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86 votes
2 answers
17k views

What's the big deal about the Nazgûl losing their horses?

I have only watched the movies and I am currently reading The Fellowship of the Ring (haven't finished it yet, I am at "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"). A number of times we see characters such ...
Aegon's user avatar
  • 48.1k
55 votes
5 answers
24k views

How powerful were the Nine really?

It is explained numerous times how powerful and deadly the Nazgûl are — however, on multiple occasions, they failed their master badly. Some examples: Frodo and the Hobbits escaped both during the ...
mort's user avatar
  • 6,055
54 votes
4 answers
13k views

Why did Peter Jackson add the Nazgûls attack scene in Bree when it was not present in the original story, nor very important for the plot?

Although it's a very good scene from the film, I don't see why Peter Jackson added it to the story (remember). In the books, the Hobbits do not meet the Nazgûl in Bree, and that does not really ...
Foxy's user avatar
  • 1,043
49 votes
3 answers
7k views

Did the Nazgûl retain their Rings of Power?

In The Fellowship of the Rings, Frodo sees the true appearance of the Nazgûl: He was able to see beneath their black wrappings. There were five tall figures: two standing on the lip of the dell, ...
Slytherincess's user avatar
46 votes
4 answers
15k views

Who stabbed Frodo?

In The Lord of the Rings there are five Nazgûl that remain behind and attack the Hobbits on Weathertop. Which Nagûl stabbed Frodo? Was it the Witch-king or was he one of the four that pursued Gandalf?...
user avatar
44 votes
5 answers
38k views

Are the Nazgûl Harmed by Water? [duplicate]

So I'm watching the LOTR trilogy and I'm on Fellowship of the Ring. It seems as if the Nazgûl actively avoid water, such as at the Bucklebury Ferry and the river at Rivendell. Does water harm the ...
Slytherincess's user avatar
42 votes
2 answers
7k views

Were the Nazgûl undead?

Various sources refer to the Nazgûl as being undead. What was Tolkien's view on this, would he have classified the Nazgûl as undead?
user avatar
41 votes
7 answers
25k views

Why are the Ringwraiths fearful of coming into contact with water?

At least twice in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Ringwraiths cower away from bodies of water. The second time (the ford of Bruinen) can be explained away by their fear of some ...
einpoklum's user avatar
  • 10.1k
38 votes
2 answers
8k views

Why didn't the Witch-king of Angmar conquer The Shire?

The Shire was formerly a part of Arnor (it later became a part of Arthedain after Arnor fragmented). The Witch-king's sole objective was to destroy the North Kingdom (Arnor). Eventually the Witch-king ...
TheMadHatter's user avatar
  • 3,960
38 votes
2 answers
10k views

How did Gandalf know the Nazgûl crossed the river in secret?

Our heroes in Middle-earth knew the Nine Riders were coming even though the riders were keeping their movements secret. ”I have an urgent errand,” he said. “My news is evil.” Then he looked about ...
RichS's user avatar
  • 38.7k
37 votes
2 answers
9k views

Are all Ringwraiths called Nazgûl in LotR?

I knew before that the Black Riders and Ringwraiths and Nazguls are one and the same. But even before that, when I was little and saw the movies when they first came out, I thought the Nazgul referred ...
3N4N's user avatar
  • 1,301
36 votes
4 answers
13k views

How does one fight the Nazgûl?

In Fellowship of the Ring, it is said in several places that Aragorn, Glorfindel, and perhaps even a few other people, were able to fight off Nazgûl; they can't fend off all nine at once, but if they ...
Wad Cheber's user avatar
  • 70.1k
35 votes
3 answers
7k views

How did Sauron remain in control of the Nazgûl?

The One Ring gave Sauron control of the Nine, yet when it was taken from him he still possessed the power to control them (or, at least he regained it towards the end of the third age). Why is this? ...
Matthew Read's user avatar
  • 2,432
33 votes
7 answers
10k views

Why didn't the Nazgûl stab more people to create more wraiths?

My understanding is that those stabbed by a Morgul blade slowly turn into a wraith. Is there a reason the Nazgûl and the Witch King of Angmar did not go around stabbing people and turning them into ...
enderland's user avatar
  • 6,621
33 votes
2 answers
8k views

What happened to the Nazgûl after they were swept away by the river?

In the book, The Fellowship of the Ring (chapter 12 "Flight to the Ford"), all nine Nazgûl were swept away by the waters of the river Bruinen, and their horses drowned. They show up later in ...
RichS's user avatar
  • 38.7k

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