The works ofJ.R.R. Tolkienhave provided the foundation for the modern fantasy genre, yet many audiences have only consumed them through theLord of the Ringsfilms directed bySir Peter Jackson.Thus, mainstream audiences don’t learn about some of the greater powers at work in the world of Arda, such as the Maiar. The One God, Eru Ilúvatar, created these immortal spirits to serve the greater spirits known as the Valar and led both groups in singing the universe into existence.
Most Maiar dwell with the Valar in Valinor, on the western continent of Aman. However, some venture into Middle-earth over the many ages of the world, where they take on mortal form and work to either help the free people in their fight against evil or work towards subjugating them.This list will rank the best-known Maiar in Tolkien’s legendariumbased on their contribution to the stories, their actual capabilities, and their impact on culture overall.
Appears in The Silmarillion
When the evil Valar, Melkor — later named Morgoth — rebelled against Eru and decreed that he would rule Arda, several Maiar flocked to his side and were corrupted intodemons of flame and shadow called Balrogs. Their chief, called Gothmog, was the High-captain of Angband who led Morgoth’s armies into battle against the Ñoldor elves and their human and dwarven allies. Among his greatest achievements was the slaying of two kings of the Ñoldor: Fëanor, who crafted the holy jewels called Silmarills, and Fingon.
Except for Sauron,Gothmog stood as Morgoth’s most powerful servantand used his battleaxe to cleave through the forces of good and leave innumerable scars on the face of Arda. He finally met his end when he led Morgoth’s armies against the Ñoldor’s hidden city of Gondolin when he dueled against the elven hero Ecthelion of the Fountain. Though it cost him his life, Echtelion threw himself at Gothmog and knocked him into the Fountain of the King, where the Balrog’s fire was put out for good.
To combat Ulmo, the Valar of the ocean, Morgoth tempted one of his Maiar servants, Ossë, to rebel against his master in exchange for his powers. Since Ossë preferred to stay closer to land as opposed to residing in deep water like Ulmo, he agreed, and for a time, the shores of Arda were wracked with violent storms. Fortunately, Ossë was persuaded to seek Ulmo’s forgiveness by his wife, Uinen, though his love for violence never quite diminished.
Ossë is an interesting example of someone who wastempted down a dark path but ultimately chose to seek forgiveness. Along with his ability to produce storms, Ossë raised islands from the deep and taught the first elves how to build ships. He developed a particular friendship with elves and persuaded some of themnot to go to Valinorso they could remain on the shores of Middle-earth, but ultimately agreed to help those who still wished to make the journey.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
As a servant of Vána, the Valar of natural beauty, Melian had a love for deep forests and nightingales, whom she taught how to sing. When the elves awoke in Middle-earth, Melian was chosen to lead a group of Maiar in protecting the elves as they marched west. She opted to stay in Middle-earth and marry the elf Elwë Singollo, who became King Thingol when he led his divided people to establish the Kingdom of Doriath, and with him hada daughter named Lúthien.
While Melian was primarily focused on the beauty of nature and song, she proved herselfa powerful force when roused. She drove off the mighty spider-demon Ungoliant when she came to Doriath and later created a magical protection called the Girdle of Melian that prevented anyone from entering Doriath without her or Thingol’s permission. Melian was also blessed with the gift of foresight and tried her best to educate her husband on what was to come, though his dismissal of her wisdom led to his death and Doriath’s ruin.
As the banner-bearer and herald of Manwë, Valar of the sky and High King of Arda, Eönwë served as the Valar’s chief alongside Ilmarë, Manwë’s wife, Queen Varda. He greeted the father of Elrond Halfelven, Eärendil the Mariner, when he boldly sailed to Valinor to beg the Valar’s help in stopping Morgoth’s cruelty. When Manwë agreed, he tasked Eönwë with leading the armies of Valinor in the War of Wrath, which saw Morgoth defeated atthe cost of the continent of Beleriand.
Eönwë’s brief time in Middle-earth sees himdemonstrate many of the best qualities of a leader. Though not the physically strongest Maiar, his skill with weapons is unmatched, and he has a strong enough understanding of warfare to organize a campaign that finally brings down the first Dark Lord and most of his greatest warriors. Before departing, Eönwë demonstrated compassion and wisdom by rewarding the humans who fought against Morgoth with divine gifts, stayed the execution of the remaining Sons of Fëanor, and even offered Sauron the chance to return to Valinor to seek atonement for his crimes, though the second Dark Lord refused.
6The Blue Wizards
Appears in The Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales
When Sauron was defeated during the climax of the Second Age, the Valar decided to send five Maiar to Middle-earth to help the weakened elves, dwarves, and men oppose him, though they were limited to the forms of old men. Two, called either Alatar and Pallando or Morinehtar and Rómestámo, arrived wearing sea-blue cloaks. They traveled east into the land of Rhûn and south into Harad but were never seen or heard from again.
