The Army of the Dead of Dunharrow is the battalion of wraiths that plays a decisive role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. These supernatural beings who come to Aragorn's aid are at the heart of many mysteries. From its place in Tolkien's writings to its role in Peter Jackson's films and the expanded universe, here are 8 facts you might not know about Army of the Dead.
#8 Is the Army of the Dead invincible? (canon)
In our previous article on Dunharrow's wraith army (here), we explored its origins and formidable powers in Tolkien's universe. Faced with their ability to sweep away Sauron's troops without suffering any harm, one question remains: are they truly invincible? In the films, they appear untouchable – arrows and blades pass through them without effect, and they crush enemies effortlessly. The Orcs offer no resistance. Yet this overwhelming power seems mostly cinematic, because in the books, their effectiveness relies primarily on the fear they inspire. In reality, their power is psychological. Gimli himself doubts that their weapons have any tangible effect. Powerful beings, like Sauron, certain Elves, or Wizards, might be able to resist their influence. Moreover, they only obey one of Isildur's heirs and fight only once to fulfill their oath. A cruel, but theoretically effective, strategy would therefore be to eliminate Aragorn or extinguish the line of Isildur. In this case, the army would no longer be able to fight. She would not be truly defeated, but would no longer join any battles, remaining a danger only to anyone who entered their lair.
#7 The lair of the Army of the Dead hides a riddle (canon)
The Paths of the Dead, or Fui 'Ngorthrim in the Elven language, form an underground passage crossing the Haunted Mountain (Dwimorberg), beneath the ancient fortress of Dunharrow. This sinister place is haunted by the souls of the army of the dead, whose mere presence has made the place oppressive over the centuries. Disturbing remains, such as a royal skeleton frozen in front of a sealed door, bear witness to the danger. The network of corridors and rooms seems designed to disorient intruders. On the road leading to this necropolis stand mysterious stone statues, called Biscornus by the Rohirrim. Despite erosion, their forms remain visible. According to some, these stone giants are the ancestors of the Duneans, ancient enemies of Rohan. For others, they are linked to the Woses, a secretive and ancient people of Middle-earth. Some legends attribute a protective role to these statues: they could come to life in times of threat. Their presence reinforces the sacred and feared character of the place, which few dare to approach.
#6 This people, little known in the lore, maintains a strange link with the army of the dead (canon)
The Drúedain, or , are an ancient people with a singular appearance: small, stocky, with a weathered face. Although humanoid, they are sometimes considered distinct from Men. Their origin could go back to the mysterious Biscornus, sculptors of the monumental statues that line the entrance to the Paths of the Dead.As with the army of the dead, few concrete elements exist on the Drúedain, but the proximity of their territories raises questions. Could the king of the dead have a forgotten link with this people?
The Drúedain possess special gifts: tracking, plant knowledge, premonition, and above all, a deep connection to nature. Living apart from the world, they inhabit the forest of Drúadan, neighboring the Haunted Mountain. Legends claim that they hear voices coming from the Paths of the Dead, but no one knows if this is a gift or an ancient connection with these tormented souls. Disturbing fact: while the army of the dead rallied to Aragorn during the War of the Ring, the Woses guided the lost Rohirrim to Gondor. While no evidence links the two peoples, the parallel between their simultaneous intervention and their relationship with haunted places remains mysterious and intriguing.
#5 Peter Jackson Didn't Like the Army of the Dead (Making of)
Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings, never liked Dunharrow's army of the dead. He considered the idea too improbable, but chose to keep it so as not to disappoint Tolkien's die-hard fans. However, in his adaptation, he amplifies their role to the point of making them a true deus ex machina. Unlike in the books, where these specters terrify enemies but do not actually fight, the film shows them as invincible entities annihilating Sauron's army in a matter of minutes. This choice has drawn criticism. In the novel, it is the living—the Men of the South—who, reinforced by Aragorn and his allies, win the battle. For some, by entrusting the entire victory to ghosts, Jackson weakens the weight of the sacrifices and the dramatic tension. Ironically, what he himself considered "too easy" became one of the most controversial sequences in his trilogy.
#4 But who was the King of the Dead before he was cursed? (Expanded Universe)
In Tolkien's work, the King of the Dead is an enigmatic figure. We know that he was the leader of a human people settled in the White Mountains, having sworn allegiance to Isildur, ancestor of Aragorn. But when war against Sauron broke out, this king betrayed his oath. Isildur cursed him, and he and his people would wander like restless spirits until they kept their word. Taking refuge in the mountains, they became the famous Dead of Dunharrow. However, despite these elements, the true identity of this king remains unknown. This vagueness has allowed the creatives in charge of expanding Tolkien's universe, particularly through video games or role-playing games, to offer their own version of this cursed king.
