Shelob

"*I am Shelob and I deal only in truth.*"
—Shelob introducing herself to Talion
**Shelob** was a Maiar who was one of the greatest offspring of Ungoliant and lived in the land of Mordor. She was once an ally of Sauron before the Dark Lord abandoned her and exiled herself in the mountains. Her brood still infest portions of Mordor. She still wishes to invade and take back Mordor, and take revenge on Sauron for betraying her.

During the time of the Third Age, she ensnares the wraith of Celebrimbor Telperinquar and holds him prisoner. She releases him after Talion surrenders their newly-forged Ring of Power to her. After Minas Ithil is conquered by Sauron's forces, the Ringwraiths are sent to seize the Ring from her. After the Nine are driven away, she gives the Ring back to Talion and tells him to forge an army to conquer Mordor.

When the Ring-bearer Frodo Baggins of the Shire approached her lair during the War of the Ring, Shelob feared and sensed he would ultimately succumb to the One Ring. In order to hasten his progress to Mount Doom, she had no choice but to attack him where Gollum would unwittingly do what Frodo could not and destroy the One Ring.

## Biography

### Queen of Torech Ungol

By the Second Age, she was born in the Ered Gorgoroth and often feasted on her own children, and that at some point after fleeing from Beleriand, yet long before Sauron took the land of Mordor for himself she spun a dark lair in the Ephel Duath (Mountains of Shadow), near Cirith Ungol in the passes above Minas Morgul. For hundreds of years, she resided there making a labyrinth of webs within a network of caves to better trap her prey, which included all creatures great and small. She feasted primarily on those who wandered into her webs, though if a particularly juicy morsel was available, she would silently pursue and kill it.

Sauron was aware of Shelob's presence in the mountains and allowed her to dwell there, for she made an excellent, if incidental, guard for the passage of Cirith Ungol. Sauron was known to be somewhat fond of her, and in a rare show of humor, was even known to refer to her as his cat. Sauron would sometimes give her food in the form of prisoners that he had no more use for or servants who had displeased him. Reports of the massacre made by Shelob would be carried back to Barad-dur to further please the Dark Lord's humor. Shelob had been Sauron's ally and lover prior to him betraying her for an opportunity to corrupt Suladân I with a Ring of Power. Surrounded by soldiers, Shelob slaughtered them in rage and retreated to Cirith Ungol, swearing revenge.

### Shadow Wars

After the forging of the New Ring, Shelob has a vision of Talion and Celebrimbor Telperinquar overthrowing and enslaving Sauron before going on to conquer Middle-Earth as the "Bright Lord". To prevent this vision from coming to pass, she abducts Celebrimbor and forces Talion to relinquish the New Ring to her. She shows Talion visions of Minas Ithil's downfall and transformation into "Minas Morgul", sending Gollum — who worships her as the Dark Mistress — to assist him. When Talion fails to prevent Minas Ithil and its Palantir from falling into the hands of the Nazgûl, Sauron learns that Shelob has been conspiring against him and sends the Nazgûl to kill her. Shelob is able to hold her own against the wraiths, who are repelled by Talion and Eltariel. Weakened by the battle and Eltariel's Light of Galadriel, Shelob returns the New Ring to Talion and retreats into her lair.

Shelob's efforts to sow mistrust between Talion and Celebrimbor ultimately result in Talion seeing the undead elf for the aspiring tyrant he is, causing Celebrimbor to take the New Ring and possess Eltariel, leaving Talion for dead. Shelob appears to the dying Talion in a vision, revealing her reasons for helping him and urging him to take Isildur Elendilion's Ring of Power and keep fighting. Shelob observes Talion's decades-long struggle against Sauron's forces and eventual transformation into one of the Nazgûl, prophesying that his actions have bought time for the One Ring to be discovered and for an expedition to destroy it to be launched, ensuring Sauron's ultimate defeat.

## Gallery

Shelob fighting Samwise Gamgee.Shelob in her spider form.
## Appearances

* *Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor* (Mentioned only)
* *Middle-Earth: Shadow of War*
* *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (First appearance)