Most stories set in fantasy are often filled with daring quests, powerful enemies and dangerous creatures. More often than not, these creatures are massive in stature and rarely a pleasant sight to look at. For example, in franchises like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, two of the most dangerous animals the heroes encountered came in the form of massive spiders known as Aragog and Shelob, respectively. However, considering the fantasy roots of both projects, it had to be asked that between the two gargantuan arachnids, which one is bigger?
Who Is Shelob in The Lord of the Rings?
Shelob was a half-spider, half-demon that took on the form of an arachnid and lived for hundreds of years. Eventually, she took up residence in Mordor near Cirith Ungol, where she would feed on any human or creature that dwelled into her den. Rather than remove her, Sauron felt she was a benefit to protecting his kingdom and even jokingly called her his cat. Sauron often gifted her prisoners to feed on, and Shelob would paralyze her prey with her stinger and cocoon them. She was known to have kept them alive for some time before she decided to feed on them.
When Frodo and Sam were led to her lair by Gollum, they were unaware that he had orchestrated a double-cross to get ahold of his coveted ring. Although he tried to defend himself, Frodo was eventually stung by Shelob and was left paralyzed and cocooned. However, Sam quickly came to his aid and used Frodo’s sword, Sting and the Phial of Galadriel to fend off the spider and eventually deliver a considerable enough wound to ward her off. Among all of the perils the two Hobbits endured to destroy the One Ring, their battle against Shelob was likely the most harrowing for her size alone.
Who Is Aragog in Harry Potter?
Unlike Shelob, Acromantula in Harry Potter was deadlier in a different sense. Rather than operate as a traditional spider would, this species of spider operated as a colony, with the eldest male and female acting as their leaders. They could also house human speech to communicate with other living organisms like humans. However, they also had a taste for human flesh and even their own, as they would feed on the carcasses of their fallen brethren. Like Shelob, these spiders also grew to massive sizes but differed in terms of relationships.
Hagrid raised Aragog from when he was still in an egg before he was set free and took refuge in the Forbidden Forest. Because of the kindness that Hagrid showed, Aragog treated him as a friend and could keep his entire colony at bay even though his children desired to eat Hagrid. Sadly, the kindness he showed to his caregiver didn’t extend to those that were friends with Hagrid, as Harry and Ron were nearly killed by Aragog’s children in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Nevertheless, the two managed to escape, and the massive spider was later seen after it had passed away in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Shelob vs. Aragog: Who Is the Bigger Spider?
While the likely conclusion for who would be the bigger spider is Shelob due to her speed and proportions, the true largest spider is actually Aragog, but only by a small amount. It’s explained that Shelob’s size was roughly eight feet in length and seventeen feet across, which is by no stretch a small spider. However, Aragog is explained to be roughly the size of a small elephant with an eighteen-foot leg span. Small elephants can reach roughly 9′-10′, making Aragog the de facto winner, even if only by a foot. Although Aragog just barely won, there’s no contest that these massive arachnids are equally terrifying and deadly. Ultimately, whether a foot larger or smaller, encountering either of tthem is a bad idea.