Fantasy, Legend, and Mythology 38 members · 0 stories
Comments ( 1 )
  • Viewing 1 - 50 of 1
Ranger24
Group Admin

Orcs have probably the most complicated development of any fantasy race. Orcs are also one of the few races of Tolkien's legendarium who can be considered mostly an original construct of Tolkien, though with roots in creatures such as ogres and goblins. Originally in the Hobbit the Orcs were just flat out refered to as Goblins but Tolkien changed it eventually.

Tolkien seems to have struggled with the Orcs from a narrative and moral perspective. He intentionally made the Orcs respesent everything he disliked; senseless cruelty, destruction of a nature, the loss of culture. He could never make up his mind on the Orcs origins either. At the same time Tolkien didn't like to have a race that was pure evil as it did not sit well with his personal beliefs. Tolkien couldn't however find a place to introduce a good Orc though the Legendarium does mention that at the battle of Dagorlad every race on Middle Earth with the exception of the Elves had combatants on both sides. This implies that good or at least neutral orcs exist in the legendarium.

The Orcs have changed greatly first thanks to Dungeons and Dragons where they became bigger, green, and gained big old tusks or pronounced lower canine teeth at least. However in D&D Orcs really kept to either to evil or neutral alignments. The biggest changes to Orcs arguably were brought on by Blizzard and Bethesda with Warcraft and the Elder Scrolls. There the Orcs gained a sort of noble savage take on their culture and society. The Orcs could be just as heroic as any other race.

Who are your favorite Orcs? Why do you love them, hate them, or love to hate them? What are your thoughts on the development of Orcs? Discuss below.

  • Viewing 1 - 50 of 1