“ | We are the fighting Uruk-hai! We slew the great warrior. We took the prisoners. We are the servants of Saruman the Wise, the White Hand: the Hand that gives us man's-flesh to eat. We came out of Isengard, and led you here, and we shall lead you back by the way we choose. I am Uglúk. I have spoken. | „ |
~ Uglúk to Grishnákh's forces -The Two Towers, "The Uruk-hai" |
“ | Looks like meat's back on the menu boys! | „ |
~ Uglúk's most famous line. |
Uglúk is a minor antagonist in The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and Peter Jackson's film trilogy of the same name, being a minor antagonist in The Two Towers. He is an ill-tempered but loyal Uruk-hai that acts as the leader of Saruman's Uruk-hai scouts in The Lord of the Rings books (and the movies after Lurtz is killed by Aragorn).
He was portrayed by Nathaniel Lees.
Biography
Book
In the books, Uglúk first appears, albeit without his name being mentioned, as the leader of the Isengard Uruk hai that battled the fellowship at Amon hen, Uglúk killing Boromir with his arrows. After capturing the Hobbits, Merry and Pippin, Uglúk and his forces set out to Isengard with their captives as he had orders from Saruman to bring the hobbits back alive and unharmed as quickly as possible.
On their way to Isengard, Moria orc forces from the North and Mordor Orc forces led by Grishnákh, joined with Uglúk's crew.
However Uglúk came into conflict with Grishnákh, as he had orders from Sauron to bring the Hobbits to Lugbúrz AKA Barad-dûr, Sauron's fortress, conflicting with Uglúk's orders to bring the Hobbits to Saruman. Eventually a fight broke out between Sauron's orcs and Saruman's orcs over possession of the Hobbits, with Uglúk quickly winning the conflict by swiftly decapitating two Mordor orcs.
After Uglúk ended the dispute he imposed his will with the Hobbits going with the Uruks to Saruman, the Moria orcs accompanying the Uruks and the Mordor orcs withdrawing to the east.
By the evening of February 26, Uglúk learned from his scout that a single horseman of Rohan had spotted them, realizing that Rohan's army of horsemen would soon be after them by morning, Uglúk applied orcish medicine to Merry and Pippin's wounds, than he undid the bonds on their legs and forced the hobbits to run with his army.
When the Moria orcs objected to running in the sunlight, Uglúk said they'd better run if they ever wanted to return to heir homes. Uglúk's army of 200 uruks and orcs ran at frightening speed with their hobbit captives, Ugluk running behind his troops to keep watch. However after two days of running, the Rowan horsemen were starting to gain on the orcs. Despite this, Uglúk remained hopeful as reinforcements from the orc commander Mauhúr were set to meet en-route to Isengard.
Near the entwash, Uglúk let the Moria orcs that wanted to leave, return to the nearby Misty Mountains, leaving the hobbits with mostly Uruk troops. Not much later, Grishnákh and his mordor orcs returned from the east, claiming they would help see the Hobbits delivered to Saruman before the riders of Rohan catch up. A highly suspicious, Uglúk, reluctantly allowed Grishnákh's forces to accompany them against their common foe in the "whiteskins", as he tied up the hobbits legs again to prevent them from escaping.
At night as the Rowan riders had nearly reached the orcs, Grishnákh was manipulated by the hobbits into attempting to sneak off with them as he believed they held the One-Ring, whilst Uglúk was busy facing the riders as his reinforcements finally arrived. Shortly afterwards Grishnákh was killed by a Rohan spear, whilst in the ensuing battle with the Rowan horseman, Uglúk killed several riders and almost broke through their ranks, but was pushed to the edge of the woods, refusing to run even after his men were killed or fled.
There the leader of the Rowan riders, Eomer dismounted and dueled Uglúk sword to sword in a duel to death. After a fierce battle with Eomer, Uglúk was finally killed.
Film
“ | I don't take orders from orc maggots! Saruman will have his prize! We will deliver them. | „ |
~ Uglúk to Grishnákh. |
Uglúk has a smaller role in the films where he does not show up in Fellowship of the Ring, with the role of Boromir's killer going to Lurtz and Two Towers establishing Uglúk took over in the wake of Lurtz's death to Aragorn. Here he is an ill-tempered and vicious Uruk-hai leader who looks down on the Orcs accompanying him and his fellow Uruk-hai. He also cannibalizes one of Grishnákh's orcs he just beheaded along with other Uruk-hai (also uttering the now-famous line "Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!").
When the Riders of Rohan led by Éomer attack him and his band, they kill all of the Uruk-hai and Orcs, (Éomer later confirms they left none alive) with no duel between him and the former being shown to take place.
Video Games
Uglúk is playable in the Gameboy Advance version of the video game Lord of the Rings: The Third Age if the player is playing the evil campaign.
Uglúk is a playable character in the online battle arena game, Guardians of Middle-earth, possessing the abilities, Charge of the Uruk-hai, White Hand's Whip, Fury of Isengard and Orcish Medicine.
He is also a playable hero in Lord of the Rings: Rise to War where he fights similarly to Lurtz. The mobile game, Lord of the Ring: Heroes of Middle earth, has Uglúk as a two handed sword user playable evil Hero and "tank character" whom can heal his allies and inflict status ailments on his foes.
In Lord of the Rings: Online, Eomer tells the player of his duel with Uglúk, with the latter's body being examinable by the player, whom notes Boromir has finally been avenged with Uglúk's death. Additionally in the game's PVP mode, the Uruk-hai "tank" and "healer" class, the Warleader is heavily based off Uglúk and the methods he used to keep his forces alive and under control.
Personality
While somewhat ruthless and a man-eater, Uglúk had traits that are genuinely respectable, such as standing up for his clan of fellow Uruk-hai, despising the eater of orc flesh, bravery in the face of unsurmountable odds and managing to hold his diverse army together.
Uglúk even somewhat respected his enemies should they be courageous and bold, referring to late Boromir, as a "great warrior" and accepted Eomer's challenge to battle one-on-one. While Uglúk's orders from Saruman were to deliver the Hobbits alive and unspoiled and him keeping them safe were because of Saruman's orders, it still did not change the fact that Uglúk helped Merry to heal with medicine (albeit forcefully making Merry drink the grog).
In the movie, most of Uglúk's honorable and clever qualities are gone, and he isn't shown to be much different than other orc commanders. Additionally unlike his book counterpart whom was offended at the idea of eating orc flesh, the movie Uglúk eats orc flesh.
Gallery
Notes
- Uglúk is considered by the fandom to be one of the most competent orcs in the book, if not one of the most commanders of Mordor's forces.