Witch-king of Angmar

The Witch-king of Angmar, the Lord of the Nazgûl, is the most fearsome and powerful of the nine Ringwraiths, the mortal men who were corrupted by the Nine Rings of power. As Sauron's chief servant, he is a figure of pure terror, a black-mantled shape whose very presence is a weapon, turning hope to despair and victory to death. His role in the War of the Ring is pivotal, from his command of the forces that besiege Gondor to his final, dramatic confrontation on the Pelennor Fields, where his defeat at the hands of a woman and a hobbit fulfills an ancient prophecy and signals a turning point in the struggle against the Dark Lord.

Identity and Origins

The Witch-king is the leader of the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, who were once mortal kings undone by the Nine Rings given to them by Sauron. He is also known as the Black Captain and the Morgul-lord, and his historical title is the Sorcerer King of Angmar, a kingdom he established in the north to destroy the successor states of Arnor. His power is so great that he is the only one of the Nazgûl to have a name and a history of his own, a figure of ancient evil whose origins are rooted in the Second Age. He is the Dark Lord's most trusted and terrible servant, a being whose very existence is a testament to the corrupting power of the One Ring, which was forged to rule all others.

The Lord of the Nazgûl in the War of the Ring

In the final years of the Third Age, the Witch-king emerges as the primary instrument of Sauron's will. He is the commander of the forces that lay siege to Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, and his presence on the battlefield is a harbinger of doom. The narrative describes him as a shape, black-mantled, huge and threatening, bearing a crown of steel, with nothing visible between rim and robe save a deadly gleam of eyes. He wields a great black mace, and his very appearance is enough to turn the tide of battle, as seen when he descends upon the Rohirrim at the Pelennor Fields, bringing ruin and despair to the defenders. His power is such that even the valiant Théoden, King of Rohan, is struck down by a black dart from his fell beast, a winged creature of an older world that he rides as a steed.

The Fall of the Witch-king

The Witch-king's greatest moment is also his undoing. After Théoden falls beneath his wounded horse, the Lord of the Nazgûl turns his attention to Éowyn, who has come to the battle disguised as a warrior named Dernhelm. She does not blench before him, and with a swift, skilled stroke she severs the head of his monstrous steed. As the beast crashes to ruin, the Black Rider rises from the wreck, towering above her, and with a cry of hatred he shatters her shield and breaks her arm. He raises his mace to deliver the killing blow, but Merry, the hobbit who had been borne to the battle by Dernhelm, stabs him from behind, piercing the sinew behind his knee. This distraction allows Éowyn, with her last strength, to drive her sword between his crown and mantle. The sword breaks into shards, but the blow is fatal. The Witch-king's mantle and hauberk fall empty to the ground, and a bodiless cry fades into the wind, never to be heard again in that age of the world.

The Prophecy and Its Fulfillment

The Witch-king's death is a direct fulfillment of a prophecy that no man could kill him. This prophecy, which had made him seem invincible, is undone by the combined courage of Éowyn, a woman of the Rohirrim, and Merry, a hobbit of the Shire. Their victory is not just a personal triumph but a symbolic one, demonstrating that the power of the Dark Lord can be broken by the courage of the seemingly weak and insignificant. The Witch-king's fall is a crucial turning point in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and it serves as a powerful reminder that even the greatest of Sauron's servants are not beyond defeat. His destruction, along with the breaking of his power, is a sign that the tide of the war is beginning to turn against Mordor.

The Witch-king's Narrative Role

The Witch-king of Angmar functions as the ultimate embodiment of the Shadow, a force of pure, malevolent will that seeks to extinguish all hope. He is the physical manifestation of the terror that Sauron inspires, a figure who appears at the darkest moments to crush the spirits of the Free Peoples. His role in the narrative is to be the seemingly unstoppable antagonist, the final obstacle that must be overcome. His defeat, however, is not achieved by a mighty king or a great warrior, but by the unexpected courage of two individuals who are considered insignificant in the great wars of men. This inversion of expectation is central to the story's theme that courage is found in the most unlikely places, and that even the most powerful evil can be undone by the faithfulness and bravery of the small and the humble.