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5 Most Powerful Good & Evil Beings (Third Age of Middle-earth)
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- čas přidán 15. 08. 2024
- Many are the powerful characters in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings! This video explores these powerful figures of both factions. Thank you so much for watching, let me know your lists in the comments below! As always, a great thanks to the online artists whose visual works made this video possible! If you are one of the artists, please let me know and I will post your name and a link to your work in this description!
Intro: 0:00-1:27
Good Characters: 1:27-7:03
Evil Characters: 7:03-11:38
Outro: 11:38-12:37
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Radagast the Brown - Epic Character History
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What Happened to the Blue Wizards? - Epic Character Histories & Middle-earth Explained:
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I am currently creating my lists for the First Age, and with some reflection, I believe now I would change out Radagast for Aragorn on this list. I thought about that while creating this video, ultimately landing on Radagast for the powers of wizards, his shapeshifting and so forth, but to be honest, Aragorn's will, bloodline, experience and battle-prowess makes him more powerful than Radagast, at least those are my thoughts on the subject now. It is certainly debatable, and my mind is apt to change on these matters for sure.
I agree with almost everything you said, and I think Radagast is still more powerful than Aragorn even if he doesn't do anything as impressive.
The only thing I disagree on is the position of the Witch king of Angmar: Before Retrun of The King his power was undoubtedly less than that of Smaug and everyone else, but during the battle of Minas Thirith we are told from Tolkien that the black captain has a power equal to that of the Istari (the Istari as you know are Maiar incarnated in elderly human bodies, and who therefore can use only a part of their powers, the only two of which we have a certain measure are Saruman and Gandalf, who already in his Gray form had a power equal to or greater than that of Galadriel), moreover in the confrontation with Gandalf the white the Nazgul is sure of being able to win, even if he probably did not know the real increase in power that Gandalf had at once, he knew his best from Gabdalf the Gray (for he fought all nine Nazgul at weathertop, and was about to lose and was forced to flee), then it is true that Which king is not a Maiar, though it is said that his increase in power is due to the fact that Sauron himself, making him his lieutenant, imbued the Black captain with his essence. Then from his reaction to seeing Gandalf it seems that the Nazgul is able to at least defeat Gandalf the Gray (and since Durin's Bane lost to this one without his scepter I believe he is superior to the Balrog). Then instead of Radagast I would have inserted Bombadil, that although we don't have certain data on his real power, it can be assumed from the fact that in the company of the ring he is defined as more powerful than Sauron, (in fact during Eleond's council it is said that Bombadil would only fall in a siege of Sauron and most of his armies, unless this comes from the earth itself), so in the Fellowship of the Ring the three most powerful beings in Midle earth are Saruman, Sauron, and Bombadil. But in the return of the King Sauron greatly increases his power, and Gandalf the white claims to be the most dangerous creature in Midle-earth, excluding Sauron himself at the time.
So for me the top Good:
1) Gandalf the white
2) Tom Bombadil
3) Galadriel
4) Elrond
5) Glorfindel
then if I had to make a summary top of everything:
1) Sauron
2) Gandalf the white
3) Tom Bombadil
4) Saruman the white
5) Which king of angmar
6) Galadriel
7) Durin's Bane
8) Elrond
9) Smaug
10) Glorfindel
Ps: However I specify that much of what I have said may be speculation, and that I am only expressing my opinion. Then the fact that Which king is apparently able to win against Gandalf the Gray and consequently also Durin's Bane does not necessarily mean that it is more powerful, given that in Tolkien's Universe strength/power does not have a very great value, just think to Fingolfin wounding Morgoth seven times, so it's not necessarily wrong what you did with the ranking.
No Farmer Maggot? >:(
I really considered him for number 1, but I thought he was too almighty to be on this list, you know? It just wouldn’t have been fair to the other characters 😔
Don't forget his dogs. Grip, Fang and Wolf. WOOF! No doubt direct decedents of Huan.
@@MenoftheWest Still hoping for the Epic Character History of Barliman Butterburr.
I would have settled for Badger-Brock, I mean he did capture Tom in the Old Forest.
"It no longer surprised them[the hobbits]; but he[Bombadil] made no secret that he owed his recent knowledge largely to Farmer Maggot, whom he seemed to regard as a person of more importance than they had imagined. There's earth under his old feet and clay on his fingers; wisdom in his bones, and both his eyes are open," said Tom."
Its good to see a list like this not based on just physical power of a character, as in Tolkien's works "powerful/mighty" and "physically strong" mean very different things.
Nice video man, as always.
I do like his more subtle approach. There were a lot of things he could have explicitly shown, magic and the divine being two examples, but it's my opinion that holding back on these only further showed his skill and discipline as a writer.
@@aliveandwellinisrael2507 yes, that's true.
But Smaug less powerful than the Witch-king is hard to swallow.
@@morpheussandman3984 its hard to swallow because when you think of smaug, you imagine the movie version of hobbit. Book version were way smaller than that by the descriptions in the book, notes and Tolkien's own artworks.
Witch King is way more powerful than Smaug, but Smaug can bring more destruction due to his large range, its like the game stats.
@@monitor-mindtheover-void6712 Smaug size is hinted, he was huge.
Tolkien illustrarion is clearly out of scale he himself said this.
But don't matter. Smaug is a dragon able to destroy realms ALONE, the Witch-king king need armies to do so. Smaug would incinerate the Witch-king.
Aragorn fought off 5 ring wraiths single handedly and was able to confront Sauron with a Palantir. He should be on the list.
Aragorn is strong, but everyone on the list is basically Maia-level which Aragorn is not.
In the fighting of the Nazgul, Aragorn was brave rather than powerful.
@@earlofdoncaster5018 That's the most prominent thing about Aragorn. When presented with a problem, Aragorn always faces up to it. He applies his will, intellect and strength to dealing with that problem. When you consider Aragorn's actions, you see one of the great deeds of his foster father, Elrond. Elrond taught Aragorn how to be a hero, not only in his actions, but his whole life. Normal people cannot understand how difficult such a life is and it can only be lived in such a manner through a sense of responsibility for others.
In the books Aragorn do not fight the Nazgul so directly as in the movies (which GREATLY diminished the Nazgul), he kept them at bay with fire.
Only fire and weaponry enhanced by Elven magic may hurt the Nazgûl, and only in a way that severs their presence in the living world, before requiring "reclothing" by their Dark Master whose power may grant them another tether to the world of the living.
Gandalf did describe himself as "more dangerous than anything you will ever meet" (unless you're unfortunate enough to meet Sauron) , when Gimli said he thought Fangorn was dangerous.
Aragon proclaimed the White Rider--Gandalf--was mightier than the Nine Nazgul. Maybe he was exaggerating since they were overjoyed at Gandalf's return, but there it is.
