The Dragons of Middle-earth (Updated)

The Dragons of Middle-earth were fearsome and terrifying creatures who caused the sorrow of many good folk in Tolkien’s writings. Thank you all so much for watching, let me know your thoughts about the Dragons and this video as a whole in the comments below! As always, a great thanks to the online artists whose visual works made this video possible! If you are one of the artists, please let me know and I will post your name and a link to your work in this description!
Thanks to Rubendevela for their artwork of the Dragon of the First Age from 8:08-8:16! You may find more of their work here:
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Melkor (Morgoth) - Epic Character History (Part I):
• Dark Lord Melkor (Morg...
The Watcher in the Water - Epic Character History:
• The Watcher in the Wat...
The Ruin of Beleriand - Timeline of Arda:
• The Ruin of Beleriand ...
The Tale of the Children of Húrin (Silmarillion) (Part I):
• The Tale of the Childr...
The Tale of the Fall of Gondolin (Silmarillion) (Part I):
• The Tale of the Fall o...
The War of Wrath - Wars of the Legendarium:
• The War of Wrath - War...
The Great Eagles of Middle-earth:
• The Great Eagles of Mi...
Erebor - Region Spotlight:
• The History of Erebor,...
The Balrogs of Middle-earth (Updated):
• The Balrogs of Middle-...
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[@MenoftheWest]

Thank you all so much for the support, it means a lot! It is very interesting to hear your thoughts about Dragons versus Balrogs! It certainly depends on which Dragon fights which Balrog, and indeed, Balrogs are Maiar while Dragons might not be. Although Dragons can cause the mass destruction that Balrogs cannot. I can definitely see how either could win, but I still hold that a Dragon would probably win most of the time, since they can cause so much more damage than a Balrog. But, all it would take is for the Balrog to piece the Dragon in the belly with its sword to win, so who knows haha

[@jeffhallam2004]

The Balrogs aren't about mass destruction but are surgical in their violence to destroy powerful elves and other Maiar and men of Numenor. Didn't Melkor have to give his power to all the creatures he created which would weaken him in the end?

[@fabolousninenine30]

I believe that Balrogs are the most fearful things that ever existed outside of Morgoth/Sauron. It took Gandalf‘s whole power to defeat an ancient servant of Morgoth, while a dragon like Smaug was easily defeated by men.

[@BenFrayle]

Dragons are on a strength level equivalent to an army, whereas Balrogs are roughly equivalent to the great heroes/leaders of Middle Earth. The Balrog of Moria was, I think, supposed to be the strongest of them (and likely the last surviving one as a result).

[@MrPeabody67]

@Men of the West I'm not sure if anyone has brought this topic up to you up before but, I think you're on to something with your above statement.... Think about the literary legacy of Balrogs. In later fantasy, primarily DnD, Balrogs (or Balor demons) are described as leaders and puppeteers; they create destruction via leadership. A Balrog's destructive power seems to be second to none against small groups but a dragon's wrath can reach national levels. Do you think this later literary role in line with Tolkien's vision?

[@MenoftheWest]

Cody Peabody I completely agree with that Cody! It seems Balrogs would cause greater havoc in a duel whereas Dragons and their fire would be superior against greater numbers. That would mean Balrogs could have the mastery in such a fight with a Dragon. They do seem to play different roles in combat. However, I’m curious about how a Dragon’s ability to fly may affect that. Perhaps (assuming Balrogs have wings) it would not be much of an advantage at all, or perhaps it would mean the mastery of the duel goes to the Dragon. This is quite a fascinating debate!

[@hoppystar439]

I just can't get over how small Smaug is compared to Ancalagon. I mean I know Ancalagon was ridiculously big but still.

[@jakolisfinard6988]

right?

[@teejota22]

I don't think that drawing of Ancalagon is accurate to scale. while it looks awesome i remember reading that it overestimated his size

[@hoppystar439]

@@teejota22 I still think he must have been of considerable size though to destroy the Thangorodrim when he fell on them, which consists of not 1 but 3 volcanos

[@marmyeater]

@Teejota Actually, that would more likely be an underestimation of his size.

