Summary

• Tom Bombadil remains a mysterious character in The Lord of the Rings, with some theories suggesting he is the god of Tolkien's world.
• The identities of the Nazgul, former Kings of Men, have been lost throughout time, making their true identities unknown.
• The fate of the Entwives, who vanished long ago, remains a mystery, with speculation that they were wiped out during Sauron's rise.

J.R.R. Tolkien created a vast and detailed world to his story in The Lord of the Rings, but a few mysteries remained unanswered. Of course, none of these were overlooked by the legendary author. The tales of Middle-earth were constructed like real-world histories, and when questioned about things like the true identity of Tom Bombadil or the fate of the Men of Middle-earth once they had died, Tolkien would often state that he didn't know—just as the beings of Middle-earth didn't know.

Still, Tolkien planted hints throughout his various histories of Middle-earth, so fans have spent the better part of a century developing theories. This has led adaptations like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to come to their own conclusions. Still, none of these can strictly be considered canon, and with Tolkien's pen never again to grace the page, these major Middle-earth mysteries are left for audiences only to speculate, never to know for certain.

10 What On Middle-earth Is Tom Bombadil?

Tom Bombadil was left out of the Lord of the Rings movies, likely because he was such a confusing character. In the Fellowship of the Ring book, Frodo and the other Hobbits were rescued by Bombadil shortly after leaving the Shire. He was not a Man or an Elf and could put on the One Ring without vanishing or being tempted by it. After the events of The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf visited Bombadil for a long time, ing the idea that he is very important to Middle-earth. Some have even theorized that he is the god of Tolkien's world, disguised within a physical form.

9 The Identities Of Lord Of The Rings' Nazgul

The Nazgul were a constant threat in The Lord of the Rings, and the Witch King's death was a significant moment of triumph for the protagonists. Aragorn explained shortly after Frodo's first interaction with the monsters that they had once been the Kings of Men whom Sauron had given the nine Rings of Power. However, this had happened so long ago that no one living ed who they had originally been. Their own identities had been wiped away, and their will was entirely that of Sauron's. Prime Video's The Rings of Power will likely create some characters who will become the Nazgul, but this won't provide a canon explanation.

8 What Happened To The Entwives?

When Merry and Pippin met Treebeard the Ent, he asked them whether they had ever seen Entwives near the Shire. Of course, they answered no since they had never seen any Ents before that moment. This disappointed Treebeard, who had pondered the mystery of the disappearing Entwives for centuries. He explained that these female Ents had migrated away from the males long ago and had then vanished. It's assumed they were wiped out during Sauron's rise, but a definitive answer was never given to audiences, nor poor Treebeard.

7 Sauron's End Goal For Middle-earth After Domination

The Lord of the Rings series was written from the perspective of the various historians of Middle-earth, and since Sauron wasn't one of them, we never see anything from his point of view. This means that, aside from dominating Middle-earth, it's unknown precisely what the Dark Lord had intended to do with his reign. He used to be an agent of Morgoth, and since Sauron (in the form of Annatar) had once convinced the Numenorians to wage war with Valinor, his overarching goal may have been to bring his old master back from banishment. Since he lost the War of the Ring, we will never know.

6 What Are The 'Nameless Things' Gandalf Saw Beneath Khazad-Dum?

As an immortal being older than the world, Gandalf knew much more about Middle-earth than most of its occupants. Occasionally, he would hint at this knowledge, but he only shared what people like Aragorn and Frodo needed to know. For example, when Gandalf fought the Balrog and became Gandalf the White in The Lord of the Rings, he reportedly went far deeper into the earth than the Dwarves of Moria had ever dug, and he found there evil beings that he thought to be too terrible to tell his friends about. He called them only "nameless things," and nothing in Tolkien's works ever elaborated on what these might have been.

5 The Fate Of The Blue Wizards & Radagast

Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast were all Maiar, the angel-like beings created to serve the god-like Valar. In addition to assisting with creation, the Maiar were sometimes tasked with traveling to Middle-earth to help the beings there in their fight against evil. These select Maiar were called the Istari, and there were five known to have departed from Valinor in Tolkien canon. The first two, known as the Blue Wizards, arrived in Middle-earth during the Second Age. They traveled East but were never seen again.

Gandalf and his kin arrived in Middle-earth at the beginning of the Third Age, and The Lord of the Rings reveals what happened to him and Saruman. However, Radagast is never discussed again. The last anyone knew, the wizard had turned away from his mission thanks to his obsession with plants and animals. It's possible he continued to live in the wilderness for an eternity. Or, if he was allowed, he could have eventually returned to the Undying Lands.

4 How Long Did Frodo Live In The Undying Lands?

After his adventures, Frodo set sail with his Uncle Bilbo and Gandalf for the Undying Lands. Despite this name, mortal beings do not live forever in the Undying Lands in The Lord of the Rings. Instead, they would live in pain-free peace until their body aged and they ed away. This would eventually be Frodo's fate, but there is no way of knowing how far into the future it would happen. Some have speculated that mortal beings would actually live shorter lives in Valinor. Therefore, when Sam arrived there decades later, Frodo might have no longer been there. However, it's much more pleasant to think the pair lived out their days happily together.

3 What Was Ungoliant & Where Did She Originate From

Ungoliant was the first of the monstrous spiders that resided in Middle-earth. She allied herself with Morgoth in the early days and was responsible (under the Dark Lord's orders) for destroying the Two Trees of Valinor. Ungoliant is also the mother of Shelob, the spider Frodo and Sam confronted in Mordor. Though Morgoth created the majority of the dark creatures of Middle-earth by corrupting the begins of Eru Ilúvatar, Ungoliant wasn't one of them. It's said that she was older than the world and came from the dark void that surrounded it. However, this has never been confirmed.

2 What Happens To The Race Of Men After Death?

Though Elves are immortal, they don't necessarily live forever in the same body in The Lord of the Rings. When their bodies fail for whatever reason, their souls are sent to the Halls of Mandos, where they will eventually be reincarnated in a form that would continue on in Valinor. This cycle would then continue forever. Tolkien explained that when mortal beings like Men died, their souls would also go to the Halls of Mandos, but after a waiting period, they would be sent to an unknown elsewhere. Since mortality is called the Gift of Men in The Lord of the Rings, it's sometimes believed that mortal beings go to live with Eru Ilúvatar after, but we will never know for sure.

1 How Long After LOTR Does Dagor Dagorath Happen?

The events of The Lord of the Rings weren't the last conflict that Middle-earth would experience. According to Tolkien lore, an event known as Dagor Dagorath would eventually see the world's destruction. This is essentially Tolkien's version of Armageddon. During this period, Morgoth is destined to escape his exile to the void, and a catastrophic war between the Valar would begin. Thankfully, Morgoth is destined to lose and finally be cast down for all time. The bad part is, there's no way to know how long after The Lord of the Rings this would all go down. We know at least a couple hundred years went by, but it could have been any day after that.