Відео

Neat video. I agree that the Balrog with the ring would be hard to stop. I think you undersold Galadriel a bit. Given the flood of Bruinen that Elrond was able to summon, I think Galadriel would have tried something similar as the Balrog attempted to cross into Lorien. Possibly reducing it to a "thing of slime" as Gandalf describes the wet Balrog. The Balrog was intelligent enough to cast a counterspell on Gandalf's shutting spell, which is evidence of being more intelligent than you give it credit for.

The main problem with knowing what a balrog would do with the ring is knowing what they want/desire. And for all we know ot might not be out right destruction 🤷‍♂️

Mae Govannen, Yoystan! I've been waiting years for this one! The idea of Bombadil taking on Durin's Bane was a great idea, one I don't think I've seen explored in any of the other theories about this scenario. I do think that Durin's Bane would have had comparable intelligence to Sauron or the Ishtari, but would lack their skill or interest in strategy or statecraft. I agree that Durin's Bane would have no interest in trying to discover the works, minds or identities of the bearers of the Three Rings, or even care that any of the Rings of Power other than the One Ring existed and that its goal would simply be to burn down and destroy all of Middle Earth. I disagree about how Sauron would react, though. The last Durin's Bane heard of Sauron was likely his flight from Morgoth's wrath after his defeat at the hands of Huan and Luthien, so Durin's Bane would likely see Sauron as a traitor who failed Morgoth and, in terms of raw power without his Ring, as an inferior being to the Balrogs. Sauron would be well aware of this and that if he, with only the power of his own armies and without his Ring, tried to confront Durin's Bane with it, the result would be Sauron either being forced to submit to the Balrog (as he had had to submit to King Ar-Pharazon of Numenor) or be utterly defeated by it, as he had been by Gil-Galad and Elendil at the end of the Second Age. IMHO, this knowledge would frighten Sauron so badly that he would make overtures to the Free Peoples to put aside their differences until they could deal with the much greater threat to all of them. The Free Peoples would likewise feel they had no choice but to accept, despite not trusting Sauron in the slightest, as a Balrog with the Ring would be every bit as bad for them as Sauron recovering it (the lone difference being that between instant incineration or unending enslavement). By joining forces with Sauron, they could at least have a small chance of getting the Ring themselves and denying it to both overpowered enemies. Thus the most uneasy and mutally mistrustful alliance in the history of Middle Earth would be formed out of sheer desperation. Each side of the "alliance" (the Free Peoples, Saruman and Sauron) would be making moves nonstop in the background to get an advantage over the rest if their combined efforts managed to defeat Durin's Bane. As to how it would end, that is anyone's guess...

Keep it up. What would galadriel have given gandalf if he hadn't fallen in moria?

No doubt that Eru will eventually intervene...

I do like the ".......aaaand it's TOM BOMBADIL OUT OF NOWHERE WITH A STEEL CHAIR!!!" though

Imagine Gandalf watching this while aggressively trying to recycle himself as fast as possible to come back as The White 😅

The ultimate battle of ultimate destiny: -A demon of the ancient world vastly increased in power with the One Ring -One jolly singing hatboi *THE HATBOI WINS*

Balrogs were always my favorite LotR monster.

Build. Me. An. Army. Worthy. Of. Mordor.

When the wizards are sent to middle earth, they're stripped of much of their power, right? Their role is so help the free people's fight Sauron, not fight him for them. So that makes me wonder, once Saruman turned from his original mission, wouldn't he have sought some way to regain his full power as a maiar? He's kinda hampered in his form as the white wizard, right?

I have wondered this question for a long time and am glad you addressed it. By and large I agree with your analysis. Except on one point. I believe Sauron would move to defeat the Balrog and reclaim the One Ring. Why? Because Sauron was different from Morgoth and the Balrogs. They focused on chaos and destruction. Sauron sought dominion. I do not think Sauron would risk the Balrog destroying much of Middle Earth, or hope that Tom Bombadil would intervene. Sauron did not want to rule over ashes.

Given what we know about Tom (and the much more we do not know) I think it would be interesting if he was somehow able to undo the corruption of the Balrog, should he go up against it. Even just temporarily clearing the mind of Durins bane to what it originally was would likely be enough. As it would not likely want to continue down its path and end itself. Or if fully cleansed of the corruption, that opens up other possibilities.

I love Jackson’s depiction of a Balrog.

i feel as if you could write a whole story about this. i e your script is well written.

what if Bill the Pony got the One Ring?

What if Smaug wore the ring...

"The Balrog would spread destruction and desolation across the land." Aite makes sense. "So in comes Tom Bombadil with a steel chair." .....

