Smaug's Origins | The Life of the Dragon Explained

The most iconic dragon of them all...
But where did he come from?
#Lordoftherings
#Lore
#Tolkien
#middleearth
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Much love, stay groovy, and navaer melyn nin!

[@baliofterenas]

If Smaug, as an adolescent, easily conquered an entire dwarven people in their fortified mountain (by himself) I think it also really speaks to how powerful a fully grown dragon would be. Regarding his potential, I think that might be part of the point. Dragons represent greed and pride. They seem to have no real desire to rule, or conquer beyond acquiring a horde. Once done they are bound to it for fear of losing it. Great video as always!

[@LesBaronessPurdue]

It could be argued that the only reason Smaug was able to conquer the Dwarves in their fortified hold was BECAUSE he was an adolescent dragon, small enough still to squeeze his way into their tunnels and route them. Perhaps a fully grown drake would have found itself merely stuck on the outside, unable to penetrate the mighty fortress of Durin's folk. That argument would probably hold up about as well against scrutiny as the great stone fortifications would against a full-grown and irate dragon deadset on aquiring a shiny new horde, but I figured it was at least some food for thought. Your point certainly holds true.

[@tolkienuntangled]

Great points!

[@ishmaelforester9825]

It's definitely more of a frightening creature if it snuck into their tunnels young, hunted them and devoured them at first stealthily and incrementally to eventually become a massive old tyrant over their desolated kingdom and treasure. I am a fan of Tolkien since childhood but i never imagined Smaug that way or associated the name with that idea, but you know, it makes sense. It even gives his pride and greed and the dwarves passion a greater pathos.

[@kennethsatria6607]

Kinda sucks that he gets one shot by a mystical arrow (not even made to specifically kill dragons in the original story), a bit anticlimactic but it does suit the theme that for all his might and tyranny Smaug was laid low by the humblest and unexpected of things. Good thing we have Glaurung's more colorful history as comparison to how much damage a dragon could have done.

[@aadagger]

Maybe not... Dragons are not "wonder-weapon" (nothing is), yes, they are extremely powerful, but still can be killed and were killed by elves. There is counter for every threat, some anti-dragon weapons and tactics to utilize them effectively. We don't have the details, but probably the ancient elves knew how to deal with dragons. To support this idea: Morgoth never used dragons as some ultimate weapon, like "release the dragon and watch him lay waste to the enemy", no, dragons were always supported by other monsters, orcs etc. They were more akin to tanks, then to atom bomb: great weapon, but only as long as it's part of an army and used in the right way. The main problem of the Dwarves of The Lonely Mountain was that they had no idea how to counter Smaug and had no time to think about something. Also, their city was indeed fortified, but fortified against human-like enemies, dragon is a very unique and special threat that demands special defenses against and Dwarves had none of those.

[@MourningCoffeeMusic]

Smaug’s name is so fitting considering how smug he is.

[@hidingtk2860]

Smaug, to me, was the best thing about the Hobbit trilogy. Benedict played him wonderfully..... Glad you're back on your weekly schedule 😊.

[@RedeemedRogueMolecules]

Absolutely awesome and terrifying!

[@andrewthomas891]

Benedict was amazing in his role. As usual

[@TCK-9]

The Hobbit as a trilogy was entirely a Jackson thing, and not a very good thing at that. He created too much that wasn't supposed to be there and other things were drawn out too long. Two maybe? But three was just greed.

[@mesalgearsolid]

@@TCK-9 You realise that was the studio behind it forcing his hand, right?

[@ChiChiLand299]

Like many reptiles he may also have indeterminate growth which means that he gets bigger the older he gets

[@letsomethingshine]

Only if he bathed and scrubs in gold to keep any fungal infections or parasites at bay.

[@incredibleedibledez]

@@letsomethingshine as a reptile owner-can confirm. My lizards are only worthy of bathing in gold. (At least in their eyes🙄)

[@CordeliaWagner1999]

Squeezing through the entrance of his cave like a fat cat through a cat door....

[@sverizona]

I love the idea of Smaug as the young scion of an ancient immortal race, desperate to live up to the standards of his ancestors but ultimately limited by his own pride and the diminishing of Middle-earth. He's almost like the Elves when you frame it that way, only without the final refuge of Valinor to absolve his fears.

