People think of Sauron as the big bad of Middle-earth. The titularLord of the Ringshas certainly left his mark on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional world, amassing gargantuan armies and sowing untold misery through his dark arts. That said, his deeds are dwarfed by his predecessor’s.
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Melkor, otherwise known as Morgoth, was the first great evil in Middle-earth and the lands beyond. He plagued the world inThe Silmarillionand Tolkien’s other ancillary works. Within these works, he demonstrated numerous powers and boasted several achievements which Sauron could only dream of. Moreover, he left last effects that could still be felt in the mainlineLord of the Ringstale.
6Create Existence
Melkor is one of the Valar. These are gods who serve under the supreme creator: Eru Iluvatar. In the beginning, they worked with their master to craft the world, weaving its entire history through song. Not all sang in harmony, however.
Melkor was the sharpest of the Valar and, therefore, thought he should have more influence on events. Iluvatar repeatedly quelled his attempts to overpower his peers, but Melkor’s ambition festered for thousands of years afterward.It’s what fueled his conflicts with worldly beings. Sauron, as a servant of the gods, was merely a tool in that pursuit.
5Turn Elves Against Each Other
Melkor thrived not just on might, but corruption. While Sauron wielded this advantage against the race of Men, his master used it on their immortal peers. He captured countless Elves and tortured them beyond recognition. This birthedthe race of Orcs, who continued to plague Middle-earth as monstrous perversions of their kin. As sick as that is, it wasn’t the only way Melkor twisted their race.
He also stoked resentment in the Noldor Elves. His main target wasFeanor, the creator of the Silmarils. After the Dark Lord desecrated the Undying Lands and stole the holy objects, Feanor led his people in bloody vengeance. Sadly, the Teleri Elves refused to lend their ships to the cause, so the Noldori slaughtered their brethren. This “Kinslaying” remained one of the darkest moments in the history of their race.
4Create Balrogs
Elves weren’t the only beings which Melkor corrupted, as he also drew many Maiar to his side. These were essentially angelic beings who served the Valar.The greatest such servant in this regard was Sauron himself.
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That said, these Maia followers also manifested as balrogs. Melkor had legions of these fiery demons at his disposal. The only one left inThe Lord of the Ringslaid dormant in Moria. The Dwarves unearthed this remnant of Morgoth by accident when they dug too deeply. Sauron had no direct control over it, which makes sense due to their similar origins.
3Recruit More Monstrous Allies
Sauron had legions of Orcs, trolls, wargs, and other foul beasts under his thumb. It made his army as tough to look at as it was to fight. As terrible as these were, though, they were nothing compared to his master’s.
The creatures at Melkor’s command were biblical in proportion. On top of the aforementioned balrogs, the fallen god also had werewolves, vampires, and dragons. He even enlisted the aid ofthe light-sapping spider Ungoliant, albeit on a temporary basis. Sauron was incapable of bring such terrors under his thrall, as they either eluded him or were beyond his influence. That never seemed to be a problem for Melkor.
2Maintain His Form
Melkor was a monstrous humanoid. Standing several feet tall, he loomed over most enemies. That remained relatively constant throughout his reign. Even after the most grievous defeats, he appeared as the same Satanic figure he always was. The same can’t be said for Sauron.
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He repeatedly shifted his shape to suit the scenario, but that ability diminished due to a couple of setbacks. The first came when he brought the wrath of Iluvatar on the kingdom of Numenor. As the island sank into the sea, the deceptive snake lost his fair form forever. His outer shape reflected the evil within.
Not long after, the Dark Lord tasted defeat at the Battle of the Last Alliance. He lost the One Ring and any physical presence he had left. That’s why he’s just a flaming eye in the mainlineLord of the Ringsstory.
1Conquer Middle-Earth
At the end of the First Age, Melkor had essentially won. His forces had destroyed every refuge of Elves, Men, and Dwarves. Moreover, all who opposed him were dead, imprisoned, or enthralled. Sauron never achieved such absolute dominion over the world, but his predecessor asserted his dark divinity over anyone who doubted it.
Only through that divinity did hope remain. A Man names Earendil sailed to the Undying Lands to seek forgiveness from the Valar on behalf of all earthly beings. The gods then came to aid their children. They defeated Melkor’s forces, dragged him back to Valinor in chains, and tossed him into the Void. Thus, Middle-earth was saved.
The only caveat was that Sauron escaped to wreak havoc another day. However, his damage paled in comparison to the carnage sowed by his master. As such, the Free Peoples of Middle-earth managed to thwart him on their own. Any divine intervention was less direct. The Maiar, for instance,guided the heroes as Wizards, but the Valar themselves never felt the need to get involved.
