The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: The Arena:
Maedhros v. Glorfindel

Maglor Registered User Mar 20 2015, 9:27pm Views: 4640 Maedhros v. Glorfindel In a one on one combat between Maedhros and Glorfindel who do you think would win?

Darkstone Immortal Mar 20 2015, 9:38pm Views: 4636 Tie After a long brutal fight, they go into a clench. Then they both fall over a cliff and die. Again. ****************************************** No Orc, No Orc!! It's a wonderful town!!! Mount Doom blew up, And the Black Tower's down!! The orcs all fell in a hole in the ground! No Orc, No Orc!! It's a heckuva town!!! -Lord of the Rings: The Musical, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Maglor Registered User Mar 21 2015, 2:52am Views: 4624 A tough one Glorfindel has the advantage of possessing both hands. Maedhros is probably so scared that much of his skin lacks sensation meaning that he would not be able to react as quickly to being cut giving Glorfindel an advantage. Maedhros is described as being remarkably tall so he is probably larger than Glorfindel giving him the advantage when it comes to hight. Maedhros has fought balrogs and probably killed a few when he aided Feanor when he stupidly decided to take on all of the balrogs at once, obviously Maedhros survived which is something Glorfindel was not capable of. Tolkien to my knowledge does not say anything on Glorfindel's handedness but because elves are similar to humans Glorfindel is probably right handed. Maedhros being left handed has the advantage in this respect. Although this probably is not as much of a disadvantage to Glorfindel as it would be to a human because Glorfindel is thousands of years old and therefor has had many opportunities to fight against left handed opponents. It would be close but I think Maedhros would win because he is described as almost unconquerable in battle.

Padster Bree Apr 10 2015, 12:12pm Views: 4408 Glorfindel Killing Balrogs? What? Don't get me wrong, I really like Maedhros (almost as much as Maglor), but he did NOT kill several Balrogs. Mr T eventually came to the conclusion that there were very few Balrogs indeed (3, max 7). Do not confuse Balrogs from The Book of Lost Tales (where there ARE loads), with the Balrogs of Middle-earth. They are not the same thing. Getting their numbers mixed up with the effort that it takes to kill on in LOTR is dangerous. If only 3, then we know them all. Gothmog (killed by Ecthelion), Glorfindel's Balrog, and Durin's Bane. If 7, then there are 4 unaccounted for. But Maedhros didn't kill any. Killing one is such a spectacular event, that it would have been mentioned if he had. And if he had been able and not die, then certainly Feanor could have killed one, and he never did. Glorfindel DID kill one, but probably more by fluke than skill. I don't don't doubt that Glorfindel was a rock hard dude (and he IS my favourite Eldar), but everyone who killed Balrogs did so, probably, by fluke, and died as well. Even Gandalf was killed in the act. I think this battle, one has to define which Glorfindel we are talking about. Pre-reincarnation Glorfindel (still very tough) vs Maedhros, then I think Maedhros has the edge. Post-reincarnation Glorfindel vs Maehdros, then Glorfindel has it. G was a very much enhanced being after his reincarnation. So much so that Mr T toyed with the idea of him being one of the Istari. After dismissing this Mr T had G return during the Second Age, sent by the Valar to aid Gil-galad. That speaks volumes of Gs power, IMO, that the Valar thought him of such worth, wisdom and power, to send him to aid the Eldar against a Sauron, who was after all empowered by the One Ring. I don't mean to suggest that G would have been able to take on Sauron. I don't believe that for one minute, but that they sent him at all in the circumstances is very telling. Cheers Padster