Some powers of the Witch-king:
- Silence:
"By Elbereth and Lúthien the Fair,’ said Frodo with a lasteffort, lifting up his sword, ‘you shall have neither the Ring nor me!’ Then the leader, who was now half across the Ford, stood up menacing in his stirrups, and raised up his hand. Frodo was stricken dumb. He felt his tongue cleave to his mouth, and his heart labouring. His sword broke and fell out of his shaking hand."
Here we already have the use of a spell rarely remembered in the book: in addition to having given a "silence" lv 2, it still made Frodo lose consciousness.
For those who play D&D 5e, we can make a list of some of the Witch King's abilities:
A) Black breath:
"He seemed to be asleep. ‘‘I thought I had fallen into deep water,’’ he says to me, when I shook him. Very queer he was, and as soon as I had roused him, he got up and ran back here like a hare.’ ‘I am afraid that’s true,’ said Merry, ‘though I don’t know what I said. I had an ugly dream, which I can’t remember. I went to pieces. I don’t know what came over me.’ ‘I do,’ said Strider. ‘The Black Breath"
B) An aura of Inexplicable Terror to the point of driving the armies of Gondor and generating a fighting frenzy for the allied forces:
"Some said that it could be seen, like a great black horseman, a dark shadow under the moon. Wherever he came a madness filled our foes, but fear fell on our boldest, so that horse and man gave way and fled."
C) Control of the weather to the point of generating a windstorm and a blizzard:
"Do not mount on this sea-monster! If they have them, let the seamen bring us food and other things that we need, and you may stay here till the Witch-king goes home. For in summer his power wanes; but now his breath is deadly, and his cold arm is long."
(...)
"But Arvedui did not take his counsel. He thanked him, and at parting gave him his ring [the Ring of Barahir], saying: 'This is a ring of worth beyond your reckoning. For its ancientry alone. It has no power, save the esteem in which those hold it who love my house. It will not help you, but if ever you are in need, my kin will ransom it with great store of all that you desire."
And a lightning storm in Minas Morgul:
"And Minas Morgul answered. There was a flare of livid lightnings: forks of blue flame springing up from the tower and from the encircling hills into the sullen clouds."
D) A certain ability of necromancy to imprison evil spirits for the creation of Barrow Wight.
E) Control over fire - to trigger an explosion spell on Grond:
"Then the Black Captain rose in his stirrups and cried aloud in a dreadful voice, speaking in some
forgotten tongue words of power and terror to rend both heart and stone. Thrice he cried. Thrice the great ram boomed. And suddenly upon the last stroke the Gate of Gondor broke. As if stricken by some blasting spell it burst asunder: there was a flash of searing lightning, and the doors tumbled in riven fragments to the ground. "
And create a flame-sword (Azor Ahai):
"Old fool!' he said. 'Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!' And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade."
There is a writing by Tolkien that speaks (in letter 210) of the "Demonics force" that anabolized the witch king, to the point of making him an active weapon in addition to the innate fear he generated in opponents, so much so that he managed to approach a region "on fire" (fire being a weapon against the Nazgûl) in the siege of Minas Tirith.
Thank you for keeping this alive & staying true to the original works
This is a great video! Love to see you bringing us these new and diffrent videos! Thanks for always giving us great content!
Sauron used some spells/powers like:
a) Volcano Control - Orodruin;
b) Shapeshift - sorcerer, werewolf, vampire, etc;
c) Earthquake - at Minas Morgul;
d) Weather Control - at Emyn Muil in The Two Towers;
e) Dominate Monster - orcs, trolls, wargs, Nazgûl, etc;
f) Mass suggestion - corruption of men in Númenor;
g) antimagic field - at Sammath Naur;
h) Sympathy - to attract Gollum and all evil things to Mordor;
i) Create undead - Nazgûl, Barrow Wight, Specters in Wraith world;
J) Dispel Magic by Morgoth Ingredient;
Etc
These powers were used by Melkor/Morgoth. I don't remember another servant who could do the same.
He was also a snappy dresser
The Nazgul were created thru the magics/curses embedded in the Rings of Power, not by Sauron thru spells.
His shapeshifting powers were lost during the Fall of Numenor
@@Paal2005 his shapeshifting powers weren’t lost, he just couldn’t take on a fair form
@@alicecourtney5816 no it was lost completely he was bound to his true form of malice after drowning in Numenor
Very well put together. I agree almost completely. The only change I'd suggest is Aragorn for Radagast. Radagast did little to move the story forward (and actually allowed himself to be used as a pawn to hinder Gandalf), but Aragorn was the person the West rallied around, the savior of Pelinor fields, and the sole reason Sauron emptied Mordor just as Frodo was approaching Mt. Doom!
This is a list of most powerful beings, not more influential.
I think you forget Farmer Maggot. But I suppose he's off the scale.
The strongest evil being, for sure. Melkor wasn't forced outside of the world. It was his own choice - he was fleeing for his life after an incident that came about as a result of accidentally straying onto Farmer Maggot's property.
It's not that I don't like the good guys, but evil beings fascinate me much more.
I think that Sauron has an ability (by using the Morgoth Ingredient as a prerequisite for his "magic") to nullify the powers of his enemies:
a) Sauron captures Minas Tirith on Tol Sirion: (...) when the power of Ulmo was in that water (...);
b) Sauron tanked and repelled lightning bolts sent by Manwë on the temple of Melkor in Númenor;
c) Samwise Gamgee at Sammath Naur in his great need drew out the phial of Galadriel (with the light of Earendil) but it was pale and cold, because all other powers were here subdued;
d) And Galadriel's power in Lothlorien. Dol Guldur's armies could not conquer the elven realm unless Sauron himself had arrived. Remembering that Lórien is (in my opinion) a "dimension/pocket" where the time (forest, river, the air. Not for people) and space are (by perception) different from the other places of Middle Earth:
"Anyone would think that time did not count there.
And perhaps that was the way of it (...) in that land, maybe, we were in a time that has elsewhere long gone by."
This sets him apart from other Maiar. Sauron must also possess a pluripotency (with the use of Morgoth Element in the matter) to a lesser degree than Melkor/Morgoth.
He also has the power to alter the perceptions of the people he interacts with, beyond just changing his own form. He put this power into The Ring, so the person wearing it appeared mightier than they actually were. Weak men in Numenor perceived him as beautiful, while Isildur and Elendil perceived him as terrible in the same moment.
I think this is mostly because Eru FORBADE ANY outright attack on Sauron by his Maiar and the other Valar. He was determined that no other parts of Middle Earth be destroyed after Beleriand and Numenor. The Istari as well were forbidden to match him power for power, though certainly, all 5 together could have easily bested him WITHOUT his ruling ring. Manwe's lightning didn't hit him because the bolts simply weren't allowed to hit him. Sauron probably thought it was his own might and power, but most likely because of the grace of Eru warning him. Manwe sent that lightning and the eagle cloud to try to warn Pharazon to not attempt to sail west, not to neutralize Sauron. But of course, as you know, they didn't listen. Sauron as you know, DIED on numenor when Eru sank it, (as apparently he himself, and not his valar, was the only one allowed to alter middle earth) and Sauron not only lost his fair form, a great portion of his power after that, and it took hundreds of years for him to rise again.
