Debate amongst the Lord of the Rings fandom is nothing new, and with the upcoming Prime Video series The Rings of Power, fans are already arguing about how many creative licenses the creators should take, and how different characters should be portrayed.
Anticipation for the new series may fan the flames of other debates about adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's work, whether it's Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy or the Hobbit movies. From how many changes a screen adaptation should make to whether a discovered plot hole is actually valid, Lord of the Rings fans are unlikely to ever let these disputes die.
Should Screen Adaptations Make Changes?
Tolkien created an impressively thorough fictional universe. After The Hobbit, the author explored this world in various novels, poems, and what can only be described as textbooks. This thoroughness has led many fans to despise any changes screen adaptations make to his work.
While these changes are often perceived as disrespectful to the original work, other fans argue that Tolkien himself rewrote stories like Beowulf, making several changes and modernized improvements. The argument is that if Tolkien could do it, surely it is okay for screenwriters to do the same. However, fans are still likely to get upset when they see a significant plot change in adaptations like The Rings of Power.
Do Elves Have Pointy Ears?
When most people think of elves, they picture a magical being with pointy ears. For this reason, when Jackson's films were created, it seemed obvious to give characters like Legolas and Arwen that elvish aesthetic.
However, several LotR fans argued that Tolkien never described his elves this way in his books. Since Tolkien was often excessively descriptive, it could only be concluded that pointy ears were not canon. Fans on the other side of this topic will often either say that Tolkien did not need to describe the ears, as the race implied it, or that the detail isn't important enough to argue about in the first place.
Is The Rings Of Power Series A Bad Idea?
The Rings of Power trailer was met with many mixed reactions. Even fans who are open to a series based on Tolkien's work were taken aback when they learned that the show would significantly alter the timeline of Middle-earth's Second Age, arguing that this is a distortion of Tolkien's life's work.
However, other fans state that creating a series adaptation of Tolkien's works would be impossible without adjusting the timeline. The entirety of Tolkien's books spans several thousand years, with much of that time being unnecessary to the story. Either set of fans may change their opinions once the show is released, so they might need to call a truce until that time comes.
Is There A Diversity Problem In Lord Of The Rings?
In both the books and movies, there are no major Lord of the Rings characters of color. This was already a topic of discussion, with several fans finding that Middle-earth should have been more diverse. When the Rings of Power trailer was released, many fans were pleased to see that it featured people of color, but not everyone agreed.
Some have argued that since Middle-earth is based on European history and mythology, all the characters should be white, as described in Tolkien's books. However, others argue that the color of the characters' skin has no bearing on the story, so creating a series with a more realistic representation of diversity can only be positive.
Are Galardiel And Gandalf Romantic?
In the Hobbit trilogy, several fans were surprised when Galadriel and Gandalf were subtly presented as a romantic pair. The chemistry was undeniable, which left the LotR fandom extremely divided.
Some fans loved the pairing and argued that while Tolkien never explicitly described a romantic relationship with the two, it didn't mean it never happened. However, others argued that the couple made no sense with their backstories. Galadriel was already married to Celeborn, and she was one of the few people who knew Gandalf to be a Maiar and therefore viewed him as the god-like being that he was.
Should Gandalf Have Been Able To Defeat The Witch-King?
In the books, Gandalf was never confronted by the Witch-king of Angmar. For this reason, fans were scratching their heads when the two went head to head in the movies. If this wasn't enough, several fans reacted with outrage when the Witch-king defeated Gandalf so easily.
This started a debate: could Gandalf have beaten the Witch-king? On one side, fans argued that the Witch-king would win since he was always destined to be destroyed by Eowyn. Others, however, argued that the prophecy only said that no man would kill the beast, and Gandalf was not a man. While this debate is still going strong, fans can generally agree that the battle wouldn't have gone as easily as it did in the Return of the King book.
Arwen Or Glorfindel?
One major change in the Lord of the Rings movies was the elimination of the character Glorfindel. Instead, his important moments in the series were taken over by Arwen, who played virtually no role in Frodo's journey in the books.
Of course, this change was met with mixed opinions from audiences. Glorfindel fans complained that the character was removed, but others argue that Arwen taking a more critical role in the series increased the interest in her romance with Aragorn and that creating more substantial roles for female characters was anything but a bad thing.
Is The Lord Of The Rings Allegorical?
Ever since the Lord of the Rings books were first released, audiences have been finding parallels between Tolkien's works and Catholicism. While Tolkien is known to have used historical influence, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien contains a letter to his published in which he adamantly claimed that his story took no religious inspiration. Still, several fans find these comparisons too close to be a coincidence.
These fans will argue that Galdalf's resurrection as Gandalf the White is supposed to represent Jesus' resurrection, and the contrasting elves and orcs are like angels and demons. Fans that have the opposing view argue that since Tolkien himself stated that these connections were not intentional, there is nothing else to be said about it.
Are The Eagles A Plot Hole?
When the Eagles flew with Gandalf to Mordor to retrieve Frodo and Sam, many fans stopped to wonder why this hadn't happened to begin with. They argued that the Fellowship could have ridden the Eagles to Mount Doom and avoided months of war and destruction.
The biggest argument against the plot hole is that the entire purpose of the Fellowship's journey was to get the Ring to Mordor without Sauron noticing. If the Fellowship had tried to fly straight to Mount Doom, the enemy might have spotted them and retrieved the Ring with minimal issue.
Books Or Movies?
As with any book-to-film adaptation, fans will often argue about which story form is better. However, some believe that if a person has not read the books, they cannot be considered a true Lord of the Rings fan. Those on this side of the debate call those who only watch the movies "fake fans" and often say their opinions on the series do not count.
However, several fans of the movies and books alike will argue that anyone who gets enjoyment from Tolkien's creations, whether in a book or on a screen, can count themselves as part of the fandom. They remind their opposition that books aren't for everyone and the movies are a work of art as well.