Durin's Bane

Evil-doer

Peter Jackson

Full Name

Unknown

Alias

Durin's Bane

The Nameless Terror
The Balrog
The Shadow
Flame of Udûn

Origin

Middle-earth

Occupation

One of the Balrogs

Lord of Moria
Soldier and officer of Morgoth's army (formerly)

Powers / Skills

Supernatural physicality

Flames of Udun
Fiery sword
Fiery whip
Fear stare

Hobby

Instilling absolute terror into the Goblins who share a home with it.

Goals

Destroy or drive out the Dwarves of Moria (succeeded).

Destroy the Fellowship of the Ring (failed).
Kill Gandalf (succeeded; although the latter killed him).
Help Morgoth to conquer, corrupt and destroy Middle-earth (formerly; partially succeeded).

Crimes

Mass murder

Destruction

Type of Villain

Elemental Demon

“	The Dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dûm… shadow and flame.	„
	~ Saruman alludes to Durin's Bane.

“	A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you.	„
	~ Gandalf describing the Balrog.

Durin's Bane, also known as the Nameless Terror, is a major antagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings book series (as well as its 1978 and 2000s film adaptations).

He was a Balrog of Morgoth, who fought during the First Age. However, he survived and went into hiding in Moria. He later encountered the Fellowship of the Ring and was eventually slain by Gandalf.

Biography[]

This particular Balrog, whose name was unknown and never found out, is a Balrog that 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 went into hiding in the deep places of the world with few other Balrogs that had survived the First Age (for this Balrog, Moria).

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, and prevents the beast from crossing, shattering the Balrog's sword. He 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.

Gallery[]

External Links[]

Durin's Bane on the Villains Wiki
Durin's Bane on the Lord of the Rings Wiki
Durin's Bane on the Tolkien Gateway

Navigation[]

Villains

Villains

Ainur
Dark Lords
Morgoth | Sauron

Balrogs
Gothmog | Durin's Bane | Tar-Goroth

Others
Saruman

Hobbits
Gollum | Lotho Sackville-Baggins | Ted Sandyman

Dragons
Smaug | Ancalagon | Scatha | Drogoth the Dragon Lord | Glaurung

Great Spiders
Shelob | Ungoliant

Werewolves
Carcharoth | Shade of the Wolf

Trolls
Olog-hai (Brûz the Chopper)