LOTR Fanfiction
The epic quest to destroy the One Ring and defeat Sauron in Middle-earth.
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What is LOTR fanfiction?
LOTR fanfiction is fan-created stories set in the The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien universe. With over 55,000 works on Archive of Our Own, LOTR is one of the most popular fandoms in the fanfiction community.
These stories explore beloved characters like Frodo Baggins, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and many more. Writers create everything from short one-shots to epic novel-length adventures, exploring relationships, alternate universes, and "what if" scenarios.
Most Popular LOTR Fanfics
These are the highest-rated LOTR stories on AO3, ranked by kudos from readers.
From One Age to Another
by determamfidd
Upon their return to Eryn Lasgalen and Erebor respectively, Legolas and Gimli each have a new adornment. Their fathers would like an explanation. (They're not going to like it.)L/G, mostly bookverse, some movie elements.
A Whole New World
by fuzzy_christmas_socks
As the ring melted in Mt. Doom, a new evil emerged from the ashes. But Harry Potter, who has been mysteriously pulled into Middle Earth, wants nothing to do with fighting. He plans to spend the rest of his days in his Animagus form, forgetting the past and ignoring the future. That all changes the d
The Lost King
by Metalduck
In the fallout of the Tri-Wizard Tournament Harry finds himself very unexpectedly, quite far from home.Meanwhile those that were left behind are reeling, trying to make sense of it all and to pick up the pieces despite the Harry shaped hole that's made itself known.
Oh
by sunday_morning
“I hope you don’t mind, it's simply elven way to be proud of your marriage” then he continued as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb shell “however I endeavor to respect your cultural and personal preferences as best as possible”The moment between them sizzled, Gimli felt himself as a kettle, quickly r
a home for every season
by dirgewithoutmusic
Let’s talk about a Susan who never moved on, who buried her family in English soil and spent the rest of her life trying to find her way home. She did not believe lions were kind, but she always remembered a bow in her schoolgirl hands.She looked in every old wardrobe she came across. It was casual,
An Irrevocable Condition
by Maeglin_Yedi
Harry doesn't age while everyone he loves does. Sick of losing all those around him, Harry decides to move to a new world thanks to a ritual Hermione found. He ends up in a shithole without indoor plumbing where he meets a small but clever fellow named Bilbo Baggins who brings him along on a little
On the Cold Hill Side
by marycrawford
In the end, Gimli thinks, Legolas will steal his heart and sail away with it, and even the wonders of the Glittering Caves are not enough consolation for that loss. But when Aragorn calls for Gimli’s help in dismantling the hidden traps of Orthanc, everything changes.
Just Wandering not Lost
by WanderingScout
Harry dies fighting Voldemort and is transported to Middle Earth as an elfling! He is found on the edge of the Mirkwood and taken to Thranduil.
Love's Death and Life
by Scififan33
AU. Extended version of Loves Death. Stranded in Middle Earth after the war Harry is content living a boring life in Bree. That is till a small company of hobbits arrive one night and turn everything upside down.
They Say of the Elves
by Brancher
You know what they say of the elves, that they'll tumble you as soon as look at you.
My Fandom Needs Me
by orphan_account
From immortal dragon riders to the classic best-friends-to-lovers trope, this work has it all. This is a collection of XReader One-Shots from multiple (probably too many) fandoms also posted on my Tumblr. Fluff, angst, and a shit ton of references!Links for prompts, some rules for requests, and a li
under the influence of fingertips
by tamerofdarkstars
Gimli awakes the morning after Aragorn's coronation in the lap of an Elf with Dwarven courtship braids in his hair. It comes as a bit of a surprise.
oh, how far you are from home
by Dialux
Blood spurts, Joffrey laughs, and Sansa faints away.She wakes up on... grass?[Crossover AU, where Joffrey chops Ned Stark's head off and Sansa wakes in Middle Earth to find Boromir on his way to the Council of Elrond. It's not an easy path ahead for either of them, but like hell is Sansa going to le
The Promise of a New Dawn
by WhisperingDarkness
Harry as an elfling on Arda. A new world, a new life, a new chance. A new hope to finally find that which he had been searching for for such a long time. Can he truly start afresh, or are the shadows of his past too lasting to shake off?
Just Surviving
by XxXxDarkVampirexXxX
Oneshots based off various imagines and or confessions from tumblr. Different genres, characters, ratings, and yes, smut included.
Dovahkiin (Dragonborn)
by Rhiw
Bilbo Baggins had walked this earth a total of eight times in his past. He did remember them all, in some form or another, though he could rarely recall their names or faces, or very much detail about their lives at all. He always remembered their deaths, though. And he always remembered how it was
In All the Ways There Were
by mollyknox
When Sam nearly lost Frodo on Weathertop, he made a promise to himself: to tell the truth.A retelling of the Lord of the Rings (movie canon) from Sam's perspective. Also he and Frodo are in love.(this fic is completed)
Heartbeat of the Mountain
by chrystal896
Bilbo adjusts to caring for a nephew and realizes that the Shire holds no future for him anymore. It is time to return to the mountain. With Frodo in tow, he sets off to find out if Thorin regrets his decisions and to discover if the mountain can handle not one, not two, but three troublemakers.
Finding Family
by thatdamnuchiha
Middle-earth is a strange new territory, with strange new threats, overprotective elves, and four little elflings who just want to find their way home… wherever that home might be, because like it or not, they’re stuck there with no chance of return. Death tends to be final like that, especially whe
to die, to sleep; (-to sleep: perchance to dream)
by llamallamaduck
It’s not the pain he minds, in the end, nor the flames. He’s an Uchiha, fire is his lifeblood. No, it’s the waking up. That, he minds.
Common LOTR Tropes
Popular Characters
Frequently Asked Questions
How many LOTR fanfics are on AO3?
There are over 55,000 LOTR fanfiction works on Archive of Our Own, making it one of the platform's largest fandoms.
What are the best LOTR ships?
Popular LOTR pairings include . Each ship has thousands of dedicated stories exploring their relationship.
How can I read LOTR fanfiction on my phone?
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