[@TheMinecraftHype]

@@hoppystar439 Durin's Bane left a crater and destroyed the side of a mountain in death. Despite being incredibly small to any dragon in comparison. I wouldn't equate your example to size. Especially since we don't know the extent of the destruction. It could be breaking up the mountain sides, or the entirety of all three peaks. I doubt the second, but we don't know. The only description is "as tall as a mountain" which likely isn't large enough to destroy three other mountains (at least with size alone). I still believe this quote to be an exaggeration to show how mighty Ancalagon was (more poetic as with much of the Silmarillion) - but either way, I VERY much doubt he was as large as the Thangorodrim as portrayed. I would argue more akin to Glaurung. Likely larger than Smaug since he was described as the largest of all (winged) dragons (though Smaug was not yet known, nor grown - if he did live back then). Think more, a regular plane compared to a massive 2 levelled plane. A significant difference, but not ridiculous.

[@meeper46]

Ancalagon: I would say hi, but I’m dead

[@RoastedOpinions]

Balrogs are Maiar; they are more powerful than Dragons. Being spirits of shadow and flame, I don't believe that dragon fire can harm them. Tolkien seems to bear this out, as Balrogs drove dragons forward with their whips in the First Age during the sack of Gondolin.

[@rfigueiredomusic]

Yet balrogs to were killed by elfs and other Maiar, só definetly a dragon could kill a balrog, and you can mount a elephant but if he turns on you, you better run

[@RoastedOpinions]

@@rfigueiredomusic Dragons, however, are slain by men. A single sword thrust killed Glaurung; a single arrow brought down Smaug. Gandalf battled Durin's Bane for days before each killed the other. The elves like Glorfindel and Ecthelion who killed Balrogs were slain by them as well, and they were mighty among the Noldor who had lived in Aman in the light of the 2 Trees for many ages of men. I still give the edge to Balrogs.

[@VinderHD]

@@RoastedOpinions dragons do seem to go down easier compared to the other.

[@RoastedOpinions]

@@VinderHD Morgoth's creations often have a glaring weakness.

[@rfigueiredomusic]

@@RoastedOpinions well they are maiar spirits after all, but i don't know, dragons are huge to, and hard to beat

[@legendswithjasper]

The Dragons of Middle-Earth are such a fascinating and mysterious topic, I'm glad to see that you're doing it justice.

[@indalcecio]

Yeah Tolkien really succeeded in making dragons a BIG FUCKING DEAL, by only giving us little pieces of them, but making those little pieces incredibly impactful.

[@saranobutt]

That White Tree of Gondor is so cool I saw someone with that shirt actually which I never see anyone wearing anything related to Lord of the Rings these days. That was so awesome.

[@Luigiawesome13]

I have a shirt with the White Tree on it.

[@GarretGarlinger]

ya, my car has the white tree sticker on it. I love it so much. haha

[@hobbitrash7815]

It’s a great shirt, my high school history teacher gave me positive comments on it, on the next test I found out I was the only one who had gotten an A on it lmao

[@ryansies612]

“Done” “You’re supposed to stick it in the ground” “It is in the ground” “Outside!” “This was your idea!”

[@Squishy_Seal]

Pippin

[@flameofthephoenix788]

I love that scene. Merry and Pippin are the best

[@allovergamer3484]

Ancalagon the Black. The end.

[@haillobster7154]

Wakanda Forevaah!!

[@lilspittin313]

AHa he needs his own movie like in the Hobbit I suppose

[@tylersoto7465]

He is badass

[@maxhydekyle2425]

The fact that we have fan art of almost every single character and event described in all of the LOTR canon is just amazing. It shows how incredible this community is and just how great Tolkien was at painting a vivid picture with words.

[@kento2851]

Dragons in Tolkien's Legendarium are probably the most badass dragons in any literature (to me at least) heck Ancalagon the Black alone would definitely make both Godzilla and Gidorah a run for their money lol

[@ringbearer1420]

I think a lot of it has to do with how Tolkien does dragons that are more like modern weapons of terror (same with Godzilla).