The fate of the Blue Wizards remains one of thebiggest mysteries in Tolkien’s work. Originally, he conceived that the wizards failed in their tasks and formed dark cults, but later changed his mind to say that they set out to find Sauron when he was defeated in the Last Alliance of Men and Elves. Though they failed in this task, the Blue Wizards did succeed in fostering rebellion among the Easterling and Haradrim, meaning that Sauron couldn’t rally their full armies for his War of the Ring.
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, and The Fellowship of the Ring
In Valinor, Aiwendil was a servant of Yavanna, the Valar responsible for all things that grow. She begged the Maiar Curumo to take Aiwendil with him to Middle-earth to help protect its forests and animals from Sauron’s evil, to which he begrudgingly agreed. Aiwendil arrived in the form of an old man clad in earth-brown robesand was later called Radagast.
Unlike his fellow wizards, Radagast did not wander but insteadtook it upon himself to watch over the forests of Mirkwood, which was slowly being corrupted by the fortress of Dol Guldur. In many ways, he failed in his assignment, choosing to protect the local animals rather than offer wisdom and guidance to the enemies of Sauron. Saruman later used Radagast to lure Gandalf into a trap, but Radagast also freed his fellow wizard by sending an eagle to save him from the top of Orthanc.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
4Durin’s Bane
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings, and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
After Morgoth’s fall, any surviving Balrogs refused to follow Sauron and instead hid themselves deep beneath the earth, waiting for their master to return. During the Third Age, the dwarves of Khazad-dûm accidentally awoke one Balrog when they dug too deepin their search for Mithril. The Balrog killed their king, Durin VI, and drove the survivors from their home, earning it the name Durin’s Bane.
While far from the mightiest of Balrogs,Durin’s Bane stands as one of Tolkien’s most iconic monstersthanks to its brief but impactful appearance inThe Lord of the Rings,where it ambushes the Fellowship as they pass through the ruins of Khazad-dûm. Here, Gandalf sacrifices himself to prevent the Balrog from pursuing the Fellowship; though he kills it after a prolonged battle, it costs him his life. This moment serves as one of the series' best depictions of how evil, no matter how powerful or how slim the odds, can be brought down.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
Originally a servant of the smith Valar, Aulë, Curumo was tasked with leading the wizards, or Istari, in the fight against Sauron. Given the name Saruman, Curumo traveled the world for a time before establishing with the elves the White Council, of which he was made leader. However, Saruman held resentment towards his fellow Istari and, in time, grew to admire Sauron’s power and desired it for himself.
Saruman’s fall to darkness is one of Tolkien’sbest representations of the corrupting nature of power. When he started on his mission, Saruman was a creature of good, but his belief that only great power could defeat Sauron led him to join Sauron in an attempt to mirror him. Along with his impressive magical talents,Saruman’s greatest weapon was his voice: he could manipulate others with relative ease and was skilled at gathering allies, even when his back was against the wall.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
When Morgoth sang his tune of discord during the universe’s creation, he attracted many Maiar to his cause. Among them was Sauron,the greatest of Aulë’s servants and quite possibly the most powerful Maiar to exist. Seeing the world as imperfect, Sauron aided Morgoth in his wars of conquest in the hopes of bringing order to chaos and took the mantle of Dark Lord after his master’s fall.
By the time of the Third Age,Sauron remained one of theoldest beings in Middle-earthand its most powerful, even after the loss of the One Ring. Rather than face his foes directly, Sauron works as a plotter and deceiver who gets inside the heads of his foes and breaks their spirits before his armies finish them off. His magical talents are vast and include the power to raise the dead, forge rings of power that allow him to exert his will upon their bearers, and command legions of orcs, trolls, and men to snuff out any resistance against him.
Appears in The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
The wisest of the Maiar was known as Olórin and was selected by Manwë to be one of the five Istari. At first, Olórin did not wish to go out of fear of Sauron’s power, but he relented and took the form of a wizard dressed in gray robes who would later be known as Gandalf. Upon arriving in Middle-earth, he met Círdan the Shipwright, who gifted himNarya, the Elven Ring of Fire, having sensed that it would do more good in the wizard’s hands.
Gandalf is everything you could hope for from a wizard: he is wise, takes the time to empathize and socialize with the people he protects, and demonstrates creative use of magic through limited displays. He remained the most steadfast in his given task, battling through his fears of directly facing Sauron to inspire the people of Middle-earth and remind them of the strength and courage found within them. Because of his commitment, Gandalf was brought back to life after his battle with Durin’s Bane as Gandalf the White, allowing him to use even more power in the fight against evil.
NEXT:Every Major Ally of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, Ranked