I think Elrond is kind of underrated in turms of power. He only has one real feat witch was to wash away the Nazgul. Even if Gandalf helped him with the destructive power of that attack it was from far away witch likely deminished the attacks power. + he has the strongest of the 3 elven rings.
I see him as kind of similar in power to Gandalf the gray. But below Galadriel since she is stated to be the mightiest and fairest of all elves that remained in middle earth. And she is in turn weaker than Gandalf the white who was stated to be second to Sauron in middle earth.
Overall i agree with this list except for Smaug since Gandalf was terrifyed of him while he was not scared at all by the Witch King (though it was stated in [i believe] a latter that Sauron gave the witch King additional “demonic power” but i think Smaug should at least be in contantion with Durins Bane since both of them defeated kingdoms of dwarves the difference is that Smaug was young when he did that.
When Gandalf was scared of Smaug he was the grey. When he was standing up to the witch kind he was Gandalf the white. I think Smaug is pretty powerful
@@abdullahwariskamal9743 I was specifically talking about the time when Gandalf fought 7 of the 9 nazgul to a standstill on weathertop as Gandalf the grey. The Witch king may be stronger if you think Sauron gave him a power boost between books 1 and 3 witch i do think is likely since he went from needing help with Gandalf the gray to stairing down Gandalf the white but if you don’t think he got stronger than he should definitly be below Smaug.
ahhh my favourite channel the best escape after a busy day in this world
Imo elrond and rivendell where so crucial to the outcomes. He always says the right thing at the right moment. Its no coincidence that gandalf always seeked elrond out when he truly needed help.
Ahhh while travelling all around the internet and coming back to visit the men of the west I feel like I left my home and ran away to go downtown and then I got into trouble and got lost. Men of the west channel is like going back home to live in the safety of the house I grew up in, safe, kind, fun, and good memories. Keep putting out the good quality stuff my friend and I will keep trying to promote you.
Considering the parameters of the video (how you define power) I can't say I have an issue with any of this. Well answered my friend, keep up the good work.
I fine and agreeable video, Yoystan! Do you plan on making a similar list for the First Age? Can't wait to see that one when your able to get around to it.
I think one of the things that sets Melkor apart from other Ainur is that he is pluripotent. The Silmarillion says he had a fair share of all his brothers' powers.
It seems to me that Melkor would act as the chaotic and entropic aspect of several elements of Ëa: Aule participated in the "ordely" geological formation of Earth, whereas Melkor would act as seismic-destructive activies in Arda.
The Ainur, in the great music, would be a kind of "Demiurgos/Demiurges" who perfomed the so-called "Creation of Concepts" that form Ëa: Energy, matter, light, darkness, gravity, life, death, etc.
Quote from the Parma Eldalamberon XVII:
"These fanar they (Ainur) assumed when after their demiurgic activities they came and dwelt in Arda (the realm), that is the Earth; and they did so because of their love for the chieldren of Eru, for whon they were to prepare the world, and for a time to govern;"
And:
“And as is known well, the prime among these is Melkor. Measureless as were the regions of Ea, yet in the Beginning, where he could have been Master of all that was done…”
Morgoth’s Ring
And:
"Even in his diminishment the power of Melkor is beyond our calculation.
~ the Marring of Arda, and comes of the Shadow, and of the taint of Melkor that touches all the matter (or hroa)(8) of Arda, if not indeed of all Ea."
In that case "the morgoth ingredient/element" was dispersed in the universe/Eä (galaxies, planets, stars). That would explain the entropy, the cosmic indifference and the death of the universe. The entire universe is then the Morgoth's Ring. If the Morgoth's ingredient is the instrument for the decay and destruction of all matter, it means that the children of Ilúvatar who will sing the creation of a new unblemished universe/Eä will not be just those of Arda. It will be cosmic music with many "others" in many places of the Universe.
Well that definitely makes sense, given how he attempted to directly oppose Eru in the creation of the music, introducing his own ideas instead of either joining or opposing the other non-Eru spirits. To me, it's clear he was meant to be a cut above the rest in terms of his inherent qualities and ability to affect the new creation. That, of course, also fits with Tolkien's biblical inspiration, having an obvious parallel to Lucifer. Something often seen in Scripture is that God makes use of all things to achieve His plan, so given the biblical themes, it would seem that Eru fully intended for Melkor to possess the nature and inherent power that he did, and would work Melkor's (inevitably futile) machinations into his own grand design, such as (again during the creation of the music), Melkor ultimately found his attempts at dominance simply worked into Eru's own music. It seems that, both in Christian Scripture and the works of Tolkien, the ultimate fate of the Adversary is to come about by the will of neither the living (created) inhabitants of the world, nor that of the divine agents of the supreme being - it will be the almighty himself who ultimately brings about evil's eradication from the world, and not before the day of his choosing. It was simply never the plan for the early wars against Melkor to result in his total defeat by the forces of Middle-Earth or the Valar they serve. I believe this, rather than a lack of the ability to do so, was the underlying reason that e.g. the Valar never obtained a complete victory (and had this been Eru's plan, they would have instead succeeded - but it was not, as Melkor had a role in Eru's plan for creation)
Melkor's taint I guess is Tolkien's take on the curse after the fall. Even though the animals, nature, etc, did not participate in eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve's sin cursed and tainted the earth. "Cursed is the ground, for thy sake," as God told them in the book of Genesis. Everything will suffer, feel pain, wither, and die, and nothing any longer is perfect. This is the same that happened within middle earth during the marring of Arda. However Morgoth did lose a lot of his power afterwards, so much that he became weaker than the other Valar, to the point where he could no longer "daunt Manwe (his brother) with a gaze," as Tolkien so elequently put it in an essay he included in "morgoth's ring", so much of his own ea had tainted Arda, causing his powers to diminish significantly to the point where the Elf king Fingolfin could wound him seven times with wounds he never could heal from, and after their epic battle, he never left his realm again until he was captured finally by the Valar. All he did in the war of wrath was call forth his ea in the form of evil creatures he created to fight. When evil Valar lose their powers, they are gone. Good Valar get their powers directly from Eru himself, and it is always replinished by him as long as the will of Eru is done.
Frodo and Sam deserve an honorable mention due to their resistance of the ring for having it through the entire and long journey to Mt. Doom......It is debatable that any of the powerful beings on this list could have resisted the ring's power for such a large amount of time that The Hobbit's Journey took to complete......
The Hobbits' lack of power, combined with their good hearts, is exactly why the Ring struggled to corrupt them. Sauron spent so much time plotting how to corrupt the great and powerful that he never considered the simpler folk. He never saw ordinary beings like Hobbits as being able to have a great impact on the world, which was ultimately his undoing.
