I Rethought Everything About LOTR’s Villains — And Sauron Isn’t Even the Scariest One

However, Sauron was a worthy pupil of his master.
Rewatching The Lord of the Rings made me realise something unexpected — Sauron is just one piece of a much darker puzzle. Sure, he’s the big bad everyone knows, but the real nightmares are the villains lurking behind the scenes.
Take Morgoth, for example. He’s the original dark lord, the source of all the chaos. This guy didn’t just want power — he wanted to remake the entire world in his twisted image.
He destroyed the Trees of Light, unleashed balrogs, and created creatures of pure terror. Honestly, Morgoth’s destruction makes Sauron look like a warm-up act.
Then there’s Sauron himself — a master of manipulation and deceit. He didn’t just wreck stuff, he played the long game, charming elves and men alike to serve his will through the Rings of Power. His evil is subtle, but that doesn’t mean he’s the scariest.
Ancalagon the Black is next level — a dragon so massive that when he died, mountains crumbled. Imagine that flying around. Then there’s the Balrog, a fiery demon that nearly killed Gandalf in a legendary ten-day duel underground. Now that’s a fight.
Don’t forget the Witch-King of Angmar, the terrifying leader of the Nazgûl. No fear, nearly immortal, and with a prophecy that no man could kill him — which is exactly why Éowyn’s victory is so iconic.
Finally, Ungoliant, the spider demon who literally drank the light from the world’s greatest trees. Even Morgoth was terrified of her. That’s some serious cosmic-level horror.
So yeah, while Sauron towers as the face of evil, these villains? They’re the true dark heart of Middle-earth — far more terrifying and unforgettable.