[@letsomethingshine]

He may have also been corrupted by the 7th Dwarven ring of power’s augmenting a Dwarf’s greed and reverberated into the ArchenStone HeartOfMountain it’s evil Sauronic influenced tainting may have corrupted Thorin when he was near Bilbo (who was hiding the ArchenStone in his coat/persons).

[@David_Fellner]

I really don't find it disappointing to think of Smaug as a young and relatively small dragon. To me, that just makes his conquest of Erebor all the more impressive. It also leaves us with the ability to imagine how things might have gone if Smaug had had greater self-control and bided his time before letting loose on Lake-town. If he had just let that cup go, he could have waited and grown, and possibly become an even greater existential threat than Sauron-I know I'm really speculating there, but that's kind of my point. Part of the magic of Tolkien's stories is the parts of them he _didn't_ tell, and this is just one more corner of the Legendarium where we get to insert our own imaginations.

[@jbutler8585]

Him being young and a remnant of the war with the dwarves recontextualizes the occupation of Erebor too. It's not some random cruelty, he's exercising what he sees as his birthright. And then feeling awfully proud of himself for succeeding at that.

[@tolkienuntangled]

Great points!

[@baxterlane5829]

It just helps us understand the difference between the age of Margot h and the third

[@willdemi5618]

I love that, you get it. It's like music, the negative space is just as, or more important as anything else (as it gives us rhythm). He was a master of mystery. I still wonder what would happen if smaug ate Bilbo ring and all. Very curious how that would play out.

[@SirPhukwad]

​@willdemi5618 not being silly, but if that had happened, after digestion, Smaug would have the one ring 😉

[@TETASARAIVACS]

A Dragon is never “full grown”: he grows as he eats. The more he eats, the bigger it gets. Smaug ate lots of Dwarves when he got to Erebor, so he must have grown a bit while he slept for the following decades.

[@barksdalehales438]

Not just Dwarves but Humans as well.

[@chuntoon1]

Cranking them out lately! You're adventures into the world of Tolkien are as close to getting more from the source as I've ever come across. Your own creativity and love for his work shine in every video. Thanks for the constant entertainment!! And I love all the artwork you find to share too!!

[@JCavinee]

Your*

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks very much! Glad you’re enjoying the channel.

[@fangslore9988]

@@tolkienuntangled its clear smaug is young, he's arrogant, impulsive and thinks he is the best, yet he cannot understand his own flaws. i also highly suspect that sauron may have some unseen hand in giving Smaug the very location of the dwarf gates which not in the movie but in the books are hidden to all who look upon them except during the light of the moon, which also included Erabor's main gates and hidden enterences and Sauron very much knew this since he would have tortured such information out of Celebrimbor the Jewel-Shaper when he was captured for his deception of creating the 3 elven rings in secret. it is logical that sauron whispered this knowledge to Smaug which is why Smaug seemed to know of Sauron's growing presence in the darkness. i doubt sauron sent him. this is also probably why Sauron also sent his army to the lonely mountain when they encountered the army of humans and elves and the army of the dwarves Celebrimbor being the legendary Jewel-Shaper also if i remember correctly was the one to create and give the dwarves the magics and knowldge to hide the doors until revealed by the light of the moon using crystalized mithril that looked like normal stone until it was exposed to moonlight.

[@the4thamigo]

Agreed.

[@javifontillas6383]

​@@the4thamigolm

[@nicksmyth4050]

Smaug was always my favorite villain in Middle Earth, as, despite being a giant dragon, his personality is the most “realistic” of ME villains. He doesn’t come off as a barbaric high fantasy monster or Dark Lord. Smaug just comes off as a real world psychopath in a Wyrm’s body. He’s cruel, greedy, petty, vein, and enjoys playing with his victims. His dialogue is flowery and more like a comic book villain than a high fantasy one. He just seems different than most characters from the franchise. He’s also one of the few big bads to have a (somewhat) realistic motivation. He’s obsessed with money and being wealthy, and due to his species natural power he understandably view’s humility as a punchline.

[@MellowMutts270]

I do love dragons. Tolkiens in particular are just so incredibly epic and terrifying. Smaug is the one thing the hobbit movies have going for them. Great video Rainbow Dave!

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks!

