Glaurung was the first of the fire breathing dragons in middle earth. Though he was not part of the winged race that would later come, he still managed to terrorize and burn many elven lands until he was driven back by Fingon and his archers. After Being contained in Angbad for another 2 centuries, Glaurung had become even more powerful and had fathered a brood of Dragons to wreak havoc upon the elves of beleriand. After deceiving Turin of Turambar into marrying his sister, Nienor, whom he had put under the dragons spell, he frequently attacked near the home of Turin, provoking him until Turin had finally set out to defeat Glaurung. Setting out with three men, one had fled out of fear and the other was crushed by rocks, Turin had managed to plung his sword, Gurthang into Glaurungs belly. Just before Glaurung died, he released his spell from Nienor, causing her to realize Turin to be her brother and cast herself into the river below and Turin to throw himself upon his sword.

Sauron was created by Ea originally as one of the many Maiar and Ainu Spirits. Sauron managed to remain good and uncorrupt, resisting the corruption that was instilled in many of the Ainu through Morgoth’s discord in the creation of Arda. After travelling to Arda, Sauron aligned himself with Aule the smith, where he learned and mastered the craft. Though Sauron sought to do good, he saw in Morgoth the will and power that would help him achieve greater things quicker than if he had pursued them himself. Once his allegiance was made to Morgoth, he fell deeper into his corruption and eventually became a lieutenant and was lord of the Werewolves and Vampires, directing the war against the elves. Sauron was later defeated by Luthien and Huan the wolf-hound and went into hiding for most of the First age until the defeat of Morgoth. After lying dormant and hidden for 500yrs, Sauron began revealing himself as Annatar “The Lord of Gifts” where he deceived the elves to forge the rings of power, while Sauron forged in secret the ring of power. Through the second age, Sauron gained power and called himself “Lord of the Earth”. After losing his body in a failed attempt to destroy valinor, Sauron came forth in the Battle of Dagorlad but was defeated by Isildur and still lived through the power of the ring. Though in ethereal form, Sauron sought to form his armies and take physical form again but was later destroyed after Frodo Baggins cast the ring into mount doom (Y'all know the damn story).

Ungoliant is a primidorial being who took the shape of a great spider. What or where she came from is unknown, even to the valar. From The Book of Lost Tales 1: "Mayhap she was bred of mists and darkness on the confines of the shadowy seas, in that utter dark that came.". Morgoth came to Ungoliant, knowing her lust to feed off of light and offered an alliance to attack the and obtain the light of the two trees. After Ungoliant had gorged on the sap of the tree's and fled Valinor, She feasted on the gems that Morgoth had stolen. In turn she grew to a monstrous size, dark and terrible to behold. She saw that Morgoth kept in secret the silmarills that held the light of the trees and refused to give them to her. With appalling rage Ungoliant unleashed a storm of fearsome black webbing that came unseen through the inky void of the Unlight surrounding Her and she ensnared The Dark Lord Morgoth helplessly in a constricting stranglehold that he could never escape. In his helplessness Morgoth gave one last cry to what he thought to be his last breath. His cry echoed in the depths of his stronghold of Angbad and summoned his sevants of shadow and flame the balrog. With their whips of fire that bore unnatural strength from the furnaces of Udun, they tore the webbing and Freed their Lord. In her defeat Ungoliant fled to Nan Dungortheb and bred with great spiders, producing many of her kind. It is said that Ungoliant ultimately perished at her own hands when, in her utmost hunger, she devoured herself.

Melko was made first an Ainu created by Eru in the timeless halls. Melko was gifted the greatest knowledge of all the Ainu, possessing also all gifts shared by other Ainu. While the Ainur sung the Great Music, creating Arda through it, Melko weaved his evil thoughts into the music causing a discord among the Ainu. Thus when the music had created Arda it had already been flawed through Melkos' discord and it was then he took an interest in the world, finding evil where he could. Melko sought to disrupt every action of the Vala and claimed the field of Varda as his own, establishing the fortress of Angbad in which he left Sauron in charge of.Upon being the first to find the elves in Varda, he transformed them through his corruption into orcs. It was then that the Valar overcame Melko and brought him to the halls of mandos for three ages. after feigning repentance he was ordered released. Lusting after the silmarills that Feanor has created, Melko(now Morgoth) sought Ungoliant and destroyed the Two Trees of light and stole the Silmarills. Feanor swore vengeance but was destroyed in an attack against Orcs by Morgoths lieutenant Gothmog. After hundreds of years of war and corruption upon Arda, Earendil presented the Valar with a silmarill in exchange for their assistance in the defeat of Morgoth. Thus the war of wrath erupted between Morgoth's forces and of the Valinor and the free people. After having most of his balrogs defeated and all of his orcs destroyed, Morgoth sent forth his dragons from the depths of his fortress out of fear where they too were defeated by Thorondor and a host of great Eagles. Morgoth then fled to the depths of the earth and begged for pardon but instead his feet were hewn from under him and his iron crown made into a collar around his neck where he was thrown face down into the void for eternity.

