Tar Goroth is a Balrog and the the secondary antagonist of the Carnán Quest Line in Middle-earth: Shadow of War.
A general of Morgoth, Tar Goroth fell in battle during the Wars of the First Age. Stirred by the forging of the new ring, and the nearby presence of Sauron, Tar Goroth has risen back to the surface. Upon awakening, the demon went on a wild rampage across Mordor, proving a significant threat to both the Forest of Carnán and Middle-earth itself.
History[]
A Maia corrupted by Morgoth, Tar Goroth served him as a general for his armies, participating in the Dark Lord's wars against the Elves and the Host of the West. Defeated by Carnán in the War of Wrath, the Balrog was cast into the depths of a pit in the plains of Gorgoroth. Ever since Morgoth's downfall, he has been lying in wait for a Last Battle to settle the fate of Middle-earth.
The forging of the New Ring in Mount Doom has called to Tar Goroth, who has been dormant till then. This has not gone unnoticed by the likes of Carnán and Sauron. The resurgence of the Balrog could spell doom to the Forest, and offers a destructive potential for the Dark Lord to harness.
Tar Goroth proved untameable for even the Dark Lord Sauron
Stoking his flames, Sauron planned to command Tar Goroth in the coming war, and to this end he had sent his servant Zog to recruit him. Summoned by a group of Acolytes, Tar Goroth rises from his tomb and proves untameable by efortlessly killing the mystics with his whip. Evading the attempts to stop him, Tar Goroth goes on a rampage from Gorgoroth to Seregost, slaying any unfortunate being who crossed his path. After escaping Celebrimbor, Talion and Carnán, the trio find a trail of fire and dead orcs which leads to the Balrog himself.
After a short battle Carnán used her life force and plunged the fiery demon into the icy lake below, freezing his unqueanchable flames and ending Tar Goroth once and for all. Not long after, Zog went to Seregost and began a ritual to resurrect the Balrog, intent on enslaving him and using him to rival Sauron. This was prevented by the Bright Lord and so Tar Goroth remained contained in his grave.
In-game Description []
Fire, Darkness, and Shadow
"My winds are still. You have woken Tar Goroth, cracked and creviced until now." -- Carnán
Tar Goroth amidst the ranks of an Orc army
Shrouded in fire and shadow, Balrogs like Tar Goroth have existed since the First Age of Mordor. Corrupted Maiar from when the world was young. Balrogs rarely venture from the subterranean pits they call home, though Dwarves and Goblins who excavate too deeply may arouse their ire.
Tar Goroth was a general in the wars of the First Age, when the evil Morgoth battled the Valar, Since then he has slumbered, awaiting a final battle to settle Middle-earth's fate.
With the destructive power of a dragon and a seething anger from thousands of years in the dark, Tar Goroth is capable of rampaging across the world if given a chance. Against his might entire armies have perished, and even the greatest heroes can fall before him.
Trivia[]
- The name "Tar Goroth" is an unusual combination of the Quenyan word "tar", which was almost exclusively used in combination with the names of the kings of Numenor, meaning "high" or "noble", and the Sindarin word "goroth" meaning "horror". Taking this into account, Tar Goroth can be interpreted to mean "great horror".
- Tar Goroth along with the Balrog known as Durin's Bane, are the only survivors of the destruction of their kind during the War of Wrath in the First Age.
- Tar Goroth is the only Balrog known to wear armor.
- Tar Goroth is a Shadow of War adaptation. He is not mentioned in Tolkien's Lore, but is one of only four named Balrogs; the others are Gothmog (chief and greatest of their race), Durin's Bane, and Lungorthin.
- In the first trailer, Tar Goroth is seen being summoned by the Dark Lord Sauron to fight in his armies immediately after the New Ring is forged by Celebrimbor and Talion. In-game, however, Tar Goroth actually acts completely under his own agency, loyal neither to Sauron nor the ambitious Uruk necromancer Zog. In addition, he doesn't become active in Mordor until a long while after the New Ring is forged and Minas Ithil falls and becomes Minas Morgul.