King Rioc: in the online game The Lord of the Rings Online, the cursed king is named Rioc. He is the leader of the Mountain Men who swore loyalty to Isildur at the end of the Second Age. When the oath is broken, Rioc is cursed, becoming the King of the Dead. During his life, he had a daughter named Bravantel, a figure that humanizes this fallen ruler. Rioc appears in several playable moments, notably at the Stone of Erech and later with Aragorn at the Grey Company Camp. This is where Aragorn finally lifts the curse, after the Dead help retake Pelargir.
King Zarazir: In the The Last Alliance DLC for Third Age: Total War, the King of the Dead is named Zarazir. This game offers a strategic retelling of the War of the Last Alliance. Zarazir, as King of the Mountain Men, can pledge allegiance to either Isildur or Sauron, or choose an independent path to conquer Númenor and Mordor. This narrative freedom allows for the imagining of an ambitious, calculating king whose betrayal is motivated not by fear, but by a desire for domination. In this scenario, Zarazir embodies a forgotten power, and a synthesis of the weaknesses of Men, halfway between greatness and curse, as depicted by Tolkien.
#3 Isildur also cursed the family of the King of the Dead (Expanded Universe)
In the expanded universe of The Lord of the Rings Online, the curse of the army of the dead takes root in the family of the King of the Dead, Rioc. Once a powerful ruler, he suffered the wrath of Isildur for breaking a sacred oath, thus condemning his people to wander without rest. Her daughter, Bravantel, tries to escape this tragic fate. Falling in love with Vágari, a warrior of Gondor, she leaves the cursed lands to lead a peaceful life. Together, they give birth to a son, Héol, hoping to break the curse that weighs on their line. Yet, the plague doesn't stop at Rioc: it also strikes Bravantel, Vágari, and Héol.
Vágari makes a secret pact with the Nazgûl to try to save his family, but he himself becomes a wandering spirit, now known as Tárandil. Bravantel mysteriously disappears, his soul trapped between life and death. Their son Héol also loses his life and wanders forever. But Vágari is no mere warrior: Isildur took him in and raised him as his own son. By cursing the army of the dead, Isildur also curses those dear to him. The game heightens the tragedy by imagining that Vágari's specter has since pursued Isildur's to the four corners of Middle-earth.
#2 Could the Rings of Power series have presented the origins of the King of the Dead? (fan theory)
Since his first appearance in The Rings of Power, Theo has intrigued fans. This young boy, born in a village in the Southlands where Sauron was already worshipped, seems destined for a dark future. His discovery of the evil pommel, his attraction to power, his rejection of the Elves, and above all, his budding bond with Isildur, have fueled many theories. Among them, one stands out: Theo would become the future King of the Dead. In The Return of the King, this cursed character was once a king of the Mountain Men, having betrayed Isildur. The latter condemned him and his people to wander until they honored their oath.
However, in the series, Theo begins to follow a similar path: loss of moral compass, implicit royal heritage, and an ambivalent relationship with Isildur. Rather than becoming a Nazgûl or Sauron's Spokesman, this tragic trajectory toward betrayal, then redemption alongside Aragorn, seems more coherent. The Rings of Power could thus offer a poignant origin for the King of the Dead, transforming a mysterious figure into a complex character, torn between light and darkness.
#1 Before Aragorn, another character summoned the army of the dead (expanded universe)
In The Lord of the Rings Online,long before Aragorn called the dead to their oath, it was the players who, exploring the ruins of Fornost, tried to free these tormented spirits from their curse. But to their great surprise, they discovered that these former traitors, cursed for having abandoned their king, now serve a new mistress: Amarthiel, the terrifying Champion of Angmar. Amarthiel, formerly known as Narmeleth, was a talented elven blacksmith who fell under the influence of Narchuil, an evil ring she had forged herself.
Becoming the Witch-king's instrument, she led the armies of Angmar against Aragorn's ancestors during the fall of Fornost. Missing for centuries, she returns in various disguises, manipulating and betraying, always in search of her precious ring. It is finally during an epic confrontation that the player manages to defeat her and thus free the army of the dead from her influence. However, Amarthiel's destiny does not end there, and it is only after her hand is severed—snatching Narchuil from her—that Narmeleth succeeds in definitively breaking the curse, regaining her true identity.
And to learn more about specters in Tolkien's work, see our feature on the Nazgûl, the Spirits of the Mounds, the Witch-king of Angmar, and the Army of the Dead (Part One).
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