Great Beasts

Great Beast illustration in the Appendices of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

The Great Beast is a type of creature mentioned Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and The Lord of the Hunt DLC. They were supposed to physically appear in the game, but were ultimately cut.

These behemoths were used as beasts of burden and of war by Sauron's Army. Their size made it impossible for any creature, save for a mighty Graug or a large pack of ravenous Caragors, to prey upon them. They were thought to be distant cousins of the Mûmakil (Oliphaunts), the fearsome six-tusked mounts of the Haradrim. Though seemingly docile, they could squash Man, Orc or Troll "into jelly" beneath their feet if provoked into a rampage. During his stay in Mordor, the Dwarf Torvin came upon these Great Beasts and reserved an entry for them in his journal. Torvin admitted that they were too tough a game to make a trophy of, even for an experienced hunter like himself.

In-Game Description

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

A monster of this strength and size can, without reservation, be referred to as a great beast. A distant cousin to the Mûmakil, these enormous quadrupeds can grow to thirty-five feet tall and make unrivaled beasts of burden for the Dark Lord's armies.
They are powerful enough that no creature, except perhaps for a Graug or a huge Caragor pack, can hope to bring them down.
In the coming war, they will prove invaluable to the Dark Lord's growing armies as both transport and a weapon.

Lord of the Hunt - Torvin's Journal

Slow-moving but nigh unstoppable, these Great Beasts appear to be distant cousins of the six-tusked Mûmakil. Even a great hunter like myself has never brought one of these beasts down as a trophy, but they are not difficult to track: the very earth shakes under their thundering feet. It's wise to keep on your toes when you're around them so you don't end up under theirs! I've seen them rampage and crush Orc, Troll and Man alike into jelly.

Trivia

• Originally Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor would have allowed players to climb and ride Great Beasts. Although this feature was cut later in development (with the focus shifting to the Nemesis system), an entry concerning the creatures appears in the Appendices. One of the collectible pages of Torvin's journal in The Lord of the Hunt DLC includes notes on and a drawing of the Great Beasts.

Gallery

Great Beast drawing in Torvin's notebook.

The Great Beasts in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

A great beast miniature