The Battle of Elements: Could the Night King from Game of Thrones Kill Smaug from The Hobbit?

The Night King from HBO's Game of Thrones and Smaug, the dragon from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, represent two of the most formidable and notorious creatures in their respective universes. While their battle may seem like a clash of elements straight out of the realm of imagination, let's delve into the unique abilities and weaknesses of each, and consider the likelihood of such a battle unfolding.

Could the Night King Kill Smaug?

The Night King from Game of Thrones is a powerful ice wizard with a range of abilities including raising the dead, controlling ice, and creating blizzards. His primary weapon is a spear made of dragonglass, a substance known to kill White Walkers, and possibly also the Night King himself. On the other hand, Smaug is a dragon with immense strength, speed, and the ability to breathe fire. His scales are almost impenetrable, except for a small vulnerable spot on his underbelly.

Abilities and Weaknesses

The Night King

Abilities: Raises the dead, controls ice, creates blizzards, ice powers, and may possess the ability to kill with dragonglass (strongest against White Walkers) Weaknesses: Vulnerable to dragonglass, weak against fire

Smaug

Abilities: Draconic strength, speed, fire breathing, scales that can fend off most attacks Weaknesses: Vulnerable spots on the underbelly, can be harmed by weapons that penetrate scales

The Encounter: Strategies and Tactics

When considering the practicality of a Night King-Smaug confrontation, several strategic factors come into play.

Tactics

The Night King could potentially employ his ice powers to attempt to freeze Smaug, or create an army of undead creatures to distract him. However, Smaug’s agility and fire-breathing capabilities would make it difficult for the Night King to get close without being severely damaged. If the Night King were to gain the element of surprise, he might be able to use his dragonglass spear effectively, but this would require a direct confrontation, putting the Night King’s own safety at risk.

Element of Surprise

A surprise attack could be a key factor. If the Night King caught Smaug off guard and used his dragonglass spear directly, it might provide the necessary effectiveness to harm Smaug. However, given Smaug's size, strength, and fire-breathing capabilities, it would be a challenging task for the Night King to exploit Smaug's vulnerabilities and avoid being incinerated.

Fire vs. Ice

Conceptually, Smaug's fire breath could counter the Night King's ice powers. In a direct confrontation, the effectiveness of the Night King's abilities against a dragon that breathes fire would be limited. The Night King would need to find a way to neutralize the fire aspect and exploit Smaug's weaknesses.

Conclusion

In a direct confrontation, it would be a challenging battle. The Night King has the potential to kill Smaug if he could exploit the dragon's vulnerabilities and avoid being incinerated. However, Smaug's size, strength, and fire-breathing capabilities make him a formidable opponent. Ultimately, while it is possible for the Night King to kill Smaug, it would depend heavily on the circumstances of their encounter and the strategies employed.

Alternative Perspectives

Some argue that the Night King, being a supernatural being, should be able to kill Smaug. The logic here is that if a super-natural being like Bard (who used a specially crafted arrow) could kill Smaug, a higher power like the Night King might be able to as well. This is, however, speculative and based on the assumption that the Night King's abilities extend beyond his current capabilities.

When comparing the power of the dragons, especially theoretical ones, it becomes complex. Morgoth, a figure from J.R.R. Tolkien's lore, was a god figure, while the Dragons of Westeros (White Walkers) are controlled by a human-like magic. Morgoth's dragons were beholden to the will of dark forces, while the ones in Westeros were more independent. Without concrete information, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions.

One interesting aspect would be to 'compare' the power of their flames: fire dragons, iced flames, or un-flamed mystical creatures. However, without the insights of J.R.R. Tolkien, all we can do is speculate after the completion of the Game of Thrones saga in its various forms.