[@SS-rr7by]

@Laltluangliana Sailop *you're :)

[@bullrun2772]

Dab Tsov no

[@bullrun2772]

Dab Tsov even if he were to win he would be to weak to defeat other dragons but even then Godzilla probably be defeated

[@bullrun2772]

Dab Tsov for what part huh because Godzilla we’ll be defeated gosh

[@KaguyasAlmightyPower]

It’s said that Smaug was the last of the GREAT DRAKES which implies there are still ofc dragons perhaps even fire breathing ones

[@GreatMewtwo]

I like to believe that Smaug was the last dragon to become a threat to the Men of Middle-Earth. All other dragons remaining at the time were either very young or too small to actually pose a threat on his level.

[@aaronsmall1394]

I think he was the last of the great serpents is because he was the last fire breathing one

[@sunwukong6897]

You never fail to send me to bed on Sunday night in joy with these.

[@princeblackelf4265]

I always assumed that Melkor created Dragons from serpents/snakes/ lizards, rather than being sourced from corrupted maiar spirits

[@jakealter5504]

Prince Black Elf so basically the same method he used to create the orcs but even more extreme

[@johnwalker1058]

I had always assumed that Melkor just took some lizards or snakes and over the span of centuries, bred them together to be bigger, stronger, and deadlier. Perhaps he used some sort of magic to give some of them their more dangerous capabilities such as their fire breathing capabilities, or like Glaurung's ability to enchant others under hypnotic spells.

[@DTS_I]

Smaug has serpent like qualities

[@9and7]

Was just driving home from work and saw a cloud in the sky and wondered if Ancalagon would dwarf it and here I am watching MotW's Dragon's video. EPIC And Dragons would win.

[@toradora1439]

Imagine if the dragons had turned to the good side and could have acted more as guardians of Middle Earth.

[@thorondor1593]

It would be cool by today's standards, but since Tolkien was basically inventing the genre of fantasy, he had to stick with his metaphor that dragons were weapons of mass destruction paralleling the weapons created in WWI. It may have been an interesting case if one of them were redeemed, though.

[@rihanix9646]

It may have been that once a dragón was dead, someone with power enough to transfer a soul from body to another did this, maybe one of the blue wizards on the east did this because since Tolkien made middle earth like a mythology and ancient past of modern earth, and since eastern Asian "dragons" were benevolent then therefore they may have been good dragons simply possessed by good spirits of good men or avari elves, don't know but it's a possibility.

[@Sara3346]

@Harry Christie I thought talking didn't believe in the idea of evil being inherently stronger than good? So how could the force of evil in any being always be inherently stronger?

[@Sara3346]

@@thorondor1593 I wouldn't say inventing: popularizing, revolutionising forever reshaping would be fair but not synonyms. Hoeever books like The Worm Oroboros already existed and doubtless they are and were thought of us fantasies even if that was not the word used for them at the time.

[@kingj7013]

How to Train Smaug

[@shadowofchaos8932]

Cirdin the shipwright is one of the oldest elves in Tolkien legends. I am looking forward to next week!

[@giulioaprati338]

Cirdan?

[@kyomademon453]

@@giulioaprati338 cirdan is indeed either the oldest or one of in all of arda, hes from cuivienen and the only elf known to have a beard(something that only really old elves do) the only other super old elves i can think of are ignwe the high king and thingol brothers

[@giulioaprati338]

@@kyomademon453 yes he is like 300 years older than Galadriel

[@kyomademon453]

@@giulioaprati338 waaaaay older, , galadriel was born during the age of the trees, shes like 8000+ in the third age, cirdan would be 10.000+

[@giulioaprati338]

@@kyomademon453 I should really ready the Silmarilion again...

[@marionbaggins]

Man I wish we see more Dragons brought to the Big Screen because Smaug looked sooo Awesome!!! I have finally saw the Tolkien Movie Mellon, which is good!!! Thanks so much for updated this video Mellon, until the only Elf with a Beard ECH...Marion Baggins Out!!!

[@darthvader7995]

I want to see myself in screen also but Christopher Tolkien is servant of Valar and don't let any director do it

[@marionbaggins]

@@darthvader7995 I am sorry to hear that Melkor, hopefully one day you will be!!!

