Which battle ends J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit?

The Battle of Five Armies ends J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. It takes place near the Lonely Mountain after Thorin Oakenshield and his companions reclaim Erebor from Smaug.

The conflict begins when different groups converge on the mountain and its treasure. The armies involved are the Men of Lake-town, the Elves of Mirkwood, the Dwarves under Thorin, the Goblins, and the Wargs. Eagles also arrive during the battle, but they are not counted among the five armies named in the title.

Bilbo is present and is knocked unconscious early in the fighting. Thorin is mortally wounded after reconciling with Bilbo, while the Goblin threat is defeated. The battle changes the political balance around Erebor and helps determine who will control the region afterward.

Readers sometimes count the Eagles as one of the five armies, or include other groups. Tolkien’s title refers to the five principal forces listed in the narrative: Men, Elves, Dwarves, Goblins, and Wargs.