The Battle Between Bard and Smaug

Bard, the grim-voiced bowman of Lake-town and the last heir of Girion, Lord of Dale, is the man who kills the dragon Smaug. His shot, guided by a thrush that had overheard Bilbo Baggins's conversation with the dragon, strikes the one bare patch on Smaug's left breast, a weakness the hobbit had discovered and reported. The dragon's death ends his long dominion over the Lonely Mountain and its treasure, but it also destroys the town of Esgaroth and precipitates the struggle for the hoard that follows.

Identity and Background

Bard is a descendant of Girion, the Lord of Dale whose wife and child escaped down the Running River when Smaug destroyed the town long ago. He lives in Lake-town, where he is known as a grim-voiced and grim-faced man, a skilled archer who carries a great yew bow. His friends accuse him of always prophesying gloomy things—floods, poisoned fish—but they know his worth and courage. He is not the Master of Lake-town, who is a trader and politician, but a fighting man of the old line.

The Slaying of Smaug

When Smaug, enraged by the theft of a golden cup, attacks Lake-town in revenge, Bard takes command of the archers. The dragon's fire destroys the town house by house, and the Master flees in his gilded boat. Bard holds his ground among the burning buildings, shooting arrow after arrow until only one remains. As he bends his bow for the last time, an old thrush lands on his shoulder and speaks to him in a language he can understand, for he is of the race of Dale. The bird tells him to watch for the hollow of the left breast as the dragon flies and turns above him. When the moon rises and Smaug swoops low, Bard sees the bare patch glittering with gems—except in one place. He shoots his last black arrow, an heirloom from his father, straight into that spot. The arrow vanishes into the dragon, and Smaug, shrieking, crashes down onto the town, destroying it utterly. Bard himself dives into the lake and survives.

Consequences and Aftermath

Smaug's death frees the treasure of Thror, but it also leaves the treasure unguarded. The people of Lake-town, now homeless and grieving, turn their anger first toward the Master and then toward Thorin and the dwarves, whom they blame for arousing the dragon. Bard, hailed as a hero and proclaimed king by the crowd, refuses to press his claim immediately. Instead he organizes the survivors, sends messengers to the Elvenking for aid, and later leads a host to the Mountain to demand a share of the treasure as recompense for the destruction of Esgaroth and as the rightful heir of Girion. His parley with Thorin fails, and the siege of the Mountain begins. Bard's actions—killing the dragon, claiming his heritage, and negotiating for the Lake-people—set the stage for the Battle of Five Armies and the eventual settlement that sees Dale rebuilt and the treasure distributed.