UA-cam has kindly furnished me, unasked for, with 5 - and 6 years old videos from the back catalogue. Most of which I hadn't watched previously. It's been a thoroughly enjoyable experience. So thanks, Yoystan, for entertaining me this weekend with probably around 8 videos. 😊❤😊

Shelob? A pretty lady deserves a ring too!

I think the Balrog would trigger a change of tactic by the Valar. Seeing no host of high elves with the sons of Numenor to ally with, the idea of inciting the people of middle Earth to stealthily destroy the ring of an obviously weaker Sauron who was defeated by Gil-Galad and Ellendil, this new foe was as strong as the ally of Morgoth in the past and beyond the people of middle earth when combined with the ring of power. So, they send the host of Valar 14 strong and defeat the Balrog and destroy Sauron and his host, then return to the West.

Why didn't Elrond, Gandalf and Tom Bombadil not become the Avengers of Middle Earth and just take the ring to mount doom on eagles

What if one of farmer Maggot's dogs ate Frodo? And had the One Ring.

Break Glass for Tom Bombadil

I didn’t know Tom Bombadil was that powerful cool story though keep up the great content 🌲✨

FLY YOU FOOLS!!!!!!!!!

If Balrogs were Maiar like Saruman, Sauron and Gandalf, I'd imagine they'd be equal in intelligence to the former. One doesn't have to speak to be intelligent and not all those who speak have intelligence.

just throwing it out there... tom bombadil is secretly a dark lord. his appearance as simply an inexplicably powerful and cheerful man is just a ruse to hide his true nature. like what darth jar jar did in star wars. the barrow downs he can inexplicably influence whilst rescuing the hobbits are actually just the barracks for the army of undead he is raising.

This is practically the first time I ever disagree with you. I disagree with the premise that Tom Bombadil would actually go after Durin's Bane in this way, actively seeking him out. I'm also not sure he'd be able to fight at all. I believe he would only care about the Balrog's presence if it were within his tiny realm, no matter what's going on outside it. That's the point of his character, he's the ultimate pacifist who's one with nature because he is nature. It's also obvious he doesn't care what's going on beyond his boundaries. So I believe he wouldn't do anything at all until evil forces are physically within his realm and even then he might be difficult to kill, but Durin's Bane, because he is a creature of violence and destruction, would kill nature (and Tom) in the end. That's my opinion anyway.

What we have here, honestly, is the living embodiment of a HOLOCAUST: a destruction by fire. If the two World Wars had any influence on the Legendarium, even indirectly (for I know Tolkien denied it), then this speculation jumps straight ahead into Armageddon, with the Balrog's devastation sounding eerily nuclear. One has to wonder if it would have left a similar "taint" in the landscape as it passed, even if destroyed...... But it also occurs to me that the Balrog, a rather bestial creature, could easily have destroyed itself with the Ring. Looking around at the place where it had wasted centuries, it might very well have chosen to destroy everyone and everything that it saw out of fury, slaughtering the orcs and trolls and then bring Moria down around it . . . and in that way, it might have sealed its own doom. I've always thought that balrogs were creatures half-mad with the burning pain of their own power, and the addition of the One Ring could have pushed it too far, burning it from inside like the Silmaril did to Carcharoth. Hell, it might have incinerated itself right there!

I loved this proposed unfolding if the balrog obtained The One ring. Any chance to have Tom kick some butt is fantastic. Importantly, you set it up in just the right way for him to be pulled in and to win! The only other scenario would be a stalemate where the balrog decides to flee and Tom remains in his forest. Which, given most being of any strength possess fight or flight instincts, is at least a possibility.

Man, could there be two combatant wuth less understood powers than a balrog wielding the one ring vs tom fukin bombadil What a bananas fight that would be

Nice Theory, It was quite different with Your fellow Tolkien Nerd UA-camr. @NerdoftheRings

WHAT IF GLORFINDEL CLAIMED THE ONE RING?!?! :0

Ai! Ai! A Balrog is come!

What If Radagast got the one ring

I think your right if balrog wasn't as intelligent as Sauron then he wouldnt be able to use full potential of the ring

Man, he will be more OP!!! 2 Maiar beings Powers Merged Together!!! I wanted to see More Mellon and then It Finished, Damn Ot Melllon...JK!!! Still Love You Mellon!!! Thanks for this What If, Until Preparation for War of the Rohirrim (Feating) The Dunlendings...Marion Baggins Out!!!

