Maeglin was the son of Eöl, The Silmarillion’s Dark Elf, and he followed in his father’s footsteps by betraying the Elves and taking up with Lord of the Rings Vala Morgoth. Morgoth had promised both Ulfang and Maeglin great things, which was how he swung Elves and Men to his side, even despite his terrible reputation (The Lost Road and Other Writings). Maeglin’s story is pivotal in LotR and central to The Fall of Gondolin, attributed to a large part of The Silmarillion and its own book.

Maeglin’s Elvish mother came from Gondolin but was taken captive by his father until she could escape with him and return. In Gondolin, Maeglin fell in love with Idril. Maeglin’s unrequited love fueled a hate that recalled his father’s atтιтude, and he ended up making a deal with Morgoth, swapping the city’s top-secret location for help securing control of Gondolin and Idril. Maeglin triggered the fall of one of Lord of the Rings’ toughest strongholds but didn’t survive the Sack of Gondolin.

8

Thuringwethil

Sauron’s Herald

Thuringwethil was Sauron’s messenger and herald in The Silmarillion while Sauron was working under Morgoth in the First Age. She was clearly no military leader, occupying the role that Lord of the Rings’ Mouth of Sauron ᴀssumed in the Third Age. She was defeated and killed by Lúthien and Huan. However, this doesn’t necessarily indicate a lack of power, since Sauron himself was defeated and slain by the same two characters.

Sauron was beaten by a dog 6000 years before LotR, even though that dog was Huan, the semi-divine wolfhound. After that embarrᴀssing defeat, the half-Elf, half-Maia princess Lúthien killed Thuringwethil, skinned her, and wore her like a dress, clarifying that Sauron’s enemies weren’t always angels either. This disguise granted her entry to Morgoth’s lair. Despite her untimely demise, Thuringwethil was a shapeshifter, which meant she was probably an immortal Maia, like Sauron. This meant that her spirit probably formed another body at some point.

7

Carcharoth

Morgoth’s Superpowered Guard Dog

Carcharoth was bred from Drauglin, the first Werewolf, and he caused chaos in Middle-earth in the First Age. Although unlikely for a Werewolf to be more powerful than a Maia like Thuringwethil, Carcharoth certainly caused more damage. Carcharoth bit off the hand of Beren, the lover of Lúthien and one of the greatest heroes in the books. Unfortunately for them both, this hand was holding one of Lord of the Rings’ three Silmarils.

The Lay of Leithian, which can be read in The Lays of Beleriand, goes into detail on Carcharoth and his work for Morgoth.

This powerful jewel, crafted by Fëanor, burned evil, and it festered in Carcharoth’s stomach, driving him insane. This huge, powerful werewolf went on a rampage, pᴀssing south through Lord of the Rings’ realm of Beleriand, terrorizing indiscriminately among Elves, Men, and Orcs. Carcharoth clashed with Huan, the dog that beat both Thuringwethil and Sauron, but this was Huan’s last fight, and they both died in the effort.

6

Gothmog

High-captain Of Angband

Gothmog was Lord of Balrogs, a pretty high status, considering that these terrifying monsters killed Durin and Gandalf, and rescued Morgoth from the one evil creature that may have been more powerful than him. Balrogs were among the spirits that Morgoth first corrupted to his service, making them Maiar, some of which were “well nigh as great” as the Valar themselves (The Silmarillion). But evil destroyed Maiar shapeshifting ability in Lord of the Rings, so Balrogs became locked in their demonic bodies.

He killed Fëanor in the Battle-under-Stars and Fingon in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, two of the High Kings of the Noldor.

Gothmog was High-captain of Angband, which was commanded by Sauron, confirming his high rank and critical importance in winning First Age battles for Morgoth. He killed Fëanor in the Battle-under-Stars and Fingon in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, two of the High Kings of the Noldor. He captured Húrin, a Silmarillion great, leading to his lengthy torture and the downfall of his entire house and family. Gothmog met his end on the battlefield by Ecthelion’s hand, taking Ecthelion down with him.

5

Durin’s Bane

Flame of Udûn

A Balrog by no other known name, Durin’s Bane was one of the Balrogs that survived into the Third Age. Although he appears a senseless beast in the movies, he was presumably of the same intelligence as Gothmog – smarter than most beings in Middle-earth. His survival indicates this too, with many Balrogs destroyed in the War of Wrath, and Tolkien suggesting that only three to seven Balrogs existed (Morgoth’s Ring).

