What type of creature is Smaug?

Smaug is a dragon. In J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, he is the powerful, intelligent creature who invades the Dwarves’ kingdom beneath the Lonely Mountain, also called Erebor. He drives the Dwarves from their home, destroys the nearby town of Dale, and settles on their enormous treasure hoard.

Smaug is more than a simple monster. He is articulate, vain, calculating, and exceptionally proud. Bilbo Baggins encounters him while exploring the secret passage into the Mountain, and their conversation reveals Smaug’s sharp mind as well as his love of riddles and flattery. Bilbo also notices a bare patch in the dragon’s otherwise armored underside.

A common mix-up comes from Tolkien’s varied terminology: Smaug is sometimes called a “worm,” reflecting older Germanic and Old English words for dragons or serpentine creatures. He is not a goblin, Warg, or troll. The dragon’s weak spot is later revealed to Bard the Bowman by a thrush, allowing Bard to kill Smaug with a black arrow during the attack on Lake-town.