The primary evil before Sauron in J.R.R. Tolkien's world was Morgoth, originally named Melkor, who was the first Dark Lord and the source of almost all evil in Middle-earth, corrupting the world and inspiring his lieutenant, Sauron, after his own downfall from the mightiest of the divine beings (Ainur).
Melkor is the most powerful of the Valar but he turns to darkness and is renamed Morgoth, the primary antagonist of Arda. All evil in the world of Middle-earth ultimately stems from him. One of the Maiar of Aulë betrays his kind and becomes Morgoth's principal lieutenant and successor, Sauron.
It was a lengthy battle where Gandalf put up a good fight. Gandalf the White has a stand-off with the Witch King at the siege of Minas Tirith and he is disarmed within seconds and would most likely be killed, before being saved. Why?
————— Morgoth —————— the first dark lord of middle earth Melkor ("He who arises in might"), later known predominantly as Morgoth ("Black Foe of the World"), was the first Dark Lord before Sauron in the Tolkien lore. Melkor was created by Eru Illuvatar, the creator.
Melkor was scolded by the other Ainur for attempting to claim the Secret Fire as his own. He felt deep shame, but this shame turned to jealousy and then eventually great hate. If he could not have the power to create things, he would then destroy/corrupt the things that were created by the Secret Fire.
Gandalf is the same type of being (both are Maiar). Sauron was the disciple of Morgoth who is essentially a Satan-type character and the worst of beings. Gandalf (and the other 4 wizards) were sent by the Valar (Morgoth's equals but good) to combat Sauron's evil.
In Valinor, Gandalf, a Maia, was named Olórin, one of the people of the Vala Manwë, and the wisest of the Maiar.
Sauron's rise to power in the Second Age is portrayed in the Amazon prequel series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. He first appears disguised as the non-canonical human character Halbrand, and then in the second season as Annatar (a canonical alias of Sauron), both played by Charlie Vickers.
The Dark Lord is ranked as one of the most powerful characters in the Animator vs. Animation metaseries, being able to fight on par with The Chosen One and easily able to defeat the black stick figure after being enhanced with the Wristbands of Power.
In the books, Legolas actually screamed in terror when he realized that a Balrog was coming. It was the Balrogs that rounded up the elves for Morgoth, to be corrupted into orcs.
As one of the Maiar, Gandalf was not a mortal Man but an angelic being who had taken human form... along with the other Maiar who entered into the world as the five Wizards, he took on the specific form of an aged old man as a sign of his humility...
But at the Council of Elrond, Gandalf very specifically says he fought all nine. He drew four of them off when he fled northward at dawn; "This helped, a little, for there were only five, not nine, when your camp was attacked."
All the Nazgûl are named - The Witch-king of Angmar, The Dark Marshal, Khamûl The Easterling, The Betrayer, The Shadow Lord, The Undying, The Dwimmerlaik, The Tainted and The Knight of Umbar.
Sauron needed Gandalf out of the picture permanently, as he was the only enemy with the knowledge, leadership and determination to thwart him. His biggest mistake was ego. He succeeded by trickery, by his ability to deceive others. He conquered so much land that his ability to control became out of reach .
Biography. Very little is known of Smaug before he attacked, in TA 2770, the Lonely Mountain and the town of Dale. What information exists dictates that he was created by Morgoth at some point after Nírnaeth Arnoediad for use in his fleet of winged Fire-drakes.
Sauron gave Nine of the Rings of Power to leaders of Men, who became "mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old". They gained unending lifespans, and the ability to see things in worlds invisible to mortal Men.
Aragorn Was Self-Aware And Resistant To Mistakes
Aragorn was conscious of repeating his ancestors' mistakes, which helped him resist the temptation of the One Ring. Boromir had no such personal training or blueprint.
His task was to do the bidding of his masters and so when he proved unfaithful in doing that task his masters stripped him of his robes and gave them to one who would do their bidding. Gandalf is now the White, Saruman as he should have been.
It's not the years; it's the mileage. Gandalf isn't a Maia in the same way Sauron is. He was sent to middle earth as an old man, so his body is much more real than Sauron's “raiment”. He can't use his power to the same extent, he can't change his forms at will.
His two most salient powers were his knowledge and his voice. Saruman was, in a very real way, the junior brother of Sauron both having been Maia of Aulë, Valar of Smithcraft, in the very beginnings of time.
Now Elros is the son of Elwin, daughter of Dior, son of Luthien who is the daughter of Melian. So that means Aragorn and the men of Numenor have Maian blood in them which I consider fairly significant given Aragorn powerful will (like his ability to wrestle a palantir from Sauron).
Elrond chose the fate of the Elves and therefore the choice was presented to his children. The reason why Eldarion and his sisters (the children of Aragorn and Arwen) were born mortal was because Arwen chose mortality and therefore that fate was passed on to the rest of their line.
He did not trust Gollum, for he divined something indomitable in him, which could not be overcome, even by the Shadow of Fear, except by destroying him.
At the bidding of Elrond, his lineage is kept secret, as Elrond fears he will be killed like his father and grandfather if his identity as Isildur's heir becomes known. Aragorn is renamed Estel ("hope" in Sindarin) to hide his existence from Sauron.