Who '💀killed' the Witch King?

[Durin's Bane]

Who killed him?
Is it Eowin or Merry?
In my point of view it's Merry's barrow blade that started the wight's destruction. Being made with the purpose of fighting him it broke the spell that holded him as one whole, Eowin's stroke simply speeded up the process, yet he was already dying.
So what do you think?

 

[Gothmog]

In my opinion, it was Eowin that killed the Witch King. Had in not been for Merry however, she would not have been able to do so.

Merry's wound was grevious but not I think, fatal. Had that been the only blow iI feel that he would have survived and grown strong again. But, while he was weakened by the Barrow-Blade wound, Eowin struck him the final blow that ended his reign.

 

[Greenwood]

Merry wounded him, giving Eowyn the opening to deal him a fatal blow. Merry's stroke is described as a "bitter" wound, not a fatal wound -- a stab in the knee is not likely to be fatal. It was Eowyn's sword thrust that killed him.

 

[Beorn]

There's a thread already discussing this...a long time ago....I'm pretty sure it's this:
http://thetolkien.forum/showthread.php?t=14969&highlight=hauberk

 

[Meselyn]

I think that Eowyn "killed" the witch king, but Merry had a part in it. He distracted the witch king long enough for Eowyn to get up.

 

[Ingwë]

It is very inteteresting question: Who killed him?

May we have a poll? Gothmog, Ithy?
Eowyn
Merry
Frodo (because tyhe Ringwraiths are servanrs of the One Ring (Sauron) and Frodo destroyed the Ring)
Eowyn, Merry and Frodo

 

[Gothmog]

There you go. One poll

 

[Durin's Bane]

Nice, Merry's in the lead with only one vote!!! (mine of course) but i think he wont stay there for long...

 

[Ingwë]

WOW, we have fast moderators! Thanks, Gothmog!

I think Frodo killed thw Witch king because the Ringwraiths are spirits of the One Ring and while it exist the Ringwraiths will exist. I think Eowyn and Merry didn't kill the Witch king, they only make him lose his form for awhile

 

[Greenwood]

I think Frodo killed thw Witch king because the Ringwraiths are spirits of the One Ring and while it exist the Ringwraiths will exist. I think Eowyn and Merry didn't kill the Witch king, they only make him lose his form for awhile

The Nazgul are not Maia, like Sauron. They are mortal men. The rings extended their lives; the rings did not change them into immortals or into Maia like Sauron.

 

[Durin's Bane]

I'm losing positions on this one...
Any way, the combination Eowin, Merry and Frodo seems rather odd.
It could be just Eowin (Merry's stroke was futile), just Merry (my position that is), just Frodo (Merry and Eowin just... did nothing which I don't think is true), or the combo Merry and Eowin (which I believe a lot of people think is the true one).

 

[Greenwood]

It could be just Eowin (Merry's stroke was futile)

I believe Eowyn's sword thrust was the fatal blow, but that does not make Merry's stroke futile. The Witch King had already broken Eowyn's shield arm and his mace was raised to deliver a killing blow. Merry's stroke caused that blow to miss, thus saving Eowyn, as well as wounding the Witch King and leavng him open for Eowyn's fatal sword thrust. Merry's action was far from futile. It enabled Eowyn to deliver her killing sword thrust.

 

[Alatar]

The blow from Mery unwound the spell that enabled him to move his armour, so though it is notfatal, it still set eyown up to finaly kill him.
Ther witch king was dead by the time frodo destroied the ring, though you could say it was gollum who destroied the ring.

 

[Durin's Bane]

No offence but Greenwood pay attention to what I write (and you read) next time. What I was posting was my opinion on the possible answers. The answer Eowin means that it was just Eowin's doing, and the answer Merry means it was only Merry's doing. That's why one option shoud be Eowin and Merry (the combination of both). And I don't think that it was done by the three of them.
And if some edditing is to be done then the first option that is now Eowin should be changed to Eowin and Merry since that's the common mind.

 

[Alatar]

And I don't think that it was done by the three of them.

Deffinately, frodo either did it alone, or mery and eyown. Frodo was, waht a week after? The witch king was either dead or recovering.

 

[Greenwood]

No offence but Greenwood pay attention to what I write (and you read) next time. What I was posting was my opinion on the possible answers. The answer Eowin means that it was just Eowin's doing, and the answer Merry means it was only Merry's doing. That's why one option shoud be Eowin and Merry (the combination of both). And I don't think that it was done by the three of them.
And if some edditing is to be done then the first option that is now Eowin should be changed to Eowin and Merry since that's the common mind.

No offence taken, and no offence meant, but I did read what you wrote. You wrote that saying Eowyn killed the Witch King meant that Merry's blow was futile. It is that view that I disagree with. Merry's blow wounded the Witch King, saved Eowyn from being killed and gave her the opening to kill the Witch King. In no way can Merry's blow be considered futile. However, if Eowyn had not been there to kill the Witch King, I believe a hobbled Witch King would have merely turned around and killed Merry. In other words, I believe Merry did no serious damage to the Witch King. Of course, all what ifs are irrelevant since they are not the way Tolkien wrote the story. The way Tolkien wrote the story is that Eowyn killed the Witch King.

 

[Alatar]

What is the frodo theory? I mean how could he have killed him?

 

[Durin's Bane]

What is the frodo theory? I mean how could he have killed him?

That Merry (and Eowin) simply left the Witch-King shapeless causing no real harm in the long run. But when Frodo (Gollum actually) destroyed the ring everithing created by it's power was destroyed (including the nazguls). It was Ingwe's theory by the way.
Point taken Greenwood. Sorry for my misunderstanding.

 

[Gothmog]

However, the problem with the "Frodo Theory" is that there is no evidence that the Witch-King could have been re-incarnated, such a result has only happened once in the history of Arda, Beren was re-incarnated to live with Luthien.

Personlly I think that had the One Ring not been destroyed the Witch-king would still not have been given a new body. There would have been a great difference between the Witch-king and spirit of the Man that may have been held in Arda by the ring. He would most likely have been much like the dead of Dun-harrow. Spirits held in Arda but of very limited abilities.

 

[ingolmo]

I don't get the point how Frodo killed the Witch King, Eowyn killed him, it's as simple as that. Frodo killed Sauron and thus killed evil, and unless the Witch King was a symbol or representation of evil instead of Sauron, I don't know how Frodo killed him. And Eowyn killed him before Frodo destroyed the Ring, so there.