[Keeper of Dol Guldur]

I know the topic is finito, but I just felt it necessary to add that Sauron lived in Dol Goldur until very recently, and it wasn't Gandalf who had awakened the Balrog but the dwarves that went there after the battle of five armies. Since Sauron was chased out before that battle, and the Balrog was asleep, the flight of the necromancer may have been connected.

Also, like someone said before, the Balrog had no alleigiance to Sauron. They were of equal rank, Balrog's were Morgoth's warriors, Sauron was his spy and the most cunning of his workers. Sauron may have been number two, but only in acting as the brains. The Balrogs had all the physical strength.

Nice topic, by the way. Though it has most definitly been discussed long ago, before the flooding of the site. Check out the archives, the good stuff is in them, as far back as two years ago, when I joined up.