Smaug

"My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail is a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!"

- Smaug to Bilbo Baggins -The Hobbit, "Inside Information

Smaug was a fire-breathing dragon of the Third Age, considered the last "great" of his kind to live on Middle-earth. He was drawn to the enormous wealth amassed by the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and laid waste to the neighboring Man city of Dale and the kingdom of Erebor, claiming it and the treasure within for himself, while driving the surviving dwarves into exile.

After much time hoarding the wealth of Erebor, he was awakened by Thorin Oakenshield's company and correctly believed that the dwarves had received assistance from the Men living nearby. In his desire for revenge, Smaug left the Lonely Mountain to destroy Lake-Town, nearly decimating if before being slain by an arrows shot by Bard the Bowman.

Third Age
"I laid low the warriors of old and their like is not in the world today. Then I was but young and tender. Now I am old and strong, strong, strong"

- Smaug to Bilbo Baggins - The Hobbit, "Inside Information" In TA 2770, Smaug left his lair in the North, having been drawn by the wealth found in the kingdom of Erebor. He took the Lonely Mountain for himself, claiming the treasure and killing many dwarves in order to gain it, while forcing the survivors to flee into exile.

For two centuries, Smaug resided there, his rule there being uncontested, lying within the great treasure hoard and ensuring no tresspasser dared try steal the gold or enter the mountain. In the year TA 1941, Thorin Oakenshield's company entered the dragon's domain through a secret door.

The company's appointed "burglar", Bilbo Baggins was sent to retrieve the Arkenstone and anything else he could without waking Smaug. The hobbit was suprised to find out that the creature was far larger than he had imagined, but while he examined it he noticed a single bare patch on the dragon's left breast, near his heart. With this valuable information, he escaped the monster's lair to tell what he had found out to the dwarves. The reveal was overheard by trush who later carried the secret to Bard the Bowman. Returning to the treasure room, Bilbo attempted to steal a single cup, but Smaug immediately noticed the theft and he wakes up from his slumber. Amused by the hobbit, the dragon converses with him in an attempt to deduce his origins and learn his purpose there. He quickly surmises that Bilbo had been sent by Thorin Oakenshield in order to steal back the Arkenstone and reclaim the Lonely Mountain. In his rage, Smaug leaves Erebor and flies toward Lake-Town, planning on destroying it and it's denizens for aiding the dwarven company. Guided by the knowledge of the dragon's weakness, Bard fires a black arrow into the bare patch. Roaring in pain, Smaug falls from the skies into the burning Esgaroth, simbolysing the fall of his reign.

The Hobbit Trilogy
"The Darkness is coming. It will spread to every corner of the land."

- Smaug to Bilbo Baggins - The Desolation of Smaug Smaug appears in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit Film Trilogy as a main antagonist together with Sauron and Azog the Defiler.

He appears in the prologue of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, where he is mentioned as a "fire-drake from the North". He burns the city of Dale and steals the Lonely Mountain from the dwarves, taking it and the treasure within for himself. Only parts of his body are seen so as to keep the final design secret: his legs, tail, a small part of his head, his wings and his eye (which resembles the Eye of Sauron so as to allude to their connection). In addition he is a topic of the discussion of the White Council in Rivendell, with Gandalf the Grey expressing his fear of Smaug and the Necromancer of Dol Guldur working together, through Saruman the White disagrees stating that "Sauron is vanquished" and there is no Dark Lord with whom the Dragon can join forces with.

In the Desolation of Smaug,  after entering the Lonely Mountain, the company of Thorin Oakenshield sends it's "burglar" Bilbo Baggins to retrieve the Arkenstone. The hobbit unwittingly caused a landslide amongst the pile of treasures, uncovering the beast. Smaug stirred from his sleep, suspicious of someone being in the chamber. Although Bilbo put on the Ring to keep out of sight, the fire-drake was made aware of his presence by his smell. He began searching for him, beckoning him to "step into the light" and when he comes to close, the hobbit was overcome by fear and attempted to run, only to alert the dragon. Bilbo hid behind a massive pillar, still under the cloak of his ring. Smaug continued his search and claimed that he had realized that the burglar had "something made of gold, but far more precious". His eye neared the hobbit, who saw a flicker of the Eye of Sauron in it, which prompted him to remove the ring. Amused, the dragon conversed with him in an attempt to deduce his origins.

