Do we like them?

Do we like Galadriel?

A character from The Lord of the Rings (1954-55 (films 2001-)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, we'd back her. She's wise, generous and honest about her own flaws, and she gives the Fellowship real help when they need it.

Galadriel is one of the oldest and most powerful Elves in Middle-earth. She rules the golden forest of Lothlórien with her husband Celeborn. When the Fellowship fleeing the Dark Lord Sauron's servants reaches her woods, she takes them in and lets them rest.

She is calm, perceptive and a little unsettling. She tests each member of the company and sees their hopes and fears. She then gives them gifts chosen for the road ahead, which makes her a mentor to the quest as well as a host.

Her score is high because she is one of the clearest forces for good in the story. She is powerful but not cold. She knows her own weaknesses and chooses restraint over ambition, and a character who can do that earns our trust.

She does have a fearsome side. When the Ring is offered to her she is tempted and briefly shows how terrible she could become. She then refuses it and accepts that her time in Middle-earth is ending. That moment of self-knowledge is why we back her so firmly.