In J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy universe of Middle-earth, there were several powerful evil beings who could be considered “Dark Lords” before the rise of Sauron in the Second Age. The most notable of these were Morgoth, Sauron’s master and the original Dark Lord, and Morgoth’s lieutenant Gothmog. In the First Age, Morgoth was the primary antagonist against the Elves, Men, and the Valar. After his defeat, Sauron eventually took up the mantle of Dark Lord in the Second Age. Before looking closer at Morgoth and Gothmog specifically, it will be useful to provide some background information on the history of Middle-earth.
Background on the First Age of Middle-earth
The First Age began with the creation of Middle-earth and the arrival of the angelic Valar and Maiar spirits. The powerful Vala Morgoth (originally known as Melkor) rebelled against his fellow Valar and illuminated Arda, becoming the first Dark Lord. He constructed a great fortress called Utumno in the far north of Middle-earth. From this base, he spread chaos and destruction, eventually destroying the two lamps Illuin and Ormal which brought light to the world. The Valar waged devastating wars against Morgoth which reshaped the face of Middle-earth. However, they were unable to completely defeat him. After retreating and hiding for ages, Morgoth eventually returned openly and established his new fortress of Angband in the Iron Mountains. From Angband, he captured many Elves and enslaved them, tormented them, and bred the race of Orcs. This marked the start of the First Age proper, when the Elves awoke in Middle-earth and Men also first arrived.
Throughout the First Age, there were great battles between the forces of light and Morgoth. The Elves founded hidden strongholds and kingdoms, while Men aligned themselves with the Elves and also founded their own realms. The Valar rarely intervened directly, but they would occasionally send aid in the form of armies of the angelic Maiar or great eagles. Morgoth created dragons and other monstrous creatures as weapons. He killed the High King of the Noldor Elves, stole the precious Silmarils jewels that contained the last uncorrupted light of the Two Trees of Valinor, and slew many other heroes of the Elves and Men. However, the exiled Noldor Elves eventually returned to Middle-earth, launching attacks on Angband. Together with the Sindar Elves and Men, they managed to defeat Morgoth’s forces in several battles despite great loss of life.
Finally, in the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age, the Valar sent a massive army across the sea to Middle-earth. They clashed with Morgoth’s assembled legions of Balrogs, dragons, Orcs, and other monsters in an apocalyptic conflict. The Valar host was victorious, overthrowing Morgoth’s reign and casting him through Door of Night into the Timeless Void. Thus ended the First Age. Much of Beleriand, the northwestern region of Middle-earth where Morgoth had ruled, was sunk beneath the waves in the tumultuous wars against the Dark Lord. However, his lieutenant Sauron survived and later emerged as the new Dark Lord in the Second Age.
Morgoth, the First Dark Lord
As the original rebellious Vala who introduced evil to the world, Morgoth was the first and greatest Dark Lord in the history of Middle-earth:
- Known as Melkor when he descended into Arda at the beginning of time.
- Rebelled against his fellow Valar out of a desire for power and domination.
- Destroyed the Two Lamps and spread chaos throughout Middle-earth in the Years of the Lamps.
- Retreated and hid after initial defeats by the Valar, then returned and established the fortress of Angband.
- Captured and corrupted many Elves, created the race of Orcs.
- Waged war on the Elves and Men, stole the Silmarils and killed the High King of the Noldor.
- Bred dragons, Balrogs, and other monsters as weapons of war against the Free Peoples.
- Was finally defeated and cast into the Timeless Void at the end of the First Age.
Morgoth was utterly evil and delighted only in power, destruction, malice, and pain. All of the subsequent Dark Lords were lesser evils compared to his malice and power. As one of the Valar, albeit a fallen one, Morgoth had angelic powers beyond most other beings in Arda. His connection to the discord in the Music of the Ainur gave him great creative power, though he tended to corrupt whatever he made. Melkor was the most powerful being in Eä aside from his brother Manwë until the One rebuked him at the end of the First Age. As the original rebel who marred Arda, Morgoth is the ultimate root and source of evil in Middle-earth. All dark powers and creatures ultimately trace their origins back to him in some way.
Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs
While lesser than Morgoth, his lieutenant Gothmog was arguably the second most powerful evil force in the First Age after the Dark Lord himself:
- Originally one of the Maiar spirits, corrupted and seduced by Morgoth.
- Became a Balrog, a powerful demon “of fire and shadow.”
- Rose to become Lord of the Balrogs and Morgoth’s chief captain.
- Killed the Noldorin king and great hero Fëanor at the Dagor-nuin-Giliath battle.
- Led the forces of Angband against the Noldor and Sindar Elves for centuries.
- Slew the High King of the Noldor, Fingon, during the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.
- Killed by the human hero Ecthelion of the Fountain during the Fall of Gondolin.
As Lord of the Balrogs, the most feared demons of power among Morgoth’s forces, Gothmog was arguably the Dark Lord’s most potent servant. While all Balrogs were deadly, Gothmog was probably the strongest of them in might. His power was said to be equal to that of a Vala before he was finally slain by the heroic Ecthelion. Throughout the Battles of Beleriand in the First Age’s wars against Morgoth, Gothmog led the forces of Angband and killed important Elven kings and lords. As Morgoth’s lieutenant, he was effectively the commander-in-chief of the Dark Lord’s evil armies.
Other Notable Powerful Servants of Morgoth
While Gothmog was Morgoth’s chief servant for much of the First Age, there were some other powerful and notable lieutenants of the Dark Lord at different times:
- Sauron – Originally a Maia spirit in service to the Vala Aulë. Seduced by Morgoth and became his trusted lieutenant for much of the First Age. After Morgoth’s defeat, he later emerged as the second Dark Lord.
- Carcharoth – A giant wolf bred by Morgoth to devour all in his path. Nearly killed the Elf lord Beren when he bit off Beren’s hand holding the Silmaril.
- Ancalagon the Black – The greatest and most powerful of all dragons bred by Morgoth during the First Age.
- Glaurung – The Father of Dragons. Slain by the human hero Túrin Turambar near the end of the First Age.
While less influential than Gothmog overall, these servants of Morgoth wreaked notable havoc and destruction at different points during the First Age conflicts before they were defeated. Sauron later eclipsed them all to become Dark Lord himself for much longer than Morgoth was able to. But in the First Age itself, Gothmog as Lord of Balrogs was the most feared lieutenant of the original Dark Lord Morgoth.
Conclusion
In summary, while minor dark powers rose and fell, the primary Dark Lords of Middle-earth prior to Sauron were:
- Morgoth – The original Dark Lord, mightiest of the Valar, who rebelled and brought evil to the world, sowing chaos until finally defeated completely at the end of the First Age.
- Gothmog – Morgoth’s chief Balrog captain, who slew kings and lords among the Elves and led the forces of Angband against the Free Peoples for centuries until he was finally slain.
Other servants of Morgoth achieved levels of might and malice on lesser scales for times, but Morgoth as the original fallen Vala and Gothmog as Lord of Balrogs were the greatest powers of evil in Middle-earth prior to Sauron emerging as the new Dark Lord in the Second Age after his master’s defeat.