The Lord Of The Rings: Every Fellowship Of The Ring Member Ranked From Least To Most Powerful

Merry was never quite as goofy as Pippin, which translated to becoming a slightly better fighter than his cousin. He has more chances to prove himself, fighting alongside the Riders of Rohan in the Battle of Pelennor Fields as well as also helping lead the charge at the Black Gate.

At Pelennor Fields, however, Merry is part of the central showdown of the battle. The Witch-King of Angmar, leader of the Nazgûl, has terrorized Gondor for more than two millennia. Ages before The Lord of the Rings, he killed Aragorn's ancestors and carved out the most successful kingdom of men to stand up to Gondor. He is Sauron's most important and powerful lieutenant.

The Witch-King asserts there is a prophecy that no man can kill him. Part of his power is the terror he communicates. Most warriors run away from him, and at Pelennor, he kills the great Theoden and seems to have turned the tide of battle against Rohan.

Merry, who has been wounded while riding behind Eowyn, shows his greatest strength by not giving into the Witch-King's terror. At a moment when the battle seems lost, he finds the courage to strike. When he slices the Witch-King's Achilles tendon, he creates the opening that Eowyn uses to deliver the killing blow.

The Witch-King promised that no man could kill him, and no man did. It took a woman with the help of a Hobbit.