The books and movies about The Lord of the Rings are full of memorable characters. One villain particularly stands out – although he was once one of the good ones.
Who is meant? The Witch-king of Angmar plays an important role in the events of The Lord of the Rings. As a servant of Sauron, he is tasked with finding the One Ring. This means that the Fellowship around Frodo is hunted by the Witch-king and his Ringwraiths throughout Middle-earth.
The leader of the Nazgûl also makes a great impression because his appearance is quite eerie. However, the origins of the character are anything but that. Because in reality, the Witch-king was a man who was once a king.
The Rings of Power
Who was the Witch-king? His true name is not known. We only know that he was a king of men. Presumably, he belonged to the Númenóreans, those men of the West, which also included Aragorn or Sauron’s Mouth.
When the Rings of Power were forged, followers of various peoples received one each. Among them were the Elves, the Dwarves, and the Men. In total, nine Rings went to the nine kings of men.
What the peaceful peoples of Middle-earth did not know: Sauron had secretly forged another, far more powerful Ring. I am of course talking about the One Ring. Thanks to its power, Sauron was able to dominate the other Rings.
The king of men, who would later become the leader of the Nazgûl, was corrupted and bound to Sauron. He and the other kings of men transformed into undead spirits.
In their new form, they began to serve Sauron faithfully.
The War Against Men
What happened next? As is well known, Sauron was defeated at the Battle of the Last Alliance. He lost his body and his power vanished. The Witch-king remained vigilant and did not retreat – unlike the other Nazgûl.
He moved to Angmar in the north of Middle-earth and built a fortress called Carn Dûm. Driven by the will to increase his own power, he created an army of Orcs, Trolls, and other beings. With this, he intended to destroy the Men of Númenor.
The Witch-king began a war against the kingdoms of Cardolan, Arthedain, and Rhudaur. The people of Cardolan and Rhudaur soon met their demise. Only Arthedain remained steadfast for a while before this realm also felt the might of Angmar.
Ultimately, Glorfindel, one of the most powerful Elves, managed to drive the Witch-king away and defeat Angmar.
Just a few years later, he succeeded in capturing the city of Minas Ithil in Gondor. He gave it a new name: Minas Morgul. There, a confrontation occurred between the king of Gondor, Ëarnur, and the Witch-king. Ëarnur wanted to face the Nazgûl in single combat because he had mocked him in the past. After the man had crossed the gates of Minas Morgul, he was never seen again.
In the Hunt for the One Ring
What happened next? When Sauron returned many years later and sought the One Ring, he sent the Witch-king and the remaining Nazgûl to find the powerful weapon. They visited the Shire and hunted Frodo and the other Hobbits.
On Weathertop, there was a direct confrontation that the Hobbits survived only because of Aragorn’s assistance. Nevertheless, the Witch-king managed to severely wound Frodo. The Morgul blade would have killed him had it not been for Glorfindel, who brought the wounded to Rivendell. In the film, Arwen takes on this task.
Time and again, the Witch-king appeared throughout the course of the story. He brought terror to Middle-earth and ultimately took part in the battle on the Pelennor. There he met his end.
How did the Witch-king die? He actually wanted to confront Gandalf and had already managed to destroy his staff. Then, however, the army of Rohan arrived before Minas Tirith. The Witch-king set out to kill King Théoden of Rohan. Unfortunately, he succeeded.
Subsequently, Éowyn and the Hobbit Merry attacked the Witch-king. Together they brought him down. The Nazgûl mocked them and believed himself to be safe. For he knew the prophecy of Glorfindel, which said that no man could kill him. To his misfortune, he faced no man: Éowyn removed her helmet, revealed herself as a woman, and killed the villain once and for all with her sword.
Thus, one of the most iconic villains of Middle-earth met his end. Ultimately, his trust in the prophecy regarding his death was a great weakness. Éowyn showed that she is a strong warrior, even though she was always underestimated as a woman in Middle-earth. That is why she also appears in this list: The 10 strongest men from Middle-earth in ranking
