War of the Ring

The War of the Ring is the great conflict that brings the Third Age to its close, the struggle between the Dark Lord Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for the mastery of the One Ring. It is the culmination of the history that began with the forging of the Rings of Power, and its outcome decides not only the fate of the Ring but the shape of the ages to come. The war is fought on many fronts—in the mines of Moria, the forests of Fangorn, the plains of Rohan, the walls of Minas Tirith, and the dark passes of Mordor—but its decisive struggle is the quest of the Ring-bearer, Frodo Baggins, to carry the Ring to the fires of Mount Doom. The war is a story of both vast armies and individual choices, of ancient powers and small hobbits, and its end marks the passing of the Elves and the beginning of the Dominion of Men.

Origins and the Burden of the Ring

The war has its roots in the long history of the Ring, which was forged by Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom to rule all other Rings of Power. The Ring was lost for centuries after Isildur took it from Sauron's hand, and it passed out of knowledge and legend when Isildur was slain by Orcs near the Gladden Fields, the Ring slipping from his finger as he swam and vanishing into the dark pools. It was recovered long afterward by a creature of hobbit-kind named Sméagol, who was transformed by its power into the wretched Gollum, and who carried it into the shadows of the Misty Mountains, where even Sauron himself could learn nothing of it. The Ring was found again by Bilbo Baggins, who brought it back to the Shire, unaware of its true nature. The war begins in earnest when Gandalf the Grey discovers the Ring's identity and reveals to Frodo that the Dark Lord is seeking it, setting in motion the quest to destroy it. The Ring's power is such that even the wise cannot wield it, and the only hope is to cast it back into the fire from which it came.

The Quest and the Breaking of the Fellowship

The quest to destroy the Ring is undertaken by the Fellowship of the Ring, nine companions who set out from Rivendell to carry the Ring to Mordor. Their journey is marked by peril at every turn: the attempt to cross the Caradhras is thwarted by snow, and they are forced to pass through the mines of Moria, where Gandalf falls in battle with a Balrog, a servant of the ancient darkness. The Fellowship is broken at Amon Hen, where Boromir, overcome by the Ring's temptation, tries to take it from Frodo, and Frodo decides to continue the quest alone. The war spreads as the forces of Sauron move against the free peoples, and the companions are scattered, each drawn into the larger conflict. The quest itself becomes a war of endurance, as Frodo and Samwise Gamgee struggle through the desolation of Mordor, guided by Gollum, whose divided self—Sméagol and Gollum—wavers between loyalty and the terrible call of the Ring. In the darkness of the mountains, Gollum's debate with himself reveals the depth of his corruption, as his long hand creeps toward Frodo's neck, only to be drawn back each time Sméagol speaks, until both arms claw toward the hobbit in a moment of crisis that Sam witnesses, realizing that the chief danger is not hunger but the Ring's hold on Gollum.

The Battles of the War

The war is fought on many fronts, and its great battles are turning points in the struggle. At Helm's Deep, the Rohirrim, led by Théoden, make a desperate stand against the forces of Saruman, saved only by the arrival of the Ents and the destruction of Isengard. The war reaches its climax at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where the armies of Gondor and Rohan face the hosts of Mordor before the walls of Minas Tirith. There, Éowyn, disguised as a warrior named Dernhelm, defies the Witch-king of Angmar, who boasts that no living man may hinder him. She reveals herself with the words, "But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter," and with the help of Meriadoc Brandybuck, who stabs the Witch-king from behind, she drives her sword between crown and mantle, destroying the Nazgûl Lord. The victory at the Pelennor is bought at great cost, as Théoden falls in the midst of his glory, and Éowyn lies wounded, her shield shattered and her arm broken. The war is finally decided at the Black Gate, where the armies of the West march to challenge Sauron directly, drawing his attention away from the Ring-bearer's quest. There, in the moment of greatest despair, the Ring is destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom, and Sauron's power is broken forever.

The Scouring of the Shire and the End of the War

The war does not end with the fall of Sauron, for the hobbits return to a Shire that has been taken over by ruffians acting in the name of Lotho Sackville-Baggins. Frodo, Sam, Meriadoc, and Peregrin find their home under the control of a petty tyrant, and they must fight to free it. Frodo insists that there is to be no slaying of hobbits, even those who have gone over to the other side, and that no one is to be killed at all if it can be helped. The Battle of Bywater is won almost too easily, as the hobbits, led by Merry, overcome the ruffians and lock them up in a hut they had built themselves. The war's end brings peace to the Shire, but it leaves deep scars on its heroes. Frodo, wounded by the Morgul-knife and by the burden of the Ring, finds no lasting healing in the Shire, and he eventually departs with the Ring-bearers from the Grey Havens, leaving Sam to begin a new life. The war ends the Third Age and begins the Fourth, the Age of Men, as Aragorn is crowned King of Gondor and the Reunited Kingdom is established.

The Significance of the War

The War of the Ring is more than a military conflict; it is a moral and spiritual struggle that tests the character of every participant. The war reveals the corrupting power of the Ring, which tempts even the noblest, from Boromir to Galadriel, and it shows that courage is found in unlikely places, as the smallest of the free peoples, the hobbits, prove to be the most resistant to its lure. The war also marks the passing of the old order, as the Elves fade and the age of Men begins. The victory is won not by strength of arms alone but by the endurance and sacrifice of individuals, from Frodo's refusal to give in to the Ring's power to Éowyn's defiance of the Witch-king. The war's end is bittersweet, for while Sauron is defeated and peace is restored, the cost is great, and the heroes are forever changed. The war is the culmination of the history of the Third Age, and its outcome shapes the destiny of Middle-earth for ages to come.