White Council
Only Elrond, Saruman, Galadriel take place at the White Council, however other elf lords such as Cirdan were also members of the White Council.
The White Council was an important council of the wizards and the elf lords that discussed important matters of Middle Earth.
The first White Council was assembled by Gil-Galad before the wizards or the Istari such as Gandalf and Saruman arrived at Middle Earth.
However, after the wizards arrived, Saruman became the chairman of the council and Galadriel was the first to assemble the White Council under Saruman’s order. Saruman, who secretly desired the One Ring would constantly deny the return of Sauron and pledged to take matters after the battle of Dol Guldur.
In the novel, similarly Saruman disapproved of the attack on Dol Guldur as he wanted to leave Sauron find the location of the missing One Ring.
However, Saruman eventually approves the attack on Dol Guldur fearing that Sauron already recovered enough power to claim the One Ring and find it faster than Saruman himself.
Strength of Galadriel, Elrond and Saruman
Elrond was one of the twin sons of the half-human half-elf hero Earendil who has slayed the most powerful dragon of the Legendarium Ancalagon.
Also, Elrond was mentored by Maglor who was one of the sons of Feanor the great Noldor elf lord. Galadriel was a Noldor elf from the royal family of Finarfin, the elf king of the Noldor elves that resided in Valinor.
She was born on the Aman continent and even witnessed the light of the Two Trees of Valinor and she survived through the whole First Ages and the Second Ages.
Galadriel also was mentored and trained by the great Maia Melian, that was one of the most powerful Maia. Saruman and Gandalf were maias themselves but sent to Middle-Earth by the Valars. Maias were equivalent as the status of the angles in real life.
Thus, although in the novel, the nazguls never faced the White Council at Dol Guldur, even if they did like the movie, they stood no chance against the powerful elf lords and Maias.
Attack on Dol Guldur and Powers of Galadriel
In the movie, the White Council comes to the rescue for Gandalf captured by Sauron, however in the novel Gandalf was never captured by Sauron and the details of the attack on Dol Guldur isn’t great. The movie shows Galadriel banishing Sauron with her powers.
Galadriel was a royal Noldor elf and the granddaughter of the first Noldor elf Finwe where her father Finarfin was also the Noldor elf king of the remaining Noldor elves of Aman.
The Noldor elves especially those of the royal blood lines that thrived in the First Ages were powerful enough to slay multiple balrogs at once. During these days, balrogs weren’t even considered as lords or high commanding officers but they were rather low rank officers of Morgoth’s army.
Thus, Galadriel was a survivor of such a harsh era and by birth and the training she received, she was one of the most powerful beings on Middle Earth. Orcs couldn’t even enter Lothlorien, the lands that Galadriel ruled because of her powers and Sauron would have to face Galadriel himself even with his full strength.
Nazguls – Ring Wraiths
In the novel, the nazguls didn’t exactly dwell in Dol Guldur and they rather were preparing the return of Sauron at Mordor. The nazguls were once powerful kings, lords and sorcerers and not much is known of the origins of the nazguls nor their true identities.
However, during the second Age since Numenor started to deny their religion and worship of the Valars and fear of death started to spread, interestingly the undead servants of Sauron the nazguls appeared on Middle Earth.
The nine nazguls were the owners of the nine rings of power distributed to humans that were bound to the One Ring and became a servant of Sauron.
The rings of power would extend life preventing death so the nazguls have withered and became ring wraiths that would only serve Sauron.
The movie describes that the nazguls all fell during the Angmar Wars and they were all sealed with powerful magic at the Hills of Rhudaur. However, the nazguls didn’t all participate in the Angmar Wars nor were they ever caught by the elves and humans in the novel.
Why was Sauron in Dol Guldur
Sauron’s main enemies were the free races of Middle Earth. In the north of Morodor, Erebor the kingdom of dwarves and the elves of Mirkwood along with the humans stood against Sauron.
Gondor faced Morodor, Khand, Harad and Umbar at its borders and was the main front that opposed Mordor and Sauron. Rohan would face the orcs of the Misty Mountains and Rohan was the gateway to Eriador. Lothlorien was also another point that linked the west and east of the Misty Mountains.
At Eriador layed the remaining northern rangers of the Dunedain, Rivendell and Lindon that were the elf havens. Occupation of Dol Guldur could cut off the dwarves of Erebor and the elves of Mirkwood from the other nations while Dol Guldur could also serve as a linkpoint with Gundabad and the Misty Mountains with Mordor.
The movie describes that Sauron intended to revive the evil kingdom of Angmar, however in the novel, Sauron nor the Witch king of Angmar had any regrets with the fall of Angmar as the Angmar kingdom served is purpose almost perfect as it collapsed the three kingdoms Arthedain, Cardolan and Rhudaur that descended from Arnor, the Northern Kingdom of the Exile of Numenor.
Were-worms
In the novel, there is only a brief mention of the were-worms. However, in the movie Battle of Five Armies, the orcs of Moria and the Misty Mountains would maneuver very quickly and silently as they move through the tunnels of the were-worms.
The inspiration for the were-worms may have been the lores of the Mongolian Death Worm. However, in the novel, were-worms didn’t serve as a tunneling creature.
Alliance of Gundabad and Moria orcs
In the movie, by the command of Sauron, the orcs of Moria and Gundabad would assemble for an attack on the dwarves that would retake Erebor. Azog would lead the orcs of Moria while his son Bolg led the orcs of Gundabad.
In the novel, Azog was already dead and Sauron himself didn’t directly give orders for command. Bolg was eager to avenge his father Azog that was killed during the Azanulbizar Battle and the orcs and goblins of Moria and the Misty Mountains wished to avenge the Great Goblin slayed by Gandalf and Thorin’s party. The orcs of Gundabad and Moria took two armies for the Battle of the Five Armies.
