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tolkiens legendarium - Were there ever any "good" Orcs?


I never made it through Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien, but it may have the answer. We know there were good men and bad men in Middle-earth and there were good Wizards and bad Wizards there too...


Did Tolkien ever provide a example of a good Orc in any of his writings?



Answer



No, there aren't. Orcs are universally despised by the "good" races of Middle-earth, as seen by the reactions of Treebeard and most Elves who talk about them.


There is some evidence Orcs are a race twisted by Morgoth, possibly made out of tortured Elves (but this is never confirmed). One common theme in Tolkien's work is that Evil cannot create, only mock and twist. Orcs are therefore a mockery of the "good" races.


From The Silmarillion, "Of the Coming of Elves":



But of those unhappy ones who were ensnared by Melkor little is known of a certainty. For who of the living has descended into the pits of Utumno, or has explored the darkness of the counsels of Melkor? Yet this is held true by the wise of Eressëa, that all those of the Quendi who came into the hands of Melkor, ere Utumno was broken, were put there in prison, and by slow arts of cruelty were corrupted and enslaved; and thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of the Orcs in envy and mockery of the Elves, of whom they were afterwards the bitterest foes.




(Note Tolkien himself is stating this isn't known with certainty!)


That said, at least some Orcs in LOTR show some mildly positive traits. Ugluk, the leader of the Uruk-hai carrying Merry and Pippin to Isengard, displays leadership (though admittedly pretty ruthlessly), and is not a coward like most other Orcs. When push comes to shove he tries to stand his ground against the Rohirrim, finally getting slain in single combat with Eomer. Gotta respect the ugly guy!


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