Here they fought for two days and nights. In the end, the Balrog was defeated and cast down, breaking the mountainside where it fell "in ruin". Gandalf himself died shortly afterwards, but he returned to Middle-earth with greater powers, as Gandalf the White, "until his task was finished".

How did the Balrog kill Gandalf?

After their fight at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, Gandalf and the Balrog both fell into the deep chasm. Gandalf was burned by the Balrog's fire on the way down, then almost froze in the water at the bottom.

What actually happened to Gandalf?

Gandalf pursues the Balrog through the tunnels for eight days until they climb to the peak of Zirakzigil. Here they fight for two days and nights. The Balrog is defeated and cast down onto the mountainside. Gandalf also dies, and his body lies on the peak while his spirit travels "out of thought and time".

What happened to Gandalf after defeating the Balrog?

Gandalf was himself utterly spent in the battle, and after the fall of the Balrog, he too collapsed into darkness and died. For nineteen days Gandalf's body lay on the mountain, until his spirit was sent back to complete his mission in Middle-earth, and thus he returned to life as Gandalf the White.

Did Gandalf know the Balrog would kill him?

And in Peter Jackson's trilogy, it's definitely implied that Gandalf knows about the Balrog, which makes his reluctance to tell the group all the more strange.

Gandalf's Speech To The Balrog & What It Means | Tolkien Explained

Why was Gandalf so afraid of the Balrog?

The Balrogs are essentially demonic equivalents to the wizards. It is hard to fathom the exceptional might of these creatures. With every subsequent age in Tolkein's Middle-earth, the magic in the world diminished, becoming less great in scale.

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.

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.

What happened to Moria after the Balrog was killed?

Without the Balrog, Durin's Bane, Durin VII the Last returned to the Mines of Moria and restored it to the once great kingdom that it was.

Did the dwarves dig up the Balrog?

Beginning under the Silvertine, the Dwarves mined ever deeper, and down towards the roots of Mount Caradhras. There they unearthed the Balrog, which drove the Dwarves into exile.

How does Gandalf survive the Balrog?

Summary. Gandalf's return from death was made possible by Ilúvatar, the creator deity. Gandalf's resurrection was not simply a reward, but part of Ilúvatar's plan for him to take over the role of Saruman the White.

Why is Galadriel so powerful?

The majority of her powers come from her Ring of Power, Nenya, the Ring of Water. The ring, also known by the names the White Ring and the Ring of Adamant, is one of the three Rings of Power given to the Elves of Middle-earth in the Second Age.

Is Galadriel stronger than Maiar?

6 Gandalf. As previously stated, Gandalf is a Maia and is therefore superior to Elves regarding power. Still, this isn't to say that an elf couldn't develop enough skill and power to defeat a Maia. As a bearer of one of the Three Elven Rings (Nenya), Galadriel would have an edge against Maiar like Saruman and Radagast.

Who else killed a Balrog?

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 killed the strongest Balrog?

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 the first Balrog?

In all of Tolkien's text I've read, there are three people who have killed a Balrog. Ecthellion, Glorfindel and of course Gandalf. All of these fights ended in a draw with all three sacrificing their lives for the deed.

Who woke the Balrog in Moria?

For more than five millennia, the Balrog hibernated in his deep hiding place at the roots of the mountains in Khazad-dûm. He remained undisturbed throughout the Second Age and most of the Third, before the mithril-miners of dwarf-King Durin VI awoke him in T.A. 1980.

How did Gimli not know Moria was destroyed?

Gimli didn't know about Moria's fate because there had been no communication between Erebor and Moria for 25 years, and the Dwarves were hopeful and did not want to accept failure until there was certain news.

How many Balrogs are there?

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. '

Who is stronger Sauron or Balrog?

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.

Did Smaug serve Sauron?

The whole reason why Gandalf got the dwarves and Bilbo on their mission to Erebor was because he feared an alliance between Sauron and Smaug. While it was unlikely that the dragon would serve Sauron, a collaboration was more than possible in Gandalf's mind (and his mind tended to be spot on).

Could Gandalf have fought Smaug?

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 ...

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.

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 Sauron afraid of the Balrog?

Sauron does not fear Durin's Bane because essentially they had been allies back “in the olden days". Both Balrogs (all balrogs) and Sauron chose to serve Melkor/Morgoth.