The Greatest Warrior...

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Raynor

If the bulk of the merit for defeating Melkor would go either Fionwe, Tulkas or Earendil, then giving the greatest title to the guy that gives the last punch does not seem appropriate to me.

But who got the credit for it?

[Raynor]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

But who got the credit for it?

Turin; however, I still believe that your judgment is more personal than general. Not to mention that in HoME XII, it is Ancalagon that Turin kills, not Melkor

Originally Posted by Note 17, The problem of Ros, HoME XII

The language of the Folk of Haleth was not used, for they had perished and would not rise again. Nor would their tongue be heard again, unless the prophecy of Andreth the Wise-woman should prove true, that Turin in the Last Battle should return from the Dead, and before he left the Circles of the World for ever should challenge the Great Dragon of Morgoth, Ancalagon the Black, and deal him the death-stroke.

[The Sixth Wizard]

I think Turin is the epitome of a 'warrior', who fights, continues to fight, seems undefeatable and dies tragically. Though he only ever achieved the slaying of Glaurung, he did this with a Man's body and a Man's wisdom.

I think Hurin is a big contender. I don't have the Sil on me right now but I think the words were "and he threw himself into the sea, and thence passed the greatest mortal warrior in Middle-Earth", or something along those lines, which seems pretty definitive. Feanor and Fingolfin, and Treebeard etc. if we include those, were born with abilities far surpassing those of Men, but Hurin through the steadfastness of his will held the full might of Morgoth at bay. Admittedly he broke eventually, but not as a result of the direct clash of wills, which he won.