Prime Video’s The Rings of Power has brought back the Balrog of The Lord of the Rings, an ancient creature with a dark history that predates the creation of Midde-earth. The Balrog seen in Khazad-dûm is the very same who will one day face off with Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, but this monster wasn’t the only one of its kind. There were a handful that terrorized the forces of good in the First Age, but they all went into hiding within the Earth following Morgoth’s downfall. Unfortunately, Khazad-dûm’s Balrog ultimately reemerged.

The Balrog in Rings of Power, which will eventually gain the name Durin’s Bane, was first teased back in season 1. It became clear that if the Dwarves dug for mithril, they would be doomed to awaken the monster and face its wrath. Of course, this is something Lord of the Rings fans already knew was coming, but the Prime Video series planted the seeds of this event far sooner than expected. Rings of Power season 2 saw King Durin III sacrifice his life to trap the Balrog in the depths again, where it will likely return to its slumber. Of course, the story of this beast started a long time before even the events of Rings of Power.

Balrogs Were Originally Maia, Long Before The Lord Of The Rings

Balrogs Were The Same As Sauron, Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, & More

Thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings and The Rings of Power, the god of Middle-earth’s world, Eru Ilúvatar, created the Ainur, beings who would assist him in creating the universe. Among the Ainur were the demigod-like Valar and their lessers, the angel-like Maiar. Each Valar had several Maiar to serve as their assistants, and together, they all created and maintained the beautiful features of Middle-earth. However, it wasn’t long before some members of the Ainur got other ideas in their heads about what they wanted to do, and many turned to darker paths.

Some Maiar became Middle-earth wizards, like Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, and the Blue Wizards. Another was selected as Morgoth’s lieutenant before elevating himself to be the next Dark Lord (Sauron, of course). However, a handful of other Maiar became the powerful Balrogs. These were likely those who served as the Maiar to Melkor, the Valar who later became the Dark Lord Morgoth.

Morgoth Turned The Fallen Maiar Into Balrogs & Commanded Them In Battle

The Balrogs Were Among Morgoth’s Greatest Forces

The Maiar that turned from the Valar and followed Morgoth were eventually turned into Balrogs. How Morgoth did this isn’t entirely clear. The villainous Dark Lord had a talent for corrupting beings into new twisted forms since this is what he did to Elves, Men, and possibly even the Great Eagles (with prominent theories suggesting this was the origin of fell beasts). A Maiar becoming a Balrog likely had something to do with the level of service they provided Morgoth. Their devotion to his evil would have started as early as the Song of the Ainur, in which they joined Morgoth in singing discordant notes.

They fought in battles and did the Dark Lord’s bidding since he himself rarely set out from his stronghold.

It’s also unclear whether becoming a Balrog was an elective process or if Morgoth forced his Maiar to become these monsters against their will. It’s implied that Sauron chose to maintain his ability to shapeshift, which is why he never underwent the permanent process himself. However, the difference here might have been that Sauron was never Morgoth’s Maiar (he served under Aulë). Regardless, the Balrogs served Morgoth well. They fought in battles and did the Dark Lord’s bidding since he himself rarely set out from his stronghold.

How Powerful A Balrog Is In The Lord Of The Rings Mythology

Balrogs Were Almost Impossible To Defeat

Balrogs are among the most powerful beings in Middle-earth. These demons of shadow and flame come equipped with flaming swords and whips, which are known to do horrifying damage in battle. Still, even without these, Balrogs are a lethal force. They possess strength far beyond that of any Orc or Troll, and they are nearly impervious to attack. Balrogs can also perform spells, which was seen during Gandalf’s battle with Durin’s Bane in the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring book.

Anyone who ever killed a Balrog in Lord of the Rings also died during the effort.

Why There’s A Balrog In Moria & How Long It Was There

How Durin’s Bane Came To Be There

While Morgoth commanded Balrogs to terrorize the beings of Middle-earth in the Second Age, everything changed when the Dark Lord fell. With their master gone, the Balrogs fled to the depths of the earth where they could wait for Morgoth’s return. The one that would become known as Durin’s Bane hid beneath the Misty Mountains and did not emerge until the Third Age when the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm rouzed him. This happened at the end of the First Age, so about 6,462 years before Frodo and the Fellowship entered Moria in The Lord of the Rings.

Of course, Rings of Power has somewhat changed this, adding in an event in which King Durin III awakes the Balrog before sacrificing himself to trap the beast back in again.

The Rings of Power is set about 1,500 years into the Second Age, meaning the Balrog had been slumbering under Khazad-dûm for about that many years. The fall of Durin’s kingdom happened in Third Age 1981, which means that the Balrog was awoken about 5,422 years after it went into hiding there. Of course, Rings of Power has somewhat changed this, adding in an event in which King Durin III awakes the Balrog before sacrificing himself to trap the beast back in again.

Are Other Balrogs Alive In Middle-earth During The Lord Of The Rings?

Durin’s Bane Wasn’t The Only One To Survive The First Age

Morgoth had a handful of Balrogs under his command, though not all of them are specifically known or named. The Lord of the Balrogs was called Gothmog, but he was killed before Morgoth’s downfall in the Fall of Gondolin (by the Elf-lord Ecthelion). Another unnamed Balrog was killed by Glorfindel. These are the only of Morfoth’s beasts known to have been killed during the First Age, so Durin’s Bane wasn’t the only one to go into hiding. It can be assumed that, after this significant Lord of the Rings Balrog was killed by Gandalf, other Balrogs still slept silently in the deepest caves and caverns of Middle-earth.

No other Balrog has been awoken during the events of Rings of Power and Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien never specifically indicated that any would be in the future. However, many years (likely thousands) after the One Ring was destroyed, there is destined to be an apocalyptic event called Dagor Dagorath. Morgoth will return with all his former strength and have a final battle with the Valar. It’s assumed that any Balrogs still in slumber would return for this event to fight by their master’s side. Thankfully, they are once again doomed to lose—this time for the last time.