50 reasons Star Wars is better than Lord of The Rings
By Ryan Wrenn
24. Stormtroopers vs. Orcs
Who Were the Stormtroopers? Cannon-fodder for the Empire
Who Were the Orcs? Cannon-fodder for Sauron
Verdict: Every evil army needs a horde of faceless – sometimes literally – men who will only ever serve one perhaps: die by the tens of thousands.
There’s not a whole lot going for you if you’re a stormtrooper or an orc. Opportunities for advancement seem effectively nil. Despite your considerable army and/or your overwhelming brute strength, you are still killed with relative ease.
At the same time, however, these are both the Empire and Sauron’s primary and most vital weapon. Death Stars can’t occupy a Rebel base, and the Nazghul can’t storm walls on their own. Both antagonists need fodder for the enemy’s cannons but also small-scale expressions of their evil will.
So which are better at doing just that for their respective masters? Considering they both lose in the end, not especially well. In fact, they’re regularly routed at just about every turn. Even when they have the upper-hand, they oftentimes lose it.
It’ll have to come down to different factors then. As iconic as the stormtroopers might be, they by design lack personality. At least with the orcs you get a bit of individual flair and, when they almost inevitably die, you really feel it – even if that feeling might be happiness.
Lord of the Rings wins
Next: 23. Boba Fett vs. Nazgul