Nah
As you said it's all subjective, but I'd advocate for Aragorn over Radagast. Aragorn is certainly the best "fighter" we see in the story. He is also arguably second only to Elrond in healing, healing Faramir, Merry and Eowyn. He also uses his power to hold the dead to their oaths AND to wrest the Orthanc palantir from Saurons control. Pretty powerful stuff imo.
As for evil there is maybe an argument for the Witch King over Durins bane. I'm fine with your order, but it is worth noting that when Denethor says the Witch king is mightier than Gandalf he replies "it may be so" and I'd argue that the Witch King over the course of his life is far more effective in the use of his powers and talents than Durins Bane. But again I think it could go either way.
An excellent video! I fully agree with the characters on each list. Moreover, I agree with the order. Well done (again).
very enjoyable to see your thoughts on these powerful beings from Middle Earth. Have you done a ranking of these good/evil beings as well?
Samwise solos. Nearly zeroed shelob, the heir of ungoliant. Took Minas Ithil. Refused the lure of the ring. Invaded Mordor. Man’s crit hit %, luck and constitution are through the roof. Merry and his westernese dagger left the witch king, one shot. Very shortly after Gandalf’s staff was broken by the same.
“Hobbits really are amazing creatures.”
Yes I believe Samwise is one of only 2 people who willingly gave up ownership of the One Ring.
My friends all agree that a crap-ton of power (ctP) is a valid measuring unit of fantasy power but it almost came to blows over whether it fell into the metric or imperial system.
Obviously, ctP falls into the Imperial system of measurements. Ask any true Englishman. Such as the Spiffing Brit. After he's brewed up a spot of tea and has a proper biscuit to hand, he will say, "Well obviously, my good fellow".
awesome vid Yoystan great end of a long day. my one critique is I wouldve put one of the hobbits in Radagast's spot, not for magical or physical power, but for mental power/ cleverness
Was totally expecting Bill the Pony to make it on this list! But...maybe he's just too epic??? :P
Good
1) Gwaihir/eagles -- Thorondor is somewhere stated to have a wingspan of 180 feet and was able to scratch Morgoth's face. Gwaihir, Landroval, and others are prolly not as large, but they seem to definitely be huge in order to fight off Nazgul and carry humans long distances. Moreover, I have never heard of a great eagle dying or being truly defeated. According to Tolkien gateway, Gwaihir was even around in the First Age, which automatically makes him mightier than most.
2) Gandalf the Grey/White -- need I say much? He owns pretty much everyone besides Sauron.
3) Glorfindel -- a Lord of Gondolin, which had some of the best fighters of the First Age, and he slays a balrog, as well as being Calaquendi. He is described as being Maia-esque in power after being reincarnated.
4) Galadriel -- described as the mightiest of the Eldar, with her ring of power she is able to essentially create a shield (kind of) around Lothlorien, as well as destroying the fortress of Dol Guldur. She more than likely learned some cool magic under Melian or just because she was in Aman for quite a bit. Lastly, she withstood the crossing of the Helcaraxe, which makes her badass.
5) Treebeard/ents -- huge, crazy strong, and took over the impregnable fortress of Orthanc. Fangorn could crush mostly anyone with a single stomp.
If ents are not seen as on the side of good/the eagles do not count, then replace them with either Elrond or Cirdan as the last. Elrond is the viceregent of Eriador and then Lord of Imladris and has seen many battles, as well as being a survivor of the First Age. Cirdan has been around for prolly 10,000 years and has been in many battles as well, stretching back to the First Age.
Bad
1) Sauron -- need I really explain? He is the Lord of the Rings.
2) Durin's bane -- a balrog of Morgoth, the only person who could have defeated him is Gandalf, aka the most powerful good guy.
3) Smaug -- literally destroys towns and kingdoms for fun. Without the secret knowledge of his weak spot, Smaug is pretty much unstoppable. Maybe a brigade of Dwarves could take him out if they had those masks the Naugrim used in the First Age against Glaurung.
4) Saruman -- insane arcane knowledge of powerful lore and wielder of a great ring himself, he is viewed as the most powerful wizard even though it is really Gandalf. He is a Maia so he is automatically more powerful than most mortals.
5) Witch king of Angmar -- Sauron's right hand man and the most powerful of the Ringwraiths, this guy was defeating powerful Dunedain armies for lunch.
The reason I do not place Radaghast on this list is because we never really see his power. Even though the Istari are nerfed ainur, we do not know if all Maiar are indeed powerful. Maybe he had really cool enchantment and preservation powers--being a vassal of Yavanna--but not much in terms of combat or strength.
The real list, though, is
Manwe
Varda
Aule
Ulmo
Orome -- since they still exist in the third age
Morgoth (his evil essence is imbued into all of Arda)
Sauron
Smaug
Saruman
Witch-king
I must say this, Sauron was a very lucky villain tbh.
if the good guys remained united and not selfish towards eachother, he would have been finished in the 2nd age for good.
Saruman became corrupt.
Isildur became corrupt and selfish because of the ring, etc.
but Sauron also lost lots of different potential allies.
first was Smaug.
Saruman was obviously a double edge sword. Sauron and Saruman knew their supposed alliance was only temporary.
Saruman wanted power for himself and not serve others. and since both of them are Maiar, of course Saruman would never bow down to Sauron. he wanted Sauron's ring.
other potential ally Sauron could have convinced to join his side could have been the Balrog of Moria but yet again.
since Balrogs are also Maiar just like Sauron, probably other villains hated Sauron as well.
Morgoth brought law and order as the original Dark Lord and was able to control his minions from not going up against eachother.
I think Dauron was lucky as hell he was able to survive this long.
his master was defeated by many different Valar.
1 up against 14 different Valar, plus Eru himself.
Sauron was of course never going to reach the level of evil as Morgoth. he was a less powerful being in the first place.
a Maiar but the good side also had Maiar and Valar. in fact, this is sad.
probably the Valar never saw Sauron as much of a threat to even show themselves.
instead they sent Maiar like Gandalf to do their job for them.
Im a bit disappointed we all know the Sackville-Bagginses are the most powerful opponents of the forces of good.
Here is an interesting thought:
What if some random orc (or any kind of minor, insignificant character) got possession of the ring?
my interpretation is that the ring is an extension of Sauron. The ring would dominate most any being, it is powerful enough that gandalf wouldn't touch it. Willing or not, any bearer would end up bringing back the ring to Sauron in a matter of time
Ask Sméagol…
He'd bring it to sauron
I haven't watched the video yet, but I'm hoping you rank Galadriel above Glorfindel, and have both Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White. (IMO 3rd Age Glorfindel and Galadriel were more powerful than Gandalf the Grey, but they were both less powerful than Gandalf the White. For example, Tolkien himself stated in a letter that Glorfindel was possibly almost as powerful as 'OLORIN', Gandalf's true form). And I hope you have the Balrog ranked above the Witch King and Smaug.
