The King's Witch

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J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", entry for Malvegil, pp. 193-194 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, " The Battle of the Pelennor Fields", p. 841 The prophecy that the Witch-king would fall "not by the hand of man" and the fulfillment of the prophecy occurring as a technicality (being slain by a hobbit and a woman) bears a striking resemblance to the prophecy regarding the title character's death in Shakespeare's Macbeth, where it was foretold that Macbeth will be slain "not by man born of woman" and is then killed by Macduff, born by caesarian section. Tolkien was familiar with the play, having reputedly taken inspiration for the Last March of the Ents from the same source (See article Ents for details).

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, " The Council of Elrond", p. 257 The prophecy made by Glorfindel at the Battle of Fornost centuries before was fulfilled, as Éowyn was a woman. The Witch-king's death changed the tide of the battle, and ultimately the outcome of the war.As a Nazgûl, the Witch-king had a wide arsenal of powers. He was surrounded by an aura of fear, enough to make trained soldiers and horses run in terror. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, citing from The Hunt for the Ring, p. 164-6

Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, citing from The Hunt for the Ring, p. 167-8

The Fellowship of the Ring ( extended edition)· The Two Towers ( extended edition) · The Return of the King ( extended edition) The Lord of the Nazgûl's true name is never given, and therefore he is known only by a host of epithets. The Witch-king from The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game - The Flame of the West Expansion Translations Foreign Language He was stronger at nighttime. It was claimed that he could create or thaw ice at his whim. [ citation needed] He could send forth and control wights. [4] His power fluctuated greatly over his existence, as his strength was bound up with Sauron's own; the more powerful Sauron became, the more powerful the Nazgûl were. Due to this, he was, in the White Wizard's and the other Nazgûls' estimation, possibly equal to Gandalf in magic and might during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. [3] Roots in mythology The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game): The Witch-king's role and voice are similar to that of the film, but his appearance is different. An early helmet design, that had been removed from the film because it resembled Sauron's helm too much, was used here, presumably because there was no time to make a new character model.

J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, " The Palantíri", "Notes", Note 16, p. 413An undead "witch-king" named Þráinn appears in Hrómundar saga Gripssonar, a work of Norse mythology. A "witch-king" also appears in Greek mythology, Aeëtes of Kolkhis, who more resembles the Witch-king of Angmar. The former, however, was more likely an inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien, as he fancied and studied northern mythologies much more than southern mythologies (Greek, Roman, etc.). Gavin Newton: Up until now, I haven’t had many chances to create the Evil-doers in Middle-earth, so being able to sink my teeth into one of the most important bad guys of the whole story was a mouth-watering prospect.

Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man shall he fall." It is only in The Return of the King that the "Witch-king" is identified by this name and becomes an antagonist separate from the other Nazgûl. He is now identifiable by a distinctive helmet and armour, and wields a giant flail and flaming sword in battle. The Witch-king first appears in an introductory scene voiced over by Gandalf's description of him, and is later seen by Frodo, Sam and Gollum leaving Minas Morgul with a massive army. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, " The Tower of Cirith Ungol", p. 900 In The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, he, along with the other Ringwraiths, fight the White Council in Dol Guldur. After being defeated, they flee to Mordor with Sauron.J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur", The North-kingdom and the Dúnedain, entry for King Arvedui and entry for Chieftain Aranarth, pp. 1041-3 Andy Serkis provided the voice of the Witch-king in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series): The role of The Lord of the Nazgul, as he is always credited in this production, is expanded with material from The Hunt for the Ring. He is the second speaking character in the series: he is the one who captures Gollum, though he is not identified as such until the credits. Philip Voss provided the voice for The Lord of the Nazgul.