Who was the leader of the dwarf colony in Moria?

Balin was the leader of the dwarf colony in Moria, taking the title Lord of Moria after reclaiming part of the ancient underground kingdom. He travelled there with a company that included Óin and Ori, hoping to restore the dwarves’ lost realm beneath the Misty Mountains.

The Fellowship later discovers Balin’s tomb in the Chamber of Mazarbul. The Book of Mazarbul records the colony’s brief history: the dwarves found valuable relics, including Durin’s Axe, but were eventually attacked by orcs. Balin was killed by an orc archer in Dimrill Dale, and the colony was destroyed.

A common mix-up is to choose Thorin Oakenshield, since Thorin led the company in The Hobbit and was heir to the throne of Erebor. Balin was instead an older companion of Thorin and later ruled the Moria colony for less than five years. He was also one of Bilbo Baggins’s closest dwarf friends.