Lord of the Rings’ 10 Toughest Strongholds, Ranked

Lovers of The Lord of the Rings Will be aware of some impressive strengths in the books and movies. Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings And Hobbit Movies explore many of the iconic locations of Tolkien’s work. The trilogies are both based on the eponymous novels by legendary fantasy writer JRR Tolkien. Although not completely faithful to the books, the trilogies offered stunning recreations of Elvish strongholds like Rivendell and Lothlorien, plus dark forts like Dol Guldur, and citadels like Minas Tirith. But some of Tolkien’s toughest strengths have not yet been committed to the screen.

JRR Tolkien created an entire mythology around his 1954 novel The Lord of the Rings. The novel refers to myths and legends from a distant past, and Tolkien is in detail in this. The Silmarillionwhich was finally edited and published again. Tolkien’s son, Christopher, went on to publish many more selections of Tolkien’s work that inform the world of Middle-earth. Some of the strengths of lesser-known Tolkien lore are more than a match for the movie’s strengths, making a case for those who appreciate good world-building to dive into Tolkien’s legendarium.

10

Khazad-Dûm

The Misty Mountains

Khazad-Dûm is described as the “Largest of all the mansions of the dwarves“In The Silmarillion. The dwarves are incredible minersCavers and Smiths, which lead them to create some of the hardest and most impressive structures in The Lord of the Rings. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie explored Khazad-Dûm, otherwise known as Moria, near the end. The beauty of Khazad Dam was obvious, even in spite of its dilapidated state.

Moria is only not higher because it was destroyed by a Balrog in the year 1980 of the Third Age, and despite a Dwarvish attempt to recolonize it, it fell to Orcs in 2994. It was as strong as dwarven strongholds cameBut the dwarfs”delved too greedy and too deep,Recognize the Balrog and lead to their downfall. Nevertheless, the cavernous halls and great pathways of Moria remained standing, even as the orcs let them fall into disrepair.

9

Gondolin

rumble

Gondolin is a city of Tolkien lore that has never been adapted for the screen, big or small, but its legend makes it one of the toughest strongholds in the Legendarium. Founded by the High King of the Noldor, Turgon, in the year 64 of the First Age, Gondolin was eventually sacked by Morgoth and came to destroy. But in their time it was a flourishing city, built on a hill, in a secret valley, surrounded by a mountain range that called the Ecoriat. , or the surrounding mountains. Gondolin was impressively fortified.

Not only was it a top secret place, but no one was allowed in, and no one was allowed out, unless the king made a rare exception. It is also protected by the Great Eagles, who are led by Thorondor. The hidden path in Gondolin, if found, confronts travelers with seven gatesEach greater than the last. Nargothrond and Menegroth, other Elvish strongholds of the First Age, deserve special mention, but their destruction came from multiple angles, although Gondolin would never have been found by Morgoth had it not been for the shocking betrayal of one close to the king. .

8

Rivendell

Eriador

In some ways, Rivendell was a pale shadow of the elvish fortress of the first age, but unlike them, it withstood all assaults of the enemy until its leader willingly left it. Also known as Imladris, Rivendell was led by the titanic ElrondOne of the elves of the Eldar. Elrond founded Rivendell in the Second Age as a refuge while Sauron’s power grew.

Rivendell housed the Fellowship at the Council of Elrond, as moviegoers know, but it also withstood a siege by Sauron himself in the year 1700 of the Second Age. Sauron’s forces overran Eriador, but Imladris triumphedWith some help from Númenor and the elves of Eregion. Rivendell was again insulted in the Third Age by Angmar, and again managed to subdue Sauron’s forces.

7

Karas Galadon

Lothlórien

Caras Galadon was the main city and fortress of the realms of Galadriel and Celeborn, Lothlorien. Although seemingly weak compared to mighty forts like Minas Tirith, Gondolin or Nargothrond, Karas Galadon has a secret. It was protected by magic, and specifically by one of the Elvish rings of power. Worn by Galadriel, Nenia kept Galadriel’s realm safe from the enemy and the passage of time.

This inevitably helped Galadriel, who was a Mighty Elf even before Nenia, secure victory when Orcs swarmed Lothlorien on March 11, 3019, in the Third Age. Galadriel, Celeborn, and their elves were victorious a few days later during another assault, and again during a third a while later. After the war of the ring, Lothlorien was gradually abandoned As his elves sailed west.

6

Barad-Dur

Mordor

Barad Dur was, for all intents and purposes, an impregnable fortress, but fell because of his reliance on the power of the One Ring. in The Lord of the RingsFrodo saw “Wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black, mighty everywhere, mountain of iron, gate of steel, tower of adamant…Barad-dûr, fortress of Sauron.” The power of the tower was clearBut once Frodo threw the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom, he completely destroyed it.

