Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the upcoming movie The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies. These facts are based on the story as depicted in the book the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and may or may not be found in the movie. Reading forward will provide information about future events in the movie.
The Hobbit trilogy is nearing an end with the final installment coming in December. The series has been focused on the dwarves reclaiming their lost kingdom of Erebor. They were attacked by the great dragon Smaug and forced from their home under the mountain. At the close of the second film, the dragon Smaug had left the mountain confines of Erebor and was heading to destroy the human village of Laketown. The following are some basic facts about the final film.
The original title was There and Back Again – the title of Bilbo’s book
When the trilogy was planned in three phases, each episode was given a name that went along with the novel the Hobbit. The third chapter was given the name: There and back Again. The title has since been changed to the Battle of the Five Armies. Why did they start with such an odd title? There and Back Again is the title of Bilbo’s book he writes about his adventures. We see this in the first film when the older Bilbo is speaking with Frodo sometime in the future. We also see the title in the Lord pf the Rings at different points when they show Bilbo’s book.
Smaug’s reign in Erebor comes to an end
One of the key events in the book and the movie is the end of the great dragon Smaug. Smaug has ruled over Erebor in silence for many years and no lays his sights on Laketown. The humans are not ready for the coming onslaught of the dragon. However, Bard still has one of the Black Arrows that were made to pierce the side of a dragon. Smaug lost one of his scales during his assault on Dale many years prior. This will prove to be his undoing. Bard will take advantage of the one weak spot and use the Black Arrow to kill the dragon.
The climax will take place with a massive battle of five armies
It now seems somewhat redundant to mention a battle of five armies due to the title change but it is an important event within the overall story. The battle that is coming in the movie is one of the largest in Middle Earth’s history. The battle ensues over the fortune of gold setting in the caverns of Erebor. The moment that Smaug is no longer there to guard the treasure, multiple parties descend on the mountain to seize the fortune.
The five armies mass into an incredible battle that decides the fate of the future. Old alliances must be rekindled to defeat a greater enemy. The three armies of the elves, humans and dwarves must band together to fight off the invading horde of orcs. Even with the combined force of three armies, they still need the giant eagles to come to their aid to win the battle.
Several major characters do not survive the battle
As with any war, there will be casualties. The battle leaves several major characters dead or dying at the conclusion. These events may or may not occur within the overall story of the movie series. In the Hobbit novel, the dwarves fight bravely and brilliantly but still they lose three of the company in the siege. Thorin Oakenshield falls in battle and his nephews Killi and Filli will fall defending their uncle. Azog the orc leader will meet his demise before the battle comes to an end. Azog dies fighting the dwarves. Another character that might die in the battle is Tauriel. Tauriel does not appear in any of the future movies and was not originally in the book. This makes her character expendable. There is a high likelihood that she does not survive the battle.
There is a great deal of speculation about the coming final chapter of the Hobbit but everyone will have to wait a few more months to see if the speculation is correct. The Battle of the Five Armies comes out just in time for Christmas. It comes to theaters in the United States in mid-December.
