With the stunning new Witch-king of Angmar model on its way, the Middle-earth team thought it would be fun to review some of the Witch-king’s most pivotal battles and epic encounters from The Lord of the Rings™. Up stepped Dan Entwisle to guide us through who he thinks are the Witch-king’s top five adversaries in Middle-earth.
Dan: After falling to darkness, the Witch-king of Angmar became a harbinger of fear and death, remaining an ever-present threat to the enemies of Sauron until he finally met his demise at the Battle of Pelennor Fields. On more than one occasion, the Witch-king was moments away from striking down one of the most powerful heroes of the Free Peoples and was only thwarted at the last. So, without further ado, here are my picks for the Witch-king’s top five fights!
5. Aragorn™
Despite being pursued across the Shire and Bree, the Hobbits were still not fully aware of how deadly a threat the Black Riders posed – that was until their encounter at Weathertop. Despite Frodo’s efforts to conceal their location, the Nazgûl tracked the Ringbearer down and cornered him within the ruined watchtower.
Easily sweeping aside the other Hobbits, the Witch-king was poised to wrest the One Ring from Frodo’s grasp. Thankfully, Aragorn returned and succeeded in driving the Nazgûl away. Had it not been for his timely intervention, the fate of Middle-earth could have been sealed on that gloomy night in the ruins of Amon Sûl.
4. The White Council™
When the White Council came to Dol Guldur to rescue Gandalf from imprisonment, they found themselves surrounded by the Witch-king and the other Nazgûl. Using all the skill they could muster, the Council drove the Ringwraiths back again and again, until the Necromancer at last revealed himself as Sauron in his new, shadowy form.
With Gandalf already badly wounded, Galadriel was forced to summon the last of her power in an effort to banish the Nazgûl and Sauron away to the east. Had she not been present, it’s likely that Saruman, Gandalf, and Elrond would have fallen to the Dark Lord.
3. Gandalf the White™
During the siege of Minas Tirith, the Witch-king confronted Gandalf and Pippin as they raced to save Faramir from his father’s madness. Now at the height of his power, the Lord of the Nazgûl effortlessly shattered the Wizard’s staff, revealing just how fearsome he had become.
Thrown from his steed, the White Wizard was all but defenceless as the Witch-king prepared to deliver the final blow. Yet when the horns of the Rohirrim echoed across the Pelennor, the Nazgûl’s deadly focus shifted away from Gandalf, and onto the King of Rohan.
2. King Théoden™
After delivering an inspiring speech and leading the charge of the Rohirrim, King Théoden and his kin had all but routed the lines of Mordor. It was then that the Witch-king descended, hurling horse and rider to the ground and mortally wounding the King of Rohan.
Though he may have been a capable warrior in his own right, Théoden was no match for the awesome power of the Nazgûl and his monstrous mount, and he would have met a far more grisly end upon the Pelennor had it not been for our top pick...
1. Éowyn™ (and Merry™)
With Théoden lying broken, the Lord of the Nazgûl was poised to finish off the King of Rohan – until a helmeted warrior bravely stepped in to deny him. Little did the Witch-king know that this wasn’t just any warrior, but Éowyn, Shield Maiden of Rohan. After a ferocious onslaught, and with his victory seemingly assured, the Lord of the Nazgûl arrogantly declared that it was prophesied that no Man could kill him.*
However, these final words proved to be his undoing. Merry stabbed the Witch-king from behind with an ancient barrow-blade that had, unbeknownst to the plucky young Hobbit, been forged to be a bane of Evil. That fateful blow gave Éowyn the opportunity to reveal her true identity – for she was indeed no Man – and plunge her sword into the Nazgûl, thus fulfilling the prophecy and bringing an end to the deadliest of Sauron’s servants.
Thanks for that, Dan. Not every villain boasts a roster of rivals quite like the Witch-king, but if you insist on being a ne'er-do-well for thousands of years, your list of enemies is bound to grow. Anyway, what did you think of the Middle-earth team’s top five Witch-king fights? Let us know over on the Warhammer Official Facebook page.
* This prophecy was made by the mighty Elven lord Glorfindel when he faced the Witch-king at the Battle of Fornost. Presumably, the fact that the Witch-king fled before him (twice, no less!) is the reason why Glorfindel isn’t on this list – it clearly wasn’t much of a fight!