Dark Lord

File:Morgoth giant.webp
File:Sauron flaming.webp
The Dark Lord, the Enemy or Dark Power were names given to the two great foes of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, Morgoth the great rebel Vala, and Sauron, the mighty fallen Maia. It was the title held by the two most powerful evil overlords in the world of Arda, each of whom worked to take control of all Middle-earth for themselves and enslave the Free Peoples.
== Description ==
The first Dark Lord was Morgoth, the prime mover of evil in Middle-earth throughout the early years of Arda and the First Age. Purposed by the nihilistic goals of marring and destroying the world since he could not do with it as he pleased, Morgoth rose in defiance of Arda's creator and the other Valar. In Middle-earth he would wage perpetual wars against Elves and Men and came close to triumph, only to be vanquished by the Host of the West.
The second Dark Lord was Sauron, the main and effective mover of evil in Middle-earth throughout the long Second and Third Ages. In his pride-goaded impatience to impose order, he came to desire to be the self-stylized "Lord of the Earth" - to have subjects and be worshipped as god-king - Sauron too rebelled thought not so outwardly at first. Later, as the heir of Morgoth he strove to build an empire over Middle-earth (and the island of Numenor) through endless wars with Elves, Men and Dwarves and came very close to total domination until he was toppled from power and eventually defeated by the allied Free Peoples.
That which they could not control, they sought to destroy. The first Dark Lord was the rebel Vala first known as Melkor and then as Morgoth Bauglir. The second Dark Lord was the Maia, and former lieutenant of Morgoth known as Sauron. Both Dark Lords were very influential in the history of Middle-earth, waging numerous wars against the Valar, the Elves, and a few select groups of Men. Their actions, especially those of Morgoth, had a permanent negative impact on the world, as the Dark Lords both destroyed many beautiful things and places, and caused untold anguish and grief. Eventually both Dark Lords were overthrown and defeated; Melkor was cast into the Void at the end of the First Age by his brethren, and Sauron was permanently weakened at the end of the Third Age by Frodo Baggins with the aid of Samwise Gamgee and Gollum, when they cast the One Ring into Mount Doom and robbed Sauron of most of his power.