Peter Jackson's epic, three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit has featured more than a few fantastic battle sequences, but the grand finale will unfold in the upcoming conclusion to the trilogy, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies.
With the world of Middle-earth primed for a cataclysmic showdown at the foot of Lonely Mountain -- and one of the last great dragons looking to burn everything in his path -- the stakes couldn't be higher for Bilbo Baggins and his supporting cast of dwarves, elves, orcs, wizards and men.
Here are some of the greatest battles that have been fought in the world of The Hobbit on the path to The Battle of Five Armies:
The Dragon's Siege
Long before Bilbo was introduced to Thorin Oakenshield and his dwarven allies, Thorin was an heir to the throne of Erebor, the great dwarven kingdom within Lonely Mountain. The kingdom's great prosperity under King Thror came to a sudden – and fiery – end when the king's treasure hoard earned the attention of one of the last great dragons, Smaug. Still, the valiant effort of the dwarves to safeguard their kingdom was something to behold.
Thorin Oakenshield vs. Azog the Defiler
Not only did the albino orc known as Azog the Defiler slaughter Thorin's grandfather, Thror (the former king of Erebor), but he vowed to exterminate Thorin's entire bloodline. His quest met with some resistance, however, when Thorin faced him outside the mines of Moria and cut off his hand. When Thorin defended himself from Azog using a piece of oak, he also earned his famous surname that became part of dwarven history.
Escape from Goblin Town
Trapped within the kingdom of the Great Goblin, Bilbo and the dwarves seemed doomed -- until Gandalf arrived on the scene wielding his powerful sword, Glamdring.
Saving the company of dwarves (and a hobbit) from certain death, Gandalf joined the fray and rallied the group to battle their way out of the labyrinthine lair of the goblins.
The Eagles Save the Day
Cornered by Azog and his orc soldiers and literally run up a tree, Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves found aid in the skies thanks to giant eagles that scattered the orcs and rescued the small band of adventurers. The eagles had answered Gandalf's call for assistance, and their arrival provided one of the truly epic moments of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Bilbo vs. the Spiders of Mirkwood
Ambushed by massive spiders descended from the great arachnid Shelob (last seen in The Lord of the Rings), the dwarves found themselves caught in a sticky situation when they ventured into Mirkwood Forest during The Desolation of Smaug. Some quick thinking and a magical ring enabled Bilbo to save the day, and his actions also inspired a name for the short sword he acquired earlier in the film – a sword known from that moment on as “Sting.”
The River Battle
The dwarves found themselves fighting a battle on multiple fronts during The Desolation of Smaug when they escaped elven king Thranduil's prison by hiding in empty wine casks. Pursued down the river by orcs and elves alike, the dwarves somehow managed to keep both enemies at bay in a wild, frantic sequence while they were being tossed along by the raging river.
The Battle of the Forge
The climactic battle of The Desolation of Smaug pitted the dwarves against the great dragon himself as Thorin and his company of dwarves sought to ignite the forges of their former kingdom in an effort to kill Smaug. The sequence featured all manner of high-flying stunts and close calls as the dwarves ran, jumped, and flailed their way through the halls of their once-great kingdom with Smaug in (literally) hot pursuit.
