Throughout the history of Middle-earth, as written byJ. R. R. Tolkien, many dark forces have come and gone, rising from the shadows to combat the free people of the world of Arda, only to be vanquished. Some of these, like many villains, are weak, cowardly, or just plain pathetic and pose very minor threats to the planet. On the other hand, plenty of truly dangerous foes have nearly destroyed entire countries and made a lasting impact in the lore.
These villains come from various places and possess various magical abilities, with some appearing inThe Lord of the Ringsfilms and others staying as passing mentions in the written works of Tolkien. However, they all have one thing in common:they are the strongest villains in Middle-earthand pose a serious threat to the safety and well-being of the entire world. They will be ranked based on their influence, the cruelty of their actions, and the reputation they have within the lore of Middle-earth,
10The Witch-King of Angmar
Species: Nazgûl
The Witch-King (Lawrence Makoare) was initially human and ruled over the Northern realm of Angmar after receiving one of the nine rings bestowed upon humanity by Sauron. These rings later changed their bearers to the sinister Nazgûl, also known as the Ringwraiths.The Witch-King was the leader of this band of nine phantomsand was, fittingly, the most powerful of the bunch.
The Witch King stabs Frodo (Elijah Wood) with a Morgul blade at theskirmish at Weathertop, nearly killing him, and is the one that is by far responsible for the most deaths in the film trilogy; he even personally kills Théoden (Bernard Hill), the King of Rohan. He was called the Witch-King because of his usage of dark magic and was greatly feared due to his apparent invulnerability.The Witch King was one of Sauron’s most trusted alliesand is definitely one of the most memorable characters in the films, despite his meager screentime.
9Saruman the White
Species: Maia
Saruman the White (Sir Christopher Lee) is the leader of the five Istari or wizards of Middle-earth. Initially a force of good, he defects to the shadow and becomes one of Sauron’s most trusted allies. Residing in the small realm of Isengard, Saruman used his magic to create the Uruk-hai, a breed of orcs that were larger and stronger than normal and were invented for the purpose of war.
Saruman’s power is immense, and he is one of the only humanoid beings who is actually able to defeat Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen). He does eventually meet a rather unremarkable end, but during the later years of his life,Saruman is one of the biggest opposing forces in Middle-Earth, with an army at his back and a magical edge giving him an advantage in his fight against the forces of light.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
8Ungoliant
Species: Great Spider
Ungoliant is the mother of the Great Spiders, which makes herthe mother of Shelob, the monstrous arachnid that appears inThe Return of the King. Shelob’s lair is situated near the pass of Cirith Ungol, which derives its name from her mother. Think about how dangerous Shelob is, to the point that even orcs fear her. Now imagine her about ten times bigger and 100 times more dangerous; that’s basically what Ungoliant was like.
Where Ungoliant came from isn’t quite clear, but it is known that she was a frequent ally of Melkor. She also possessed a unique ability known as Unlight, which swathed her in a cloak of darkness and swallowed any and all light around her. This was an ability that was feared by all who encountered it, so much so that no living being could kill her. Ironically, Ungoliant did die because her hunger grew to the point that she had to devour herself. As far as the beings in Middle-Earth go, she isn’t the most powerful, buther legacy of terror definitely established her amongst the most feared and malicious beingsthat Arda has ever seen.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
7Durin’s Bane
Species: Balrog
Durin’s Bane is the name of the Balrog encountered by the fellowship in the depths of Moria inThe Fellowship of the Ring. Its origins are unknown, but it was given its name due to the fact that it killed Durin VI, a dwarven hero. Residing in the darkest pits of Khazad-Dûm, this beast of fire and shadow also gave Gandalf the Grey a run for his money and nearly killed the mighty wizard.
The goblins residing in Moria are clearly terrified of Durin’s Bane and scatter at the first sign of it. Even Gandalf himself is noticeably frightened, as his first response upon hearing it is to prompt the rest of the fellowship to run for their lives.Gandalf was able to kill Durin’s Bane at the cost of his own life, but that doesn’t change the fact thatthis beast is a mighty enemy among the strongest that physically appears in the books and films.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Movie fans might know a different Gothmog, as this name was given to an orc who appeared inThe Return of the Kingand is played byCraig Parker. However, this orc was created only for the movies and does not exist in the lore outlined by J. R. R. Tolkien. In truth, the originalGothmog was a Balrogthat was born before the creation of Arda itself. Gothmog wasthe original Balrog and the Lord of all Balrogs created by Melkor.
Gothmog slew countless beings in the millennia leading up to his death.
