There are several aspects of the upcoming Lord of the Rings spin-off series, Rings of Power, that audiences are curious about, including the presence of a pre-hobbit species known as the Harfoots. The recent trailers about the series, which will begin streaming on Prime Video on September 2nd, hint that the Harfoots will be a major part of the plot, much like Bilbo and Frodo were in previous installments.
Including these creatures will allow Lord of the Rings fans to feel right at home since characters like Peregrin Took, or Pippin, made audiences fall in love with Hobbits years ago. In many ways, Pippin is the epitome of a good halfling. He is funny, curious, and deeply values a great meal. This, of course, makes him highly relatable to many, who then couldn't help but sum up his character with a few memes.
Plus One For Pippin
Despite their small size and value for comfort, Hobbits saved the Fellowship several times in Lord of the Rings, and were an essential part of the victory over Sauron during the Third Age of Middle-earth. Frodo took the Ring to the flames of Mount Doom, Sam ensured that he made it out alive, and Merry assisted Eowyn in defeating the Witch King.
While Pippin also participated in saving the world (Faramir thanks him), he is most remembered for waking up the beasts of Moria, leading to Gandalf's death. In a way, though, it's thanks to him that the wizard was resurrected as Gandalf the White, so no harm done.
Pippin Can Die A Happy Hobbit
One of Peregrin Took's best quotes in The Lord of the Rings is the moment that he questioned Aragorn about when they would be having second breakfast and became devastated to learn that seven meals a day weren't the norm outside of the Shire.
Like any good Hobbit, Pippin values a good meal above all else, so it is no stretch of the imagination to believe that his idea of a perfect afterlife would include this. Of course, were that true, the little hobbit could die happy— but thankfully, he didn't have to.
Book And Film Comparison
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Pippin was often a victim of Gandalf's short temper in The Lord of the Rings due to his curious nature, which could get him and others in significant trouble. An example was when he used the palantír against the wizard's wishes. However, in the book, Pippin's curiosity was a problem other times as well.
While Pippin only accidentally backed into a skeleton in the Fellowship of the Ring movie, he purposely dropped a rock down the well in the book. He had wondered how deep the dark hole went, and his curiosity ultimately led to Gandalf's death— oops.
Pippin Eat!
Everyone likes an unlikely hero, which is precisely why the Hulk is so intriguing in The Avengers. Despite his status as a monster, he has still managed to gain control of his anger to focus into tool to use against enemies.
While Pippin is the opposite of the Hulk in every way possible, especially in size, he is still an unlikely hero. He helps save Faramir, and, in the books, he saves the Shire from the influence of Saruman. In the end, despite being a member of the least powerful race in The Lord of the Rings, nothing can stop Pippin, not even an empty stomach.
For Second Breakfast
Every Lord of the Rings fan knows that Peregrin Took will forever be known for his quote about second breakfast, so the memes on this subject are in no short supply. Many of these reimagine the story with Pippin in the forefront, saving Middle-earth only for the sake of second breakfast.
Of course, Pippin was also passionate about saving his friends. Had Aragorn given him the opportunity, the little hobbit would have led the army against Mordor in an instant, even without the promise of food (though it certainly would have helped).
Pippin Is Just Modest
It's hard to see an image of Pippin singing to Denethor without immediately hearing his voice reciting a song about mist and shadow. It was a truly beautiful and heartbreaking moment in the film, as the music played over Faramir's efforts to prove himself to his father.
As serious as the scene was, audiences couldn't help but notice that the song was exactly the kind of tune that would be sung through the evil times of war. This is only strange since Pippin had claimed not to know any such songs. Maybe he was just hoping to be excused so he wouldn't have to watch Denethor devour any more grape tomatoes.
Not Everyone Can Thrive As Comic Relief
While Pippin's character had several comical moments in the Lord of the Rings books, he could not quite be considered the comic relief. He was the youngest of the Hobbits that set out from the Shire, so he was the most curious and light-hearted, but he was not the trouble maker he was made out to be in the movies.
Often, fans become infuriated when a book character is reduced to a comic relief role in a movie. However, in the case of the best Lord of the Rings friendship, Merry and Pippin, director Peter Jackson did it right, proving that some changes made in book-to-screen adaptations are actually the right move to make.
Pippin Just Can't Resist Temptation
In both the Lord of the Rings book and movie, Pippin became fascinated with the palantír after he caught sight of it in Isengard. Gandalf instructed him not to touch it and even slept with it wrapped up to keep himself from coming into direct contact with the orb. Still, Pippin grabbed it anyway.
A fan on Reddit related this to grabbing something out of the microwave, knowing full well that it is too hot to touch. It's just too difficult to resist, especially when hungry. And, as everyone knows, Pippin always is. If there were microwaves in Middle-earth's Third Age, the little hobbit would undoubtedly be guilty of this.
Well, That Went Poorly
Before setting off from Rivendell, Pippin was eager to be a help to his friends. He and Merry invited themselves to the Council of Elrond and volunteered for the journey. Of course, they would need people of intelligence for whatever it was the group was doing.
However, after the events of Moria, Pippin felt differently. He learned the hard way that careless mistakes had dire consequences and real adventures weren't the same as Bilbo's stories. At least he learned his lesson (kind of).
Everything Is Better After Some Longbottom Leaf
Over the years, there has been a lot of debate about what everyone smokes in their pipes in The Lord of the Rings. The books and movies make it clear that the Hobbit race deeply values smoking, and they shared this with Gandalf, who loved it so much that he keeps his pipe stored right in his staff.
The Shire grows a strain of pipeweed called Longbottom Leaf, which is what Merry and Pippin were so pleased to find in the storage room of Orthanc tower. While it is still unclear whether this dried leaf is at all similar related to any plants in the real world, it certainly seems to make users happy.