What I recall Tolkien writing was that after being resurrected, Glorfindel became nearly as strong as a maia, not necessarily nearly as strong as Olorin.
Gandalf was stronger than Glorfindel but was under strict rules about utilizing that power. Glorfindel was more powerful than Galadriel, ring or no ring.
You obviously watched it
Galadriel at the third age was at her peak. Tolkien stated that she was as great as Feanor on the first ager, by the third she would have been the most powerful elf ever.
Dude listed 7 figures for a top five video
1.Gandalf (Maia) 2.Radegast (Maia) 3.Galadriel 4.Glorfindel 5.Elrond (Half Elf) --- 1.Sauron (Maia) 2-3. Smaug 2-3. Durin's Bane Barlog (Maia) 4. Saruman (Maia) 5. Shelob
The power of the Wizards was less than they had in Valinore, they were messengers and did not directly intervene by force. Only Gandalf the White apparently had all the strength he had in Valinore upon return, and perhaps something more. Dragons are a completely different level of power. Even Gandalf in the Hobbit did not try to confront the dragon himself. That's right, I should put Smaug in second place.
Tom Bombadil may be the strongest good character, but we don't know who he is ... probably Maia. In that case, Tom is still ahead of Gandalf.
Great video, and shouldnt Lobelia Sackville Baggins also be on the bad guys list......just saying
As always great video and does this mean that from now on you will be uploading 2 videos at week!!
That is awsome!
Saruman: Radagast? Do not speak to me of Radagast the Brown. He is a foolish fellow.
Gandalf: Well, he's odd, I'll grant you. He lives a solitary life...
Saruman: It's not that. It's his excessive consumption of mushrooms! They've addled his brain and yellowed his teeth!
My only quibble is a small one. I might have put the Witch King of Angmar above Durin's Bane, but other than that, excellent!
I agree with the Good characters list, but I would personally put the Evil Characters list like this:
1. Sauron
2. Saruman
3. Smaug
4. Durin's Bane
5. Witch King of Angmar
And yes, people tend to underestimate a dragon's power, let alone a Great Dragon like Smaug.
There are great analysis videos on Smaug power, including on the In Deep Geek channel, which talks about how Gandalf feared that Smaug would somehow ally himself with Sauron and if that happened, he would completely ruin northern Middle-earth, putting an end to Rivendell and Lothlórien, who even with the might of the elven rings of power, would not be able to hold back his wrath, which in itself is a gigantic feat.
Others tend to put balrogs above dragons because they are Maiar, but while I didn't want to go into too much detail, there are moments in the Silmarillion, like the Fall of Gondolin, where the elves hold groups of balrogs, but when the dragons arrive, they have to back off and retreat.
I agree that in general, balrogs are more powerful than dragons, but not all dragons, particularly Great Dragons such as Smaug, their sheer size and destructive power is not something even the mighty balrogs have the ability to withstand and the origin of their powers, though shrouded in an aura of mystery, bear hints that came from Morgoth himself.
Mid week upload is a great surprise!
If one were to look up "Pleasant Surprise" in the encyclopedia (yes, I'm that old), the first paragraph of the first entry would be: Yoystan/MotW Midweek Upload, with a corresponding photo of...well, perhaps not. Nonetheless, a bonus upload is always indeed a joyous occasion.
Oh yoiston I've missed your voice for so long. It's such therapy to listen to your videos
This was a great video I only differed in a few things but I totally agree with your picks. I probably would have put Smaug over the Wk for destructive power, fire, etc. he is more powerful than the Wk. I would say nearly even with the Balrog.
It is debatable where the blue wizards rank but I tend to think of them higher than Radagast for one reason-Saruman never talks down about them. He looked down on Radagast and considered him foolish. That is the only reason I would guess the blue wizards to be ranked higher.
Lastly, what about a totally decked out King Elessar? With his star of elendil, star of the duneadain, and evenstar? All those items plus his hereditary kingly items had to make him very formidable as well.
King elessar existed in the 4th age not the 3rd
@@abdullahwariskamal9743 wrong he was crowned after Sauron’s fall and before the scouring of the Shire which all happened in the 3rd Age.
@@happywheeler4268 well majority of his reign would still fall in the 4th age
But yes u r right he was crowned in the 3rd
@@abdullahwariskamal9743 Yes you are correct that majority of his powerful reign was in the fourth age. But he did have these items in the 3rd age too.
I think the Barlog should be #2. Saurman did not turn bad until the very end of the age, and even in his evil his betrayal of Sauron helped prevent him from recovering the Ring, even if it was for his own evil desire.
Saruman at least got plans to occupy the world, enslave races, puppet others, etc. What plans did Balrog have? If Durin was not too greedy and did not dig directly into Balrog's lair, he would let him be. Balrog has his lair and leaves the world around be. That's almost exact what Elves of Mirkwood or Dwarves do.
I had Treebeard instead of Radagast, otherwise our lists were identical.
I mean I love treebeard but I don’t think he surpasses an istari, he may not be able to beat the Great Eagle either.
@@happywheeler4268 I was going on what their actual effect was - the ruin of Isengard, yada yada... Yeh, the Eagles were key too.
@@BinaryRhyme.JackOfArts oh okay, Aragorn would have been a good one with the Army of the Dead imho. I mean he used that to take over the black Corsair ships.
@@happywheeler4268 Yep! Another good one!
Excellent video. If you have the time, would be interesting to see the same video but from the first, second and fourth ages.
can you do 5 most powerful good and evil for the first age
I think the Witch-King of Angmar as fourth on the list is maybe a bit underestimated. He faced Gandalf the white in Minas Tirith and was more powerful than Gandalf. On the other hand Gandalf the white broke the staff of Saruman (the second in the list), though Saruman may have lost some of its previous power by then.
Also, Gandalf the gray was sort of even in his fight with Durin's bane (third on the list), since they both ended up dead.
So, on one hand I understand Saruman and Durin's bane are more powerful than Witch-King, since they are Maiar. On the other hand, if you compare their fights with Gandalf it doesn't seem so.
He didn't defeat Gandalf in the books, neither was he more powerful. They were equally matched, but it is implied that much of his strength was lent to him directly from Sauron during the Siege of Minas Tirith
Maiar are spirits became physical, the witch king was physical but corrupted and more a evil entity.
@@Paal2005 I would rank him at 3
Interesting point of view! Another great video ♥️
Honorable mention for Shelob. Daughter of Ungoliant gives you street cred
I would put the Witch-King right before Sauron. He basically *is* an extension of Sauron and Sauron could channel all of his power through him if he wanted to. There's a reason why he was confident in taking on Gandalf the White at Minas Tirith (consider that Gandalf the Grey wrecked the Balrog)...
