Where Are All the Palantíri in The Lord of the Rings — And What Happened to Them?

The palantíri are objects in The Lord of the Rings that always spark curiosity from fans of both the films and the wider lore of J.R.R. Tolkien's universe. These stones allow users to see other areas of Arda, even being rumored to allow people to see into the past. An unknown number was created by Fëanor in Valinor, who also created the Silmarils, as explored in The Silmarillion, with seven being gifted to the faithful Númenorians who stuck with the Valar as others began to doubt them. When Númenor fell due to their rebellion against the gods, the palantíri were taken to Middle-earth and placed in many of the great cities of Arnor and Gondor, allowing them to build two great kingdoms by creating a network of communication and power via the stones. However, by the time of The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) tells Saruman (Christopher Lee) that the whereabouts of all seven are unknown, meaning they don't know who else could be watching, leading to the reveal of Saruman communicating with Sauron. We know some of their locations, but many have been lost during past conflicts.