The Lord Of The Rings: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Nazgûl
1. The Nazgûl Were Not As Strong As You Think
Although the Nazgûl are said to be Sauron's most terrible and powerful servants, they are far less physically strong than you might think. Tolkien specified many times that their true power came from the fear they inspired in people.
Apart from the attack at Weathertop, and the Witch-kings fight with Éowyn, we don't see or hear of the Nazgûl actually fighting anyone. They manage to cause havoc with their Fellbeats, but their evil presence has far more of an impact.
In the book, Boromir mentions at the Council of Elrond that when Osigiliath was attacked, it was the fear of the Nazgûl that defeated his men, not the hordes of orcs. This is paralleled when Faramir's forces are defeated by the fear of the Black Captain (the Witch-king) rather than being outnumbered. Tolkien also wrote: "few will abide even the rumour of his coming" indicating that the Witch-king could defeat an enemy with the threat of terror alone.
In his later writings Tolkien stated, "They have no great physical power against the fearless", indicating that those who were able to steady their nerves would be able to fight and defeat the Nazgûl, although they could not destroy them with normal weapons.