This is a film only thing and is frankly BS - the witch king wouldn't stand a chance against gandalf. I don't remember it completely, but In the fellowship book when Aragorn and the hobbits reach weathertop there's a section where Aragorn is reading the tracks and I am pretty certain he says Gandalf was fighting like 7 or so of the ring wraiths and as the witch king shows up that night to stab Frodo he was probably one of them. And that was Gandalf the Grey. So no I really don't think the witch king would have anywhere near the power required to break Gandalf's staff.
@@Kakopyge True, but I'm not necessarily talking about breaking his staff or the scene from the movie. Tolkien wrote a letter which explained that during the Battle of the Pelennor fields "a great demonic power" was being channeled through the Witch King, likely by Sauron himself. Also, the closer they are to Sauron, the stronger the ring wraiths are. Gandalf also didn't manage to defeat any of the wraiths, he was forced to retreat from Weathertop.
P.S. I'm not saying he would necessarily defeat Gandalf, I'm just saying that there was a reason why he was confident in taking him on, even in the books he calls him an "old fool" and says "do you not recognize your death when you see it?".
Nice work dude
Good list! I think a lot of fans who primarily know the films don't realize just how powerful Gandalf was. The scene in Gondor where Jackson has him cowering in the presence of the Witch King was big-time misleading (though I understand Jackson's reasons).
Nice list. Will you make something similar for the first age characters?
gil-galad was an elven king, of him the harpers sadly sing... the last who's realm was fair and free, between the mountains and the sea. his sword was long, his lance was keen, his shining helm afar was seen. the countless stars of heaven's field were mirrored in his silver shield
Nice.
I hope you will make a video with some maps of the middle earth.
I LOVE MAPS !
It seems that-though Tolkien goes out of his way to restrict and minimize the role that supernatural “magic” plays in the late Third Age that acts as the temporal setting of *THE LORD OF THE RINGS,* so as to emphasize the significance of mortal human choices, honour, and courage-it seems that despite this crucial aspect of Tolkien’s fantasy fiction, you nevertheless are defining “power” in the Third Age in almost exclusively “magical” terms: Gandalf, Sauron, Saruman, Radagast, and the Balrog/Durin’s Bane are divine Maiar, second-order members of the Ainur, the immortal, celestial Beings first created by Eru Iluvatar to sing Arda into being; Galadriel and the Witch-King/Nazgul of Angmar are described as “good” and “evil” *SORCERERS* respectively in the trilogy; Smaug is a dragon, one of the most ancient supernatural beasts in Arda; and Elrond and Glorfindel are immortal Elves, the Eldar, First-Born of Iluvatar, whose strength derives in large part from wisdom accrued throughout their extraordinarily long lives and even rebirth, and from the favour of the divine Valar…….I think Tolkien would be legitimately surprised that not a single human or hobbit (close relatives of humans) features on either of your lists…
Surely Aragorn/Elessar/Strider is a remarkably “powerful” character in the novels, as he finds the strength not to fall into the same weakness as his ancestor Isildur; *CHOOSES* to accept and live up to his destiny as the mortal Leader of the Free Peoples the West so desperately needs; saves the two most important, free, remaining human kingdoms in Middle Earth of Rohan at Helm’s Deep and Gondor on the Pellenor Fields before the walls of Minas Tirith, after having faced Death and been symbolically reborn in taking the Dark Road and securing the allegiance of the Oath-Breaking Men of the Mountain with the reforged sword of the King, Anduril (created from the shards of Narsil).
And what of the *UNIMAGINABLE* power demonstrated by the love and loyalty snd sense of duty displayed by Frodo and Samwise in their quest into Mordor, the heart of darkness, to destroy the One Ring within Mount Doom, right under the ever-watchful, lidless Eye of Sauron himself?
Those are just three of the characters whose *CHOICES,* virtue, and wills make *them* the truly “powerful” figures of the late Third Age…
They should make a movie of the 1st huge war, the one where man cuts the ring off his hand during battle! That movie would be amazing!
Hello Yoyston nice to here your voice again 👍😁 could you send those 5 good beings to the war in the east to boost it’s people morale 😀
Tbh, things (and people) are so insane these days that I wouldn't be too surprised if some unique individual actually dressed up as a wizard, went to Ukraine and tried to assemble a Fellowship.
@@aliveandwellinisrael2507 it would be awesome 😎
Excellent video!
And the brilliance of Tolkien comes from it not being the most powerful who shape the fate of Middle Earth, but the small and seemingly insignificant. While there were heroic deeds and acts of bravery from many, in Tolkien's view, Samwise was the true hero of LOTR. Currently re-reading the books (just started Return of the King), and I cannot argue with that assessment.
Very cool! thanks dude
great list. I actually agree with the ordering and arranging on both sides.
I enjoyed this! No quibble with the villain list, but I think Aragorn was a more powerful good character than Glorifindel in the 3rd age and Gwaihir was more powerful than Radagast... perhaps more so than Glorifindel (3rd age only)
Remember that Glorfindel was returned in great power when he was restored to Middle-Earth. I doubt Aragon could have stood against him. However, if we are looking at influence (in the West in general and their overreaching authority by the end of the Age) as well, then it does seem to point more towards Aragon by a pretty sizeable margin. I suppose it's subjective in that way. But then again, did Glorfindel saving Frodo indirectly have more influence on the entire story than Arag Odin's direct actions since, had Glorfindel not been there, Frodo might well have died and ruined the whole plot??
Aragorn is like an infant to Glorfindel. They're not comparable at all.
I'd put aragorn at 5 (maybe even 4) over aiwendil. he commanded much influence across all of Middle Earth, was an exceptional warrior, healer, and leader. sauron himself feared him. the might of numenor was alive still in him
Interesting list to choose from, but this video is on the 3rd Age Edition!!!as
Top five evil beings is spot on. The only thing I might* change is switching #2 and #3 but I'm not sure. Saruman Definitely had more influence but the Balrog very likely had greater unbridled power.
Great video loved it keep it up!
An excellent list :)! But, there is a "being" that seems often forgotten, one of the most compelling in my opinion, Tom Bombadil! Why on the good list? He has been touted many times as the opposite of Sauron, and clearly a consult on the good side (to Gandolf)!
As Gandolf said, "the ring has no power over him!" The single criteria of existing outside of the ring's power, and a being described as one that "cannot be dominated," puts him immediately on par with Sauron without any other criteria considered! Oh yes, and there's the storyline theory that "he would be the last to fall'' and that Sauron could overwhelm him. He was described as already haven seen the rise and fall of one before Sauron and even Sauron himself the first time, seemingly unaffected by the ebb and flow of the struggle. Additionally, any beings ( namely the elves) theorizing about an end of days scenario, judging his efficacy, couldnot have been completely objective. They would have been limited in perspective by uncertain knowledge about him, their agenda (the idea of winning and loosing, success and failure), and just simply by the fact that they were subject to the power of the ring and it's "effects" even if they did "pass the test." What could put him ahead of anyone else?..., existing before any other and therefore having greater knowledge than any other...! :)
Watched the video. Good job.