[@darthvader7995]

@@marionbaggins yes if Tolkien estate let them do it only

[@captainjameshook90]

Tolkien is dead

[@cryptojonny6837]

Well there is going to be a Lord of the Rings tv series soon maybe we will see the rest of the dragons.

[@maxh3926]

Found this channel recently. Really enjoying it, keep it up!! One thing that I find strange is how Morgoth made Glaurung but that it is mentioned that Morgoth can’t create but only mock. Which sort of points towards some dragon-like creature made by Iluvatar

[@Sakuradragon639]

Smaug is still my favorite of the drakes next to ancalagon. Thank you again for your continued vast research into tolkeins lore my friend

[@liltrchoj8662]

These videos always make my so happy. Great work as always 👏💜

[@QuietRiotFan01]

I found this channel today and honestly couldnt be happier! Its a wealth of information that even old fans like me can find new things in!!

[@terryhebert9012]

I just finished the Silmarillion after watching many of your videos and they helped me understand the book so much more, thanks man!

[@Uphier]

Keep them coming! My appetite keeps on growing!

[@jackiemorman1242]

Love your videos dude!! I’m always here as soon as I see the notification!

[@orangexlightning]

Yeah this update was much needed! Fantastic Job Yoystan! The details of the individual named dragons are much better displayed here than in the original. :)

[@shadowofchaos8932]

Another fantastic video! Worth the wait.

[@jonask.5921]

I just found this channel and I absolutely love it. Thanks for the awesome work and keep on doing your beautifully animated and well researched videos!

[@theblackprince1346]

Love this channel. Always eagerly awaiting the next weekly episode.

[@cingvaldson]

Love your videos! Once again, fantastic analysis. Most informative and enjoyable! Thanks for uploading!

[@fireismyblood]

Love your content! Keep it up man!

[@allovergamer3484]

Dude, I LOVE your videos on this stuff. You are so good at telling the lore. I love it!!

[@terraugman]

Thanks for making my Sunday and beginning of the week Beyond Enjoyful with this Wonderful, Amazing video ..and i hope where ever you are in Middle Earth today it is a Pleasant One (I LOVE THIS CHANNEL!!!)

[@cesare.lopezelll8122]

Thank you for remaking this vid, I like the 1st and thus one even more keep it coming

[@Voxdalian]

You're right, this video was much better and more satisfactory to my curiosity than the previous one. Unlike most remakes this was a good one. Thanks for this video.

[@joeyrozic1100]

Please make an in depth War of Wrath breakdown! Ancalagon's wings blot out the sky, and his steps crush mountains. Love the channel! Keep up the great work.

[@MarcusSanchez2525]

I always thought on that match up myself and I would have to say the balrogs would win against the dragons. While the dragons are indeed strong the balrogs were the bodyguards of Morgoth himself and even fought off Ungoliant who was about to eat Morgoth. It even took Gandalf 10 days to defeat the balrog in Moria while the dragons seemed to die in battle in a shorter time such as Ancalagon who died after one day of battle. I could think on it forever but that’s my choice for the question. 😁

[@dwightsmith3815]

But then remember, that the dragons storm were so powerful that they even drove the Valar back. That was something the Balrogs couldn't do. Ancalagons death is also something i don't like in Tolkiens work. That is no valid argument of course, but it is just not believable (i hope that word is correct) for me that he died that way... just no.

[@MarcusSanchez2525]

DwightSmith I’ve never heard of dragons storm, or I may have just forgotten it but that is very interesting! And yes it so disappointing that the dragons seem to die off so quickly, for such powerful creatures they should be extremely hard to kill right next to the balrogs not just die by one blow.

[@dwightsmith3815]

@@MarcusSanchez2525 Maybe i just used the wrong words, i'm sorry. with the storm i meant the attack of the dragons after Morgoth unleashed them all. The Valar besieged Angbang in the War of the Wrath and Morgoths last defense were the dragons. So they attacked the Valar and pushed them back (what i meant with "storm"). When i first read that part i thought that it would change the outcome of the battle. But i agree, the dragons die too easily. Maybe they would be too overpowered if that were not the case. But with another perspective: The death of Smaug was in the end just pure luck. Glaurungs death was, if i remember correctly not just one blow, but his whole belly was ripped open by Turin. Ancalagons death is (sorry for my words) bullshit....

