The WitchKing and Gothmog

[obloquy]

There are quite a few references to thousands of Balrogs in the HoME series. The only reference to the number 7 comes from a note that Chris Tolkien placed beside a passage saying that his father said that at most no more than 3 or 7 ever existed. While it is entirely possible and even probable that Tolkien wanted to reduce the number of Balrogs drastically, even to 7, we can never know for sure if he would have actually done so.

I'd like to point out once again that the way you speak of the note is deceptive. It was JRRT's note. Christopher Tolkien inserted nothing, he just told us about his father's note, which presents his father's latest intention regarding Balrogs. The note is just as much 'canon' as any other Silmarillion concept that is not referenced in Lord of the Rings, and in fact more likely "true" than earlier Balrog accounts. It should not be dismissed as if it doesn't exist simply because the change was never implemented.