As a follow up to this question: What did the nine actually achieve for their master during the war of the ring?
The only major thing I can think of is that they killed Theoden. was there anything else?
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6They killed the poor guard at the gate in Bree! ;( And broke the world screeching record.– JunuxxCommented Jun 21, 2012 at 21:26
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If you count the results of the war, not a whole lot huh? Are you just looking for a list of what they did throughout the books?– NominSimCommented Jun 21, 2012 at 22:07
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@NominSim - I'd say more of "what desired objectives did they accomplish"?– DVK-on-Ahch-ToCommented Jun 21, 2012 at 22:31
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2they did lead the armies of Mordor to the gates of Minas Tirith - after recapturing Osgiliath (again). weren't they also responsible for the capture of Minas Morgul somewhere in the past?– HorusKolCommented Jun 22, 2012 at 13:00
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1@HorusKol yes. From the lord of the rings wiki page on Minas Morgul: "In TA 2000, the forces of the nine Nazgûl laid siege to Minas Ithil. In TA 2002 after a long siege, Minas Ithil had been captured and transformed into a foul, evil place. As a result, it came to be called Minas Morgul, which in Sindarin means "Tower of Dark Sorcery.""– The FallenCommented Jun 22, 2012 at 15:59
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1 Answer
Let's look at everything they did and tried to do, book by book:
In the Fellowship of the Ring, it is unknown who tortured Gollumn and obtained information about the Ring. Speculation is that Sauron did it, although it is likely that one or multiple Nazgul helped. They were sent to search for the Ring in the Shire, and came very close to getting it several times. The Witch-King did stab Frodo with a Morgul blade, which should have turned Frodo into a wraith that would have turned the Ring over. During the Fellowship's journey, they were used as scouts on their flying steeds, as seen when Legolas shoots one down.
The Nazgul make limited appearance in the Two Towers, although they are apparently used as scouts and messengers. IIRC, a Nazgul was once dispatched to Isengard for some reason by Sauron, but it's been awhile since I read the books, so I don't remember what that purpose was. Of course, by the Return of the King, they were put to the use Offensively in the assault on Osgiliath and Minas Tirith, as well as the Black Gate. The Witch-King was the effective commander of the armies of Mordor, and we assume at least some of the strategy was his. They were effective at terrifying their enemies and motivating their forces, so it's safe to say they were pretty effective here. Additionally, they were used as one of Sauron's last defense in the Battle of the Black Gate, and they were sent to Mount Doom once Frodo claimed the Ring.
It seems the Nazgul were used mainly as scouts during the War of the Ring, and they probably were effective at detecting anything larger than the Fellowship. They were great military leaders in the past, although by the time of the War of the Ring Sauron relied on pure military might rather than the skills of the Nazgul. On the surface, they did not seem effective although as noted in the question you linked, they simply ran into numerous unforeseen obstacles. It is likely they performed more duties behind the scenes.
answered Jun 22, 2012 at 14:43
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Great answer, thanks! "IIRC, a Nazgul was once dispatched to Isengard for some reason by Sauron": I think that was to ask the way to the Shire. Before they got to Isengard, they were searching the area east between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood. "During the Fellowship's journey, they were used as scouts on their flying steeds, as seen when Legolas shoots one down.": When exactly did that happen?– mortCommented Jun 22, 2012 at 16:18
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@mort - no, IIRC, it was in Two Towers, as punishment of some sort. But I could be misremembering that. Legolas shoots down a flying steed sometime after leaving Lorien while traveling down the river Commented Jun 22, 2012 at 16:20
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2The Nazgul was dispatched to Isengard to fetch Pippin, who had looked in the palantir. Sauron didn't bother to confirm that the palantir was still in Isengard, and with Saruman. Commented Dec 4, 2012 at 21:08
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There was that incident, but the Legolas incident occurs in the Fellowship before Pippin looked in the palantir Commented Dec 5, 2012 at 1:24
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1Unforeseen obstacles... Not waiting for a stabbed foe to die, and being surprised that he survives? Not so unforeseen in my book. "The blade should have turned Frodo into a wraith" - really, who would buy that excuse? Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Commented Jan 24, 2014 at 23:13