥰
It's a shame that we don't know anything about the vanyar
I love Galadriel, but I think she would belong in the 3rd category with her husband & Cirdan. I would also put Glorfindel in the last category with Fingolfin for when he returns he was granted powers almost equal to the Miar. Other than that I have no other disagreements. Fingolfin was the best though.
I have a question, since having elven children takes a toll on the parents up to and including death, does that mean that every subsequent generation is less strong & or powerful than the earlier ones?
Though there are so many different metrics to judge by, I guess that an overall metric could be: *”How much influence did they have in changing the world around them?” I.e. whether through combat prowess, skill in art or craft, political influence, changing history, etc; whoever changed the world or the course of history in the biggest way.
(Since separate metrics and individual feats are subject as to which are deemed more “important”, the overall resulting influence that an individual went on to have, despite how they achieved it, is less implicit? 🤷♂️)
The fact that Galadriel is in the same category as Luthien, Feanor, and Fingolfin shows how the RoP destroys her character. Also important to note that the famous female elves are in the top tier.
No Eöl ranking?
I actually did record for him, but scraped it because he was too hard to place. He created some of the greatest blades ever, but I don’t know which category that alone would place him in.
@@MenoftheWestHe also created an alloy, galvorn, that was probably in the ballpark of mithril in terms of usefulness in making armor.
@@MenoftheWestGreetings from the sunny and warm Harad (Costa Rica) would it ne possible to have a "Who are the most powerful Men in Middle Earth?. I'd really love to see Hurin, Tuor, Beren, Turin, Elendil, etc ranked!
Did I miss it, or did Elrond not get a mention?
Fingolfin, Luthien, Feanor, Finrod Felagund, Galadriel. Top five. (although Luthien was half Maia.)
Some fans have this misconception that “being powerful” in Tolkien’s books means to be like a superhero, with super strength and near-invulnerability. It’s clear that the elves and the Numenorians were special, but they were like Steve Rogers: peak human performance, but not with superhuman abilities. Tolkien conceited far more powerful one’s ability to naturally project authority, which was the case of Galadriel. When someone looked at her, the person would feel almost compelled to yield to her majesty. This is similar to what the One Ring caused: it didn’t turn Sauron into Thanos. It wouldn’t make him lift a troll with one hand. What it did was to make others more vulnerable to submit to his will. It was like Saruman’s voice, but amplified. This why turning the Balrogs into this gigantic creatures doesn’t work. One thing is Melkor, but not the Maiar.
@@licmir3663 You are simplifying things. Numenoreans also had supernatural abilities and the power of someone wasn’t limited to the extreme charisma. It could also show itself in super-strength.
The elven leaders were those with the most power. In Valinor, probably Ingwe and Feanor. In middle earth, the descendants of Finarfin and Fingolfin of which Galadriel is probably the most powerful. Luthien I would classify differently as she was half Maiar. At the time of the Lord of the Rings 1) Galadriel 2) Elrond and 3) Cirdan. It’s hard to know where Celeborn would be.
Ingwion as the leader of the Vanyar in the Host of the Valar might be a better choice than his father. He was a victorious war leader and unlike Ingwë was in Middle Earth after the Great Journey.
Galadriel has some mean spinny kicks.
But which of these elves left Valinor to craft toys at the North Pole for Santa to deliver to all the good boys and girls?
Maybe Feanor and Celibrimbor? Or perhaps that is what really happened to Maglor?