LoTR: What’s Up With the Balrog in ‘The Rings Of Power’?

They have a Balrog.

The Rings of Power dropped a hot new trailer the other day at the end of SDCC. We’ve taken a look at it already. Probably the most surprising part of it was the revel at the end of a Balrog of Morgoth. I don’t think many of us expected to see one in the show. But it’s here, so we’re gonna talk about it.

Option 1: Durin’s Bane

The immediate question we have is “Which Balrog is this?” When most people think of a Balrog they think of THE Balrog from Fellowship of the Ring. Known as Durin’s Bane, this Balrog brought down the Dwarven Kingdom of Khazad-dum. The shot and design of this Balrog are clearly supposed to remind us of Durin’s Bane. And yet this really shouldn’t be the same Balrog. Durin’s Bane didn’t reawaken until several thousands of years after when The Rings of Power is set. While they are compressing the timeline, I don’t think they are doing this much.

Option 2: The Balrog in The Rings Of Power is a Fake-Out

You shouldn’t trust trailers. They are often very misleading. A very plausible explanation for the Balrog is that it’s a bit of a fake-out. In essence, it won’t actually be in the show, per se. The Balrog could easily be part of a flashback to the Wars with Morgoth in which a number of them fought. We know we are getting flashbacks to those wars, so this isn’t far-fetched. It’s also quite possible the Balrog only shows up in some sort of vision of the future. In this case, the Balrog in The Rings of Power could actually BE Durin’s Bane, but only seen in a vision.

Option 3: The Big Bad Theory

Now my personal theory is that the Balrog is in the Rings of Power, and plays a big role. In fact, I think we’ve been a bit misled by the marketing so far. We’ve heard a lot about how while the people think they are at peace the war isn’t really over. Some evil survived and is causing issues. Galadriel has to go seek it out. Now I think we’ve all sort of assumed this was a reference to Sauron. He is obviously the main enemy of the show.

However, I don’t think this is the case now. My theory is that the evil they are talking about is the Balrog. Maybe Meteor Man or Anson Boon is the Balrog in human form, or maybe it’s just a Balrog. But I think it’s the real big bad of season one. Think about, a rogue Balrog, causing problems out in the wilds is the perfect target for people to go out on a quest to fight. Obviously, there is going to be more going on the in background. But I think it makes sense for the Balrog to me the evil they are hunting down in season 1, all while Sauron schemes undetected. A Balrog is a strong foe, but one the Elves and their allies can take down. It lets them end the season on a big win, while also missing the real evil.

Let us know what role you think the Balrog will play in “The Rings of Power” down in the comments! 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.