[@MarcusSanchez2525]

DwightSmith been a long time since I read children of Húrin so I would have to look it up but yeah I wish Tolkien talked more about the dragons.

[@Redbird-dh7mu]

It is a case by case basis. Like, Durin’s Bane (the one Gandalf killed) was not as strong as Gothmog (the strongest Balrog), I could see Gothmog killing dragons in combat, but Durin’s Bane vs a dragon isn’t as easy to tell. Same thing with Dragons, Smaug was far from the strongest dragon in middle earth history, how he would fair in combat against someone like Gothmog probably isn’t in is favor.

[@CepiTheNomad]

I love your channel, sir. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate the work you put into researching and creating these videos for us. Smaug is personally my favorite dragon, as a child reading his chapters in The Hobbit was thrilling and I loved the idea of a smart giant winged creature who could trick you in many ways. I like how they portrayed him in the films yet I do hope that one day we get a more accurate version of him and those chapters in some sort of show or something.

[@davidolsen2495]

Thanks for the update!!

[@Rootcauz]

Thank you!!! This is exactly what I needed.

[@sethmiller2534]

My Sir Yoystan, you fill me with insurmountable joy and glee. My love for you trumps all laws of physics and matter and might rip this very universe apart! This video was fantastic and almost encapsulated the grandeur that you fill this world with. Much love, your loyal servant

[@robsan7846]

I'm late to the party but this episode kept me interested while I'm at work awesome video and keep up the awesome content.

[@armaanrampersad2415]

Your videos are the best way to start a Monday morning.

[@geviesanta3631]

I'm so sorry I'm late! But thanks for remaking this vid though!

[@greywolf2362]

Can you make a video on the lands not spoken of often such as the lands east of Rhun the hither lands Tol morwen the dark lands ect.

[@WhoIsCalli]

Cool vid. Glad you updated it

[@LuluLaRue]

🤘🏻Excellent upload, I'm always super excited to see my notifications for you and @DorkLords regarding LOTRs. Thank you for all effort, always amazing. 🖤

[@cingvaldson]

Couldn't have said it better. @MenoftheWest and @DorkLords analyses of LotR lore are fantastic!

[@paulelliott3220]

Fascinating history of the Dragons They are not principle characters but devastating when they are involved Very cool overview

[@jacksonhill7770]

These videos are always spectacular

[@TheSaneHatter]

Here's a piece or two of draconic speculation that's worth mentioning: It has been theorized by some that Scatha the Worm, slain by Fram was also either . . . A) the Beast of Gondolin, and/or . . . B) the "great cold-drake" who ran the Dwarves out of the Grey Mountains. The reason for this was to not only explain why the Dwarves would try to lay claim to Scatha's treasure, but also how the elf-blades from Gondolin ended up in "The Hobbit." For it was supposed that when Scatha was slain, his hoard got dispersed, and some very ancient treasures from the First Age found their way into Eriador, and into the hands of the trolls.

[@chevin0]

another GREAT video Yoystan! I think it depends on the source. Silmarillion Balrogs seemed quite a bit weaker and would lose. The version in Fellowship would probably beat Smaug, not Ancalgon, and be matched with Glaurung. don't forget, they were Maiar, so they are smarter overall than we really see them have a reason to demonstrate. Morgoth would not make a mindless animal one of his top generals

[@MenoftheWest]

Very good points, my friend! Thank you for the support!

[@sunnybang4575]

@chevin0 I dont know about beating Smaug cause smaug is a fire breathing dragon with wings that eventually would fly and strike the balrog and flame him. Smaug can be only pierced with the molten iron black arrow, not a sword of a balrog that can be broke with a spell or a magic shield. The dragons were meant to be powerful than any other creature cause it had to defeat the armies of men and elves. And besides 'Durin's bane' is not the strongest so it is a treat to the dwarves, not to Smaug. Maybe Gothmoth might be able to fight against Smaug..

