The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
After the Dragon leaves the Lonely Mountain, the people of Lake-town see a threat coming. Orcs, dwarves, elves and people prepare for war. Bilbo sees Thorin going mad and tries to help. Meanwhile, Gandalf is rescued from the Necromancer's prison and his rescuers realize who the Necromancer is.
Despite a blockbuster budget of $250.0M, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies became a financial success, earning $956.0M worldwide—a 282% return. This commercial performance validated the ambitious narrative scope, proving that audiences embrace distinctive approach even at blockbuster scale.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 8 wins & 56 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) reveals meticulously timed narrative design, characteristic of Peter Jackson's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 24 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.5, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Smaug awakens in fury, attacking Lake-town with dragonfire. The status quo shows the immediate aftermath of the previous film's cliffhanger: the dragon unleashed, destruction imminent, and Bilbo watching helplessly from the mountain.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 17 minutes when Thorin, now fully consumed by dragon-sickness, refuses to honor his promise to share the treasure with Lake-town's survivors. He orders the mountain sealed, choosing gold over the lives of men, women, and children who helped him. Bilbo watches his friend become a tyrant.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
At 71 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat False defeat: Azog's massive orc army emerges from the tunnels, forcing elves, men, and dwarves to unite against a common enemy. The battle they tried to prevent becomes unavoidable. The stakes dramatically raise—this is no longer about treasure, but survival. Thorin, however, remains paralyzed by his madness, refusing to help his allies., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 107 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Thorin, alone in the gold-filled halls of Erebor, hallucinates that he's drowning in molten gold. He sees himself becoming the dragon. This is the "whiff of death"—the death of who he was, consumed by greed. Outside, the battle is nearly lost. All hope seems gone., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 114 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. The finale: Thorin confronts Azog on Ravenhill in single combat. Fíli and Kíli fall defending their uncle. Legolas and Tauriel battle Bolg. The eagles arrive with Radagast and Beorn. The tide turns. Thorin kills Azog but is mortally wounded. The battle is won, but at tremendous cost. Thorin reconciles with Bilbo, acknowledging his wisdom., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies against these established plot points, we can identify how Peter Jackson utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies within the adventure genre.
Peter Jackson's Structural Approach
Among the 9 Peter Jackson films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.3, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Peter Jackson filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Bad Guys and Zoom. For more Peter Jackson analyses, see King Kong, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Lovely Bones.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Smaug awakens in fury, attacking Lake-town with dragonfire. The status quo shows the immediate aftermath of the previous film's cliffhanger: the dragon unleashed, destruction imminent, and Bilbo watching helplessly from the mountain.
Theme
Bard tells his son "Stay close to me"—a line that embodies the film's central theme about loyalty, leadership, and choosing between treasure and the lives of those you love. What matters more: gold or those who depend on you?
Worldbuilding
Smaug's attack on Lake-town establishes the stakes and world state. Bard emerges as hero, slaying the dragon. Meanwhile, Thorin reclaims Erebor but becomes corrupted by dragon-sickness. Multiple armies converge on the mountain: elves seeking their treasure, men seeking compensation for Lake-town's destruction.
Disruption
Thorin, now fully consumed by dragon-sickness, refuses to honor his promise to share the treasure with Lake-town's survivors. He orders the mountain sealed, choosing gold over the lives of men, women, and children who helped him. Bilbo watches his friend become a tyrant.
Resistance
The dwarves fortify Erebor while Thorin descends deeper into madness, searching obsessively for the Arkenstone. Bilbo debates whether to reveal he has the stone. Gandalf is imprisoned at Dol Guldur. Armies mass outside: elves and men demand compensation, while Azog's orc army secretly approaches. Bilbo wrestles with his loyalty to Thorin versus doing what's right.
Act II
ConfrontationMirror World
Gandalf is rescued from Dol Guldur by Galadriel, who demonstrates the power of choosing light over darkness, love over domination. Her willingness to sacrifice herself to banish Sauron mirrors the choice Bilbo must make: lose everything for what's right. The B-story explores the thematic question through Galadriel's courage.
Premise
The promise of the premise: armies converging, political maneuvering, and the gathering storm of war. Thranduil and Bard attempt to negotiate with Thorin using the Arkenstone. Thorin, enraged by Bilbo's betrayal, nearly kills him but banishes him instead. Dáin's dwarf army arrives. Tensions escalate to the brink of battle—exactly the epic conflict the audience came for.
Midpoint
False defeat: Azog's massive orc army emerges from the tunnels, forcing elves, men, and dwarves to unite against a common enemy. The battle they tried to prevent becomes unavoidable. The stakes dramatically raise—this is no longer about treasure, but survival. Thorin, however, remains paralyzed by his madness, refusing to help his allies.
Opposition
The Battle of the Five Armies rages. Elves, men, and dwarves fight desperately against overwhelming orc forces. Casualties mount. Thorin remains inside Erebor, consumed by gold-sickness, abandoning his people and allies. The Free Peoples are losing. Azog manipulates the battle from Ravenhill. Everything gets worse as Thorin's flaw—his greed—prevents victory.
Collapse
Thorin, alone in the gold-filled halls of Erebor, hallucinates that he's drowning in molten gold. He sees himself becoming the dragon. This is the "whiff of death"—the death of who he was, consumed by greed. Outside, the battle is nearly lost. All hope seems gone.
Crisis
Thorin emerges from his nightmare, finally breaking free of the dragon-sickness. He casts aside his crown and takes up his sword. The dark night of the soul passes as Thorin rediscovers who he truly is: not a king of gold, but a king of his people. He prepares to make amends.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale: Thorin confronts Azog on Ravenhill in single combat. Fíli and Kíli fall defending their uncle. Legolas and Tauriel battle Bolg. The eagles arrive with Radagast and Beorn. The tide turns. Thorin kills Azog but is mortally wounded. The battle is won, but at tremendous cost. Thorin reconciles with Bilbo, acknowledging his wisdom.