What is the Balrog in The Rings of Power? Showrunners tease season 2

By Lewis Knight

Published: Friday, 07 October 2022 at 12:00 am

It seems the Balrog glimpsed in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will play a larger role in the second season.

Towards the end of the seventh episode of the first season, The Eye, we see that beneath the large caverns of Mithril, beneath the Dwarven city of Khazad-dûm, a Balrog stirs.

So, when can we expect to see this monstrous beast again?

Showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay spoke to RadioTimes.com and other press at a screening for the sixth and seventh episodes in September.

When questioned on whether the Balrog shown is a different beast or the one dubbed Durin’s Bane who appears in the central Lord of the Rings trilogy, it seems it may be a familiar creature…

A coy McKay teased: “A different Balrog under the mountain that you might bump into if you dig Mithril?”

When pushed for further detail, he added: “Season 2, sir, stay tuned…”

So, it seems we may not see much more of the monster in the finale of The Rings of Power, but there will be more to come from it in the future.

What is a Balrog in The Lord of the Rings?

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Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV in The Rings of Power.
Ben Rothstein/Prime Video

A Balrog is a demonic monster created by the power of angelic beings known as the Maiar, but served the Dark Lord known as Morgoth in the First Age of Middle-earth.

These large monsters are clad in shadow and flame, using weapons such as fiery throngs and large swords.

The central Balrog in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is the one dubbed ‘Durin’s Bane‘ which resides in the Mines of Moria beneath the Dwarven city of Khazad-dûm.

In the lore of J R R Tolkien, Durin’s Bane had survived the War of Wrath and the defeat of his master Morgoth, escaping into the Misty Mountains and hiding in the depths of Caradhras, one of the mountains of Moria.

In the books, the Dwarves had shown avarice as they continued to mine for the ore Mithril beneath the city of Khazad-dûm, stirring the Balrog from his sleep and resulting in numerous clashes between the Dwarves and the Balrog.

After the beast killed King Durin VI, the Balrog was dubbed Durin’s Bane.

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Gandalf the White in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
New Line Productions, Inc.

Eventually, the Dwarves were driven out of the mountains and Orcs came to reside there, whilst the Balrog continued to live in the chasm of the mountain.

In The Fellowship of the Ring, the Fellowship passes through the Mines of Moria and escapes the horde of Orcs before trying to cross the Bridge of Khazad-dûm as the Balrog struck.

In a confrontation with Gandalf the Grey, the Balrog fell down the chasm but took Gandalf down with him.

The pair clashed as they fell to subterranean and then underworldly levels of Middle-earth until, eventually, the Balrog was cast down into ruin by Gandalf, who was killed in the effort but brought back as Gandalf the White.

Read more on The Rings of Power:

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on Amazon Prime Video on Friday 2nd September 2022 – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub.

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