Editing Balrog (section)

== Adaptations ==

[[File:Balrog500ppx.png|thumb|upright=1.35|The Balrog in Peter Jackson's ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' set the standard for later representations.<ref name="Bogstad Kaveny 2011"/>]]

The Balrog in [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s 1978 animated version was named Durin's Bane and had large wings like those of a bat.<ref name="Bogstad Kaveny 2011">{{cite book |last=Fimi |first=Dimitra |author-link=Dimitra Fimi |chapter=Filming Folklore |editor-last1=Bogstad |editor-first1=Janice M. |editor-last2=Kaveny |editor-first2=Philip E. |title=[[Picturing Tolkien]] |year=2011 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]] |isbn=978-0-7864-8473-7 |page=86}}</ref> [[Peter Jackson]]'s 2001 and 2002 films ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers|The Two Towers]]'' had similar wings, expressing its "satanic, demonic nature".<ref name="Bogstad Kaveny 2011"/> Earlier artists such as [[Ted Nasmith]] had depicted Balrogs without wings; Jackson's films used the design of Tolkien illustrator [[John Howe (illustrator)|John Howe]], making wings standard, in the same way that Jackson has made pointed ears standard for elves.<ref name="Bogstad Kaveny 2011"/> A Balrog appears in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]'', with a similar visual design to Jackson's monster.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 September 2022 |title='The Rings of Power' Episode 5 Just Revealed a New Balrog Origin Story |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/09/lord-of-the-rings-balrog |access-date=2 October 2022 |website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref>

Balrogs appear in [[Middle-earth in video games|Middle-earth computer and video games]] and merchandise. In the [[real-time strategy]] game ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth]]'', and its [[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II|sequel]], both based on Jackson's movies, the Balrog can use its wings, although only in short leaps. In the [[role-playing game]] ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age]]'', also based on the Jackson movies, the Balrog uses its wings to fly into the air, and comes crashing down, sending a damaging shockwave of flames at the player. In another game based on Jackson's movies, ''[[The Lord of the Rings: Conquest]]'', the Balrog is a playable hero.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gewirtz |first=Eric |url=http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/05/08/28812-what-is-the-lord-of-the-rings-conquest-pandemic-studios-eric-%e2%80%9cgiz%e2%80%9d-gewirtz-tells-us-about-it/ |title=What is "The Lord of the Rings: Conquest"? |date=8 May 2008 |access-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Roper |url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/872/872405p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512040859/http://pc.ign.com/articles/872/872405p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 May 2008 |title=The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Unveiled |website=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[j2 Global]] |date=8 May 2008 |access-date=18 March 2019}}</ref>

A Balrog features in [[King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard]]'s 2017 album ''[[Murder of the Universe]]'' (2017) as a giant reanimated monster. Songwriter Stu Mackenzie explained: "It might not be the Balrog from Middle Earth, but he is a sort of fire demon."<ref>{{cite web |first=Justin |last=Joffe |url=https://observer.com/2017/04/king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard-interview/ |title= King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Expand Their Universe by Murdering Ours |website=[[The New York Observer|Observer]] |publisher=[[j2 Global]] |date=12 April 2017 |access-date=13 December 2019}}</ref>

Early ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' books featured Balrogs among other Middle-earth characters like [[Hobbit]]s and [[Ent]]s; after a lawsuit brought by the [[Tolkien Estate]], these Tolkien-specific names were changed, the Balrogs becoming Balor, after the [[Balor|one-eyed monster of Irish mythology]].<ref name="Baird 2020">{{cite web |last1=Baird |first1=Scott |title=Lord Of The Rings' Complicated Legal History With Dungeons & Dragons |url=https://screenrant.com/lord-rings-dungeons-dragons-dnd-race-controversy-lawsuit/ |publisher=ScreenRant |access-date=23 March 2021 |date=2 May 2020}}</ref>