The Lord of the Rings, at its heart, is a tale about people, and the different paths they take on their journey towards corruption, redemption, or actualization. In Middle Earth, there is a constant state of unimaginable wars, sources of darkness vying for power, and entire races of orcs and goblins whose sole purpose is to take control and obliterate anyone who opposes the dark-lords rule. In such a world, it is amazing that there are still characters like Aragorn, who is loyal and brave and shows compassion above all else; or Frodo and Sam, whose love for one another and their peaceful home in The Shire is strong enough to move mountains. But between the heroes and the villains, there’s a middle ground, where characters like Isildur and Denethor and Saruman reside. These characters, driven by greed and power, are all aiming for one thing: to be the next dark lord.