Tolkien’s writings often pit heroic underdogs against overpowered evil. They show the unseen, undervalued, and ill-equipped, like Frodo or Bilbo, facing off against impossibly fierce enemies like Saruman, Shelob, and Smaug. Of course, two of the most powerful villains in Middle-earth lore are Morgoth and Sauron, the first and second Dark Lords, respectively. These are Ainur, angelic spirits who predate creation and some of whom eventually inhabit and dwell within Eä, Tolkien’s name for the physical universe.
“The Silmarillion” states that they are both basically the same degree of evil (with the exception that Sauron technically serves Morgoth, who never serves anyone but himself). Which one is more powerful, though? When Morgoth falls at the end of the First Age of Middle-earth history, is Sauron a plan B or an upgrade? While Tolkien doesn’t give a straightforward answer, we’ve dug through the source materials, parsed through opinions in the fandom, and have come to the fairly obvious conclusion that Morgoth takes the top spot.
Before we dig into the details, we also want to point out that despite the world-shaping power level of both of these baddies, all of their bravado and swagger fall under certain restrictions. Tolkien makes it clear that their evil intentions and desires mean that, while they can corrupt, warp, and ruin things, they cannot create new things in and of themselves. “The Silmarillion” clarifies, “naught that had life of its own, nor the semblance of life, could ever [Morgoth] make.” Frodo in “The Return of the King” also says, when talking about what Orcs are exactly, “The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own. I don’t think it gave life to the orcs, it only ruined them and twisted them.”
Despite the restriction, the two terrors can still get a lot done with the already-created stuff around them. So let’s see what it is that makes Morgoth the more powerful being as he and Sauron set about conquering lands, dominating wills, and generally ruining the Middle-earth experience for everyone else.