During the conversation, Bilbo tried to lie to Smaug by claiming that he was a simple traveller that came alone to the Lonely Mountain to see if the beast was as mighty as the tales had said. The dragon asked if he thought that flattery would keep him alive, while also questioning him on his homeland and identity. In an attempt to evade the question yet not displease Smaug, Bilbo made a riddle talk that claimed he came "from under the hill and over hills and under hills his path has led", while also mentioning titles such as "the luck-wearer", "he who walks unseen" and "barrel-rider". The last one helped the dragon figure out Lake-Town's involvement with the dwarves. The dragon then revealed that he was aware that the company was outside the mountain, although Bilbo (whose eyes rested on the Arkenstone) denied it. He further assured the "thief in the shadows" that the quest was futile and implied that he was aware of Sauron's return (hinting at an alliance between him and the Dark Lord). Later on, Smaug tried to take away Bilbo's friendship with Thorin, claiming that the dwarf was using him found his fate worth nothing, but the hobbit refused to believe. The dragon reaized the burglar was after the Arkenstone and kept him from catching it, while boasting about his superiority. During this chase, Smaug showed Bilbo his belly, with the latter catching a glimpse of the weak spot. The beast caught the "thief in the shadows"'s eye on the jewel and claimed that he would let him take it to see Oakenshield suffer and be corrupted by the same sickness that drove his grandfather mad. But having had enough of the cat-and-mouse game, Smaug attempted to burn Bilbo, but the hobbit used the ring to dissappear and steal the Arkenstone. After confronting the dwarves who had entered the mountain to rescue their burglar and almost being drowned in molten gold, the dragon left Erebor claiming that he will show them revenge by destroying Lake-Town for aiding the company.

In the Battle of the Five Armies, Smaug wreaks havoc in Lake-Town, while Bard having escaped imprisonment climbs on the rooftops in an attempt to slay the dragon. He enters the belltower and begins firing arrows at the beast, through each attempt fails due to the iron-like scales. Smaug is enraged by the feeble attempt, but when he sees that the Man has no more arrows, he mocks the "bowman" about what is he "going to do now" and claims that Bard has been forsaked. He spots the archer's son, Bain and threatens to kill the boy as he nears them. Unshaken by his comments, Bard successfully shoot a Black Arrow that hits the dragon in it's missing scale. Smaug stumbles and brings down the belltower, before flying up. Clawing and biting at the sky, his internal glow fades as he dies mid-air. His body falls into the water, landing on the Master of Lake-Town's boat, killing him.

In the extended edition of the second film, it is revealed that Sauron and Smaug were in league and that the latter was waiting for the Dark Lord's return. Had Smaug lived, he would have been a commander for Sauron's armies and that would have grave consequences for Middle-earth.

Unfinished Tales"Smaug owes allegiance to no one. But if he should side with the Enemy, a dragon could be used to terrible effect."

- Gandalf on Smaug potentially joining Sauron - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey In Unfinished Tales, Gandalf the Grey recounts the story in The Hobbit to Frodo Baggins, while also explaining his motives for urging the dwarves to retake their homeland. The White Council had become aware of Sauron's return and the wizard feared that the Dark Lord may find a way to either ensnare Smaug into his service or forge an alliance, which would end in Sauron using the dragon to terrible effect.

Origins
It is unlikely that Smaug was bred in the First Age as he was "young and tender" when he attacked Erebor and Dale. Rather he might be one of the dragons of that inhabited the Withered Heath and Grey Mountains, which often warred with the Dwarves living there.

Appearances

 * The Hobbit
 * The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
 * The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
 * The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
 * The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (mentioned)
 * The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (film) - mentioned
 * Unfinished Tales
 * The Silmarilion (mentioned)