[@blackdragon5274]

I never thought he was ancient, that "young and tender" line pretty much told me all I needed to know

[@dronesclubhighjinks]

As you are a dragon yourself, you obviously have more insight re Smaug than those of us who are human or elf. Or Ent lol

[@jeghaterdegforfaen]

I think you're right, Smaug is not ancient. As such, he must have a mother who may very well be alive in the north. But I don't imagine that there's any strong family ties between Tolkien dragons, so I doubt Smaug's relatives (if he had any) would come to avenge him. His mother may have simply laid eggs and left them to themselves, much like irl serpents, and couldn't care less what happened to her offspring.

[@seanbutler2291]

I always imagined smaug was like the dragon equivalent of aragorn. The last dying embers of genetic magnificence. His mother and siblings may be jus regular cold drakes and he got the genetic lottery.

[@terrencebien556]

😅😅😅😅😅

[@terrencebien556]

😅😅😅😅😅

[@terrencebien556]

😅😅😅😅😅

[@terrencebien556]

😅😅😅😅😅

[@breannapajer4252]

I love how you call him a “mean spirited bully.” I think you somed it up perfectly, the dragon is pretty much a temperamental teenager! I love the process you went through, thanks for the great video about one of literature’s most terrifying dragons! And angry, self centered teenager or not I’m sure we can all agree that it’s a good thing he wasn’t around for the War of the Ring!

[@TYKZY.BRANX._TEEK.SEE.BRANCH.]

i WOULD'VE LiKED TO SEE iF HE WAZ AROUND 4 THE WAR ACTUALLY [NOT YELLiNG, JUZT LiKE TYPiNG iN CAPZ]

[@psazani]

This is a great video because it fleshes out Smaug in a way I had never thought of before. These perspectives change the way I read the stories.

[@cid9029]

I agree he was young not only based off of what he said but there was fine details in the Hobbit movie. When he invaded he broke the gates down and waltzed in and his talons were a bit bigger than a dwarf. Then later on when he's older and bigger and he is covered in gold. He is too big to use the gate and breaks over half of entrance to get out because his size has almost quadrupled.

[@Vondarkstar]

It’s interesting to think of a scenario where Bilbo had actually befriended the dragon instead of threatening to kill him. What a boon that would have been. A missed opportunity in my opinion.

[@sashaclarkson]

I know Smaug is evil - but when I first encountered him in 1963, aged 8, I rather liked him, even though I didn't want him to win. Then aged 15 I discovered Chrysophylax, whom I thought was wonderful - and I thoroughly approved of good master Aegidius not being too greedy - and also being soft-hearted enough to let him go at the end. I never had any doubt that Smaug and Chrysophylax were related - their vanity was wonderful!😄😍

[@Cultural_chronicles411]

Thank you for the quick turnaround on the last couple of videos! It saves me from experiencing withdrawal symptoms until my next RD Tolkien lore fix 😅 I am so excited for the Children of Hurin series!! This was super interesting and entertaining,your content just makes me feel good and wholesome and intellectually stimulated. Big love to you, Dave 🌈

[@jennatomlin1273]

I love and appreciate your Tolkien content so much. This was a wonderful dive into Smaug. I remember when I was a young child reading Smaug's character as young and impetuous.

[@Philusteen]

Today is the only time I can recall that a day was made brighter by a bit of smaug in the air. 🤓 Thank you!

[@LiLTizzle151]

I wish we got to see something like Smaug facing off against Durins Bane. Imagine if Smaug coveted the mithril in Moria and disturbed the Balrog upon arrival.

[@user-ts5wk3ed4x]

When I read The Hobbit, that was about 20 years ago, I got the impression that Smaug was a young dragon and not an ancient one. I also remember either by mention or implication that he was the last dragon. The problem with Tolkien was that he kept changing things. If he had today's technology with computers he would have been able to revisit his past writings and revise them. BUT, in my "book" whatever is published as a book by the author that is canonical. Letters and what have you, dont count. Unless it was a specific addendum.

[@Harpyr1031]

A great start to a good day. I love dragons. Smaug is quite a fascinating one. Thank you for your hard work, Dave. I look forward to the next one.

[@toddyoung569]

Love the video. As a young dragon, tremendous physical strength, but ego unchecked by intelligence and wisdom of an ancient dragon. A beautifully flawed villan.

[@mumbo-jumbo7917]

Always wonderful! I didn't think a video on Smaug would be so interesting, but your willingness to share your vast knowledge for the edification of others makes it so. Thank you Dave!

