Lord Of The Rings' Fourth Age Of Middle-Earth Explained

J.R.R. Tolkien's most famous works take place in the Third Age of Middle-earth, and the author has expanded on the history of his legendarium elsewhere. But what about the years after the end of the War of the Ring? Just what happened in Middle-Earth's Fourth Age?

If you want to properly understand the Fourth Age, it's important to get a good idea of what led up to it. The First Age begins when the Dark Lord Morgoth sneaks into the realm of Valinor, steals the one-of-a-kind-jewels known as the Silmarils, and hightails it back to Middle-earth. Looking for revenge, a faction of elves set out in pursuit of their enemy.

These elves spend the next 500 years waging war against Morgoth. They win some early victories, but over time, the Dark Lord regains the initiative — and eventually utterly overwhelms the elves and their mortal allies. The Free Peoples are only saved from defeat when Aragorn's ancestor, Eärendil, sails back to the Blessed Realm and asks the god-like Valar for help. This leads to the catastrophic War of Wrath, in which Morgoth is overthrown, his servants are scattered, and vast swathes of Middle-earth are drowned beneath the sea.

Watch this video for the Lord of the Rings' fourth age of Middle Earth explained!

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The First Age | 0:00
The Second Age | 1:08
The Third Age | 2:38
The Fourth Age | 3:42
King Elessar | 4:37
Aragorn and Arwen | 5:52
Legolas and Gimli | 7:04
The Shire | 8:26
Age of Men | 9:28
The New Shadow | 10:30
Beyond the Fourth Age | 11:31

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