Battle of the Morannon
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's legendarium
, the Battle of the Morannon or Battle of the Black Gate is a fictional event that took place at the end of the War of the Ring
. It is depicted in The Return of the King
, the third volume of his epic fantasy book The Lord of the Rings
.
, fought at the Black Gate of Mordor. The Army of the West, led by Aragorn, marched on the gate as a diversionary feint to distract Sauron's attention from Frodo
and Sam
, who were carrying the One Ring
through Mordor. It was hoped that Sauron would think Aragorn had the Ring and was now trying to use it to overthrow Mordor. As the journey progressed, Aragorn was credited openly as "the King Elessar" by their heralds to challenge Sauron, though he was not yet formally crowned.
Aragorn and the other captains had around 7,000 soldiers of Gondor and Rohan available to fight; they left some in Minas Tirith to defend against assault, and sent 3,000 Rohirrim under Elfhelm
to rout another army holding the west road to Anórien (which soon returned to Minas Tirith). Thus they marched with about 6,000 foot and 1,000 horse.
At the Crossroads, Aragorn and other captains left the main force for a while with a small company of troops and surveyed Minas Morgul
from afar, finally setting fire to Morgul Vale. They also left some archers to guard the Crossroads.
They were also later ambushed by Orcs
and Easterlings
on the very spot where Faramir
and the Rangers of Ithilien
had ambushed a company of Haradrim some two weeks earlier (which was observed by Frodo and Sam), but the enemy was beaten back without much loss. However, it was realized that this was an intentionally weak feint, meant to try to lure them into thinking that Sauron's army was incapable of mounting a strong attack when in fact it was. Later, some whose fear overcame them were sent to retake and hold Cair Andros, an island in the River Anduin used as a fortress by Gondor which was the location of strategically important fords. Thus the Army of the West was less than 6,000 strong at the Black Gate.
, to speak with the Captains of the West. He tried to trick Gandalf into believing Sauron held Frodo captive, displaying as evidence items that had belonged to Frodo and Sam (Sam's sword, an Elven
cloak, and Frodo's mithril
shirt.) The Mouth threatened that Frodo would be tortured if the West did not agree to Sauron's terms of surrender. (It is clear that while Sauron knew there was a Hobbit
in Mordor, he did not know why.) Gandalf, however, refused to be swayed, took the items from the Mouth of Sauron, and sent him away. Amazed and angered, the Mouth of Sauron rode back to the Black Gate and the forces of Sauron advanced. At the same time, more of Sauron's forces that had been hidden in the hills around the Black Gate came forth, thus surrounding the Men of the West. Sauron's army outnumbered that of the West by at least ten to one. It is not clear who commanded the field for Sauron, though Khamûl the Easterling, the second most powerful Ringwraith after the Witch-king, is a reasonable candidate. The Army of the West divided itself into two rings upon two great hills of rubble opposite the gate: Aragorn, Gandalf, and the sons of Elrond
"with the Dúnedain about them" were on the left ring, with Éomer, Imrahil, and the Knights of Dol Amroth
on the right.
Against Aragorn's army was arrayed Sauron's hordes of Orcs, Trolls
, and Mannish allies such as the Easterlings and Southrons (Haradrim). An exact count is not given of the number of Sauron's forces, though Tolkien says they were "ten times and more than ten times" the size of Aragorn's army. The Olog-hai, improved Trolls much like the Uruk-hai
were improved Orcs, first made an appearance.
During the course of the battle, the hobbit Peregrin Took, marching as a Guard of the Citadel of Minas Tirith
, slew an Olog-hai officer. The remaining eight Nazgûl hovered over the Army of the West and spread fear and confusion. The Eagles of the Misty Mountains
, led by Gwaihir the Windlord, arrived and attacked the Ringwraiths. At that moment, when all hope seemed lost, Frodo put on the One Ring and Sauron realized that Frodo was inside Mount Doom
. The Nazgûl immediately left the battle to intercept Frodo, and the army of Mordor (bereft of Sauron's attention) was immediately thrown into disarray. Gollum
bit the Ring off Frodo's finger, and then both he and the ring accidentally fell into the Crack of Doom, and Sauron's power was dissipated.
