I wish to address a couple of issues, all of which can be found in the chapter titled ‘The Bridge of Khazad-Dum’. They are:
- The Balrog’s ‘Flight’
- Gandalf’s Commands
- Gandalf’s Fate
The famous question, do Balrogs have wings? Short answer: No. Long answer: Nopety nope nope, No. Longer answer: Most people see the sentence describing the Balrog, and see ‘he stretched his dark wings from one side of the cavern to the other’ and think that the debate is over. This is called a metaphor. Google it. The shadow and flame of the Balrog’s aura, for lack of better term, appeared to the hobbits as wings, not that he has physical, flesh-and-blood wings. And, if he fell, why didn’t he just fly? If he had wings, then Gandalf’s tactic was a little unwise…
Next Gandalf actually never said the words ‘You shall not pass’, as most media presents. It is a sad statement that has corrupted the minds of many a once-loyal Tolkien fan. The words were ‘You CANNOT pass’. If you yell at me for calling this a minor difference, then explain why the billions of memes can’t get 4 characters right. That’s an even more minor difference.
Finally, Gandalf’s fate. After Durin’s Bane pulled him down, they fell together through the mines of Moria. The film actually portrays this nicely. They came to the mountain of Zirakzigil and fought it out there. Gandalf smote down his foe, but then died. He wasn’t half dead, or temporarily dead, he was completely, 100%, dead. His Maia spirit returned to Valinor, and the Valar chose to send him back to Middle-Earth to finish the job he started. He took the form of Saruman, or rather, Saruman as he should have benn.