| “ | Moria... You fear to go into those mines. The Dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum... shadow and flame. | „ |
| ~ Saruman alludes to Durin's Bane, warning Gandalf the Grey about the Nameless Terror that lurks within the depths and darkness of the forbidden mines of Moria. |
| “ | A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. | „ |
| ~ Gandalf describing the Balrog. |
| “ | YOU SHALL NOT PASS! | „ |
| ~ Gandalf’s most famous quote as he fights the Balrog. |
Durin's Bane, also known as the Nameless Terror, is a supporting antagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings fantasy novel series as well as its film adaptations.
He was a Balrog of Morgoth, who fought for the Dark Lord in the First Age. While most of Morgoth's servants were destroyed after the Dark Lord was defeated, the Balrog survived and went into hiding in Moria. He was later encountered by the Fellowship of the Ring and was eventually slain by Gandalf in a deadly duel.
Biography[]
Novel[]
This particular Balrog, whose name was unknown, fought with Morgoth's armies during the First Age under the command of Gothmog. However, Morgoth's armies were defeated, and most of the Balrogs were killed off. Durin's Bane then went into hiding in the deep places of the world.
Eventually, while hiding in Moria, Durin's Bane was accidentally awakened by the Dwarves, who delved too deeply into the mines in their insatiable appetite for more precious Mithril. Upon awakening, the Balrog killed or drove out the Dwarves.
In TA 3019, the Fellowship of the Ring are forced to enter Moria. The Balrog discovers them, scares off the Goblins surrounding the Fellowship, and follows them to the bridge of Khazad-dum. The Fellowship of the Ring make it across the bridge, but Gandalf stays behind to prevent the beast from crossing, shattering the Balrog's sword by using a magic barrier. He then uses his magic staff to break the bridge, but as Durin's Bane falls into the chasm below, he wraps its fiery whip around Gandalf's legs, and drags him down with it.
After a long fall, Gandalf and the Balrog crash into a huge underground lake, which extinguishes the flames of the Balrog's body, leaving him severely weakened and forcing him to retreat from the wizard. Gandalf then pursues the beast for several days, chasing him out of the tunnels and onto the highest peak of the mountains of Charadras, where his flames explode back to life. The Balrog is eventually defeated and cast down onto the mountain side, dead. After it's death, only one other Balrog was likely alive, but where it was hiding is unknown.
Film & TV Adaptations[]
Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings[]
The Balrog does appear in Ralph Bakshi's animated The Lord of the Rings. It appears as a large humanoid with a lion's head and wings. Gandalf is the only one that seems to recognize it, and it does not appear until the Fellowship reaches the Bridge of Khazad-dûm.
Peter Jackson's film trilogy[]
The Balrog is portrayed in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy as a giant, black creature covered in flame. Though J.R.R. Tolkien described it as being taller than a man, but not huge, Durin's Bane in the film is at least twenty feet tall in height as it towers even over Gandalf the Grey in comparison. Rather than having a voice of any kind, its roar sounds similar to an erupting volcano, the vaporous presence of heat emanating as its breath. (This roar was simulated by pulling a cinder block across a plywood board, and then digitally shifting the pitch of the resulting sound.) Unlike previous adaptations, the goblins and orcs are all terrified of the Balrog, and they immediately flee as it comes closer to the Fellowship. Its weapons, rather than physical in nature, are completely comprised of flame, taking the form of a sword first and a whip second. Its own flames are its key weapon of choice against Gandalf. Their duel progresses closely to how it does in the book: Gandalf shatters the Balrog's fiery sword (using a magical shield formed around himself in conjunction with Glamdring), and then strikes the bridge of Khazad-dûm, breaking it in half, and causing the Balrog to fall into the abyss. As the Balrog falls, its whip latches onto Gandalf's legs and drags him off of the bridge.
Aside from this, the Balrog had been briefly seen in a book previously owned by Saruman as the latter taunted Gandalf telepathically over the Fellowship's choice of taking the route of Moria, implying that Saruman was aware that it had awoken and brought woe to the Dwarves there.
Rings of Power TV Series[]
Durin's Bane appears very briefly in the seventh episode of Season One of Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power prequel series, when Durin III lets a leaf given him by the Elves fall into a deep abyss newly discovered in the search for mithril. The leaf seems to awaken the Balrog, who roars ferociously upon being awoken. In the eighth episode of Season Two, Durin III, under the influence of the ring, breaks into the depth of the mines, awakening the Balrog. Feelling remorse for his actions that brought this evil down upon them, King Durin III ultimately sacrifices himself to rebury the Balrog to make sure it does not escape, as well buying time to save his son Durin IV from being killed by the enraged fiery demon.
Gallery[]
Images[]
.jpg "!Images (108).jpg (29 KB)")
.jpg "Balrog (6).jpg (70 KB)")
Videos[]
External Links[]
- Durin's Bane on the Lord of the Rings Wiki
- Durin's Bane on the Tolkien Gateway
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 Villains
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Ainur Men Elves Hobbits Dragons Great Spiders Werewolves Others Alternate Continuities | ||
