What kind of creature is hiding in the Khazad-dûm? After the fifth episode of the second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power» fans believe that it’s not just Balrog Spoilers ahead.
In the episode, Dísa sees something terrible in the caves. At first, it seemed fairly obvious that it was solely a balrog — the demonic former servant of Morgoth, who was met by Brotherhood of the ring in the novel «The Lord of the Rings». However, there is another version that deserves attention.
New fan theory claims that Disa saw a Watcher in the Water. It is a kraken-like creature that hides under the western walls of Moria. Tolkien never exactly explained its origin, although it falls into the category of «nameless things», «strange creatures that live in bodies of water and the hearts of mountains».
«Durin IV refers to the monster «as a nameless evil, ancient and powerful». In Tolkien’s Lore, the «nameless thing» is actually a category of ancient creatures from the depths, usually water», — the user writes Reddit.
In the fourth episode, Arondir refers to a large worm «as a nameless creature in the depths of the earth», although this particular species has never been mentioned in the canon. In turn, the balrogs definitely do NOT belong to this category. Fans also refer to the aquatic environment, which does not fit the appearance of a balrog at all.
«Balrog makes more sense given the reference to deeper mining. The guard approaches the visual signs of the door and water», — noted another fan.
Of course, fans of Tolkien’s work waiting for the balrog in Khazad-dûm, it is the most canonical and logical. But why did the creators of the series put a pond in the scene? Perhaps this will be revealed in the next episode.
Source: GamesRadar