Yes, sorry! (The Stanley Cup has been hoisted, so my time should be undeviatingly devoted to the final stretch!)
We’re now in the Top 100 characters of the Legendarium; and those that remain, I have no doubt are the Giants of Arda! (The accompanying secondary list I hope also approaches its respective top-100). Enjoy!
#100 Barahir, 7th Lord of the First House of the Edain – 1st-house adan lord
[TG:42,EoA:20,Wik:11,RF:10,JT:13,MD:1,DK:1,LR:3,Sil:6,CoH:1,UT:6,H1:2,H2:12,H3:10,H4:6,H5:4,H6:2,H7:2,H8:2,H10:2,H11:6,H12:2=164pts,172indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Barahir
He was the father of Beren One-Hand, leader of his band of outlaws, and, oh yeah, had a Ring that survived as an heirloom to Aragorn..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qdpWykfMnk
#99 Tulkas Astaldo, the Valiant – vala champion
[TG:41,EoA:4,Wik:6,RF:17,JT:11,DD:15,MD:3,DK:1,JG:2,Sil:4,H1:10,B1:8,H2:2,H3:2,H4:10,H5:6,H6:2,H10:14,H11:2,H12:2,HoF+:2=164pts,193indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tulkas_Astaldo
He was the last of the Valar to appear in Arda, and is also the last non-Aratar Vala to appear on this list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBUJztI884M
#98 Nienna, Mistress of Tears – vala queen
[TG:36,EoA:23,Wik:19,RF:14,JT:9,DD:9,MD:4,DK:1,JG:1.Sil:3,UT:4,H1:14,B1:8,H2:2,H4:6,H5:2,H10:8,H12:2=165pts,111indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Nienna
The sister of the Fëanturi is the first to appear of the Aratar, the most exclusive club in Arda. Having said that, all 9 members of the Fellowship, all 3 Elf Ambassadors, as well as the entire immediate family of King Thingol, have yet to appear – exclusive clubs in themselves! (This mistress of grief & sorrow, is also acquainted with pity & courage, and was the teacher of Gandalf, no less: sing for the laughter, sing for the tears…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_3l7H0wSXQ
#97 Gloin, father of Gimli, and companion of Thorin Oakenshield – dwarf adventurer
[TG:87,EoA:2,Wik:3,RF:9,JT:6,DD:20,MD:3,JR:17,LR:3,Let:1,UT:4,H6:6,H7:4,H8:2,H12:2=169pts,109indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Gloin
6 dwarves make the top-100. Gloin’s son will appear much nearer the top, likewise for the next dwarf appearing below. (This could have been sung for all of Thorin’s companions, but of course literally only applies to Balin and Thorin himself: of mountain-tops, rooftops, egos, & break-ups…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqPmOhvbi_A
#96 Caranthir the Dark, 4th son of Fëanor – noldo prince
[TG:38,EoA:3,Wik:9,RF:19,JT:56,MD:1,DK:2,Sil:4,H2:2,H3:4,H4:8,H5:4,H6:2,H10:6,H11:8,H12:4=170pts,101indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Caranthir
The 2 Elves with the epithet of ‘the Dark’, appear here back to back. (If Caranthir had the opportunity to dance with his mother Nerdanel late in life, he may not have been so dark…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlvjznOEWjk
#95 Eöl, the Dark Elf – sinda smith/inventor
[TG:39,EoA:28,Wik:25,RF:19,JT:35,JR:1,Sil:4,CoH:4,UT:2,H2:2,H3:2,H4:2,H5:2,H11:4,H12:2=171pts,68indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Eöl
Like Húrin & Thingol, the immediate family of Eöl all make the top-100, although none near the top. Forging Anglachel would have to be at the top of his (mainly notorious) claims to fame. (He took whatever he wanted, including Aredhel…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF3LnTkiWxY
#94 Olwë, 2nd King of the Teleri – falmari king
[TG:32,EoA:12,Wik:6,RF:8,JT:36,DD:13,DK:2,Sil:4,UT:4,H1:10,H2:6,H4:10,H5:12,H10:7,H11:4,H12:6=172pts,91indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Olw%C3%AB
With the exception of Tulkas, everyone in this batch of 10 have one or more family members that will yet appear. (Though Olwë waited as long as he could for his brother, he could hear the ocean’s roar, and had no time to pack his bags…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqgyD_yTWCU
#93 Thrain II, father of Thorin Oakenshield – dwarf king
[TG:54,EoA:2,Wik:12,RF:11,JT:26,DD:27,MD:4,JR:14,LR:2,UT:6,H6:4,H7:2,H8:2,H9:2,H12:4=172pts,92indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Thrain_II
Thrain’s life was certainly one filled with anger, struggle, and righteous cause. Unfortunate was his fate, but his claim to fame is of course passing on the map & key to Gandalf.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR9JMwzxybE
#92 Laurelin the Golden, younger of the Two Trees of Valinor (n) – tree
[TG:18,EoA:4,Wik:4,RF:11,JT:20,MD:5,DK:3,JR:2,LR:3,Sil:2,UT:8,H1:18,B1:17,H2:8,B2:5,FoG:8,H3:6,H4:10,H5:8,H6:4,H10:6,H11:2,H12:2=174pts,139indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Laurelin
I have one last disclaimer: while we’re done with handbags, statues, mountains, & swords, and all other entities of questionable sentience; 2 trees still appear. They, of course, being the Two Trees of Valinor! However, their scores only reflect references to their individual identities, as all indexed references to the ‘Two Trees of Valinor’ were discounted. Arien the Maia, Mistress of the Sun was back at #147, but the Sun itself will not appear on this list, though it was a fruit of Laurelin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nnl1LhJj78
#91 Goldberry the River-daughter, wife of Tom Bombadil (f) – water-spirit?
[TG:36,EoA:12,Wik:4,RF:7,JT:2,MD:88,DD:18,HC:1,LR:4,Let:1,H6:2,HoF+:3=178pts,38indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Goldberry
Nearly half her points come from being the 2nd character to appear on this list with an entire entry in Drout’s
Encyclopedia devoted to her (the 1st being Old Man Willow).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LVC9eW9Q4E
glossary:
*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral
POINTS - for ENTRIES:
TG=
Tolkien Gateway,
EoA=
Encyclopedia of Arda,
Wik=Wikipedia,
RF=Robert Foster’s
Complete Guide to Middle-earth,
JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s
Tolkien Companion,
DD=David Day’s
A-Z of Tolkien; for INDICES:
LR=
Lord of the Rings,
Sil=
Silmarillion,
UT=
Unfinished Tales,
HX=
History of Middle-earth Vol.X,
Let=
Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,
HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s
Biography,
JG=John Garth’s
Tolkien and the Great War,
JR=John Rateliff’s
History of The Hobbit,
DK=Douglas Kane’s
Arda Reconstructed; for both ENTRIES & INDICES:
MD=Michael Drout’s
Tolkien Encyclopedia; for NAME-LISTS:
CoH=
Children of Húrin,
B1 or
B2=the ‘Qenya & Gnomish Lexicons’ from
Book of Lost Tales Vols.1&2,
FoG=the ‘Fall of Gondolin’ from BoLT Vol.2,
LoE=the ‘Line of Elros’ tree & list from UT; MISC:
HoF+=votes from the
Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.