[@tolkienuntangled]

Much appreciated!

[@dv6342]

Incredible video as always. It’s reassuring to know others are as obsessed with Tolkien as I am. Love the deep diving and joy in your voice when reading the script. It’s always great hearing you speak with such passion and elation. Be well and may the seas be good to you friend.

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks very much!

[@georgeagathangelou5303]

This is the most amazingly well researched video that perhaps I've ever seen. Amazing!

[@MaxMustermann-hy9in]

I know that's not what "young" means in this case, but I kinda like the idea of a two or three metre long, small Smaug creeping through Erebor's hallways silently, stealthily picking on one dwarf after another, like some sort of retilian Xenomorph.

[@rohitkundu3832]

The passion of this guy explaining ❤

[@antr7493]

2:08 always loved that illustration

[@dronesclubhighjinks]

Great video and I really like the artwork too! I did not see the Hobbit movies, but one of my favourite parts of the book is the conversation Bilbo has with Smaug. 🐉

[@lostguy2023]

I appreciate the honesty and creativity of the analysis. Nice detail.

[@pyronuke4768]

Smaug is known as "The Last of the Great Fire Drakes". But the word Last can also be interpreted as the finale, the apex, or the zenith -- the endgame of a goal. This is my theory: since he was hatched around the time of a Dwarven-Dragon war, could it be that he had been bred by the dragons to ba an end-all, be-all, super-dragon? Given that dragons and dwarves are both capable of living for centuries I don't think it's that far-feched. He was able to purge the Lonely Mountain of it's inhabitants as a still pretty young dragon, one whose scales by his own admission were still soft, which I think speaks volumes about his power. In this light, Smaug was conceived for a war that ended before he could take any real part in it. He feels cheated from the glory and infamy and treasures he should've gotten had the war continued. So when he hears the dwarf survivors and their descendants have struck prosperity under the Lonely Mountain, he sets off to finish the fight and claim the "birthright" he believes he deserves. He succeeds in doing so, and wastes the rest of his days basking in his achievement, only to be cut down in the prime of his life by his own arrogance. Again, this is just my own crackpot theory and I don't really have any hard evidence to back it up, but I think it adds another layer to the Tragedy of Smaug.

[@unclesaltytoldme]

Love your videos. Keep them coming!!

[@tcampos7881]

This was fantastic! Thank you!

[@CS-xu5jt]

Congrats on the 100k, you're my favorite Tolkien channel!

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks very much!

[@EricRuskoski]

This was well put together, thanks and nice job!

[@Mabon-sz9nz]

Here here, another great video and on my favorite....DRAGONS. Thanks Dave for all you do!

[@haleyschreiter9746]

Fascinating subject for a video - and a hearty congratulations on reaching 100K!! Far overdue if you ask me, and extremely well deserved 🤗

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks very much!

[@codieleath9076]

you should do a video about the physical appearance of the silmarillion characters(or any tolkien characters), descriptions are hard to find

[@DHTC888]

That was awesome thanx Rainbow Dave!! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍

[@TETASARAIVACS]

02:06 “If we’re willing to go all the way down the HOBBIT HOLE” 😅

[@GreatGreebo]

🤣

[@Agreus93]

Amazing analysis, I'm complete sold! :) Thank you Dave BTW, congrats on the 100K subs! IMHO you deserve so much more

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thank you very much!

[@MLauren35]

Briliant video! Thank you for all your hard work.

[@Nagy.Patrik]

Congrats for 100k ! You deserve 100 million!

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks!

[@Phuskooz]

Congratulations on 100,000 subscribers Rainbow Dave!!!

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks!

[@the4thamigo]

Excellent as always RD

[@dennisaur66]

Congrats on 100k

[@lyndazema94]

😊this made me soooo happy to wake up and see a new video! I watch them in the mornings while im getting dresses, or working out. Makes that 30 min workout so much easier. Love it, RD😘! I can't wait for the Children of Hurin series

[@aaroncfriedman]

So interesting that JRRT might have a theme of the dragons acting up in their youth.

[@skatepark1ful]

Perfect! Well spoken!! Fantastic assessment of the story!!! Cheers and thanks!!