[@chevin0]

@@sunnybang4575 fire wouldn't work against a Balrog, at all, might make it much worse. we have no reason to assume virtually non-magical dragon claws would hurt it much. And the one thing we are ABSOLUTELY sure a Balrog is capable of is taking something far above it and dragging that thing into grappling range. I can't say for sure because Tolkien never did power rankings, but I don't like Smaugs odds

[@sunnybang4575]

@chevin0 I do know one thing that a balrog is a powerful and terrifying being since they are miars and they can use magical weapons of fire. But as I said 'Durin's Bane' is not so much a powerful one, only a threat to men and dwarves. So if it meets Smaug I dont think Smaug would be terrified cause he is created to survive most harsh conditions and already seen a lot of creatures. And even though the whip can range far, Smaug is way bigger so the whip wont do much affect prob.

[@sunnybang4575]

Plus Smaug was taken down by the black arrow but the most powerful balrog, Gothmoth was also pierced by a normal sword and was dragged down into the depths. So the balrog could be possibly pierced with the claw or teeth or tail(Tails of the dragons are steel) of Smaug. And tolkien said a fire breathing dragon with wings are the most dangerous beings that are living.

[@Sadd2Me]

That’s amazing you know all this stuff Brother. You found your groove.

[@whelp4752]

Thank you for making these videos 👍

[@lukeskywalkerthe2nd773]

One of my all-time favorite creatures in all of Fantasy are indeed Dragons. They are fearsome, great, and powerful creatures that have truly captured the minds of humans for a long, long time. The way Tolkien used Dragons is definitely very facinating and awesome. And for that reason, Tolkien's Dragons are (unsurprisingly) my all time favorite spin on them in all of Fantasy and all of world Literature (with my favorite Dragon from the Legendarium being Ancalagon the Black!)! :)

[@theserpent6070]

Amazing video! Great insight

[@Priusdriver]

So glad I came across this channel, huge LOTR fan

[@JoaoPedro-qp9cw]

Mae govannen mellon, hope you are doing well. I had never noticed the connection between the named slain dragons and Men, really interesting observation. Here's another one: as you said, the dragons show the danger of weapons of mass destruction, and they have an interesting connection with the dwarves (the most overall inventive race in Tolkien's works). For me, at least, it shows how new inventions can have different results depending on how you use it (atomic bombs vs nuclear reactors comes to mind), so we should avoid being blinded by greed and thirst for power, as if we do so we will become actual "dragons". I had other observations but I believe I already commented them on other video, mainly regarding the reason for dragons to love gold so much Amazing video, continue the great work

[@everordonez9886]

I always have loved those words of wisdom at the end of the video.

[@joeybox0rox649]

There are certain channels that I will allow commercials, yours is one of them, MOTW!

[@HaloisTight]

What if Tolkien wrote dragons as originally Maiar that ended up in Arda with some siding with Morgoth while others stayed good instead of them all being creations of Morgoth?

[@sgtmayhem7567]

I really enjoyed every aspect of this video.

[@WhoTheHellIsHarvy]

The image of a dragon charging into battle with balrogs riding on it, damn. I would love to be on their side lol

[@berilsevvalbekret772]

I really like your content and glad you updated this one since dragons of middle earth is such a fascinating topic. Creatures created by morgoth yet smart and sentient...Tolkien very rarely created creatures completely out of redemption (Melkor and Sauron for me are onpy two examples I can think of) I wonder...is there a way to make them less destructive?

[@alternateendingsandedits6854]

Please do the following theories 1. if Radagast got the one ring And 2. If all the wizards joined the dwarves going to erabor And 3. If all the wizards joined the fellowship

[@marcusblackwell2372]

I vote the ladder 2

[@glennross85]

Tolkien knew how to use Dragons and his will always be more magical and mysterious than any Dragons created by other "Authors". Great video as usual!

[@NeillWylie]

Good video bud. Enjoyed it

[@Toviyah]

I love your videos keep up the great work.

[@jeffhallam2004]

Another GREAT! video! Youre the best my friend!

[@FishTheJim]

A very well made video concerning Dragons. However, concerning Dragons it only reminds me that more of human history remains unrecorded and unknown then known and recorded. I suspect this was one of the points Tolkien intended.

