3rd Place: Radagast the Brown
The quirky Radagast is particularly known to fans of “The Hobbit”. In the films, his role is significantly larger than in the book, where he is only briefly mentioned. This is not the only difference between the literary source and the films.
The wizard originally came to Middle-earth alongside Gandalf, but his powers do not match Gandalf’s. Radagast’s strengths were not in direct combat or diplomacy. Instead, he focused a lot on nature, plants, and animals. He could charm them to work for him by sending information through them, and he manipulated them.
Additionally, he was described by Gandalf as particularly talented in the ability of shape-shifting. At first glance, Radagast may appear a bit dreamy and odd. However, when the peace of his natural surroundings was threatened, he could unleash all his power. No orc would want to face an overwhelming force of rabbits, deer, and birds. Unfortunately, it is unknown how Radagast’s story ultimately ended.
