J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is an epic tale, full of adventure and amazing battles. While the Movies show some amazing moments, the books reveal so much more about these massive conflicts!
Middle-earth Armies:
This high fantasy story is all about the war between good and evil. We get to see many awesome armies clash, especially when we dig into Tolkien's legendarium. Peter Jackson's movies gave some great scenes, but Tolkien's original work goes deeper into how massive these forces were! The Lord of the Rings trilogy takes place in the Third Age. But Tolkien built an entire world. Including what occurred in the First and Second Ages, making the conflict feel truly epic and far-reaching!
Top 10 Middle-earth Armies:
- The Dead Men of Dunharrow: These undead warriors were initially cursed, but Aragorn freed them during the War of the Ring. They were scary and did their part.
- The Union of Maedhros: An alliance of Elves, Men, and Dwarves. It was led by Maedhros, who is considered to be quite ruthless.
- Sauron's Second Age Army: This is where Sauron's might began! It grew massive in the Second Age around the year 1500! During his campaign he did what the stories tell us! Created damage.
- The Last Alliance: Elves and Men joined together to battle Sauron around the end of the Second Age! Gil-galad and Elendil led the charge!
- The Rohirrim: Rohan's cavalry were known as the Rohirrim, or Horse-lords! They are truly epic. And we get a new movie on December 13, 2024: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The Mearas, a breed of mighty horses are going to leave a powerful impact!
- The King's Ships: Gondor's navy was awesome. From Minas Tirith. Their massive power stood out especially in the Second Age. A powerhouse.
- The Great Armament: This enormous army of Númenor was led by Ar-Pharazôn and nearly attacked Aman itself in the Second Age.
- The Morgul-Host: Based around Minas Morgul. It was incredibly devastating throughout the Third Age and played a massive role in the Battle of Pelennor Fields.
- Morgoth's First Age Forces: Morgoth's army included dragons and tons of nasty creatures. These beasts wrecked havoc across Beleriand in the First Age. A truly terrible adversary.
- The Host of the Valar: The most powerful force ever! Tolkien’s demigods led the charge against Morgoth during the War of Wrath! It ended the First Age, so that was something for all of Middle-earth!
These armies are epic, shaping the fate of Middle-earth! What makes Tolkien's work so unique is the way he combined amazing war scenes with some really deep thinking about this entire subject matter!