Gothmog, The lord of all Balrogs was present in the First age and was considered the greatest Balrog to walk middle earth. He was one of Morgoth’s most trusted general, who’s only equal in rank was Sauron. Gothmog carried a fiery whip into battle, but was mainly revered for a great black axe which spread fear throughout all the elves of Beleriand. In the book of Lost Tales, Gothmog is said to be the very son of Morgoth, bred through an ogress named Fuithluin. Gothmog lead many of Morgoth’s armies to victory but is mainly noted for his defeat of Feanor, the high king of Noldor. Other noteworthy achievements was the slaying of Fingon, which was only made possible by another balrog servant casting a steel throng around Fingon where Morgoth then killed him, and also the capture of Hurin. Gothmog was defeated as his forces laid siege to the hidden city of Gondolin where after confronting and knocking Ecthelion’s sword from his hands, Ecthelion charged Gothmog and plunged his pointed helmet into his chest, throwing both of them into the Fountain of the King where the balrog lords flames were extinguished and Ecthelion drowned.

Carcharoth was the greatest Werewolf who ever lived, following the line of Draugluin. Created as a defense against Huan the hound, Carcharoth grew to uncomparable size and strength. His eyes burned a fiery red and his massive teeth were poisoned as the legions of orc armies’ spears led by Morgoth and was stationed as the guard of the gate to Angbad. Charcaroth was put under the spell of sleep by Luthien on Beren and Luthien’s quest to obtain the silmarill but was reawakened at their exit, where he bit off Beren’s hand containing the stolen silmarill as Beren help up the silmarills light in defense. After being driven mad by the silmarill burning his insides, he passed through Beleriand where he arrived in Doriath and was eventually slain by Huan the Hound and Beren, gravely injuring both of them in the process.

Azog was a powerful orc who claimed rulership over the abandoned dwarven Mines of Moria. He was the leader of the goblins of moria and initiated the war of Dwarves and Orcs by capturing and beheading the dwarven king Thror when he had come to visit the Mines of Moria. His goblins had found Thror in the forges of Moria where they then brought him to Azog on the accusation of stealing. Afte Azog tortured him for two days and after beheading him, carved “Azog” in runes on Thrors brow and cast his body over the stairs and called out to Nar, the dwarf outside the gate, demanding that he deliver to Thror’s people the message that beggars who dared entered Moria would meet the same fate. When refusing to give the head of Thror to Nar, his goblins threw a small pouch of coins to Nar out of scorn and hacked apart Thror’s body and flinging the pieces for the ravens. After news of this was received by Thrain the heir of Thror, he became filled with rage and mustered an army of Dwarves to exact revenge on Azog. After nine years of battles fought, the Battle of Azanulbizar was fought outside the gates of moria where Azog was slain and beheaded by Dain and his head impaled on a stake with the pouch of coins thrown to Nar stuffed in his mouth.

Ancalagon the Black was the first and greatest winged dragon ever to walk Middle Earth. His size and wingspan were so massive that his wing span blocked out the sun, and when he fell from the sky his impact shattered Thangorodrim, an artificial volcanic mountain range. He was considered the Father of all dragons, and led the entire host of Morgoth’s winged dragons in the war of wrath in an attack so fierce it managed to drive back The Host of the Valinor. Ancalagon was eventually slain by Earendil, aided by Thorondor and his host of eagles, who battled Ancalagon for an entire day before his defeat. Though the method in which Ancalagon is never recorded, his significance to Morgoth’s army was so great that Ancalagon’s death marked the end of Morgoth’s final resistance.

Original poster: @mynameisgunthor from imgur

His part 1: http://imgur.com/gallery/9j0hG

His part 2: http://imgur.com/gallery/HGXSx

Reddit comments: http://reddit.com/r/lotr/comments/1z38jn/greatest_enemies_of_middle_earth/

Imgur comments: http://imgur.com/gallery/iS6Di