The Nazgûl flew over Mount Doom just as it underwent a gigantic volcanic eruption, and they were all destroyed in the firestorm. Barad-dûr
, the Black Gate and the Towers of the Teeth collapsed to ruin as their foundations were built with the Ring's magic. Sauron's physical body perished yet again for what would be the last time. His gigantic shadow formed in the sky and reached out in wrath to the heroes, but it was blown away by a strong wind, and his spirit, which had been housed in a tall humanoid form ever since the start of the Age, was left forever bodiless and impotent.
The Orcs and other creatures of Sauron were left completely directionless with the Dark Lord's demise and were easily defeated by the Army of the West. Some slew themselves, while others fled to hide in dark places. The proud Easterlings and Southrons fought on bravely, though eventually many threw down their weapons and surrendered later to be sent home in peace by Aragorn ending the Easterlings and Southrons hate for Gondor.
Fighting against Sauron's remaining forces would continue in the northern theatre of the War of the Ring for several weeks, notably in Mirkwood
, Lothlórien, Dol Guldur
and at Erebor, but the power of Sauron was no more.
Once the Ring is destroyed, the towers and the gate are shown to come crashing down, and the earth begins to shake. Here it seems that the earthquake will destroy the armies of the West as well, but at this time the Great Eagles turn up (thousands of them) and they lift up the soldiers from harm's way and fly them all back to Minas Tirith.
Towers of the Teeth as sung by the Orcs:
Before the battle proper, Aragorn beheads the Mouth of Sauron
in the extended edition of the film. In contrast, the Mouth in the book says, "I am a herald and ambassador and may not be assailed!"
Sauron's army marches forward, chanting "Durbgu nazgshu, durbgu dashu!" (Black Speech
for "Lord of the Ring, Lord of the Earth!") Aragorn's force does not position itself in two rings, but rather in one great circle, which is completely surrounded by the enemy. Merry
is present along with Pippin; in the book he remains in the Houses of Healing.
Before the battle, Aragorn encourages his army:
Upon hearing Sauron call him "Elessar", he leads them in a desperate charge against the army of Mordor. The two armies clash and fierce combat ensues. The Nazgûl try to attack the army, but before they can, the Eagles arrive and drive them off. Aragorn is shown battling a troll, which nearly defeats him.
The Dark Tower and Mount Doom are visible through the Gate, while in the book Mount Doom is not. When the Ring is destroyed and the Dark Tower collapses along with Jackson's literal interpretation of the Eye of Sauron, a great earthquake shakes the land and Mount Doom erupts. A huge rift opens in the earth, swallowing up the gates and a greater part of Sauron's army, with the rest fleeing in terror. The release of the "impotent shadow" is instead replaced by a massive shock wave
caused by the Eye's implosion.
Originally, Peter Jackson envisioned having Sauron himself make an appearance in the battle. At first there was to be an image of Sauron in his Second Age
guise of "Annatar", which was fair to look upon, but once the battle was joined the Dark Lord was going to emerge much as he looked at the beginning of the trilogy before the Ring was cut from his hand. The Extended Edition of the movie features storyboard animations of this idea. Aragorn battles the Dark Lord and is almost defeated when the Ring is destroyed and Sauron's physical form shattered.
This idea was abandoned as it played too much like the opening of the first film and because it diminished the triumph of Frodo at Mount Doom with the destruction of the Ring. It was also felt that making a personal duel between Aragorn and Sauron changed the thematic point of the battle, that it was a selfless sacrifice by Aragorn and the Army of the West. The original footage of Aragorn battling Sauron was kept, but modified to show him battling a troll instead. A mock-up of the version including Annatar/Sauron, using a mix of the shots which were filmed intercut with storyboard panels for those which were not, is included in the DVD extras.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
, the Battle of the Morannon or Battle of the Black Gate is a fictional event that took place at the end of the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
. It is depicted in The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
, the third volume of his epic fantasy book The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
.
