Ever since Tolkein first wroteThe Lord Of The RingsandThe Hobbit, there have been a plethora of unique and fantastic creatures associated with Middle Earth, from the giant Olephaunts that carry the Haradrim into battle, to the Watcher in the water lurking in front of the Mines of Moria. But arguably the most iconic creature of the entire Tolkien franchise has to be the great beast cloaked in fire and smoke:the Balrog, the flying creature of fire and rockthat drags Gandalf to his death in Khazad-dûm.
The visual representation of this beast in Peter Jackson’sFellowship of the Ringadaptation, created by the fantastic designers at Weta studios, is unmistakable, and can be identified by its ram-like horns, its bull-like muscular body, leathery wings and whip tail, as itdescends upon its victims in a display of smoke.
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To the surprise of many, this exact same creature, using this exact same design, appeared in the latestRings of Powertrailer, which features a whole lot of new information and impressive visuals. Now, Balrogs were highly prevalent in the First and Second Age of the world, as they were created as part of Morgoth’s abuse andexperimentation of his Ainur power, gifted by Eru. But the one that appeared in the recent trailer looks so much like Peter Jackson’s iconic version of the creature that many fans are wondering if it is in fact the very same creature who later faces off against Gandalf in the mines, and chased the fellowship though it’s hallowed halls. But this begs the question, do all Balrogs look the same? Or can they assume different shapes and forms? Could they even become humanoid?
There appears to be a very interesting link between the fiery Balrog, and the mysterious man who has been depicted inthe previous two trailers, in a ring of fire, at the center of the meteor crash landing site. There is still no confirmation of who the man is, all that is known about him is that fire is drawn to him, as he appears to have the ability to harness the unruly element, as is shown when the fire travels in towards him rather than away from him. It looks as if he is absorbing its heat. It is clear that he will have something to do with Nori the young Harfoot hobbit, as she is seen reaching out a hand to him in the latest trailer.
Pairing this scene with the later scene of the four hobbits traveling across the land in burnt and ash-ridden clothing suggests that Nori may naively trust the stranger in the meteor, and bring him back to her home village, where he sets the land ablaze and devastates the peaceful Harfoot existence. But an even wilder speculation surrounding the man in the meteor is that he may in fact be a Balrog himself. This would explain his penchant for flames, and why Nori doesn’t know to be afraid of him, because she has probably never seen one in this form before.
According to Tolkien’s canon, the Balrogs are a type of maiar, just likethe five wizards, and Sauron himself. When Gandalf first came across to Middle Earth, he chose to take on the persona of an old wizard, in the same way that Shadowfax chose to take on the form of a mighty white stallion. But Sauron makes it very clear that maiar can take on different shapes and assume different identities. This will be a major part oftheRings of Powerstoryline, because this is how Sauron managed totrick the kingdoms into accepting his giftsof the cursed rings in the first place.
Sauron appeared to the races of dwarves and men in the guise of a fair elf named Anatar, a generous gift giver, and in doing so he was able to ensnare them without raising their suspicion. By the time Celebrimbor (the forger of the rings) realized Sauron’s deception, it was too late, and the damage had already been done. Therefore, if Sauron can change the shape he assumes, this suggests that the other maiar may be able to as well, including the Balrog.
The new trailer also shows scenes of the white elf with ice blue eyes (who is believed to be Sauron’s fair form Anatar) setting an orange leaf ablaze in a dark underground cave, which could be taken as him sending a message in fire to summon the Balrog. It will be interesting to see if it is the creature that responds to the call, or the meteor stranger, and how this alliance will develop and affect the fate of all those who cross the path of this potentially deadly duo.
