Most Important Battles in Lord Of The Rings

Highlights

The Battle of Pelennor Fields saved Middle-earth from Sauron's dominion, with the intervention of Rohan and the Army of the Dead.
The Battle of the Black Gate kept Sauron busy while Frodo destroyed the ring, marking the end of all darkness and the beginning of a new age.
The Battle of Helm's Deep was crucial in defeating Isengard and ensuring the survival of Rohan as a realm of men.

The Lord of the Rings franchise is filled with combat and conflict. In a fantasy world that is often troubled by darkness, it can be challenging to decide what counts as a true battle. Between the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movies, there have been a vast number of conflicts between the forces of light and darkness.

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Armies like those of Sauron and the alliance formed between elves and men have helped shape the history of Middle-earth. Conflict and darkness seem ever-present at times in a world such as this, but great victories have helped stop the darkness on almost every occasion.

9 The Siege Of Barad-Dur

The Apparent Destruction of Sauron

Took Place in The Fellowship of the Ring (Flashback)

This battle, which took place in a flashback at the beginning of The Fellowship of The Ring, was the moment that the last alliance of elves and men finally reached Sauron’s fortress and brought it down after fighting through other battles, defeating his armies and forcing him to step out onto the battlefield himself.

At this point, Sauron defeated the king of Gondor, Elendil, and turned to face his son, Isildur. But Isildur manages to use the shards of his father’s sword to cut the one ring from the hand of Sauron, ending his reign of terror and bringing peace to Middle-earth for a time. Sauron’s separation from his one ring was a defining moment in the history of Middle-earth.

8 The Battle Of The Five Armies

The Reuniting of Elves, Dwarves, & Men

Took Place in The Battle of the Five Armies

The Hobbit movies didn’t show many events that helped shape the history of Middle-earth. Though any of the skirmishes could have resulted in the deaths of important characters, the overall significance to the world at large was hardly ever major, except when it came to the Battle of the Five Armies.

This somewhat accidental collision occurred due to the dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, barricading themselves inside the Lonely Mountain after the death of the dragon. The men of Laketown come to Dale seeking refuge and a share of the treasure, followed by Elves, Eagles, and the mountain goblins. This was a major event as dwarves, elves, and men banded together, as they would need to do again in the future, putting aside petty squabbles to form the Fellowship of the Ring, for instance. The death of Bilbo during the battle could also have led Sauron to regain his precious ring much sooner.

7 The Skirmish At Weathertop

Prevent Sauron from Reclaiming his Ring

Took Place in The Fellowship of the Ring

There are many moments throughout the Lord of the Rings trilogy when Frodo could have been killed, the one ring easily returned to Sauron, and the fight lost. A great example of this can be seen during the brief scuffle at Weathertop. Aragorn, still under the name of Strider, bravely faced down five of the Nazgul entirely on his own.

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If the Nazgul had triumphed at this moment, the ring would have been returned to Sauron, and Aragorn would have died, leaving Gondor without hope to rest upon. His return and the strength of the hobbits surviving were major factors that eventually led to a better Middle-earth.

6 The Battle of Moria

Nearly Destroyed All Hope

The Fellowship prepare for battle in the Mines of Moria in The Lord of the Rings

Took Place in The Fellowship of the Ring

Another moment in Frodo's journey when all could have been lost, The Battle of Moria, featured the Fellowship of the Ring fighting together for the first time. Normally, the hobbits were protected by the other members wherever possible, but this battle was all-out warfare, and survival was a close call.

First confronted by the goblin hordes of Moria, including a cave troll, the Fellowship then had to survive the Balrog, which the dwarves had awakened in their digging. This was a huge moment in the story that saw the seeming loss of Gandalf and nearly the end of the Fellowship.

5 The Skirmish at Amon Hen

The Breaking of the Fellowship

Took Place in The Fellowship of The Ring

The real breaking of the Fellowship came later in the same film when the Uruk-Hai of Saruman tracked down the rest of the Fellowship and surprised them at Amon Hen. With the Fellowship cracking at the edges, as Boromir began to be obsessed with the ring, Frodo knew that it was time to leave before the ring turned his friends against him.

But he wouldn’t have had the chance to get away if Boromir, as well as Aragorn and the others, had not made the sacrifices they did. Boromir was finally brought down by sheer numbers and many arrows, unable to protect Merry and Pippin. But he and Aragorn fought long enough to let Frodo and Sam escape, keeping the dream of ending Sauron alive.

4 The Battle of Helm’s Deep

The Defeat of Isengard

Helm's Deep Orcs in The Lord of the Rings

Took Place in The Two Towers

One of the most important battles in The Lord of the Rings came near the conclusion of The Two Towers when the forces of Isengard pushed the people of Rohan into their mountain fortress, Helm’s Deep. This ancient place was forced to withstand a vast onslaught or see the end of Rohan as a realm of men.

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With the help of Aragorn’s leadership, the arrival of the Elves to assist, and the timely return of the Rohirrim with Gandalf at their head, the people of Rohan were successful in surviving. If they had failed here, Isengard and Mordor would have had Gondor in an unassailable pincer.

3 The Battle of Isengard

The End of Saruman’s Reign

Treebeard and the other ents begin to march on Isengard. Merry and Pippin sit on his shoulder

Took Place in The Two Towers

Simultaneously, as the Battle of Helm’s Deep occurred, the Ent population of Fangorn Forest decided they’d had enough of Saruman. Even if Rohan had survived Helm’s Deep, they likely couldn’t have aided Gondor, as Saruman would have had enough creatures left at his disposal to immediately begin creating a new army.

This means that without the Ents surprising Saruman and taking Isengard for themselves while it was weak, the realms of men might not have won this war. Mordor could have beaten Gondor alone if Rohan had continued to be occupied with fighting Saruman.

2 The Battle of Pelennor Fields

Saved the World from Sauron

The Battle Of Pelennor Fields in The Lord of the Rings

Took Place in The Return of The King

The single most massive battle in the Lord of the Rings trilogy was the Battle of Pelennor Fields. Taking place around the city of Minas Tirith, this saw the moment that Mordor and Sauron attempted to break the strength of the race of men. If successful, Mordor would have easily swept across the rest of the world with their forces.

Gondor had already lost Osgiliath, and Minas Tirith didn’t have enough preparation or men to defend itself. The intervention of Rohan and later the Army of the Dead was all that stood between them and certain defeat. Those timely interventions saved not just a city or a kingdom but all of Middle Earth from Sauron’s dominion.

1 The Battle of the Black Gate

Kept Sauron Busy While Frodo Destroyed the Ring

Battle of the Black Gate in The Lord of the Rings

Took Place in The Return of The King

The final battle following Pelennor Fields was when Aragorn, now leading the forces of Gondor and Rohan combined, stepped to the gates of Mordor and demanded that Sauron send his forces forth. This move, which spelled almost certain death for Aragorn and his army, was all a ploy to give Frodo a chance at crossing Mordor and reaching Mount Doom.

His success not only made their sacrifice worth it, but it saved the army of men from certain death. This battle saw the end of Sauron, Mordor, and most of the inhabitants of it. It was a day of glory that marked the end of all foreseeable darkness and the beginning of a new age.