Prelude
This was the final major battle against Sauron in the War of the RingWar of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
, fought at the Black Gate of Mordor. The Army of the West, led by Aragorn, marched on the gate as a diversionary feint to distract Sauron's attention from Frodo
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
and Sam
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
, who were carrying the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
through Mordor. It was hoped that Sauron would think Aragorn had the Ring and was now trying to use it to overthrow Mordor. As the journey progressed, Aragorn was credited openly as "the King Elessar" by their heralds to challenge Sauron, though he was not yet formally crowned.
Aragorn and the other captains had around 7,000 soldiers of Gondor and Rohan available to fight; they left some in Minas Tirith to defend against assault, and sent 3,000 Rohirrim under Elfhelm
Elfhelm
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Elfhelm was a lord of Rohan and Marshal of the East-mark.He appears in The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the second and third volumes of the fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings as originally published...
to rout another army holding the west road to Anórien (which soon returned to Minas Tirith). Thus they marched with about 6,000 foot and 1,000 horse.
At the Crossroads, Aragorn and other captains left the main force for a while with a small company of troops and surveyed Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul , also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil , is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth...
from afar, finally setting fire to Morgul Vale. They also left some archers to guard the Crossroads.
They were also later ambushed by Orcs
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
and Easterlings
Easterlings
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, "Easterling" and "Easterlings" were generic terms for Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, who mostly fought under Morgoth and Sauron, not directly but rather on behalf of their own High Lord....
on the very spot where Faramir
Faramir
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Faramir is a fictional character appearing in The Lord of the Rings. He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor II, the Steward of the realm of Gondor...
and the Rangers of Ithilien
Rangers of Ithilien
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Rangers of Ithilien, also known as the Rangers of the South and Rangers of Gondor, were an elite group of the Southern Dúnedain warriors who scouted in and guarded Ithilien...
had ambushed a company of Haradrim some two weeks earlier (which was observed by Frodo and Sam), but the enemy was beaten back without much loss. However, it was realized that this was an intentionally weak feint, meant to try to lure them into thinking that Sauron's army was incapable of mounting a strong attack when in fact it was. Later, some whose fear overcame them were sent to retake and hold Cair Andros, an island in the River Anduin used as a fortress by Gondor which was the location of strategically important fords. Thus the Army of the West was less than 6,000 strong at the Black Gate.
Battle
Before the battle began, Sauron sent one of his servants, the Black Númenórean called the Mouth of SauronMouth of Sauron
The Mouth of Sauron is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings — specifically in the chapter "The Black Gate Opens" in the third volume, The Return of the King — as the chief emissary of Sauron.He belonged to the race of the Black...
, to speak with the Captains of the West. He tried to trick Gandalf into believing Sauron held Frodo captive, displaying as evidence items that had belonged to Frodo and Sam (Sam's sword, an Elven
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
cloak, and Frodo's mithril
Mithril
Mithril is a fictional metal, originally used in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. It is described as silvery and stronger than steel but much lighter in weight. The malleability, lack of tarnishing and use of the metal in jewellery suggest some similarity to the non-fictional metal...
shirt.) The Mouth threatened that Frodo would be tortured if the West did not agree to Sauron's terms of surrender. (It is clear that while Sauron knew there was a Hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
in Mordor, he did not know why.) Gandalf, however, refused to be swayed, took the items from the Mouth of Sauron, and sent him away. Amazed and angered, the Mouth of Sauron rode back to the Black Gate and the forces of Sauron advanced. At the same time, more of Sauron's forces that had been hidden in the hills around the Black Gate came forth, thus surrounding the Men of the West. Sauron's army outnumbered that of the West by at least ten to one. It is not clear who commanded the field for Sauron, though Khamûl the Easterling, the second most powerful Ringwraith after the Witch-king, is a reasonable candidate. The Army of the West divided itself into two rings upon two great hills of rubble opposite the gate: Aragorn, Gandalf, and the sons of Elrond
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
"with the Dúnedain about them" were on the left ring, with Éomer, Imrahil, and the Knights of Dol Amroth
Dol Amroth
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Dol Amroth was a hill along the coast of Gondor, on a peninsula on the Bay of Belfalas; and also the city that grew up there, mainly in the Third Age as the seat of the principality of the same name. The Prince of Dol Amroth was one of the principal subjects of...
on the right.
