Rings Of Power Just Made LOTR's Balrog Debate More Confusing
The Rings of Power wades into the Lord of the Rings Balrog wing debate — but where did it come from? J.R.R. Tolkien created many famous Middle-earth beasts, from hairy-footed Hobbits to giant fire-breathing dragons. One of the author's most memorable monsters is undoubtedly the Balrog from The Fellowship of the Ring, which chases Frodo's company through Khazad-dûm before Gandalf holds off the whip-cracking beast in a fierce battle to the death. Memorable though the Balrog may be, Durin's Bane is the only one of its kind to appear on Frodo's journey.
Amazon's The Rings of Power SDCC 2022 trailer ends on the stunning reveal of a brand new Balrog — instantly recognizable by its fiery, horned head. The Rings of Power's Balrog design is intentionally similar to Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring version… but with a crucial difference. For the 2001 live-action movie, Jackson and his team gaveKhazad-dûm's Balrog a set of wings, but without the ability to fly (otherwise it would've used them against Gandalf, of course). This sparked debate among Lord of the Rings readers as to whether a Balrog should have wings according to Tolkien mythology. The infamous argument stems from ambiguity over whether in-text references to «wings» are literal or figurative.
Related: Is Sauron In The Rings Of Power? Where Is He During LOTR's Second Age?
Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy went literal, purely to make the Balrog more fearsome onscreen. Judging from the shot in The Rings of Power's SDCC trailer, Amazon's new design has opted for wingless Balrogs, with no visible flappers behind the creature's back. Plumes of smoke do, however, cloud the Balrog to form the vague shape of two wings, which matches the metaphorical interpretation
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