Gothmog (Lieutenant of Morgul)

This article is on the Orc commander during the Siege of Gondor. For the First Age Lord of Balrogs see: Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs.

Gothmog
Biographical information
Titles	Lieutenant of Morgul
Birth	Unknown
Death	3019
Weapon	scimitar, mace
Physical description
Race	Orc
Gender	Male
Height	5 feet 9 inches
Hair	None
Eyes	Yellow
Culture	Morannon Orcs
Media portrayal
Actor	Lawrence Makoare

Gothmog was Lieutenant to the Lord of the Nazgûl at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and took command of the forces of Minas Morgul after the loss of his lord. Almost nothing else is known about Gothmog, not even what race of beings he belonged to. He is mentioned only once in The Lord of the Rings. His only recorded action was at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, following the loss of his master: in response to the arrival of the Rohirrim, he called his army's reserve out of Osgiliath and into the main battle. That aside, the details of Gothmog's nature and role are a matter of speculation.

Gothmog was also the name of the Lord of Balrogs, one of the greatest servants of the Ainur Dark Lord Melkor, in the First Age.

The meaning of the name is unclear, and several possibilities exist, such as 'Dread Enforcer', 'Voice of Morgoth', or 'Black Master'.

Portrayal in Adaptations

Gothmog in Peter Jackson's film

"The age of Men is over. The time of the Orc has come!"

—Gothmog

In the Peter Jackson film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Gothmog is portrayed as a deformed Morannon orc-general.

Gothmog of Minas Morgul

Although his name is never spoken aloud in the film, officially-licensed merchandise confirms that this character is meant to represent the same Gothmog mentioned in the novel. He is first seen commanding the Orcs crossing the Anduin river. He orders the first shot fired in the Battle of Osgiliath. In the battle, he sends a legion of his troops across the Anduin river by boat, while a second legion enters the city via a repaired bridge, for he had been preparing for the assault for months and had taught his soldiers to build boats and practice repairs.

The Men of Gondor retreated, leaving behind their wounded, one of whom is Madril, the badly-wounded captain of the Ithilien rangers, whom Gothmog kills with another orc captain's spear. The Witch-King then instructs him to assault Minas Tirith using all the units at his disposal.[File:Gothmog&Guritz.jpg|thumb|364px|Gothmog and Guritz]]

When Faramir rides out with a small band of Gondorian Knights on horseback, attempting to retake the city, Gothmog orders his archers to fire a volley from the ruins of Osgiliath which kill the knights save Faramir. Once his forces arrive on the Pelennor fields, he orders the heads of the dead soldiers in Osgiliath to be launched off the catapults, to instill fear into the Gondor soldiers and to lower their morale.

Gothmog at The Siege of Gondor

Gothmog then begins directing the main ground operations, from catapults to siege-towers. He becomes enraged when the doors into the city won't budge, ordering Grond to be brought forth to smash it down. Gothmog is almost hit at one point by a huge rock fired at him by one of Gondor's many trebuchets, but it misses him by about a foot, prompting him to mock his opponents by spitting on it. His lieutenants are Guritz , with the Skull on his helmet, who seems to be the seige commander, and Murgash, the Black Uruk.

Murgash, with Gothmog leading the assault.

In the theatrical release, Gothmog's fate is not revealed, as he is last seen backing away from the charging Rohirrim. In the Extended Edition he is shown to have survived the onslaught and duels Éowyn, who gains the upper hand and wounds his leg. Gothmog collapses in pain moments before the Witch-king arrives on the scene of the battle. Éowyn succeeds in destroying the Witch-king, but is injured in the process and crawls to Merry.

The last moments of Gothmog's life

At this point, Gothmog rises, furious for revenge, and uses an axe for support as he limps towards her. As he approaches, he discards the axe and picks up a mace, preparing to kill Éowyn once and for all. Aragorn, unaware that he is saving anyone, rushes in and chops off Gothmog's arm. Gimli rushes in from behind and strikes Gothmog in the torso with his axe, before Aragorn delivers the final blow to his back, finishing him off.

Gothmog in MERP

In Middle-Earth Role Playing game, Gothmog is described as a half-troll. Nothing in Tolkien's writing confirms this hypothesis, nor denies it.

Gothmog in BFME2

Gothmog is also a playable evil hero in Battle for Middle Earth II Special Extended Edition and Battle for Middle Earth II - Rise of the Witch-king. According to reports, Gothmog was the most requested character on the Battle For middle Earth forums, eventually leading to him being added as a hero unit in The Rise Of The Witch-King expansion pack.

Gothmog in LOTR Conquest

Gothmog (Robert Smith) is a downloadable character on the Heroes and Maps Pack.

Gothmog in LOTR Tactics

Gothmog is a hero unit for the Host of Mordor in Lord of the Rings Tactics, usually appearing in the Gondor missions. He specializes in debilitating status attacks and increasing the movement range of himself or allies. His unique skills include:

• Orcish Fury (attacks twice; later levels have a chance to inflict Bleeding damage)
• Smite of Barad-dur (basic melee attack with a chance to stun; damage and chance of stun increase with level)
• Fumes of Gorgoroth (basic melee attack with a chance to poison; damage, poison strength, and duration increase with level)
• Whip of Command (increases movement range for a time; area of effect, movement increase, and duration increase with levels)

The Lord of the Rings: Game Boy Advance Third Age

Gothmog is a mini-hero in Game Boy Advance Third Age game.

External links

• Gothmog (Lieutenant of Morgul) at Tolkien Gateway