In Tolkien's later conception, Balrogs could not be readily vanquished—a certain stature was required by the would-be hero. Only dragons rivalled their capacity for ferocity and destruction, and during the First Age of Middle-earth, they were among the most feared of Morgoth's forces.

What is the Balrogs army of Morgoth?

The Balrogs were Maiar spirits that chose to follow Morgoth. Sauron was Morgoth's chief lieutenant so presumably would be able to command some Balrogs. However the Captain of Morgoth's forces was a Balrog called Gothmog.

How many Balrogs did Morgoth have?

It can be traced to a footnote Christopher included attached to his commentary quoted above from the Second Book of Lost Tales; "* The idea that Morgoth disposed of a 'host' of Balrogs endured long, but in a late note my father said that only very few ever existed - 'at most seven'."

Are Balrogs servants of Morgoth?

Because, if you see a Balrog, it's a servant of Morgoth. To be clear, the only time Morgoth is mentioned by anyone within the body of The Lord of the Rings* is during the famous “Debriefing of the Fellowship” by Galadriel and Celeborn.

What was in Morgoth's army?

His high-ranking officers were the fallen Maiar Gothmog and Sauron. Morgoth's main warriors were Orcs, which comprised the bulk of the army. At one stage they were so numerous they spread across the whole of Anfauglith.

Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs | Tolkien Explained

How large was Morgoth's army?

It took the unification of Elves, Men, and the Valar to defeat Morgoth's massive army, which potentially totaled in the millions, given it was too large to fit into the Anfauglith.

Who was Morgoth's most powerful servant?

Sauron was Morgoth's greatest servant, and the only one that survived the First Age. But there were many others that would have posed great threats had they not been vanquished.

Would the Balrog obey Sauron?

No, Balrogs do not serve Sauron. Similar to Sauron, Balrogs are Maiar, powerful spiritual beings second only to the Valar themselves. They were corrupted by Melkor's evil before the first age and were made into Valaraukar (Demons of Power). They very strength and wills were bound to Melkor.

Is a Balrog more powerful than Sauron?

Secondly, Balrogs were the epitome of malice and power while Sauron only ever won one of three fights he ever had. Sauron was the great deceiver. His power lies in planning, subterfuge, manipulation, and corruption.

Is Sauron technically a Balrog?

It's worth noting that Sauron wasn't a Balrog. His appearance was dark and wreathed in fire, but he wasn't physically the same as a Balrog. On a surface level, it's a bit of a plot hole. After all, Sauron and the Balrogs were both Maiar, and they both served Morgoth's evils during the First Age.

Who killed 5 Balrogs?

There is no account of any dwarf ever killing a Balrog, let alone multiple. The only recorded instances of Balrogs having been slain are Gandalf's slay of Durin's Bane, Echtelion's slay of Gothmog and Glorfindel's slay of an unnamed Balrog.

Who would win, Smaug or the Balrog?

Gandalf's main reason for supporting Thorin's quest in The Hobbit was to eliminate the threat of the dragon Smaug, who would be a powerful ally for Sauron. Despite popular belief, the Balrog known as Durin's Bane was more powerful than Smaug in Middle-earth, being a literal, primordial demon.

Who is the biggest Balrog ever?

The fall of Gondolin and the fall of Troy

The Elf Ecthelion leads the charge against the Orcs, and fights Gothmog, the greatest Balrog; they wound each other and both fall into the king's fountain in Gondolin; both drown.

Who killed Gothmog Balrog?

Ecthelion stood no chance against the Lord of Balrogs, and lost his sword in the brief struggle. But then Ecthelion leaped forward, and stabbed Gothmog in the breast with the spike atop his helm. They both fell into the Fountain of the King, where Gothmog, if not already killed by the spike, drowned with his opponent.

Who killed three Balrogs?

Ecthelion killed three Balrogs and his sword did "hurt to their fire". However, dragons reinforced Melko's army. Outnumbered, they had to retreat.

Were there only 7 Balrogs?

As the legendarium became more formidable and internally consistent, and the Balrogs more terrible, this number was much reduced. In the end Tolkien stated that there were probably "at most" seven Balrogs: In the margin my father wrote: 'There should not be supposed more than say 3 or at most 7 ever existed. '

Why did Saruman not become a Balrog?

If the Balrogs are corrupted Maiar, then would Saruman eventually become one? Saruman wouldn't become a Balrog, because his nature is inherently different and he's kind of stuck in the body he's in.

Who is stronger Gandalf or Balrog?

Although both the Balrog and Smaug are creatures of fire, and Gandalf is able to match them thanks to the power of his fire ring, defeating the Balrog takes far more spiritual prowess, which is why Gandalf is able to essentially 'level up' and comes back as Gandalf the White, whereas defeating such an immense physical ...

Why didn't Sauron recruit Balrog?

As a Valar, Morgoth led a whole slew of Balrogs in the First Age, but because Sauron was only a Maia, the Balrog would have had no loyalty to him. He was his own master in Moria, and no Dark Lord was going to ruin that.

Why didn't Sauron recruit Smaug?

Smaug could easily have cut through the armies of Mordor, and delayed the invasion of Middle-earth by years. So it wasn't in Sauron's interest to take on the dragon, but that doesn't mean he saw it as a lost cause, as he fully planned on creating an alliance.

Was Smaug going to join Sauron?

Smaug is aware of the return of Sauron, and was apparently intent on joining forces with him (although there was some amount of confusion as to whether the dragon's motives for an alliance with Sauron were).

What would have happened if Smaug joined Sauron?

Smaug and Sauron Would Have Been Powerful Allies

As Gandalf said in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey film, "Smaug owes allegiance to no one." However, Sauron's usual method of acquiring allies would have been particularly enticing to Smaug. Sauron gave lavish gifts to those he wished to manipulate.

Who did Morgoth fear the most?

It was said that Morgoth hated and feared the House of Fingolfin the most of the three Houses of the sons of Finwe, and he feared most Fingolfin's son Turgon, as it was prophesised that from the House of Turgon would his doom come.

Who is stronger Tulkas or Morgoth?

I'm reading through the Silm for the very first time, (you guys are all a huge help to me by the way, thanks to all of you) and near the beginning Tulkas is able to best Morgoth in combat and cast him upon his face.

Who is more evil than Morgoth?

Sauron is frequently described as being "more evil than Morgoth".