Seems like I'm every fantasy story they always depict the end or ruins of a great species. Why can't they write about the glory days of ents, dragons etc

Interesting tale but there's a few things that I think would be different. 1) Durin's Bane would know nothing about Ringcraft. His ability to effectively wield it would be less than Galadriel's to use Nenya as she would be far more experienced and knowledgeable. Tolkien wrote that that it would take Sauron coming himself to Lothlórien to break its defenses. I don't think it would fall so easily. 2) I think Saruman would have gone to the White Council and allied himself with them again under "the enemy of my enemy is my friend (or at least my ally)" concept. He would recognize that trying to make some sort of a deal with the Balrog was unlikely to work due to its chaotic nature. 3) I don't think Bombadil would have done anything until the Balrog showed up at the Old Forest. He may well have been strong enough to protect the forest from Durin's Bane but I don't think he would have gone any farther. It's just fundamentally not part of his nature for the same reason he would have not done anything against Sauron unless the latter came to the Old Forest. 4) I think that, as in the book, Ilúvatar's intervention would have been to send Gandalf back.

sauron never wanted "evil" just absolute control so he could order the entirety of arda. of course, anything necessary was on the table, but I doubt he would have liked the balrog having the ring, who is just an agent of destruction and chaos

At first, Tom Bombadil stands firm against The Ring-bearing Balrog as perhaps three of the Nazgul fly overhead merely observing on the Dark Lord Sauron’s behalf. But the fiery demon of the ancient world rises to its full height and then beyond, growing yet taller, wreathed in fire and shadow. It bellows a roar resonant with malice and such Barrow Wights as may be left in the Downs answer the call to seek vengeance against the Master of the Forest. Gazing upward at the Nazgul as they wheel overhead, the Balrog extends its Ring-clad hand upward and gestures as if grasping with scorching claws. The Servants of Sauron try to withdraw, but all three of the Nazgul suddenly emit piercing shrieks and dive bomb toward Tom, now serving the current bearer of The Ring. All hope seems lost. Then from the amongst the trees as yet unburned steps a brown-cloaked figure. It is Radagast, roused to action by the threat to his beloved creatures of nature. The Balrog sneers and laughs, uttering guttural words dripping with molten contempt, “You fool! You think to stand against me? You shall burn along with this old man of the forest,” glancing at Tom. “I do not stand alone,” Radagast replies, looking to the trees at his left, the Ents march forth to war. Seeing the Balrog is undaunted, the Brown Wizard then gestures to his right. A gray-cloaked old man emerges. The Balrog hisses, “So he didn’t die from the fall? He will now!” The bent-over figure now stands straight and tall, simultaneously throwing off his cloak of gray, raising an ivory-hued staff glowing brightly and unsheathing a gleaming blade of sharpest steel. “I have not fallen into darkness and nameless terrors and then risen again just to bandy words with a witless pawn of evil. I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. Neither the dark fire nor that golden band shall avail you, Flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow! YOU … SHALL NOT … PASS!” Gandalf the White immediately drives the bottom of his staff into the ground, releasing a crack of thunder that rends the dark clouds above, causing a torrential, flame-quenching downpour to begin. The stage is now set for all the coming CGI to be disguised by rain. Let the battle begin! :) (The above description is bound to be rife with mistakes and misquotes, but this is just for fun. Thanks for the always entertaining videos!)

"But they were, all of them, deceived, for another wig was made."

Would the ring expand though? The ring appears to have some semblance of intelligence, with an innate desire to reunite with Sauron, surely the ring would know allowing itself to be possessed by a Balrog would decrease those chances? Furthermore, could Durin's Bane even defeat Sauron? After all, he was one of the mightiest Mair and formerly the right hand of Melkor. Durin's Bane may have been powerful by corporal standards but he was no Gothmog.

I'd like to think that Saruman would either be able to persuade the Balrog that Sauron would be a greater threat than he. Saruman might even be able to convince him to charge into mordor.

What is this Commander archetype? Never heard of it?

Aestheticaly speaking I finde the Nazghûl and Balrogs cool and beautiful, but know that they are unnecessary destructive och evil forces that must be stopped. Love how terrifying and dark the Nazghûl are, and their lore is just is interesting and learning examples, on why we should think twice and not let our greed guide us. Admire the raw power of the Balrogs, and they show us why we must protect nature from doom. Plus their history is interesting to learn. That being said I will always chose the Valar, Maiar and Eru Illuvitar, for they are the good side. Plus, always admired and loved Ulmo the Lord of Waters.

Great video, as always!

A New Challenger Approaches! Behold, Eönwë, the Chief of the Maiar and herald of Manwë.

Considering that Sauron and Saruman wanted to rule over Middle-Earth and its people and the Balrog only wants to destroy the world, I could actually see Sauron and Saruman joining forces with the Free Peoples to fight against the Balrog. Hell, you might get Umbar, the Easterlings and the Haradrim joining with Gondor and Rohan against a common enemy.