It doesn't take long for danger to overtake Thorin and his companions on their quest to retake Erebor. The danger comes in many forms, but none of them are as deadly as that of Azog the Defiler. Known as the Pale Orc, Azog was the chief of the Orcs that dwelt in the old Dwarf kingdom of Moria, which Thorin's grandfather Thror attempted to reclaim after Smaug invaded Erebor. This attempt resulted in Thror's death; Azog, though badly injured, survived and nursed his thirst for revenge. When he learned that Thorin had resurfaced, he set out to exact his revenge against Thror's grandson. Azog's pursuit of the Dwarves makes for an exciting subplot, but it also completely changes the story of The Hobbit. Azog does not appear at all in the book for the simple reason that he is dead. According to the appendices in The Lord Of The Rings, Thorin's cousin Dain killed him at the Battle of Moria (the same battle where Thror died). With Azog dead, about 90% of the movies' plots and action scenes cease to exist; changing his fate at the Battle of Moria puts the three Hobbit movies more into the realm of an alternate timeline than an accurate adaptation. Can you think of anything else Peter Jackson has changed that he probably wishes we would forget from the original story? Let us know in the comments section!
Paula Luther hails from Pennsylvania and has been an avid Whovian since 2008. She enjoys writing (obviously), reading, dancing, video editing, and building websites. She has also self-published two books on Amazon, "Bart the Bard" and "Android Mae and Other Stories".
