Summary
The Battle of the Fields of Celebrant was essential as it resulted in the birth of the kingdom of Rohan, saving Gondor from the Balchoth and Orcs.
The Fall of Gondolin, the Kinslayings, and the Battle of Dagorlad were significant battles in Middle-earth history involving Morgoth, setting the stage for future conflicts in the story.
The world of The Lord of the Rings is known for its epic battles, but the most significant of these happened long before Frodo inherited the One Ring. Tolkien’s lore goes back thousands of years, and the conflicts between the forces of good and evil make up the bulk of the author’s works. Of course, impactful scenes from the Third Age, such as The Battle of the Pelennor Fields and the Battle of Helm’s Deep are what usually come to mind thanks to Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies. However, these conflicts were relatively small compared to the scale of earlier Middle-earth battles.
Frodo’s story in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring picked up near the end of the Third Age and outlined the end of Sauron’s looming presence in Middle-earth. Several battles were required to defeat this Dark Lord, and countless lives were lost. Still, Frodo’s mission to destroy the One Ring was the true focus of the War of the Ring, so the battles were far smaller than those of the past. During the Second Age, the battles that included Sauron were several times larger. Then, before even this, the Dark Lord Melkor posed the greatest threat to Middle-earth, and the battles surrounding his movement were of another caliper entirely.
10 The Battle Of Five Armies – (Men, Elves, & Dwarves vs. Goblins & Wargs)
The battle seen in The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies was undoubtedly large but still relatively small compared to battles from the First and Second Ages. It took place shortly after Bard the human took down the dragon Smaog, and the Dwarves refused to share the treasure of the Lonely Mountain. The Wood-elves and Men of the Lake both laid siege to the mountain, planning to force Thorin Oakenshield out. However, the Goblins and Wargs of the Misty Mountain were using this opportunity to attack. The Dwarves, Elves, and Men joined forces, ultimately destroying their enemies.
9 Battle of the Fields of Celebrant (Gondor vs. The Easterlings)
Compared to conflicts involving Morgoth, the Battle of the Fields of Celebrant was relatively small. Still, it was essential to The Lord of the Rings since it resulted in the birth of the kingdom of Rohan (T.A. 2510). Gondor had been under attack from the Balchoth, raiders from the East, who were joined by the Orcs. Just as it looked like Gondor would fall, the ancestors to the Riders of Rohan, the Eotheod, came to the kingdom’s rescue. With their combined might, the Easterlings and Orcs fell. As a reward, the Eotheods were gifted a new kingdom, which was eventually named Rohan.
8 The Fall Of Gondolin (Gondolin vs. Morgoth)
Long before Sauron became a real nuisance for Middle-earth, Morgoth, previously known as Melkor, was the central villain. Early in the First Age (F.A. 510), this Dark Lord set his sights on the secret Elven city of Gondolin, whose location was betrayed by an Elf named Maeglin. Though this battle involved Balrogs, wolves, Orcs, and dragons, the fact that it was a surprise assault on the Noldor meant it wasn’t as massive in scale as others involving Morgoth. Gondolin was destroyed, but luckily, some Elves managed to escape (including the extremely important Earendil).
7 The Kinslayings (The Noldor vs. The Telerin)
Perhaps the biggest stain on Elvish history, the Kinslayings took place after Morgoth had the Two Trees of Valinor destroyed and stole the Silmarils. Feanor, the creator of the Silmarils and king of the Noldor Elves, wanted to travel to Middle-earth to reclaim his coveted creation, but the Valar (god-like beings of Valinor) forbade it. Determined to go anyway, Feanor tried to convince another group of Elves, the Telerin, to let him use their ships. When they refused, the Noldor attacked. It was the first instance of Elves spilling Elven blood, resulting in the Noldor being banned from Valinor.
6 Dagor-Nuin-Giliath (Exiles Of The Noldor vs. Morgoth)
After the Kinslayings, Feanor led his people to Middle-earth on a tumultuous journey. The group wound up divided (through a series of betrayals), and the King of the Noldor was even more determined to reclaim his Silmarils from Morgoth. Hoping to wipe them out before they could reach him, the Dark Lord sent a host of werewolves and Orcs to the Noldor encampment, and a battle ensued. Though the Elves fought mightily, especially Feanor, he ultimately fell when Gothmog, Lord of the Balrogs, joined the fight.
5 Nirnaeth Arnoediad (Morgoth vs. Union Of Maedhros)
Also known as the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, Nirnaeth Arnoediad was fought between Morgoth’s forces and the Union of Beleriand, the prominent Elven settlement in the north-western region of Middle-earth (First Age 472). This was another victory for Morgoth, and the battle significantly weakened the Elves’ northern power. After the battle, the Orcs piled up the bodies of Elves and Men. This resulted in a mountain of corpses so great it could be seen even from a great distance—a feature seen briefly in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
4 The Dagor Bragollach (Elves vs. Morgoth)
About 25 years before Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Morgoth had won another massive battle against the Elves, this time the Eldar Elves of Nargothrond. Also called the Battle of Sudden Flame, the battle began when Morgoth sent rivers of flame, which emitted deadly fumes, to overtake his enemy at night. Then, the Dark Lord sent Balrogs and Orcs to lay waste to anyone who had survived. Morgoth’s kingdom of Angband had been under siege up to this point, so this battle meant the Dark Lord’s freedom and the start of his renewed domination in Middle-earth.
3 Battle Of Dagorlad (Last Alliance vs. Sauron)
Though the battles involving Morgoth were filled with Balrogs, dragons, and giant spiders (all of which made Lord of the Rings’ Smaug and Shelob look small and pathetic), the Last Alliance of Elves and Men had involved Sauron’s One Ring and was therefore extremely important to the outcome of The Lord of the Rings. Sometimes called the Great Battle, the Battle of Dagorlad saw the deaths of both the Elven and Human leaders—Gil-galad and Elendil. After they were slayed by Sauron, Elendil’s son, Isildur, took up his father’s sword and cut the One Ring from the Dark Lord’s hand.
2 The Battle Of The Powers (Valar vs. Morgoth)
The oldest battle on this list, the Battle of the Powers took place before Morgoth had destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor (and therefore before the creation of the sun and moon). The Elves had only recently awoken for the first time in Middle-earth, and the Dark Lord had immediately begun to torment them, stealing their people and twisting them to become Dark Elves. Since Morgoth had been a Vala, the other Valar took it upon themselves to stop him. The result was an epic battle—god vs. god. Morgoth was captured and imprisoned, though he eventually escaped to cause more chaos.
1 The War Of Wrath (Valar vs. Morgoth)
After several victories over the Elves and Men, Morgoth’s dominion over Middle-earth was assured. It seemed that no one could stop him. Desperate, Earendil and Elwing set out on a forbidden journey to Valinor, where they planned to beg for the help of the Valar—the only ones who had the power to stop their fellow. Touched by the union of Elves and Men in this mission, the Valar agreed to help. The subsequent War of Wrath meant the biggest and most destructive battle in Middle-earth history. Much of Middle-earth was destroyed, but Morgoth was ultimately defeated and banished to the void.
Of course, the resulting peace was only temporary. Morgoth’s Balrogs, dragons, Orcs, and other such twisted creatures remained in Middle-earth, though many hid away or were slowly killed off. Additionally, Sauron, Morgoth’s first lieutenant, remained in Middle-earth and began to develop his plan to gain control of the realm himself. His One Ring to rule them all would be the foundation of the Lord of the Rings story and many more epic battles to come.
