LOTR Books Ranked: Return of the King Wins

Collider's superfan ranking of The Lord of the Rings books puts The Return of the King first. The site says the trilogy is Tolkien's greatest work. Read all three, but if you need a verdict: The Return of the King is the best.

The Two Towers: Third place

Collider ranks The Two Towers last because the characters are split after Boromir's fall. New characters like Faramir and Gollum expand the world. Gandalf's transformation into the White is well explained but loses some whimsy. The book ends with a cliffhanger: Sam sneaks into Mordor after learning Frodo is alive. (Reported by Collider)

The Fellowship of the Ring: Second place

According to Collider, this book is one of the most ambitious fantasy works ever. It has two halves: the journey from the Shire to Rivendell, and the Fellowship's destruction. It develops all nine members, rewrites Bilbo's backstory, and has more humor than the sequels. The time in the Shire matters because it shows what they are fighting for.

The Return of the King: First place

The shortest story but longest with appendices, The Return of the King pays off everything. Collider says it is Aragorn's story, and his selflessness is the most direct biblical allusion in the series. The Frodo-Sam relationship is powerful. The ending deals with the Hobbits returning to a scarred Shire, offering a satisfying conclusion. It is as perfect an ending as could be imagined.

The verdict: Read them in order

The article also includes a personality quiz to see which character you are. (Collider warns that even a tie tells a story.)

Read all three books. Start with The Fellowship of the Ring and finish with The Return of the King. That is the only order that makes sense.

• Books
• J.R.R. Tolkien
• Lord of the Rings
• The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Return of the King
• The Two Towers