This article is about the NPC. For the faction, see here.
| “ | For these Isengarders are more like wicked Men. It is a mark of evil things that came in the Great Darkness that they cannot abide the Sun; but Saruman’s Orcs can endure it, even if they hate it. [...] Are they Men he has ruined, or has he blended the races of Orcs and Men? | ” |
–Treebeard in The Two Towers, Treebeard | ||
Uruks were first created by Sauron late in the Third Age. In the War of the Ring, the Uruk-hai made up a large part of Saruman's Army, together with the Dunlendings, man-enemies of Rohan. There are suggestions that the Uruk-hai of Isengard were the result of crossbreeding orcs and men. Certainly, there were other creatures in Saruman's armies, and under his command in the Shire, that appear to have been hybrids. "Half-orc" were as tall as Men and are never described simply as orcs, as the Uruk-hai frequently are. It has also been suggested that the Uruk-hai are the cross-breeds of goblins and half-orcs. Saruman's army of Uruk-hai fought against King Théoden of Rohan and his people at Helm's Deep.
They spawn in the Uruk Highlands and Nan Curunír at any time of day and in Rohan and Fangorn Wasteland at night. They can be hired from an Uruk-Hai Chieftain. They carry Uruk Scimitars and armour of Uruk Steel. There are also Uruk crossbowers and berserkers.
Weapons
The Uruk-hai have many weapons, including:
Behaviour
Uruk-hai will randomly wander around and attack good-aligned NPCs, and they especially hate the Rohirrim. When they do attack, they are very strong and do a lot of damage. They have stronger armour and greater health than Orcs as well.
The fighting Uruk-hai will sometimes, for no apparent reason, chase and kill rabbits. This can happen with all Orcs, and is intentional, and not a bug.
Uruk-hai may also spawn in groups near Uruk camps.
They are often very rude in their speech to those not strongly allied with them, much like their other Orc-brethren.
Notable Uruk-hai
- Ugluk - He was one of Saruman's Uruk-hai who was among the scouts that attacked the Fellowship of the Ring and captured Merry and Pippin. While a leader in the book, Ugluk started off as second-in-command until Lurtz was slain by Aragorn. Ugluk later died fighting Éomer when his band was slain by Rohirrim. Ugluk can be considered one of the more "respectable" members of his kind, following Saruman's orders without question and quelling any action to the contrary, even from Grishnakh.
- Shagrat - Shagrat was the uruk in command of the tower of Cirith Ungol, which guarded a pass into Mordor.
- Mauhúr - He was an Uruk-hai captain under the command of Ugluk, whose company was one night surrounded by a group of Rohirrim, led by Éomer. When the Uruk-hai attacked, the Rohirrim rode to meet them in a bloody battle where many orcs were slaughtered. The orcs' captives, Merry and Pippin, found themselves outside the circle and were able to escape into Fangorn Forest. Mauhúr perished with the other orcs in the ensuing battle.
- Lugdush - He was one of Saruman's Uruk-hai, and appears to be a trusted subordinate of Uglúk.
Drops
Uruks drop Orc bones, Uruk Steel, Orc draughts, and rotten flesh. They also may rarely drop a piece of their equipped armour or weapons and may drop a pouch that may contain all their armour, weapons (based on the class), and rotten flesh.
| Drop | Rarity | Quantity | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotten Flesh | Common | 1-2 | 
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| Orc Bone | Common | 1 | 
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| Orc Draught | Uncommon | 1 | File:OrcDraught.png |
| Maggoty Bread | Uncommon | 1-2 | 
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| Uruk Steel Ingot | Uncommon | 1 | 
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| Uruk Dagger | Rare | 1 | 
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| Uruk Scimitar | Rare | 1 | 
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| Poisoned Uruk Dagger | Rare | 1 | 
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| Uruk Battleaxe | Rare | 1 | 
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| Uruk Warhammer | Rare | 1 | 
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| Uruk Spear | Rare | 1 | 
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| Uruk Helmet | Rare | 1 | 
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| Uruk Chestplate | Rare | 1 | 
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| Uruk Leggings | Rare | 1 | 
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| Uruk Boots | Rare | 1 | 
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The One Wiki to Rule Them All has an article on:
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The Tolkien Gateway has an article on:
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 The Battalions of Isengard 
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Uruk (Banner Bearer, Berserker, Crossbower, Sapper) |