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“ | Gandalf: You cannot enter here! Go back to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall to the nothingness that awaits you and your master. Go! Lord of the Nazgûl: Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain! |
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~ The Witch-king of Angmar encountering Gandalf the White. |
“ | Éowyn: Be gone, foul Dwimmerlaik, Lord of carrion. Leave the dead in peace! Lord of the Nazgûl: Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey or he will slay thee in turn! Éowyn: Do what you will. I will hinder it, if I may! Lord of the Nazgûl: Hinder me? Thou fool. Dost thou not know the prophecy? "No living man may hinder me." Éowyn: But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Eowyn am I. You stand between me and my Lord and kin. Be gone for living or dark undead, I will smite you if you touch him! |
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~ The Witch-king of Angmar's last words. |
The Lord of the Nazgûl, based on the Witch-king of Angmar, is the secondary antagonist of Ralph Bakshi's 1978 adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and Rankin-Bass' 1980 adaptation of The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien's third and final The Lord of the Rings volume of the same title.
In Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King, he was voiced by the late John Stephenson.
Appearance[]
In Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings, the Witch-king of Angmar is black with greenish outlines, red eyes, a unique helmet when compared to the other Nazgûl and a cape. He is frequently seen on a black horse with red eyes.
In the Rankin-Bass film, the Witch-king is invisible; the only part of his body that can actually be seen are two red eyes. He wears a dark blue cape, a chest plate with Sauron’s signature red eye on it and a belt. When he first appeared he wore a hood, he takes it off when he encounters Gandalf the White. When talking to Gandalf the White, in place of a head a large fire appears with his iron crown of very dark yellow and gray. Finally, when encountering Eowyn on his Fell beast, his 2 red eyes and crown hover above his tunic.
Personality[]
In Ralph's Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings, the Witch-king has very little personality with no dialogue; he makes sinister glares and follows Sauron's orders as much as possible like the rest of the Nazgûl.
In the Rankin-Bass film, The Witch-king is an arrogant servant of Sauron emboldened by the prophecy that no living man could hinder him. He taunted both Gandalf and Éowyn when encountering them. His arrogance proved to be his downfall however as Merry and Éowyn slew him.
Biography[]
Ralph Bakshi[]
“ | Come, come. To Mordor we will take you. | „ |
~ The Witch-king chasing Frodo |
The Witch-king of Angmar was a Man given a ring of power by Sauron. Corrupted by the ring, the Witch-king was turned into Sauron's most trusted servant. Thousands of years later the Witch-king would be tasked with eight other Men corrupted by rings of power to hunt down the person who held the One Ring in the Shire. The Witch-king may have been one of the Ringwraiths to barge into the Prancing Pony though this is unknown. Eventually the Witch-king tracked Frodo, Aragorn, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck to Weathertop.
When Frodo put on the ring the Witch-king of Angmar stabbed Frodo. Aragorn chased the Witch-king away by attacking him with an inflamed torch. While Frodo is wounded and on the road, the Witch-king sees him and regroups with the other Ringwraiths to chase after Frodo on their black horses. Eventually, Frodo crosses a river, the Witch-king and the other Nazgûl halt, saying, "Come, come. To Mordor we will take you."
![CLB1futUAAAb1ig](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/6/6f/CLB1futUAAAb1ig.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20220807162923)
The Lord of the Nazgul at the River of the Anduin.
Eventually, the Witch-king and the other Nazgûl decide to cross the river on their steeds before the river seemingly comes to life, moving from beneath their feet and turning into white horses that drag the Ringwraiths elsewhere. The Witch-king is never seen again though Gandalf states they will take on new shapes and get new seeds. A Nazgûl is shown on a Fell Beast in the film but it's unknown if this was the Witch-king.
Rankin-Bass[]
The Lord of the Nazgûl came flying on his winged horse. He ordered the Great Gate of Minas Tirith to be destroyed with Grond the battering ram. Upon the gate being destroyed he meets Gandalf the White. The Lord of the Nazgûl tells Gandalf "Old fool, this is my hour, do you not know death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!" The lord of the Nazgûl goes off while Orcs run through the city killing many people.
Théoden’s horse goes wild when darkness covers the land, leading to the wild horse knocking Théoden off his saddle and being injured badly before the Lord of the Nazgûl flies toward him and attempts to kill him. The Lord of the Nazgûl taunts Éowyn before having his fell beast attack Éowyn, leading to Éowyn killing the beast. The Lord of the Nazgûl then destroys Éowyn’s shield before Merry stabs the Lord of the Nazgûl in the back and Éowyn kills the Lord of the Nazgûl.
Powers and Abilities[]
In Ralph Bakshi's film, he is skilled with blades using two Morgul blades against Frodo. He gives an aura of fear and has control over his black horse like other Nazgûl. He also has command over the other Nazgûl.
In Rankin-Bass' film, he is shown to have great magic as he puts a spell on the Great Gate of Minas Tirith allowing Grond, the battering ram, to destroy it. He was able to inspire fear into Théoden's horse, leaving it to throw its master off its back. He has command over his Fell beast and can wield a great mace to destroy Éowyn's shield which proves he has great strength.