[@jakeklic]

These videos are like my own LOTR movie series to scratch that itch that I’ve wanted since I first read the books as a kid. Congrats!! I think the interpretation as Smaug being a failed player in the series is really cool. I wonder if there are any ties to Gandalf pulling strings to get that even to happen to avoid Smaug helping Sauron

[@barksdalehales438]

Yes. It is stated by Gandalf that he fears the two joining forces.

[@pavinchunn7587]

Always look forward to your new videos, keep up the good work 👍🏼

[@Watthexe0815]

Yay, brilliant start for the weekend 😊

[@faruqbranham7970]

As always, you are thorough, comprehensive and insightful. The personal touch of your videos serve ensnare and entrance your viewership. Phenomenal work as always. Thank you.

[@tolkienuntangled]

Much appreciated!

[@faruqbranham7970]

@@tolkienuntangled As are you. Thank for ignoring that grammatical error. 😅

[@drg3611]

Congratulations to 100 000 !!! So much love and joy you have brought us RainbowDave over the years! Let´s go to 1 000 000😍

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thank you so much!

[@246vili]

So Smaug was the last WINGED, FIRE BREATHING dragon. Meaning there can be unwinged dragons, similar to their "old man" (Glaurung) and non fire breathing ones, like the Ice drake that caused Thorin's bloodline so much grief befor Smaug.

[@AdrianCruz_]

Always so interesting to learn not just about certain characters in Tolkien’s works but also how much we have to trace through other texts and infer information(similar to real life historians) in order to figure out the lore. I believe in an earlier video by you, you talked about how he had rewritten The Hobbit from its original because he realized how it was connected to The Lord of the Rings, an example of how as he pondered he realized how things fit together in his mythology. Tolkien was seriously passionate about his work and I’m glad you are too! Amazing work as always 👍

[@AshiyaDylanSean]

nice one for smaug.. and congratulations on your 100k buddy!!

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks very much!

[@Meggimagine]

He did always feel like a spoiled child who was always told whatever he wanted to hear, to a point where he believed it himself

[@mypeeps1965]

Fun video. Your the best. Best intro on the tube.

[@herbthompson8937]

Cranking out videos!!!!! The GOAT!!

[@jeffsnyder7290]

great job!

[@ThunderhawkVeronicaLazerwolf]

Thanks! Every week I learn something new!

[@mateusduarte4181]

Loved the explanation! 👏🏻👏🏻🐉

[@bv_7766]

Smaug admits in the story that when he took the lonely mountain he was young

[@typacsk]

Looking back, I think Tolkien's line about "rich folk that have more than they can enjoy" had a disproportionate impact on the social attitudes that I developed while growing up.

[@retsaMinnavoiG]

Yeh there definitely comes a point when you have to say 'there is no more enjoyment to be had from your wealth except the wealth itself'. On a more practical level I think it's absurd that the tax rate stops at around 50% and that the super wealthy have legal means to drop the amount. It my opinion, there comes a point where there can be no argument that the person earned that income through any personal achievements (basically no matter how smart, lucky, creative, hard working etc. etc. you're not worth 1000's of times more than a blue collar worker) and that amount of money can't be used personally and is simply going to be used for investments which make it harder for others to succeed (investing in shares, gold, property, jewellery, cars, art etc. simply drives up the price of those items putting them further out of reach of normal people). Personally I think the tax rate should increase to 99% and it should be based on the previous years taxable income and the proceeding years expected expenditure.

[@justintheking1]

Loved this video! Makes a lot of sense!

[@chaiwarrior111]

Just in time, after PTC with primary school parents! Much appreciated, sir!

[@jacizaci_3]

These videos have been amazing for learning

[@mariamellis6841]

Dave the Amazing does it again! Thank you

[@RaindropsBleeding]

I've always considered smaug young and boastful. He became his own undoing

[@isaiahach]

the artwork in this video are amazing. Kudos to all those talented artists

[@shawnnorton2218]

Young Smaug for the win! Lol, love the rabbit hole! Another great video!!

[@dustinfindsrocks]

Smaugins! Love it!!! I've always been curious about Smaug. :)

[@colinleat8309]

Again, welcome back brother! I must say, you sound almost disappointed that Smaug didn't reach his full potential! 🤣😂 I need to read Tolkien's book of letters. I feel like I'm missing out on sooo much material! Can't wait for your next video! Live long and Prosper brother! 🖖😁🤘🇨🇦

[@casualsleepingdragon8501]

I imagine Smaug grew up hearing stories of the dragons of the grey mountains and þought "I can do that too!"

