Both Ecthelion and Glorfindel were great champions who died heroically slaying a Balrog, there seems little to choose between them. Except that Glorfindel's feat saved Earendil who with his descendants is vital to the purposes of Eru, and that was purely fortuitous. Tolkien himself says Glorfindel would have defended the refugees regardless, and no doubt so would Ecthelion had he lived to do so.
|