The Lord of the Rings: Gollum takes the eponymous character on a journey through Mordor and Mirkwood, but Gollum questing for his missing precious isn't the only familiar character to appear in the game. Gollum is a central character in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, and many know his story thanks to Peter Jackson's film adaptations. Though the game draws much of its inspiration from material briefly referenced in the books and appendices, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum features a number of characters who are also in the movies.
The principal returning characters that appear in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum are Gollum (and his alter ego Smeagol), Gandalf, Thranduil, the Nazgûl, and the Mouth of Sauron. Each character is featured to varying extents in the films - Gandalf is a central character and part of the Fellowship, while the Mouth of Sauron only appears during one scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King's Extended Edition. While characters like Aragorn and Bilbo do receive brief mentions in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, it’s the characters with significant appearances in the game that make for interesting comparisons to their Hollywood counterparts.
5 Gollum
In Jackson's films, Gollum is a fairly accurate representation of Tolkien's description - a scrawny creature, skin fish-belly white from untold years living in caves, bald but for a handful of long, scraggly hairs. Gollum walks on all fours, his movements occasionally jerky and frantic, more reminiscent of an insect than a member of the River Folk. This is more or less how he appears in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum as well, which will make a smooth transition for fans of the movies. These movements become the basis for platforming and stealth gameplay, taking advantage of his awkward long-limbed agility.
Gollum's appearance is the result of many years of the Ring's corruption, with the creature withering away slowly in the dark and losing much of his sanity. As The Lord of the Rings: Gollum takes place only a few years before Peter Jackson's movies, it's not particularly surprising that the character reflects the same long descent similarly. The game hones in on the struggle between Gollum and Sméagol that is present in the films, giving players some agency in resolving internal conflicts and choosing how to interact with other characters.
4 Gandalf
Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum looks similar to how he does in the movies, albeit without Ian McKellen's facial features. Both are elderly men with long, gray beards, a pointed grey-blue hat and a gnarled wooden staff. The primary visual differences come from the details, as The Lord of the Rings: Gollum's Gandalf's robes are a bit more ornate, and a peacock-like feather adorns his hat. This appearance also calls to mind a hint of Radagast's design in the movies, with a furry cloak around the shoulders resembling the brown wizard's comfortably earthy fashion.
Like in the films, Gandalf has a bearing that sets himself apart, and approaches Gollum with the intent to understand the creature in a way that few are willing to. His behavior toward Gollum is firm when necessary, as understanding the current situation surrounding the ring is imperative to him, but he also treats Gollum with empathy and acknowledges the horrors that the creature has suffered. Fans of the films will no doubt find this iteration of Gandalf to be generally familiar to the wizard they already know and love.
3 Thranduil
Similarly, Thranduil in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum bears a resemblance to Lee Pace's depiction in The Hobbit films. Legolas' father is a tall and innately regal wood elf with long blonde hair, green robes and a crown of branches. Once again, the game's depiction adds flair the films lack, as Thranduil's clothes are much more ornate, and the crown stemming naturally from his hair is taller with a variety of leaves sprouting. Thranduil is less interested in Gollum's knowledge and character than Gandalf, believing that there is no hope for the creature in the future.
2 Nazgûl
Several of the Nazgûl, also known as Black Riders and Ringwraiths, appear in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum with a very similar appearance to the portrayal from the films. As shadowy servants of Sauron, the Nazgûl have an almost indistinctly threatening appearance, with features cloaked in dark hoods and capes. The game focuses more on the armor, exposing much that was covered in robes in the films. Like the riders that attack the Hobbits on Weathertop in The Fellowship of the Ring, the Nazgûl that appear in the game wield swords as their weapon of choice. Their narrative role is also similar, serving as a basic but terrifying threat.
1 Mouth of Sauron
The biggest visual distinction between The Lord of the Rings: Gollum characters and their movie counterparts is with the Mouth of Sauron. In The Return of the King, he is an extraordinarily tall figure in black robes, face encased in a metal mask save his mouth. In the game, the Mouth of Sauron's whole face is visible, with a complex adornment rising from his shoulders and neck instead emphasizing his name with rows of embedded teeth. Both iterations of this character are striking and ostentatious designs, but they bear little direct resemblance.
The Mouth of Sauron's clothes are also more sophisticated, a dusty blue color instead of black, tapering to gold embroidery at the bottom of his robes. His blood-red eyes stand out from his face, giving him a similar intensity of appearance to the Mouth of Sauron in the films despite his completely changed appearance. His behavior is vastly different, with the character speaking and holding himself in a refined manner compared to his feral mannerisms in the films. The character may be equally wicked in both, but The Lord of the Rings: Gollum shows that there's another way to be terrifying.