[@jobwykstra5368]

Beautiful, such a great video.

[@AwesomeCorgi]

I love your videos. Tolkiens works are a religion to me and you help me understand the world of his legendarium.

[@MattFyrm]

Do you think glaurung just had a 200 year rocky montage untill he was ready :P

[@imkluu]

I like how you pronounce the names using the Scandinavian rolling R. I believe this is accurate, tho it is a difficult for me to do naturally being an American English speaker without much practice at it.

[@acrazysheepdog1555]

I think that the Dragons were simple creatures that were corrupted and changed by Morgoth and became Dragons and Drakes, like how the Orcs were former elves, corrupted to evil, and how the Nazgul were great men, corrupted into immortal servants of Sauron, and also I believe they were given a part of Morgoth’s faya, but they weren’t drones as they at times did act without Morgoth’s permission like Glarung revealing himself to early, so they were probably once simple creatures before they’re corruption, but that’s just a theory.

[@12345678900987659101]

For some reason I have the picture in my mind of Ancalagon's bones coming out of the sea at lower tides and scaring sailors.

[@davesmith4839]

I knew someone was hiding those weapons of mass destruction. It’s the dragons, gosh darn it

[@mariapazgonzalezlesme]

Mae gonavenn, Men of the West. May Lady Varda's light bless you this night and tomorrow. 💙

[@darthvader7995]

Varda is one of my top hate lost characters

[@Scrub_Jake]

5:58 when the Dragon hits you so hard you marry your sister 🤣

[@80budokai]

Awesome video! 💯💯🙏🙌

[@devonpelley3832]

Love the videos man

[@leofcpm]

6:19 - So Glaurung was an iguana? lol

[@jonahstirbis3361]

I loved today's video!

[@hotmale5221]

Thank you for finally pronouncing Nienor's name correctly. It's my cat's name & it always bugged me when you used that long "I" sound. But I never wanted to say anything. We all have different ways of pronouncing certain words in Tolkien's languages, & no one can say we're saying it right & somebody else is saying it wrong. But during this video, my cat looked up every time you said Nienor....

[@necoguitar]

with this channel i officially entered a new dimension of geek, im really proud..

[@zionthedragon8866]

YES!! Someone finally has the balls to talk about gostir and light dragons!! They are almost always ignored!! I applaud you for your bravery!

[@nerdwatch2345]

I really hope we get to see more of the creatures in the Amazon L.O.T.R. series!! Mainly dragons!!

[@emmacarter4558]

Love dragons and I love your videos! 🐉

[@matthewjames9137]

A fire Drake vs a Balrog would be a very interesting fight to watch, though it would suck up all the air and both might die to asphyxiation. I might give the edge to the Balrog though as they seem to have more options when fighting, such as weapons.

[@ArawnsFire]

Of all literature’s dragons, only Chrysophylax lived in our realm. And was my first introduction to the Dragons of Tolkien.

[@25Erix]

Smaug: absolute shrimp. Ancalagon: mindblowingly massive.

[@skrskr9000]

He’s not that big compared to Smaug, the pictures you see on the internet are not canon

[@25Erix]

@@skrskr9000 Those pics go off a canon description of Anacalagon, which say "as tall as a mountain". Smaug is less than that by a wide margin because he made his home IN a mountain. Anacalagon was likely between 150-300 meters (500-1000 feet). Smaug, on the other hand, is at least 20 meters (66 feet). Even if Ancalagon wasn't as big as three mountains (despite his glorious demise smashing three of them), he's still in another league from Smaug in terms of size. He was STILL the largest dragon in existence before and since the First Age. No other dragon came close. My original point still stands and both are still going to be huge to a human.

