How Eragon Ripped Off the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

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The film adaptation of Eragon came out in 2006, but it hasn’t gained much of a following. Although the book and the rest of the Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini are popular with fantasy fans, the movie was a box office failure. However, its biggest flaw is that it heavily copied scenes from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and didn’t execute them nearly as well.

Eragon is a traditional fantasy story about a young farm boy who unexpectedly finds a dragon egg and becomes a Dragon Rider. The first book concentrates on establishing the world and building a connection between the reader and Eragon and his dragon, Saphira. The story’s villain is Durza, a powerful sorcerer. The film adaptation of Eragon also features Durza, played by Robert Carlyle, and is where the movie starts to heavily resemble The Lord of the Rings.

Durza Becomes a Knock-Off of Saurman in Eragon

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings features a wealth of compelling characters, both heroic and villainous, set within a richly imagined world. Saruman stands out as one of the most memorable, a reputation only solidified by Christopher Lee’s iconic portrayal in Peter Jackson’s films, particularly in The Two Towers.

In contrast, Carlyle’s portrayal of Durza wasn’t as strong. While Carlyle was entertaining to watch and certainly committed to the role – embracing a classic, over-the-top villain – his interpretation of the character differed significantly from the Durza depicted in the books, which disappointed many fans who were familiar with the source material.

The movie Eragon strayed significantly from the original book, resulting in scenes that closely resembled those from The Lord of the Rings, particularly those featuring Saruman. While Eragon added new material with the characters Durza and the Urgals, these additions ultimately felt like uninspired copies when compared to The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.

One scene that immediately stands out is when Durza unexpectedly enters an Urgal workshop. The Urgals are busy making weapons and getting ready for war, and Durza quickly takes control, even killing one of them to demonstrate his authority. It strongly resembles a scene from The Fellowship of the Ring, and unfortunately, things only escalate from there.

Okay, so the next bit that really struck me as familiar happened when Durza was rallying his monstrous army. He gives this big, evil speech about crushing their enemies in their hidden fortress, and honestly, it was so reminiscent of Saruman’s speech in The Two Towers. It wasn’t just an inspiration anymore; it felt like they were almost directly lifting those iconic moments. It went way beyond just paying tribute, you know?

The climax of the story features a fierce battle between the Varden and the Urgals. The Varden are trapped and defending their fortress, facing overwhelming odds and seemingly certain defeat. Just when all hope appears lost, Eragon enters the fight and changes everything, shifting the battle in their favor.

While this scene isn’t a direct copy frame-by-frame like earlier parts of the movie, it unfortunately reinforces the impression that Eragon borrowed heavily from The Two Towers. This doesn’t help the film’s reputation, and frankly, makes it feel even weaker.

The Two Towers is the Best Lord of the Rings Movie, and Eragon is a Worse Version

Everyone always argues about which Lord of the Rings film is the best, but it’s definitely The Two Towers. The Battle of Helm’s Deep is a standout moment in the entire series. And that’s not even mentioning the impressive march of the Ents or the introduction of great characters like Faramir and the beautiful city of Osgiliath.

The way The Two Towers builds suspense and leads to its epic battle is truly impressive. The arrival of the Elves at Helm’s Deep is a particularly rewarding scene and a highlight of the entire series. This makes the flaws in Eragon even more disappointing – it took those strong elements and simplified them, ultimately diminishing their impact.

The book Eragon unfolds quite differently than the movie. It doesn’t include Durza’s speeches or menacing Urgals in their workspace. The Battle of Farthen Dûr is far more distinctive, featuring large pits, a severe injury to Eragon’s back, and Saphira destroying a dwarven fortress. The film skipped all these details and resulted in a disappointing adaptation.

Disney Can Do Right by Eragon With Its New Series

Disney is planning a new TV series based on Eragon and the Inheritance Cycle books. Fans are eager for a faithful adaptation, hoping to avoid the mistakes made in the previous movie. They particularly want better development of the dwarf characters and a more compelling, original conflict between Durza and Eragon.

The Lord of the Rings has clearly had a huge impact on nearly every fantasy story created since. While it would have been acceptable for the movie Eragon to simply borrow ideas from it, it’s obvious from the film that it did much more than just offer nods to Tolkien’s work.

Released in 2002, The Two Towers came four years before Eragon in 2006. This gap allowed Eragon to heavily borrow from The Two Towers. It’s disappointing to see the character Durza feel like a weaker version of Saruman, especially since Eragon diminished many of the things that made Saruman so compelling in the original films.

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2025-12-07 06:07