Melting the Ring into Mount Doom destroyed it, and ended its effects on everything it helped build, including Barad-dur, and destroyed the body of Sauron. Barad-door was already rebuilt after an attackProve its resilience. After winning the War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age, Isildur and his forces crushed Barad-dûr but could not remove its foundations.

5

My Tirith

Gondor

The famous citadel of Gondor has seen more strife than perhaps any other city in Middle-earthSituated right on the borders of Mordor. Minas Tirith was originally built in the Second Age of Middle-earth by the Realms in Exile – Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion. Fleeing Númenor in the wake of its destruction, Elendil’s family led the survivors of Númenor to create the realms – Gondor and Arnor.

Originally called Minas Honor, The fort was first attacked by Sauron in SA 3429. It was well into the early third age before a civil war, a plague, wars with Estlings and the corsairs of Umbar, and a constant stream of fighting with the neighboring Mogul Valley. This was all before the War of the Ring show in Peter Jackson Lord of the Ringswhich saw Minas Tirith fight the seemingly lost battle of the Pelennor Fields. Minas Tirith was breached, but her army won, in the end.

4

Orthanc

Isengard

Orthank was miraculously unassailable. Orthanc was the tower standing in Isengard, managed by Saruman during the events of The Lord of the Rings. Saruman’s magic may have backed Orthanc into the Third Age, but credit for the tower must ultimately go to the Realms in Exile. Orthanc was built as part of the extended realm of Gondor During its early days, and remained impregnable until the end of The Lord of the RingsDespite numerous assaults. The Ents attacked Isengard and completely overtook it, but the powerful species could not move Orthank.

Saruman stayed safe inside. Tolkien described the tower as “Made by the builders of old,“remember that”It was a thing not made by the craft of men, but relayed from the bones of the earth in the ancient mountains of the hills.“Orthanc hosted one of the powerful palantíriA vision stone that enabled users like Saruman to see other times and other places, aiding in his defense. There were also stones in Gondor and Barad-Dur, but no strength held quite like Orthanc.

3

Angband

The Iron Mountains

Angband was not in Peter Jackson’s movies, which date back to the earliest days of Middle-earth, but was one of Tolkien’s toughest fortresses. Angband was the second fortress founded by MorgothThe original Dark Lord. Before Sauron was Middle-earth’s biggest concern, his predecessor, Morgoth, lived in Angband, which was built beneath the Iron Mountains. The great tunnel to the labyrinthine underground fortress was under three volcanic mountains called Tangorodrim.

Thangorogrim was used to Morgoth’s advantage, with his enemies Maedhros and Horin both meeting terrifying fates on its peaks. Elf Princess Luthien and her mortal romance, Beren, are able to infiltrate Angband and steal a Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown, most laudably. however, No elf, human or dwarf has ever succeeded in bringing it downUntil the Valor came in to lie down in bed. The 15 Valar are the demigods of Tolkien’s world, second only to the one creator, Eru Ilúvatar, in power.

2

yet

The Iron Mountains

Utumno was Morgoth’s first fortress, built in the days before days, and It was so powerful that the Valar permanently disfigured Middle-earth in their attempts to break it. The Valar refrained from widespread attacks against Margoth’s forces in the lead-up to the creation of men, fearing that they would further destroy Middle-earth. Margaret posted “The mud of his hatred“From Utumno, spread poisonous and dangerous flora and fauna during his many battles with the Valar.

Morgoth too”Captivated“Some of the first elves to awaken and brought them to Utumno, where”By slow art of cruelty“They were corrupted in the First Orcs. Although Utumno was eventually defeated by the Valar, it”was flattened, and his pits were filled with fire, and with great hosts of the servants of Melkur.“Though Morgoth is caught, The Valar never discovered the extent of Utumno (or Angband, for that matter) and ended up leaving a large part of it undiscovered, along with its evil beings.

1

Valinor

Aman

Valinor was a large realm in the central part of the continent of Amman, constituting the heavily fortified abode of the Valar. Many elves also lived in Valinor, who covered the city of Valmar and its surrounding area. Except Walmar, Valinor encompassed Ilmarin, the Halls of Manwh and Varda on Mount Taniquetil, as well as the Halls of MandosThe Halls of Aulë, and other Valarin and Elvish residences. As the second-highest powers in the universe Tolkien created, the Valar are well positioned to defend their realm.

Morgoth was also a Valar, unfortunately, and his assault on Valinor cost Middle-earth two of its greatest assets – the lamps and the trees. The Two sources of light were a tragic loss for Amman and Middle-earthBut Valiner and its main halls remained standing after their loss. The great Valar Morgoth delved great strongholds into Angband and Utumnu, but it was the other Valar who kept their realm standing throughout the long years, while Angband and Utumnu were defeated.