Many of the notable events in the lore of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings are massive, dramatic battles that changed the course of Middle-earth’s history. Some of these battles were part of the history of the first and second ages, others during the War of the Ring, while legends also tell of the final, decisive battles against Morgoth before the rise of Sauron.
All these battles involved an equally epic army, often on both sides, and Tolkien describes armies that are so massive and powerful that they can wipe out whole nations. Given that this is an IP where magic and fantastic creatures are part of the landscape, the strongest armies in Middle-earth are some of the mightiest in the whole literary canon.
6 The Éoherë
The Tradition Of The Riders Of Rohan
- Appeared In:The Two Towers (1954)
The army of Rohirrim could also have been called The Éoherë, a word that refers to a full muster of every able-bodied rider in Rohan. The Éoherë was traditionally made up of 100 eored, and one eorod was 120 riders. The Riders of Rohan, the banished company that Eomer was leading through the wilderness, would be equal to one eorod.
The Battle of Pelennor Fields was attended by several armies, but the army of Theoden of Rohan did most of the heavy lifting for the better part of it. This gathering of The Éoherë at this historic battle was about 10,000 riders, which equals more than twice the conventional number, and when Thoeden rode into battle he led two eored and their captains, and Marry and Emowyn were riding in the first behind Captain Elfhelm.
5 The Corsairs Of Umbar
Marked By Their Distinct Black Sails
- Appeared In: The Fellowship of the Ring, Appendix A: “The Númenorean Kings.” (1954)
Also known simply as the Corsair Fleet, this loosely organized mix of mercenaries and pirates ruled the coastline of Umbar and South Gondor for centuries after being exiled during the war of kinslaying. They plagued Gondor for years, taking advantage of the social upheaval of the Great Plague, allying with the Haradrim, and sacking the port city of Pelargir in TA 1634.
What made the Corsairs of Umbar such a powerful force was their dominance over the coastline of Middle-earth, not their size or even their battle prowess. They were called to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields and would have played a decisive role, but they never arrived. Their ships were intercepted by a much bigger and even more powerful army that even Sauron would come to fear.
4 Saruman’s Army
Intended To Fight Men, Elves, And Sauron
- Appeared In: The Two Towers, “The Uruk-hai.” (1954)
The most powerful of the Ishtari that were sent to Middle-earth, Saruman was a powerful ally until he also was tempted by the One Ring. Unlike Gandalf, he couldn’t resist the temptation of such power, and allied with Sauron under the premise of eventually betraying him and taking the ring for himself.
Saruman used every resource and connection at his disposal to build an army for Morder that was really for the Wizard himself. It was he who bred and armed the Uruk-hai, and it only took a single company of these ruthless creatures to break up the Fellowship and send Frodo and Sam ahead on their own.
Luckily for Middle-earth, a large part of Saruman’s army was destroyed before it even left Isengard. The Ents destroyed virtually every machine they found, and all of the orcs and goblins that were not already on the road to Mordor ran into the thick woods and were never heard from again.
3 The Morgul Host
Sauron’s Answer To The Challenge Of Elves And Men
- Appeared In: The Return Of The King, “The Ride of the Rohirrim” (1954)
Sauron went into hiding after his defeat at the hands of Isuldur and Elrond, but as long as the One Ring survived, so did he. He took centuries to regain his power and muster forces from every corner of Middle-earth, and the army he created was one of the most powerful and largest in history.
The exact numbers are unknown, but Tolkien does give some estimates that include almost 20,000 Haradrim, along with numerous Oliphants and their ranged fortresses, a host of Easterlings, trolls, goblins, and orcs of various regions. Don’t forget the Nazgul and their flying mounts along with the several thousand regular foot soldiers. Even after their defeat at Pellennor Fields, they still outnumbered The Army Of The West by more than three to one
2 The Last Alliance of Elves And Men
An Army That Also Included The Might Of The Maiar
- Appeared In: The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, “The Second Age” (1954)
The army that gathered to fight Sauron in the Second Age was made up of the last Numeorean kings, now exiled from their submerged kingdom, and some of the most well-known and respected elven leaders in history, including Elrond and Gil-galad. It’s said that the army was so overwhelming and impressive that Sauron’s orcs and goblins would hide from them instead of fight them as they marched toward Mordor.
Even with their combined might, Sauron would have defeated them had Isildur not cut the one ring from Sauron’s hand. Both sides were decimated in this fight, with the fortress of Barad-dûr all but in ruins after seven years of constant siege, and the elven kings Gil-galad and Elendil slain.
1 The Dead Of Dunharrow
The Deciding Force In The War Of The Ring
- Appeared In:The Return of the King, “The Passing of the Grey Company.” (1954)
They were also known as the Men of the Mountain or the Oathbreakers, and by the time of the War of the Ring, they were the most powerful army in all of Middle-earth. They weren’t numerous, brilliant, or strong, but an army of unkillable ghosts, and they could only be summoned and commanded by the King of Gondor.
Aragorn, with Gimli and Legolas at his side, took a detour from riding straight to Minas Tirith and instead went to the Stone of Erech. This is where the ancient Men of Dunharrow had promised to fight at the King’s side should he command them, but when the King needed their help, they fled to the hills.
The Oathbreakers haunted the hills and valleys for decades, and Aragorn’s side quest was an exorcism along with an army recruitment effort. After he had summoned the Oathbreakers, he first used them to take the Corsair Fleet to travel more swiftly down the Anduin to Osgiliath and to the aid of Minas Tirith.
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