Azog

Azog the Defiler is a powerful goblin/orc leader and a villain from the Hobbit.



Book
Azog and his goblins took over the mines of Moria, having possibly been sent there by Sauron, and he became one of the most influential goblins in the northern lands. When the dwarf lord, Thror, visited Moria in the hopes of possibly rebuilding it, he was captured and brought to Azog. Accusing Thror of being a thief, the goblin had him tortured for two days until he learned of another dwarf outside Moria. Azog proceeded to kill Thror, beheading him and carving his name in runes on his forehead. The goblin proceeded to call out to the dwarf, Nar, from over the gates, that beggars and thieves would meet the same face and that he was the king of Moria. Azog even refused to let Nar take Thror’s head back, throwing a sack of coins at him to scorn him, and ordered his goblins to hack up Thror’s body and feed it to ravens. This action would generate incredible hatred for Azog amongst the dwarves and Thrain, Thror’s son, would mass an army of dwarves in war against the goblins. After nine years, Azog’s forces in Moria met the dwarves in battle and he was finally killed in the fight by Dain Ironfoot, after killing his father, Nain.

Past
At some point, Azog and his orcs took over the mines of Moria. When Thror led his people to try and take over Moria, the Pale Orc engaged them and slaughtered many of them. Azog himself engaged Thror, having become determined to wipe out Durin’s descendents. He succeeded in killing and beheading Thror, driving his son, Thrain, mad with grief and causing the dwarves to retreat. Azog then engaged Thorin Oakenshield, who struggled against the Pale Orc and was forced to replace his shield with an oak branch. However Thorin refused to fall and managed to sever Azog’s hand. Badly wounded and enraged, he was dragged back into Moria by his servants while the dwarves rallied and managed to slay the remainder of his forces, though at heavy costs to themselves. Thorin believed that Azog had died of his wounds, but he had in fact survived and swore revenge on Thorin, but would not be able to track them down for 60 years.

An Unexpected Journey
Eventually Azog’s forces learned of Thorin’s expedition to reclaim Erebor and a group of them managed to corner the company, only to be driven off by the elves. The survivors returned to Azog, who was enraged and threw one of them to some of his Wargs to be devoured. He then ordered his forces to find the dwarves, offering a bounty to anyone who brought Thorin to him. Azog managed to track Thorin’s Company to the Misty Mountains after being informed that the Great Goblin had captured them. He came across them after they had just escaped from the mountains and managed to corner the group on a cliff, forcing them to climb into some trees. Azog ordered his wargs to kill them all except Thorin and they eventually forced the company into one tree, hanging precariously over the cliff. Thorin came out to fight Azog, but he was unable to match the Pale Orc, who struck him repeatedly, sending him to the ground. He ordered one of his minions to take Thorin’s head for him, but Bilbo and the other dwarves suddenly leapt to his defense. But before Azog’s forces could overwhelm them, the Great Eagles suddenly came to the company’s aid, carrying them to safety and killing the orcs and wargs, but Azog survived, though he was enraged that his prey had escaped them.



Abilities
Azog is much stronger and more aggressive than a human, which makes him a fearsome opponent. He primarily wields a mace and has a metal arm forced into his arm where his hand was severed. Azog also rides a large white Warg.



Trivia
*In the film, Azog and his minions speaks only in the orcs’ natural language, as opposed to the orcs in the other movies who speak English. This indicates that Azog is older and more proud of his heritage and has had less exposure to man’s world.

*Azog’s son, Bolg, who appears at the end of the book, leading the goblin forces, is set to appear in the upcoming Hobbit films.

*Azog appears in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king.