The Battle of Azanulbizar, the final battle of the War of the Dwarves and the Orcs, took place during the Third Age on 1st December, 2799. Twenty years after the Dwarves of Erebor had beendriven out of the Lonely Mountain by Smaug, King Thrór traveled to Khazad-dûm, the lost realm of his ancestors, with his companion Nár. Upon arrival, he was killed by Azog, an Orc-chieftain of Moria, who also branded his name on Thrór’s forehead. The Orc then threw a bag of coins at Nár, warning him that no Dwarf beggars should enter his domain. When Nár informed Thráin II of his father’s death, he declared a war on the Orcs, which went on to last nine years.
It was not until the Battle of Azanulbizar, fought at the valley beneath the East-gate of Moria, that the war finally came to an end. It brought about the destruction of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains, and resulted in different consequences in the books and movie adaptations ofThe Hobbit.
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Who Fought in the Battle of Azanulbizar?
Thráin had called all the Seven Houses of the Dwarves to fight in the war against the Orcs of the Misty Mountains. They managed to attack all the enemy’s strongholds until only Moria remained, wherethe Orcs of Gundabadhad all now gathered — and this is when the Battle of Azanulbizar began.
The Dwarves were greatly outnumbered, and suffered heavy losses. Frerin, the second son of Thráin, was killed, along with his kinsman Fundin, father of Dwalin and Balin (two of the thirteen dwarveswho were part of Thorin’s companylater on). Thráin himself was badly wounded, as well as Thorin, whose shield broke during the fight, and he had to cut off a branch from an oak tree with his axe to defend himself (which is how he got the name of ‘Oakenshield’).
However, the Dwarves were better equipped, and were joined by more troops eventually, under the command of Thráin’s cousin Náin, the son of Grór (the Lord of the Iron Hills). He confronted Azog at the steps of the gate, but was instantly killed when the Orc broke his neck.
Who Won the Battle of Azanulbizar?
Despite Azog slaying Náin, the Orcs were either dead or fleeing towards the south at that point in the battle. When he discovered that his guard had also been killed, Azog turned back towards the gate but was beheaded byDáin Ironfoot, Náin’s son, on the steps of Moria. His head was then impaled on a pike, and the bag he had previously thrown at Nár was stuffed in his mouth.
Despite losing half of their army, the Dwarves won the Battle of Azanulbizar, while the Orcs suffered from even heavier casualties (up to ten thousand). It is said that the Dwarves had to burn the bodies of their fallen soldiers as not many were left behind to bury all of them.
The Houses of the Dwarves retreated to their homes in the North, East and West, while Thráin and the Longbeards eventually settled down in the Southern Blue Mountains.
How Did the Movies Change the Battle of Azanulbizar From the Books?
The series of events at the Battle of Azanulbizar are depicted differently in the film trilogy. InThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journeyas well as the extended edition ofThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, it is referred to as the Battle of Moria instead and shown as a separate battle rather than the end of an almost decade-old war. The story is narrated in the form of a flashback, when Balin tells Bilbo Baggins about Thorin’s past.
In the film’s version, after Thrór and his people were forced into exile whenSmaug descended into the Lonely Mountain, the King attempted to lead the Dwarves back to Moria to reclaim an ancient kingdom. However, he discovered that the Gundabad Orcs, led by Azog, had arrived there first. Described as “the most vile of all their race”, Azog had sworn to put an end to the line of Durin. Before going into battle, Thrór handed Thráinhis Ring of Powerin case he was killed, so that his son could become the King. He fought along with the army of Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the Iron Hills, only to be killed by Azog. This is opposed to how, in Tolkien’s lore, the King was killed nine years before the battle, instead of during it.
After witnessing the horrific scene, Thráin tried to restrain Thorin from attacking Azog by telling him that he cannot lose his son as well. Instead, he charged towards the Dimrill Gate after Azog himself, but never returned. It is shown afterward that Azog had taken the ring from him by slicing off his finger. An old and delirious Thráin was found by Gandalf much later at Dol Guldur, before being swallowed up by the shadow of the Necromancer.
In retaliation, Thorin single-handedly managed to cut off Azog’s left arm with his sword. The wounded Azog was taken back into Moria by the Orcs, and the Dwarves were under the impression that he has died. However, as revealed later on,the Orc had survived the battleand hunted Thorin during the timeline ofThe Hobbitfor revenge.They both killed each otherduring the Battle of the Five Armies. Thorin and his forces eventually won the Battle of Azanulbizar, and there is no mention of Dáin’s role in the event.
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