If you assume that an Elf or Man could have slain a
And that I might have averted, but for the madness of Denethor.” The 'bitter loss' mentioned here is referring to the death of King Theoden, but it seems that Gandalf believes he 'could have averted' the death, and thus defeated the Witch King, if his mind had not been distracted by other problems.
In the movie, the Witch-king breaks Gandalf's staff.
Gandalf also faked looking vulnerable and easy to attack. In reality, Gandalf probably didn't need his staff and the battle would have been long. The Witch-King could have killed tens of people per minute so would be a danger elsewhere, whereas Gandalf himself was not much of a fighting threat to the enemy.
A Balrog is definitely stronger than the witch king.
So, one glimpse into Smaug's eyes and the Balrog falls under the spell. Even if it's just for a second—a moment of hesitation or distraction, it'd be enough. Smaug would snatch up Durin's Bane and gobble him up with his sword-sharp teeth (and we know swords can kill Balrogs).
So far I have learned that Galadriel is powerful enough to have a good chance. It is not clear whether she really would have to die or not. I personally think now that beating a Balrog could even be done without much physical power, e.g. by building a trap that will lead the Balrog to drown or fall very deep.
This is a fascinating rendition of Saruman. In moments throughout the text, he seems torn. On one hand, he has a fear of the terrible Nazgul, having finally beheld them with his own eyes. This makes him want to turn away from the service of Mordor and return to the path of goodness with Gandalf.
Gandalf absolutely could have killed Smaug in a one-on-one fight. The grey wizard fought and defeated the Balrog of Moria, and a dragon was a lesser evil than that. As proof, Morgoth -- the original Dark Lord of Middle-earth -- created and bred dragons to his evil purpose in the First Age.
To start, both of the characters are undoubtedly strong. The Witch-king was named Lord of the Nazgûl, as the ghostly wraith is stronger than most of Sauron's followers and conquered much of Middle-earth for the Dark Lord.
Death and Return
The Witch-King is tracked down and temporarily slain along with the other Nazgûl. His corpse was buried in the high fells but all nine of them were revived by Sauron who was growing in his power within the abandoned fortress of Dol Guldur, calling himself the Necromancer.
He was one of the Maiar of Valinor, specifically, one of the people of the Vala Manwë; he was said to be the wisest of the Maiar. He was closely associated with two other Valar: Irmo, in whose gardens he lived, and Nienna, the patron of mercy, who gave him tutelage.
Both Morgoth and Sauron managed to inflict significant damage upon the world and their enemies before their downfall, but Morgoth was undoubtedly the more powerful of the two.
Galadriel (Cate Blanchet)
She was so powerful, in fact, that she bore one of the three elven Rings of Power, Nenya. There are many tales regarding the powers of Galadriel, which makes it difficult to distinguish what her magic truly is.
Weaknesses. Special Weapons: Being stabbed by weapons specifically designed to harm him (like Merry's sword of the Westernesse) would remove the spell protecting the Witch-king and cripple him. Women: Although no man could kill the Witch-king, a woman could.
Most of the time that Gandalf knows Saurman he is known as Saruman the White. He was originally the chief of the wizards as well as the White Council that was formed to fight against Sauron. He was more powerful than Gandalf at these stages, but his study of dark magic turned him to support Sauron.
In his prime, Dumbledore truly had no equal who could best him in a one-on-one wizarding duel. Even though he might seem like an old man, his wizarding power is on a completely different level. Gandalf is probably the most powerful opponent he'd ever face, but Dumbledore wouldn't go down without a fight.
Gandalf pursued the monster for eight days, until they climbed to the peak of Zirakzigil, where the Balrog was forced to turn and fight, its body erupting into new flame. Here they fought for two days and nights. In the end, the Balrog was defeated and cast down, breaking the mountainside where it fell "in ruin".
The Balrog of Moria is a lot more powerful than Gandalf the Grey, who needs to use a ring of power to defeat the monster. He is also weaker than Saruman, another Maia. And all of that changes when he returns as The White. That being said, it is necessary to understand that the Maiar are not all made from the same mold.
The Nazgûl, as servants of Sauron, feared the power of Ulmo, and believed that some of his power might still flow through the waters of Middle-earth, hence why they avoided it as much as they could.
In The Lord of the Rings, it is said that had Galadriel chosen to use her powers for evil instead of good, she would have been even more destructive and terrifying than Sauron himself. Galadriel was the greatest and most powerful of all Elves in Middle Earth in the Third Age.
Sauron feared her
The author said that she was the “last remaining of the Great among the High Elves” in the Third Age, and consequently was the one person Sauron must have feared most among all his enemies in the War of the Ring.
For more than five millennia, the Balrog hibernated in his deep hiding place at the roots of the mountains in Khazad-dûm. He remained undisturbed throughout the Second Age and most of the Third, before the mithril-miners of dwarf-King Durin VI awoke him in T.A. 1980.
So, in terms of "angelic rankings," they were on the same level, which meant that Sauron had no authority to commander the Balrog. As a Valar, Morgoth led a whole slew of Balrogs in the First Age, but because Sauron was only a Maia, the Balrog would have had no loyalty to him.
Elrond was a great warrior and general who had significant power due to both his lineage as well as his inherent strength. He fought and lived through three ages of the world. Yes I believe he could with difficulty defeat the Balrog.