Here's my opinion. I am not sure if Smaug and the Witch King shouldn't have their positions switched. Smaug pretty much razed both Dale and Erebor by himself in less than a day, while the Witch King took nearly 500 years to destroy Arnor. While Arnor was much larger than these two, I have little to no doubt that Smaug could have razed Arnor to the ground in a matter of years at most if he so wished. Not to mention that Smaug managed to survive the War of Wrath and the onslaught of the Valar against Morgoth.
It's funny that Galadriel is already this powerful, and yet Amazon felt the need to give her armor, a sword and the title of commander of the northern armies.
Smaug wasn't born until the 3rd Age.
@@istari0 Yeah, I knew that was a possibilty.
But, since apparently there is nothing explaining how dragons were born, I just assumed that all the dragons in Middle-Earth have been personally created by Morgoth.
My bad then.
Though I still believe that he is more powerful than the Witch King.
Durin's bane did more damage to sauron and The bad guys by turning Gandalf more powerful
I disagree with placing the Balrog above the Witch king. In destroying the northern kingdoms and breaking the line of kings in Gondor, he did a lot of evil, arguably more so than the Balrog did by causing Durin's folk to leave Moria. Potentially, the Balrog was more powerful than the witch king, but he chose to remain hidden. Also, like Smaug, and unlike Saruman and the witch king, he did not serve Sauron, meaning his powers were not co-ordinated with his plans.
List of underrated/overlooked characters would be interesting.
I would say Eru Eluvatar, Melkor, Tom Bombadill, Orome, Tulkas. Ulmo, Galadrail, Sauron, Smaug, Gandalf, Glauron thats my list for the toughest overall, what do you guys think, I realise the list is not the one he first had but this is my list.
Great list. I would have put The Witch King about the Balrog but thats it. It seemed like the witch kings deeds were greater than the Balrog and also Gandalf the White was fearful that he would not defeat him but he did defeat the Balrog as a Grey. It could go either way though
Normally like your video's and I do always love LOTR Ranking list. I didn't linkt this one tho.
I think it's weird you look at the characters as a whole but only take into account their actions in the 3rd ages. The ranking makes no sense at all this way.
You should rename your list 'Most influential in the 3rd age' not '5 Most Powerful Good & Evil Beings'.
You are not looking at their power your looking only at what they did in a short time of their lives..... If you look at the 3rd age alone why not include Aragorn? He is not more powerful but he did a lot more then Glorfindel or Radagast.....
But you didn't. You mixed power, influence, complete characters, also mention things they did in the past and put them in a random order.......
I appreciate the criticism but the idea with this video was to look at their actions in just the Third Age, potential power and actualized power to create this list. Aragorn was most definitely a consideration, but potentially and actually he was weaker than Radagast and the others. Potentially he could have beaten Radagast one-on-one, but at his source he is still just a man (a king and descendant of Númenor, but indeed a man). Personally I would put him behind these characters, Círdan and Celeborn, but then I would put him in. As for influence, indeed these were influential characters, but if that was the premise, many characters would be rearranged. Influence has an impact on power, but is not all of it. Hope that helps, thanks for watching, my friend!
@@MenoftheWest I still don't get the list like you explain it. So you look at: Overal power (full life) and potential power (full life) and their actions (in the 3rd age). Rank this and make that into a list?
Don't get me wrong I do agree with most of the list (Gendalf, Elrond, Galardiel by far the most influential of the 3rd aged) but just not all and not how you picked them. Glorfindel: In life, absolute beast, in 3rd age didn't do a lot. Aragorn: On power level, not even top 10, in actions: did a hell of a lot!
I think you wanted to do something different but the way you did it I don't get. Still good content tho and like you said a good topic for discussion.
Since many of these names are obivous and don't come as a surprise, I am curious to know which characters you think should be on the rest of the list! Which characters dwell on place 6-15 for instance?
10:55 Did this exact imagining of Sauron's appearance exist before the Peter Jackson trilogy, or has it simply become commonly used due to the success of the films?
No. It exists because Jackson and crew were too lazy and incompetent to take the cues in the books about Sauron's ACTUAL appearance, and instead lifted Morgoth wholesale from the fight with Fingolfin to Mt. Doom and called him Sauron. That is NOT what he looked like.
@@michaelcollier3893 The look fits him very well
@@valentinom.4292 A-la another cinematic version of one of the characters, the one for the Witch King of Angmar.
Nice, would like to see the the top 10 on both sides, within all ages.
A list on who did or caused the most good and evil (small change) might be intresting. Sam would be on that list
Honestly, I would’ve put the Witch King at #2 right above Saruman. Even though the Witch King wasn’t Miar, I believe his power had transcended that of Saruman.
I agree but must ask, "how would a one on one battle between Sauron & Smaug unfold?" Considering how devastating losing a finger was during a previous battle, although I can't ignore the great and terrible host of monsters behind him awaiting his call, yet dragons can endure through Immunity most forms of attack including spell casting plus their extreme mobility allows him to consider dynamic offensive options well beyond that of, forming a line and charging the enemy head on! Hopefully, Saurons' already dead status helps him because a battle of "wills" through psychic or sonic means isn't something you play around with while battling a fully mature, psychologically hardened and typically immune, and as with Dragons, being similar to vampire lore, the older the creature, the stronger and more lethal it becomes!
Wait…no Bill the Pony?!
Good: 5. Treebeard. 4. Aragorn. 3. Elrond. 2. Galadriel. 1. Gandalf.
Evil: 5. Witch King. 4. Durin's Bane. 3. Saruman. 2. Smaug. 1. Sauron.
I do wonder if you considered Cirdan for the good list? Barely mentioned, but literally older than Galadriel....
Yoystan, I can't tell you how relevant the lesson at the end of the video is. It's sad how people obtain power and abuse it.
I can't wait for amazon to explain how Sauron was misunderstood... and trans.
I think Galadriel is much more in personality like her uncle Fingolfin, and a bit of grandpa Finwë, who are both profoundly powerful but also able to show restraint and exercise wisdom. I submit that Fëanor would havr done anything necessary to acquire and keep the one ring, wouldn't hesitate to use it, and would be corrupted almost instantaneously.
While I agree with your choices, I'd like to nominate Bilbo. Yes, he's a hobbit and yes, he has no power to speak of, either physically or magically, but it was Bilbo that set into motion what would bring about Sauron's fall. It is his pity that, as Gandalf states "will rule the fate of many."
I would certainly put Treebeard the Ent above Radagast the Brown as a powerful force for good in the Third Age. And while Aragorn was mortal, I would also put him before Radagast, as he withstood things that other men, even great ones like Boromir and Denethor could not; and the Men of Gondor needed such a leader, who could bring the Oath Breakers and others to the decisive victory of the Pelennor Fields, without which, the West would have been destroyed before the ring was.
