| “ | Bow before me, vermin! | „ |
| ~ Gorkil |
Gorkil the Goblin King is a playable hero for the Goblin faction in the Lord of the Rings video game Battle for Middle-Earth II. He is a power-hungry Goblin king who seeks to curry favor with Sauron by furthering his agenda in the northern part of Middle-Earth, feeling that his people have lived in the shadow of their Orc kin for too long.
He is voiced by Andre Sogliuzzo.
Good Campaign[]
In the Good Campaign, Gorkil is not formally encountered until the third mission in the campaign (Etternmoors). However, his hordes serve as recurring foes to the heroes throughout the early missions, attacking first Rivendell and then again at a pass Gloin, Glorfindel, and company's forces must pass to get to him. Once in Etternmoors though, Gloin and Glorfindel's armies put down Gorkil's hordes, and Gorkil himself is killed in the battle.
Evil Campaign[]
In the Evil Campaign, Gorkil's role is expanded upon, as he and his forces are actually the ones primarily used by the player for about half the campaign; first they raze Lothlorien alongside the Mouth of Sauron and some of the Nazgul, then when Gorkil himself enters the scene, they destroy the Grey Havens and the Shire both, ensuring that no more Elves can escape Middle-Earth and the Hobbits are left without a home. In the latter conflict, they also slaughter scores of Dunedain Rangers and even Grima Wormtongue and a group of Uruk-hai who attempt to muscle in and steal Gorkil and his people's victory from them.
After these victories, the Goblins under Gorkil take Fornost (slaughtering more Dunedain in the process), and are present to assist the armies of Mordor in the final battle at Rivendell.
Trivia[]
- As the battles in the Northern part of Middle-earth were only hinted at in Tolkein's books proper and not really mentioned at all in the movies, Battle For Middle-Earth II represented the first time the conflicts in the North were ever conceived on such a scale (and the game's official strategy guide notes as much). As a result, Gorkil is an invention of the game.