Against Aragorn's army was arrayed Sauron's hordes of Orcs, Trolls
Troll (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Trolls are large humanoids of great strength and poor intellect.While in Norse mythology, the Troll was a magical creature with special skills, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to...
, and Mannish allies such as the Easterlings and Southrons (Haradrim). An exact count is not given of the number of Sauron's forces, though Tolkien says they were "ten times and more than ten times" the size of Aragorn's army. The Olog-hai, improved Trolls much like the Uruk-hai
Uruk-hai
The Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...
were improved Orcs, first made an appearance.
During the course of the battle, the hobbit Peregrin Took, marching as a Guard of the Citadel of Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
, slew an Olog-hai officer. The remaining eight Nazgûl hovered over the Army of the West and spread fear and confusion. The Eagles of the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
, led by Gwaihir the Windlord, arrived and attacked the Ringwraiths. At that moment, when all hope seemed lost, Frodo put on the One Ring and Sauron realized that Frodo was inside Mount Doom
Mount Doom
Mount Doom is a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. It is located in the heart of the black land of Mordor and close to Barad-dûr, it is approximately high. Alternative names, in Tolkien's invented language of Sindarin, include Orodruin and Amon Amarth...
. The Nazgûl immediately left the battle to intercept Frodo, and the army of Mordor (bereft of Sauron's attention) was immediately thrown into disarray. Gollum
Gollum
Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings....
bit the Ring off Frodo's finger, and then both he and the ring accidentally fell into the Crack of Doom, and Sauron's power was dissipated.
The Nazgûl flew over Mount Doom just as it underwent a gigantic volcanic eruption, and they were all destroyed in the firestorm. Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr is the fortress of Sauron in the heart of the black land of Mordor and close to Mount Doom in the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
, the Black Gate and the Towers of the Teeth collapsed to ruin as their foundations were built with the Ring's magic. Sauron's physical body perished yet again for what would be the last time. His gigantic shadow formed in the sky and reached out in wrath to the heroes, but it was blown away by a strong wind, and his spirit, which had been housed in a tall humanoid form ever since the start of the Age, was left forever bodiless and impotent.
The Orcs and other creatures of Sauron were left completely directionless with the Dark Lord's demise and were easily defeated by the Army of the West. Some slew themselves, while others fled to hide in dark places. The proud Easterlings and Southrons fought on bravely, though eventually many threw down their weapons and surrendered later to be sent home in peace by Aragorn ending the Easterlings and Southrons hate for Gondor.
Fighting against Sauron's remaining forces would continue in the northern theatre of the War of the Ring for several weeks, notably in Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
, Lothlórien, Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...
and at Erebor, but the power of Sauron was no more.
The 1980 animated film
The armies of Gondor ride up to the Gate here, not as a diversion, but seemingly as a merely suicidal attack on Mordor. The Nazgûl are seen flying overhead as they approach, and the Orcs can be heard singing the song "Towers of the Teeth" but they are not visible at first. Aragorn cries out silencing them, and then he demands the Dark Lord come forth. The Mouth of Sauron does appear and he mocks Aragorn before warning that he is hopelessly outnumbered. He does not, however, present any tokens. Aragorn defies him and the Mouth turns back into the gate. As he does, the Orcs resume their song and appear all along the walls, the towers, and the gate itself. The scene then cuts to inside Mt. Doom until after the Ring is destroyed.Once the Ring is destroyed, the towers and the gate are shown to come crashing down, and the earth begins to shake. Here it seems that the earthquake will destroy the armies of the West as well, but at this time the Great Eagles turn up (thousands of them) and they lift up the soldiers from harm's way and fly them all back to Minas Tirith.
