Who Killed Gothmog Balrog? The Epic Death You Missed

First, who was Gothmog exactly?

Before we get to who killed Gothmog, let’s set the stage. Because no joke—there are actually two Gothmogs in Tolkien’s legendarium, and yeah, that confused the hell out of me too.

There’s:

1. Gothmog the Lord of the Balrogs – a fiery, ancient monster from The Silmarillion.

2. Gothmog the Orc lieutenant of Minas Morgul – from The Lord of the Rings.

We’re talking about the first one here. The Balrog boss. Morgoth’s right hand during the First Age. The biggest, baddest demon in the house of fire and shadow.

Now that we’ve cleared that up... let’s talk about how he died. Because oh boy, it’s one of the most epic deaths in Tolkien’s whole mythology.

The legendary elf who faced him: Ecthelion of the Fountain

Yep, not Gandalf. Not Glorfindel. Ecthelion.

I know, I know. You were probably thinking Gandalf, because of the Balrog in The Fellowship of the Ring. But that Balrog was just a Balrog. Gothmog was their commander. A whole different beast.

The one who killed Gothmog? Ecthelion of the Fountain, an elven lord of Gondolin. Not exactly a household name unless you’ve read The Silmarillion or The Fall of Gondolin. But trust me—he deserves a damn statue.

The battle was brutal and personal

According to The Fall of Gondolin, during Morgoth’s assault on the hidden Elven city of Gondolin, Gothmog charged in leading the Balrogs and an army of orcs. He personally killed Turgon, king of Gondolin. Yeah, the king.

Ecthelion didn’t let that slide.

He confronted Gothmog in the square of the king, already wounded, but still burning with that elven rage. And get this: he charged Gothmog with his helm.

Yes. He headbutted a Balrog.

They both fell into the fountain at the center of the square, grappling, and the water extinguished the Balrog’s fire. They died together, drowning locked in combat.

Man, Tolkien really knew how to make a death hit hard.

Why this fight is so overlooked

Blame the movies (kind of)

Peter Jackson’s films never touched this story. And honestly, fair—it’s deep Silmarillion lore, and the rights are messy. But still, it’s wild how one of the greatest one-on-one fights in Middle-earth barely gets mentioned outside Tolkien nerd circles.

I asked my buddy Chris—who’s read The Lord of the Rings like five times—if he knew who killed Gothmog. He said,

“Wasn’t it Gandalf in Moria?”

Nope. Wrong Gothmog, bro.

Also... the name "Gothmog" gets recycled

Tolkien reuses names sometimes, and that can confuse even diehard fans. The orc commander in Return of the King is also called Gothmog, but he’s definitely not a Balrog. More like a deformed orc general (probably a lieutenant of the Witch-king).

I used to mix them up too until I realized one was literally a flaming demon and the other was just ugly with a limp.

Ecthelion’s sacrifice was pure Tolkien poetry

There’s something almost Shakespearean about how it ends. The noblest elf, already bleeding, takes down the greatest terror of the First Age—not with a sword, not with a spell, but with sheer defiance and honor.

This isn’t just a “who killed who” trivia. It’s a moment that defines courage in the face of doom. And yeah, it made me rethink how I rank Middle-earth heroes. (Sorry Legolas, you’re getting bumped.)

Final answer: Who killed Gothmog the Balrog?

Ecthelion of the Fountain.
He gave his life to defeat the Lord of the Balrogs, and in doing so, saved what remained of Gondolin—even if it fell not long after.

Not enough people know his name, but if you ever meet a true Tolkien fan and want to impress them? Just say:

“Did you know Ecthelion killed Gothmog by headbutting him into a fountain?”

Watch their eyes light up.

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