When fans saw the trailers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, they were stunned to witness the Balrog in action. This show is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, but readers of the novels would know it’s supposed to surface in the Third Age.

As expected, the Balrog appears in the finale. This massive retcon has the Balrog killing a key victim and making its presence felt in a nasty way. Interestingly, this change makes the Balrog more powerful, as it turns it into a full-blown stalking presence down in the Mines of Moria.

Rings of Power’s Balrog Kills King Durin III

The Balrog Has Been Brought Up to The Second Age

In the J. R. R. Tolkien books, the Balrog — a Morgoth enforcer — hid out for centuries beneath the Mines of Moria. When the Dwarves dug deeper for mithril, it rose up and killed King Durin VI. It also killed his son, Náin I, a year later in the Third Age when revenge was sought. The Dwarves would abandon the kingdom of Khazad-dûm.

The show has the Balrog appearing thousands of years earlier when it confronts King Durin III in Khazad-dûm. That’s three kings prior. It arrives when the king shows Prince Durin IV the mithril repository. A fight breaks out, and the king sacrifices himself to the creature’s blade. The shockwave seals the cave off and leaves the Balrog confined in the mines. Durin IV is left broken-hearted and pondering how to succeed his father and keep his wife, Disa, safe.

Rings of Power’s Balrog Has the Power of Fear

The Balrog Can Break the Durin Dynasty Even Earlier

​​​​​​

The Rings of Power has been shifting timelines for some time. It’s essentially reinterpreted The Lord of the Rings as loyal fans would argue. In the lore, Gandalf would end up killing the Balrog after it almost decimated Frodo’s Fellowship. Prior to that, it was left as an apex predator, but also, an unchecked myth and legend.

Rings of Power Season 3 can now give Durin IV the task that Náin I would come to have. Durin IV has his father’s magical ring and six others. He could use these relics, pay the lords the riches that the king promised, and form a hunting unit by disbursing the other rings. Knowing the Balrog is lurking beneath is indeed a problem, as killing it would maintain the safety of the realm. It would also give the Dwarves access to the mithril, which they can sell, make weapons with, and produce other aspects of their culture.

Disa Actor Details

Actor Name
Sophia Nomvete

Date of Birth
June 24, 1990

Place of Birth
Reading, England

Notable Movies
Mafia Mamma

Notable TV Shows
Wednesday, Swashbuckle

This creates a more cerebral arc as the Balrog stalking its prey is brought forward. Durin IV is fearful of what’s to come, so this would be a natural move. It also fits the name Tokien gave the creature: Durin’s Bane. Here, it has a chance to kill two Durins, instead of one, which adds gravitas and pathos to its name. Durin is a legacy, after all, so the Balrog being a target can add to the dynasty from before. Of course, Durin IV has seen its whip, its flaming blade, and its sheer size.

Durin IV knows the magnitude of this task will be huge, but he has to protect Disa and Co. It does give Rings of Power an action-packed arc that, according to the show’s narrative, would take too long to achieve if the source material was followed. This can even break the Dwarves earlier and explain why they became so reclusive: trauma and grief. Ultimately, diehard loyalists might not like it, but casuals are already craving more of this fiery behemoth down in the Mines of Moria due to the physical and mental threat the retcon provides.