[@ianheins650]

Good work

[@WhoIsCalli]

Cannot fault your analysis Dave. Great stuff as always 🧝‍♂️

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks!

[@brucwayn6403]

Great video and great fun Thank you

[@PleaseNThankYou]

A real Joy to listen to you, Friend!

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks!

[@MarleyFett]

Congrats on 100k 🥳🥳🥳🥰💖🎉🎊

[@jeremydbjbjbjb]

I love these videos, so much love has gone into them. Are you still planning on working through the rest of the First Age picking up with the Children of Hurin? Can't wait!

[@tolkienuntangled]

Yeah, children of Húrin will be starting next week.

[@Djynni]

Great research and video 👍

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks!

[@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115]

Your British accent makes your videos even more inmersive, pal!

[@nosaurian]

Even being a topic I'm invested in myself, I can say I have learned a lot from your insights. Thanks a lot, this is a Great video.

[@eliotreader8220]

I found this to be a very interesting talk on Smaug the dragon. I read my Mum's copy of the Hobbit a few years ago and found him to be a very scary character and felt worried for Bilbo during their meeting

[@CordeliaWagner1999]

So a cute Baby dragon came to the lonely Mountain and the Dwarfs: Awwwwww🥰🥰🥰🥰 "Can we keep him???? PLEASE!!!"

[@nichthompson]

Good stuff. Many thanks.

[@TheJmlew11]

This was a great take on the character! It very much speaks to how Smaug’s actions show a lack of perceiving any sort of bigger picture. A perception that generally accompanies deathless beings, even those with evil designs, who have passed through the annals of time. Smaug is reckless and almost like a spoiled young adult in demeanor. Out of curiosity Dave, do you have any thoughts on his design becoming more Wyvern like in the PJ films? While I think his features overall were great, it was the only thing that took me out of the character design.

[@Charlie.a]

It's 5 am in the morning where I live in Northern California . So I'm having this video with breakfast 😂

[@mikemclister4809]

ooo just in time for my stew, thanks Dave!

[@MrMike0817]

my day is made when i see tolkien untangled in my sub feed

[@zimmerwald1915]

5:24 One, possibly two. "Lhamthanc" (forked tongue) is mentioned alongside "Gostir," as a "serpent-name."

[@emperorxander666]

Yeah I like the idea of smaugs being basically a teenager. it make his death less anti climatic if he not some old terror.

[@christianstibich7454]

Brilliant video, Dave! Thanks for changing my head canon about the fire dragon's extinction in middle-earth. I prefer a fourth age with dragons!

[@kellydavidson3379]

I waited quite a while before I watched this video. When I was a teenager in the 1980s, I commissioned a chainsaw sculpture of Smaug. I still have it. Your analysis is well reasoned but it is also somewhat limited (though, as always, well researched and very entertaining). I see Smaug as more of a tragic figure; he is a representation of the end of an evolutionary thread that had to play its way out for the Fourth Age to emerge. He just doesn't belong in the world anymore. When faced with that realization, one can either be arrogant and brazen or lost and terrified. I would choose arrogant and brazen, too. As a teenager, I believed Smaug deserved better than what Tolkien created for him ... and I still do. He's not a greedy self-centered adolescent. He's the last of his kind (or very close to it) without a mate, family, friends, or a future. He is the end of a species.

[@schlossgoldftw]

Imo it makes perfect sense and I like the idea more, that he is a bratty young drake the way he behaves like a arrogant teenie, because of how proud he is that he conquered the whole of the mountain by himself at relatively speaking very young age.

[@jacksonstarky8288]

New subscriber... and Tolkien fan since the 1980s. This is the best assessment of Smaug I've seen... and I completely agree with Tolkien's own suggestion of the continued existence of dragons... today we call them billionaires and capitalists, and the vast majority of them resemble Smaug greatly in psychology.

[@ryanphillips4218]

Interesting theory: the description of a mean spirited bully, greedy, boastful, impulsive, vain, curious, and arrogant describes dwarves at their worst. What if Smaug is one of the Dwarven Kings who took a ring of power and this is the result when it accentuate all the evil tendencies of dwarves?