Hey great video but I really think Treebeard / Fangorn should be in the top 5. Not only because of his physical strength but because he pretty much has the power to make all the ents and huorns go to war. Definitely outranks Glorfindel in my opinion.
I would argue frodo, bilbo, and Sam. Bilbo and Sam are the only 2 that freely gave up the ring. Frodo carried the ring. Bilbo stole and faced down a dragon. Even the other halflings did things like help defeat a nasgul who Gandalf couldn't even beat.
Anyone know where the incredible art of Balrog vs. Gandalf at 6:23 is from? WHo is the artist?
I respectfully disagree when you say Elrond was not a soldier. He was the herald of GilGalad during the War of the Last Alliance after all. A war that lasted seven(?) years.
That was in the Second Age. In the Third Age Elrond no longer was a warrior.
Gandalf higher than galadrial? He was certainly more influencial but idk about raw power.
Granny Galadriel is a Noldo and saw the light of the Trees, but she is not a Maia.
@@noldo3837 yeah but I don't think their rank determine their abilities. Saron was one of the strongest maia but his and here abilities were relevant to each other. And think about the elf that challenged melcor himself and was able to wound him. Do you think many maia would be able to beat him in combat?
@@ShainIsley You are probably right, if Fingolfin or Glorfindel can beat Maia easily, then granny G. can as well.
Yosten, do you spell it like that, are the best. Thank you.
Thank you!
Uhhhhhh where is Fingolfin!?? Dude was a beast! Definitely beats Feanor in my opinion, maybe even Galadriel too. Like your stuff man. Thanks for the posts.
You should do a video like this but for ALL ages! I’m assuming top two would be MELKOR and ERU!
Ungoliant
All ages
Eru
Manwe
Varda
Aule
Ulmo
Plus Orome if Eru does not count
Melkor
Glaurung
Sauron
Gothmog
Durin's bane, Ancalagon the black, or one of the dragons that destroyed Gondolin
Combined
Eru
Melkor
Manwe
Varda
Aule
Ulmo
Orome
Yavanna
Mandos
Nienna
Tulkas
Bombadil
Eonwe
Arien (debatable)
Glaurung
Sauron
I included 16 as Arien is debatable, but you gotta be pretty powerful to be described as a spirit of fire who can withstand the Sun, as well as ward off Morgoth's shadow spirits or whatever he sent after her.
@@rd2066 Why do you have Glaurung so high? I mean he is really strong but i just want to know the reasoning.
@@cherechesalexdaniel811 @Chereches Alex Daniel Hello, and thank you for your reply. I struggle with where to place Glaurung. Other than when he first attacked and left Angband early, he was pretty much unstoppable. I mean, this guy would single-handedly destroy whole armies to a degree.
From what I remember, the only ones who could stand against him were the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains with their masks.
He was basically a general of Morgoth, which is why I place him so high. Not only was he crazy strong, but he is also able to perform magic, such as when he deluded Turin that he needed to go to Dor Lomin.
Glaurung basically destroyed Nargothrond, which is arguably the second or third strongest Elf kingdom in all of Beleriand.
Also, remember in the Third Age, Gandalf was very worried about Smaug. After Sauron, Smaug was the biggest threat then. Now we can easily imagine Glaurung to be much more powerful than Smaug, which is why I rank him so high. Some might find Ancalagon to be mightier, but he was defeated by a single individual. Obviously, so was Glaurung (Turin), but that was by a surprise attack.
Sauron was almost stalemated by Finrod, and essentially defeated by Luthien. And he was stronger back in the First Age as compared to the end of the Third Age (although Sauron with the One Ring in the Second Age was prolly stronger).
That is why I place Glaurung so high. I know people hate 'powerscaling' or just comparing strength in the legendarium, but Glaurung has some of the best feats in the First Age.
If he could fly, everyone would be annihilated.
Even Morgoth 1v1'd FIngolfin. Do we have any examples of someone going 1 v 1 against Glaurung? Turin ends up swinging at him and Glaurung laughs at how futile/brave the attempt is.
Even Feanor was able to stand up against multiple balrogs, despite falling at their hands. Who else besides a Vala or Maia could stand up against Glaurung?
@@rd2066
Thank you for the reply. And while i see your point Sauron was confirmed to be the strongest servent of Morgoth making him stronger than Glaurung.
I am also very confused as to why people thing that Smaug was immensely inferior to Glaurung. Smaug had batter feats if you ask me since he destroyed Erebor with ease while Glaurung was threatened by the dwarves of the blue mountains. Smaug also got stronger. Not to mention that winged dragons are literally made to be stronger than the wingless. So Glaurung being that much stronger than Smaug just isn’t implyed.
Saurons defeat at the hand Luthian is also questionable if you ask me. Since he was essentially 2v1ed by someone who disoriented him with magic (Luthian) and someone who he couldn’t physically kill Huan. Luthian and Huan were also both great threats to Morgoth. Since he made Carcharoth specifically to beat Huan and Luthian could put even Morgoth to sleep.
Ancalagons defeat wasn’t fair either. He fought Earendil who had a silmariel (especially strong against evil beings like Ancalagon), Vingilot witch was blessed by the Valar with power, and an Army of great Eagles with their captain Torondor being strong enough to permanently wound Morgoth a feat only ever replicated by potentially the strongest elf who ever lived. And the battle still lasted 24 hours. So that is no real loss either in my book.
And Ancalagon was pretty much confirmed to be stronger than Glaurung. No offense to Glaurung he was mighty as well but he just never had to fight such strong opponents. Not to mention that Sauron got stronger.
Thank you for the response. I have buisness to attend to today so if you choose to reply than mine might not be immediate.
Thank you for the civilised discussion. Have a good day.
I know that you want us to reach out and share your videos, but last week and this week, when I try to share to FB, there is no thumbnail on FB. The video shares, just not the Thumbnail. All other things that I share do have thumbnails. Are you doing something differently now?
Hey Yoystan! I have a question for you that could maybe make an interesting video.. do you have any thoughts on why the balrog “Durin’s Bane” didnt actually leave Moria and fight with Sauron?
"Okay so for sure Tom Bombadil is the most powerful good cha- oh."
Lol had to make that disclaimer 😂
This is the greatest comment of my life
@@MenoftheWest It really does make sense though - from a D&D alignment perspective, I think he's definitely on the Good side, but you're absolutely right that he was kind of on the sidelines.
I heard once that he's an insert character for a doll loved by Tolkien's children, a way for them to know that no matter how scary things got in Middle-Earth, all would be well, because Tom Bombadil would be there to take care of those they loved. Is there any truth to that?
@@stevesmith9447 Said doll almost got flushed down the loo. 🚽
@@tominiowa2513 Ohhh??