[@DiracComb.7585]

Nice to see you updating another one of your old videos. I can't wait to see what updates you've made. I can already see updates to your style. I have a question about the languages of Middle Earth. One of Tolkien's main themes throughout all of the Legendarium is the corruption of that which was good. Morgoth was not originally a foe but one of the Aennur, pure of heart. Same with Sauron and the Balrogs. The orcs are corrupted forms of the elves and the dragons are corrupted forms fo the birds, particularly the eagles. Is it possible that the black speech of Mordor is itself a corrupted form of another language? You could consider this an odd question, as it does bring up another question, can a language be corrupted.? However, I feel that a language could. Because a language could start as pure and elegant, with harmony, style, and beautiful sounds flowing throughout its syllables. But a language can turn into something extremely rough, coarse, and hard, with none of the eloquence and style that fairer languages posses. It's a question I have had for a while, ever since I learned from other videos that corruption is one of the main themes of Tolkien. I am thinking that, since orcs are simply corrupted elves, the black speech could be a corrupted form of one of the Elvish languages like Quenya or Sindarin. Please let me know your thoughts.

[@Erebdai]

Great video.

[@Steve-hk5ds]

great vid

[@akshaykarthick7822]

I always believed that all dragons didnt die ... There may still be some dragons and balrogs (which settled there after morgoth's fall) in the icy cold plains of the far north unexplored by men or elves ... It is actually mentioned that Smaug came from the north ...

[@havoc6441]

I just ordered Anduril from dark swords armory. Got it sharpened and with a scabbard too. Cant wait till it arrives at my house.

[@UnknownAlien475]

Glad to know there is another middle Earth nerd out there to.

[@CAMcG75]

Another great video... thank you! You pose the question of the dragons' creation, so I shall present my theory - though, of course, that's all that it is. It is stated unequivocally that Melkor/Morgoth could not create, only pervert that which already existed. Therefore, the dragons had to have come from something living upon Arda, however that does not mean that it must, necessarily, have been something that had been mentioned in Tolkien's writings. The idea of the dragons arising from the perversion of Great Eagles, in a similar manner to that of certain elves becoming orcs, is quite plausible and fits rather neatly into a concise explanation. However, if that were to be the case I think that Tolkien would simply have said so; his attention to detail was admirable, and in incidences where it is omitted it usually seems(to me, at least) that it is intentional. This could be because it is a tangent that he had not yet fully explored, and he felt that it deserved more attention(eventually); or because he thought that the explanation would be rather complicated, but didn't believe that it was worth going into; or a thousand other reasons, known only to the author himself. I tend to imagine the dragons being created from a myriad of creatures, especially reptiles and probably the Great Eagles, by some "Middle-Earth version" of gene splicing. This would have been outside of Tolkien's area of expertise(as far as I've seen it demonstrated), and the vagueness of it actually adds to the mystique more than a detailed description would have - as a writer myself, I know to take an opportunity like that and run with it. As I've stated, this is merely my impression, as a life-long fan of Tolkien's works, and is not based on any information beyond what you've covered in this video. Thanks again! I look forward to the next one.

[@fenrir-art4742]

Very neat. I like the gigantic super black dragon Ancalagon.

[@TheEphemeralMammal]

I have always wondered: how can a dragon like Ancalagon, who was big enough to break all three peaks of Thangorodrim, just pop up and say ”Oh, Hiiiiiiiii” and surprise everyone. Obviously too big to fit through the front door of Angband, maybe he was just hanging out in the frozen wastes until he got a text from Morgoth. Guess we’ll never know.

[@AlphaZaku]

Ancalagon was within the pits of Angband with the rest of the entire host of winged dragons before they were released. This is one of the major reasons why Ancalagon wouldn't have been as big as Thangorodrim itself, and his size is always so ludicrously exaggerated by the fandom.

[@Mrs.Tincher]

How long do these videos take to produce? I am impressed each time by the art work and the way you sync up the narration with the artwork. Awesome videos every time. Thanks for all the hard work you put into your videos.

[@MenoftheWest]

Thank you so much Leslie! Each video usually takes around 8 - 12 hours to make from start to finish. It is definitely worth it and it is very rewarding!

[@Krryptik]

Hey there, I love you videos man they are very helpful on helping me become a pro at the middle-earth lore. I have a quick question. So I have been struggling with this for months now but I want to get a shoulder tattoo of a pauldron but I want it to be of middle earth origins. I was thinking a pauldron from the Rohirrim armor but I want to know what you think if the coolest armor set in middle-earth. If you could help me out that would be dope!