Balrog spirits were immortal like all Ainur (the race of which Maiar and Valar were a part), but being bound to their forms, it is likely they could never reform a body after being killed. Nonetheless, while incarnated, Durin’s Bane killed Durin, the Dwarvish king, and destroyed Moria, leaving it vacant for centuries. Then, on being reawakened in the Third Age, he drove the Fellowship from the mines and killed Gandalf (revival notwithstanding), one of Lord of the Rings’ most powerful characters. He died for his troubles, but this still leaves him an impressive Morgoth follower.

4

Glaurung

First Of The Dragons

Glaurung was the first of Morgoth’s much-maligned dragon species, a line which ended in the Smaug of The Hobbit fame. Dragons grew to be legends in the world of fantasy, spawning legions of derivative movies and books, not the least of which are Dungeons & Dragons and ASOIAF. Smaug may not have been loyal to anyone other than himself, with Morgoth long relegated to the Void, but Glaurung was Morgoth’s servant. Glaurung led the largest army of Balrogs and Orcs ever created in the Battle of Sudden Flame.

Glaurung’s ambition began to set him apart from Morgoth’s muscle – the Balrogs.

He helped secure the decisive victory of the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, killing Azaghâl, Dwarven Lord of Belegost. He later stormed Nargothrond, the stronghold built by Galadriel’s brother, Finrod Felagund. Elvish King Orodreth was killed, at which point Glaurung’s ambition began to set him apart from Morgoth’s muscle – the Balrogs. Glaurung claimed this realm, ruling as king. But he also had twisted, cunning magic, executing Morgoth’s curse on Húrin’s children. He hypnotized Nienor into forgetting her past so that she eventually married her brother and fell pregnant. Glaurung delighted in revealing this, resulting in their suicides.

3

Ancalagon

Greatest Of The Dragons

Ancalagon was dubbed the greatest of Morgoth’s dragons. He had wings, unlike Glaurung, representing an evolution in dragonkind. Indeed, he was one of only four named dragons in The Lord of the Rings. Ancalagon didn’t last anywhere near as long as Glaurung did, only fighting one battle. He was brought down by Elrond’s father, Eärendil, who is probably among Lord of the Rings’ top 10 heroes. However, Ancalagon was definitively stated to be more powerful than Glaurung, boasting both flame and wings.

Ancalagon’s fire-breathing fury was unleashed during the War of Wrath, which was so disastrous that it sunk the whole of Beleriand and ended the First Age. Although his reign of terror was short-lived, his impact was huge, which goes to show how much terror could lie in wait in Middle-earth, since some dragons may remain. Gandalf implied this when he stated, “There is not now any dragon left on earth in which the old fire is H๏τ enough [to melt the Rings of Power].“

2

Ungoliant

Primordial Spider

Ungoliant is a mysterious, primordial spider being who worked with Morgoth in the First Age to destroy the Two Trees. The Eldar didn’t know where she came from, but some said that “in ages long before she descended from the darkness that lies about Arda, when Melkor first looked down in envy upon the Kingdom of Manwë… and that in the beginning she was one of those that he corrupted to his service.” This would likely make her a Maia “well nigh as great” as the Valar, since Morgoth corrupted many, and Ungoliant was greater than Morgoth at one point.

Ungoliant chose the form of a giant spider, implying her shapeshifting Maiar status. Morgoth speared the Two Trees – Valinor’s light source – and Ungoliant sucked the light from them, enhancing her size and power. Draining more light, she grew so big she terrified Morgoth. She spun webs of gloom across the continent that sent its residents mad, and eventually demanded more payment from Morgoth for her help than he wanted to give. She ruthlessly attacked him and would have won the single combat fight if Balrogs hadn’t come to his rescue. She fled, spawning Shelob, but her fate is unknown.

1

Sauron

The Lord Of The Rings

Sauron was the eponymous Lord of the Rings and became Morgoth’s most powerful follower during his reign. After Morgoth’s fall, Sauron continued serving him in the Second Age, worshiping him in Númenor. But he later claimed to be “Morgoth returned” from defeat. At the end of Lord of the Rings, Sauron was reduced to a weak spirit, and some Balrogs and dragons may have remained that still served Morgoth. Orcs, Trolls, and Wargs certainly remained. However, like dark-leaning Men, they probably served Sauron, if any dark leader, after Sauron’s fall, since Morgoth had been naught but a rumor for centuries.

Sauron’s powers in Lord of the Rings ranged from shapeshifting, mind-reading, and song battling, to the kind of sorcery that Morgoth taught. Sauron split his soul, pouring it into the One Ring, and forged the Rings of Power. His smithing legacy was so great that Maiar of Aulë – who Sauron originally served – still valued his work as mighty even after he fell from grace. Not to mention, he basically ruled Middle-earth in the Second Age for a spell before being defeated but rose again in the Third Age of The Lord of the Rings.