Towers of the Teeth as sung by the Orcs:
- Win the battle, lose the war,
- Choice of evils lie before your feet,
- Retreat, Retreat, Retreat!
- If you win then you will lose,
- Choice of evils yours to choose,
- Retreat...
- Retreat, retreat, retreat!
- You are standing in the eye of the storm,
- Move an inch, and you'll be dead,
- You are standing underneath, the towers of the Teeth,
- and the Eye...blazes red!
The 1981 radio series
The encounter with the Mouth of Sauron and the events preceding the battle are faithful to the book. However, the battle itself is virtually omitted. After the Mouth of Sauron departs, sounds of approaching orcs are heard, and Gandalf says, "The trap is sprung. We are surrounded by the whole host of Mordor, and we must fight!", but it then leads on to the rest of Frodo and Sam's journey up Mount Doom.The 2003 live-action film
In Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Return of the King, it is interspersed with scenes of Frodo and Sam at Mount Doom, and focuses mainly on the characters of Gandalf, Aragorn, and the rest of the Fellowship.Before the battle proper, Aragorn beheads the Mouth of Sauron
Mouth of Sauron
The Mouth of Sauron is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings — specifically in the chapter "The Black Gate Opens" in the third volume, The Return of the King — as the chief emissary of Sauron.He belonged to the race of the Black...
in the extended edition of the film. In contrast, the Mouth in the book says, "I am a herald and ambassador and may not be assailed!"
Sauron's army marches forward, chanting "Durbgu nazgshu, durbgu dashu!" (Black Speech
Black Speech
The Black Speech is a fictional language created by J. R. R. Tolkien.One of the languages of Arda in Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, it was spoken in the realm of Mordor...
for "Lord of the Ring, Lord of the Earth!") Aragorn's force does not position itself in two rings, but rather in one great circle, which is completely surrounded by the enemy. Merry
Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured throughout his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings....
is present along with Pippin; in the book he remains in the Houses of Healing.
Before the battle, Aragorn encourages his army:
"Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship; but it is not this day! An hour of woe, and shattered shields, when the Age of Men comes crashing down; but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!"
Upon hearing Sauron call him "Elessar", he leads them in a desperate charge against the army of Mordor. The two armies clash and fierce combat ensues. The Nazgûl try to attack the army, but before they can, the Eagles arrive and drive them off. Aragorn is shown battling a troll, which nearly defeats him.
The Dark Tower and Mount Doom are visible through the Gate, while in the book Mount Doom is not. When the Ring is destroyed and the Dark Tower collapses along with Jackson's literal interpretation of the Eye of Sauron, a great earthquake shakes the land and Mount Doom erupts. A huge rift opens in the earth, swallowing up the gates and a greater part of Sauron's army, with the rest fleeing in terror. The release of the "impotent shadow" is instead replaced by a massive shock wave
Shock wave
A shock wave is a type of propagating disturbance. Like an ordinary wave, it carries energy and can propagate through a medium or in some cases in the absence of a material medium, through a field such as the electromagnetic field...
caused by the Eye's implosion.
Originally, Peter Jackson envisioned having Sauron himself make an appearance in the battle. At first there was to be an image of Sauron in his Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
guise of "Annatar", which was fair to look upon, but once the battle was joined the Dark Lord was going to emerge much as he looked at the beginning of the trilogy before the Ring was cut from his hand. The Extended Edition of the movie features storyboard animations of this idea. Aragorn battles the Dark Lord and is almost defeated when the Ring is destroyed and Sauron's physical form shattered.
This idea was abandoned as it played too much like the opening of the first film and because it diminished the triumph of Frodo at Mount Doom with the destruction of the Ring. It was also felt that making a personal duel between Aragorn and Sauron changed the thematic point of the battle, that it was a selfless sacrifice by Aragorn and the Army of the West. The original footage of Aragorn battling Sauron was kept, but modified to show him battling a troll instead. A mock-up of the version including Annatar/Sauron, using a mix of the shots which were filmed intercut with storyboard panels for those which were not, is included in the DVD extras.