The Iron Giant is a mechanical man constructed by Smith & Tinker for the Nome King. Its duty is to prevent trespassers from locating the Nome King's palace, and to this effect it straddles a narrow portion of the valley leading to the palace, pounding the ground in front of him with a huge metal hammer. There is no way to circumvent the iron giant, and only the Nome King holds the key to its clockwork. The iron giant lacks the ability to think or speak, having received no such attachments as were possessed by Tik-Tok, another of Smith & Tinker's creations.