| “ | The scum tried to knife me! KILL HIM! | „ |
| ~ Shagrat ordering the other Orcs to kill Gorbag after the latter threatened to impale him. |
Shagrat is a minor antagonist in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and its 2003 film adaptation The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. He was a Mordor Uruk-hai Orc in service to Sauron and stationed at Cirith Ungol. His characterization differs somewhat depending on whether it is the book version or the movie version directed by Peter Jackson.
Nevertheless, he is closely associated with Lieutenant Gorbag and Frodo's mithril shirt in all versions of the story.
In both versions of the story, Shagrat and fellow Orc Lieutenant Gorbag come into conflict over the captured Frodo's possessions, particularly his Mythrill shirt. In the books, Shagrat dutifully insists that these things go to the Eye of Sauron, and when the more greedy Gorbag protests, Shagrat kills him on the spot, which starts a chaotic free-for-all between the Uruk-hai and the Orcs where the two sides annihilate each other.
Biography[]
According to dialogue from Shagrat, he had been patrolling by Shelob's lair for a long time as it was by his post at Cirith Ungol. On one patrol, he found one of his soldiers that had been missing for days, Ufthak, cocooned alive in Shelob's webs and hanging from his ceiling, though Shagrat didn't save him out of fear of Shelob.
Shagrat is first introduced when Samwise, having used the ring to turn invisible, spot him and Gorbag overlooking the unconscious and cocooned form of Frodo in Shelob's lair. Both orcs assume Samwise must've been a powerful elf warrior that deserted Frodo in atypical elvish fashion. Shagrat tells Gorbag about the danger of Shelob's venom and that Frodo is merely paralyzed, then afterwards the two orcs discuss their jobs with Shagrat saying Sauron cannot be resisted.
After dissuading Gorbag from torturing Frodo, Shagrat and Gorbag take Frodo to Cirith Ungol. However when Gorbag spots Frodo's priceless mithril shirt, a feud breaks out between the two as Shagrat insists all of Frodo's possessions should go to Sauron, but Gorbag disputes that Sauron won't notice if he takes the mithril for himself.
This eventually leads to Gorbag and Shagrat fighting, starting a chaotic free-for-all between the different faction of orcs. Gorbag tried to attack Shagrat with a knife, but Shagrat knocked Gorbag down and strangled him until he seemingly died as Samwise snuck into the tower.
As Shagrat feuded with a surviving Snaga orc, Gorbag sprung to life and attacked Shagrat with a spear, but snakelike quickness, Shagrat twisted around and stabbed Gorbag in the throat. To make sure Gorbag was dead this time, Shagrat kicked and knifed his body several times. Encountering Samwise with the orcist, Shagrat managed to escape the tower with Frodo's belongings. Shagrat was not seen after that.
In the films[]
Conversely in the films, Shagrat takes on many of Gorbag's personality traits whilst Gorbag takes many of Shagrat's traits. Gorbag is the one whom explains the affects of Shelob's venom and that Frodo is still alive, with neither characters discussing their lives or a desire to be free of Sauron.
Here it is Shagrat who is the greedy one want wants to take the Mythil armor for himself, and Gorbag who is the loyal one that wants to take all of Frodo's belongings to Sauron. They come to blows with Shagrat beating Gorbag, though Gorbag makes an sneak attack on Frodo instead of Shagrat, and the chaotic infighting between the Orcs still occurs.
Whilst Shagrat's final fate is unrevealed, the fact that the Mouth of Sauron had the Mythril shirt, shows at the very least, Shagrat did not get away with the Mithril.
Video Games[]
In the Return of the King video game, Shagrat actually successfully steals Frodo's Mythrill shirt and flees Cirith Ungol after Sam kills Gorbag. The Mouth of Sauron later shows it off to Aragorn and his allies at the Black Gates (which he also does in the movie proper), suggesting that Shagrat gave it to him (or that the Mouth had him killed and took it).
In LEGO The Lord of the Rings, Shagrat temporarily teams up with Sam to fight Shelob. This feature was likely included to make the level co-op friendly.
Personality[]
Compared to Gorbag, he is more of realist and resigned to service under "big bosses" like Sauron, if only out of fear and submission, advising Gorbag not to speak out loud about desertion for fear of being heard. Though Shagrat admitted to liking the idea of defecting from Sauron's forces and living the simple life of a thief in the country side, he didn't find it realistic that they could escape Sauron's vengeance and felt Sauron's victory was the only way orcs like them could survive.
Shagrat disapproves of Frodo's "elvish warrior" companion, but didn't see anything wrong with him leaving his former soldier, Ufthak for dead in Shelob's lair out of fear of angering the spider, even laughing when recalling Ufthak's expression. He also tried to keep Gorbag from torturing Frodo due to the orders from Sauron saying the prisoner must be kept "safe and whole."
In the movie, neither Shagrat nor Gorbag ever discuss defection, and in a departure from the novel, Shagrat desires the mithril armor for himself, though the reason why he wants is never made clear.
Quotes[]
| “ | Hands off! That shiny shirt, that’s mine! | „ |
| ~ Shagrat to Gorbag claiming Frodo’s mithril chain mail vest as his |
| “ | I don’t take orders from stinking Morgul rats! | „ |
| ~ Shagrat arguing with Gorbag |
Notes[]
- His name is presumably a play on the phrase "Shaggy Rat".
- Shagrat reminiscing about the "good old days" and the "great siege" are frequently discussed by the fandom, as their dialogue implies they were there themselves, which could make them hundreds or thousands of years old.
- Discarded notes by Tolkien said after Shagrat delivered all of Frodo's possessions including the Mithril, Sauron had Shagrat executed anyway. As these notes were discarded, it is unknown if they are still canon, leaving the literary Shagrat's fate unknown.
