Werewolf (Middle-earth)

In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, werewolves were servants of Morgoth, bred from wolves and inhabited by dreadful spirits (fallen lesser MaiarFact|date=September 2007 or "fëa" of Orcs).Fact|date=September 2007

They were thought of by Sauron, who was their master and took the shape of a great wolf himself at least once. The Middle-earth werewolves were not shapeshifters like the werewolves of European mythology — they were always in the form of beasts,Fact|date=September 2007.or at least partially so. The name "werewolf" appears to have been chosen because they were in essence sentient (but evil), and thus had a status beyond that of normal wolves.Fact|date=September 2007.

The first werewolf was Draugluin, and the greatest werewolf was Carcharoth, the guardian of Angband, a descendant of Draugluin as all other werewolves were. Huan the Hound of Valinor, while also sentient, was not a werewolf.

It is probable that the Wargs of the Third Age were descended from the werewolves, as these wolves could speak, suggesting they had "fëa". Another possibility is that Sauron attempted to recreate the werewolves after his return to Middle-earth, and that the Wargs were the resultFact|date=September 2007. In Battle for Middle-Earth II:Rise of the Witch King, the faction of Angmar has a power called the "Shade of the Wolf" which when cast, summons a giant ghost of a Were-Wolf under the caster's control.