The Were-worms are mysterious, serpentine creatures mentioned briefly in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. They inhabit the "Last Desert," a distant and desolate land far to the east of Middle-earth.
The creatures were given a visual form in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), directed by Peter Jackson. In the film, massive worm-like beasts are shown tunneling through the mountains to allow Azog's orc army a secret route to the Lonely Mountain. Though briefly seen, their grotesque and otherworldly appearance made a striking impression.
History[]
In Tolkien’s Original Texts:[]
The Were-worms are only mentioned once in The Hobbit (1937), in a throwaway line spoken by Bilbo Baggins during his initial resistance to joining Thorin Oakenshield’s quest. When the dwarves and Gandalf are urging him to venture into the unknown, Bilbo exclaims:
"Tell me what you want done, and I will try it, if I have to walk from here to the East of East and fight the wild Were-worms in the Last Desert."
This line is often interpreted as a hyperbolic expression of Bilbo's fear and sarcasm, implying that he would rather go to the most remote and dangerous place imaginable than leave his comfortable hobbit-hole. Tolkien does not revisit or clarify the nature of the Were-worms anywhere else in his writings. Therefore, in the canonical lore of Middle-earth, their existence remains ambiguous—possibly a fictional or exaggerated monster from hobbit folklore, or a vague echo of ancient beasts in the unexplored east of the world.
In Film:[]
In Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Were-worms were reimagined as real, colossal subterranean monsters. They appear in a pivotal moment when Azog the Defiler’s orc army makes a surprise approach toward Erebor. These giant beasts tunnel through mountains and deep terrain, creating vast underground passageways that allow the orcs to travel undetected beneath the mountains of the north.
Azog uses them to bypass the Elves and Men encamped outside the Lonely Mountain, launching a surprise assault on the defenders. Once the tunnels are completed, the Were-worms vanish back into the earth and do not engage in combat. Their presence is short but dramatic, showcasing the scale and unnatural resources the orcs have begun to command.
This portrayal treats them less as individual predators and more as instruments of war—a natural weapon exploited by evil. The fact that such monstrous creatures exist and can be controlled by Azog subtly implies a broader corruption or manipulation of the wild in service of darkness, a recurring theme in Tolkien’s world.
Appearance & Biology[]
In the film adaptation, Were-worms resemble massive, blind, segmented worms with gaping, many-toothed mouths. Their bodies are armored with scale-like ridges, and they move by burrowing underground, leaving collapsed tunnels in their wake. Their size dwarfs even the largest trolls and dragons, making them formidable natural forces.
Because Tolkien never described them in detail, their true nature remains speculative. They may be related to dragons or other corrupted creatures of Morgoth, or they might simply be colossal natural beasts.
Legacy[]
The Were-worms embody the mysterious periphery of Tolkien’s world—the “East of East” that lies beyond the bounds of civilization and narrative. They represent the fear of the unknown, in the tradition of dragons, sea serpents, and other monstrous beings. Their brief mention has spurred significant fan speculation and inspired various creative interpretations in games and media.
Their cinematic depiction, though non-canonical, has cemented them in popular Middle-earth imagery, particularly among viewers unfamiliar with Tolkien’s stricter legendarium.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Their only canonical mention is a single sentence in The Hobbit.
- Tolkien never confirmed whether they were real or myth.
- Peter Jackson's depiction of Were-worms is original to the film and has no basis in Tolkien’s writings.
- They have appeared in some Middle-earth video games and fan fiction, often portrayed as monstrous antagonists.
- They are conceptually similar to the sandworms of Dune universe.
