Lurtz - Definition and Overview

Lurtz is a character from the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) directed by Peter Jackson. The movie is based on The Fellowship of the Ring, first part of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. However, Lurtz does not appear in the book. He is a character created specifically for the movie. He is played by New Zealand actor Lawrence Makoare.

Lurtz is the first of Saruman's Uruks to be bred, and leads them into battle against Fellowship of the Ring at Amon Hen. In the book Boromir is slain by an unnamed orc or orcs; he is described as having been "pierced by many arrows". In the movie he is killed by Lurtz, who shoots him three times. Aragorn then intervenes, and after a brief fight stabs Lurtz and then cuts his head off. In the book Uglúk was the leader of the orc-band from the beginning.

The name "Lurtz" may have been derived by Jackson and his co-writers from the style of Tolkien's Orkish dialogue, but it also sounds similar to Lurch from The Addams Family.

Lurtz's name is never spoken aloud in the film, and is only known from the credits.

The character of Lurtz is one of the playable 'hero's in the computer game The Battle For Middle Earth.