Balrogs were certainly tough foes, but they could also be killed. Eventually, Gothmog was killed during the Fall of Gondolin in the year 510 of the First Age, so he really didn’t last as long as some of Middle-earth’s more powerful adversaries. Still, his position as Lord of the Balrogs and Captain of the fortress of Angband made him a feared being throughout the Elven kingdoms. He slew countless beings in the millennia leading up to his death and didn’t need to resort to hiding in the shadows of the mountains as Durin’s Bane did. Gothmog is a Balrog whowasn’t afraid to show himself and do what he was designed to do: wage war, displaying immense shows of power and reducing several armies to ashes.
5Smaug the Terrible
Species: Dragon
Smaug the Terrible (Benedict Cumberbatch) is the monstrous firedrake that serves as the main antagonist inThe Hobbitfilms. After the dwarves hoarded a massive amount of wealth in their kingdom of Erebor, Smaug attacked the Lonely Mountain and ousted the dwarves from their stronghold, claiming the mountain halls and the treasure for himself.
Obviously, any being who is able to single-handedly destroy one of the mightiest dwarven kingdoms and wreak havoc upon Esgaroth in the years following is one of the most powerful creatures in Middle-earth. Not many other individuals can say that theybrought an entire realm to its knees all on their own, especially given how the dwarves had an army behind them. One ofthe most badass movie dragons, Smaug isnot only menacing but incredibly powerful, too, and has clearly marked himself as a force not to be trifled with.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Glaurung was the first fire-breathing dragoncreated, spawned in the depths of Angband by Melkor. Since he was the first, he is more of a wyrm and doesn’t actually have any wings. But being bound to the earth didn’t make him any less deadly; in fact, the power Smaug wielded in his talons was minuscule compared to Glaurung’s. He participated in many of the Great Battles in the First Age but was ultimately killed by Túrin Turambar.
What Glaurung lacked in flight, he made up for in magical abilities. He was able to put people into a trance with his mind, and his blood could put people into a sort of coma if they came into contact with it. Glaurung may not be a very traditional dragon, but he stillcaused a huge amount of trouble for the beings of Middle-earth and the forces of light.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
3Ancalagon the Black
Ancalagon the Black is one offour named dragonsin Middle-earthwho first revealed himself as the forces of light laid siege to the fortress of Angband. In a last-ditch effort, Melkor released Ancalagon along with an army of fire-drakes, which routed the forces of the light so badly that they were forced to retreat far from Angband, suffering many casualties.
When he died, Ancalagon fell on the towers of Thangorodrim, the tallest mountains in Middle-earth, and reduced them to rubble.
Ancalagon was supposedlythe single most powerful dragon to ever walk Middle-earth. He was also the largest of the dragons, with his enormous size even surmounting that of Smaug’s, which is really saying something. In fact, it has been said that when he died, Ancalagon fell on the towers of Thangorodrim — the tallest mountains in Middle-earth — and that the impact reduced them to rubble. This alone is hard to comprehend, but it is obvious that given Ancalagon’s size and destructive power, he must have been among the strongest beings in Arda.
Sauron is one of the Maia and the principal evil thatappears inThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy. The Dark Lord is infamous for forcing Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) to forge the One Ring, using it to enslave the free people of Middle-earth in the Second Age. His actions led to the War of the Last Alliance, during which Sauron was defeated, albeit temporarily. The Dark Lord later came back during the War of the Ring, where his reign of terror returned with a vengeance.
As a Maia, Sauron is basically a demigod and isresponsible for an obscene amount of death throughout Tolkien’s legendarium. With legions of orcs at his disposal and a lingering influence through the One Ring, it’s hard to escape Sauron’s looming shadow, no matter where one happens to be in Middle-earth. He ismanipulative, devious, and extremely powerful, especially with his possession of the One Ring, which makes him the strongest villain that actually makes an appearance in the films. But he’s still not the strongest of all time.
Species: Vala
Melkor, also known as Morgoth, isone of the fourteen Valar, which are basically gods created by the original supreme being, Eru Ilúvatar. Morgoth was the only one who was decidedly evil and became jealous of the power of his fellow Valar, deciding to wage war against them and their creations.Morgoth is one of the oldestand most primitive evil ever outlined in the Middle-earth saga. Even if he doesn’t appear in the films or books physically, he is always there, looming in the background.
It is commonly believed that Sauron is the most evil, but that idea is shattered when it is revealed that Sauron is actually a servant of Morgoth and not the ultimate evil in the world. It is believed that even Sauron himself was scared of Morgoth, whohas been causing woe to the people of Arda since long before Sauron was born. Moreover,Morgoth can also never truly be defeated, and always comes back after each apparent death, making himthe strongest villain in Middle-Earth, hands down.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
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