Orcs: What Happened to Them After Sauron Fell?

What became of the Orcs after Sauron's downfall?

In this video, I explore what Tolkien wrote, and what he left unsaid, about the most despised race in Middle-earth. Could Orcs survive without their dark master? Were they capable of redemption, or were they doomed to extinction with the rise of Men? I examine Tolkien's shifting thoughts on their nature, their origins, and their uncertain fate in the Fourth Age.

📖 Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
02:50 – The destruction of the One Ring
06:47 – The defeat of Morgoth
08:59 – Sauron’s control
10:50 – Orcs outside Sauron’s influence
12:38 – Of Orcs and Men in the Fourth Age
17:11 – Orc genocide
19:29 – The New Shadow
20:41 – Hope and redeemability?
24:04 – The Age of Mankind
25:17 – Outro / Share your thoughts...

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📚 On-Screen Notes & 🎨 Artwork:
All on-screen notes, references, artist credits, images, and links are listed here:
👉 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

🖼️ Thumbnail Art:
"The Uruk-hai"
John Howe
https://www.john-howe.com/blog

🎵 Audio:
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 or 4.0
https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

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❗ Disclaimer:
All videos are based on my own research into Tolkien’s works unless otherwise stated. Permission and/or licenses have been obtained for all copyrighted materials. All scripts and editing are my own work and property. Any ambient or musical elements used are licensed.