Although war wasn’t the central focus of The Lord of the Rings, the story depicted plenty of big battles involving the mightiest warriors. However, sometimes, mortal warriors just weren’t enough to triumph over the forces of evil. On the contrary, certain conflicts were decided by the combination of weapons and magic. One example of this was Gandalf’s battle with the Balrog, which utilized enchanted blades like Glamdring and purely magical weapons like the Balrog’s fiery whip. Another time magic played a significant role was at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields when Aragorn came marching into the fray leading the Army of the Dead.

By this time, Sauron had already unleashed his Orc armies on Minas Tirith, intent on destroying Gondor. Not only that, he had additional forces coming from the South, along with several dangerous Olyphaunts. Everyone in Minas Tirith knew they were impossibly outnumbered, but at the last minute, Aragorn arrived at the head of a battalion composed exclusively of “ghosts.” These undead warriors quickly destroyed Sauron’s orc armies and saved the day. That said, many fans have wondered why Aragorn didn’t unleash the Army of the Dead on Mordor itself.

Updated on January 12, 2024 by David Giatras: Aragorn is one of the central characters of The Lord of the Rings, eventually becoming the King of Gondor. In The Return of the King, Aragorn helps recruit the Army of the Dead in the fight against Sauron, which helps turn the tide in the war. While Aragorn could have continued using the army to march into Mordor, he ultimately let them go, telling them that their oath was fulfilled.

What Was The Army Of The Dead?

Also known as Dead Men of Dunharrow, Men of the Mountains
Cursed spectral oathbreakers led by the King of the Dead
The King of the Dead was portrayed by Paul Norell in The Return of the King.

The spirits in the Army of the Dead were originally men of Dunharrow. During The Last Alliance, the Men of the White Mountains swore an oath, promising that they would lend their aid to Isildur and Gondor against the evil forces of Mordor. However, when the fighting began, they abandoned their vow, not realizing the perilous consequences of doing so. Rather than taking up arms against Sauron, the men of Dunharrow hid in the mountains, hoping to pass the time safe and sound.

As a result of their abject cowardice, they suffered a grievous curse from Isildur himself — “to rest never until your oath is fulfilled; for this war will last through years uncounted, and you shall be summoned once again ere the end.” When they died, their spirits would remain in Middle-earth until they found a way to fulfill their oath. The Dead Men of Dunharrow ended up haunting the White Mountains for well over three thousand years. During this time, a prince of Rohan, Baldor, attempted to pass through the haunted path to get to The Dead Men of Dunharrow. Despite his vow to pass through the Dark Door, Baldor was never seen again. In fact, when Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli arrive thousands of years later, they pass by Baldor’s golden armor on their way into the Mountains.

Isildur’s curse was the only reason the Army of the Dead listened to Aragorn: they could satisfy the conditions of their oath, and Aragorn would consequently set their tortured souls free. Although the Dead Men of Dunharrow were initially reluctant to help, they eventually agreed to fight on behalf of Gondor. With the strength of the undead behind him, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli journeyed to Minas Tirith and crushed the opposing forces at the seminal Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Following this event, Aragorn released the Army of the Dead from its oath, allowing them into the afterlife. That said, the Army of the Dead destroyed Sauron’s multiple battalions with ease. More importantly, finding an army that wasn’t hindered by mortal needs like food and sleep was in itself near impossible. As such, many fans have wondered why Aragorn didn’t unleash them on Mordor before setting them free.

Why Didn’t Aragorn Use The Ghost Army Against Mordor?

The reason Aragon didn’t send the Army of the Dead into Mordor has to do with what is in the books versus what’s in the movies. In the big-screen adaptations, Aragorn should have sent the army into Mordor without question. Sauron’s forces may have been vastly superior, outnumbering their opponents many times over, but numbers don’t matter when encountering a force composed entirely of invulnerable ghosts. However, in the books, things were different. In Tolkien’s version, the Army of the Dead defeated the Haradrim and the Corsairs of Umbar at Pelargir, not the Orcs at Minas Tirith. That’s a huge difference, especially considering the events of the battle. When the Corsairs saw the undead army, they jumped off their ships in terror, and many drowned in the Anduin River. In other words, the Army of the Dead didn’t kill anyone because they didn’t need to. They only worked as an effective scare tactic.

If the Army of the Dead attacked Sauron’s Orc armies, it would likely have been futile. The Army of the Dead was terrifying, but the Orcs were more afraid of Sauron than some disembodied ghosts. So, they would have stood their ground, even if it meant getting decimated. However, the real reason why Aragorn might have refrained from using this strategy has to do with the Dark Lord himself. As a powerful Necromancer, Sauron may have been capable of harming the Army of the Dead.

There’s even the possibility that the Dark Lord could have found a way to turn them against Aragorn and Gondor. If this had happened, it would have shifted the tides of battle in favor of Sauron, turning Minas Tirith into a smoking ruin. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and perhaps even Gandalf wouldn’t have survived, leaving Frodo and Sam utterly exposed atop an erupting Mount Doom. Even if the Eagles managed to save the heroes, the sheer amount of loss would have been incalculable. With all this in mind, it would have been a terrible idea for Aragorn to send the Army of the Dead into Mordor.