Rings of Power Secretly Fixed Lord of the Rings’ 71-Year-Old JRR Tolkien Problem

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Amazon’s *Rings of Power* faced a lot of criticism during its first season. While some complaints were valid, pointing out issues with the fast-paced plot, confusing character development, and unexpected story turns, the show also became the target of unfair attacks. Specifically, concerns about the casting of actors of color led to coordinated efforts to lower the show’s audience score. Despite this, *Rings of Power* was successful in telling a story that feels modern and relevant, rather than strictly adhering to the values of Tolkien’s time.

While *The Lord of the Rings* largely relegated its female characters to supporting roles, *The Rings of Power* flips that dynamic. Historically, women in positions of power have often been overlooked or had their achievements minimized. It’s great to see a show reflecting the progress we’ve made toward gender equality, aligning with our current understanding of history. Tolkien was a brilliant author, but he was a product of his time. *The Rings of Power*, despite its flaws, seems to be trying to address that imbalance and give women the recognition they deserve.

The Lord of the Rings Featured Truncated Character Arcs for Women

J.R.R. Tolkien’s love for his wife, Edith, inspired the character of LĂșthien TinĂșviel. LĂșthien is considered one of the most powerful heroes in Middle-earth, and her actions dramatically changed the course of the First Age – even more so than any character in *The Lord of the Rings*. When her beloved, Beren, was captured while undertaking a dangerous quest, LĂșthien didn’t wait to be rescued; she took matters into her own hands. Accompanied by the hound Huan, she defeated Sauron and cast a spell so potent it even affected Morgoth. Later, when Beren was fatally wounded, LĂșthien willingly gave up her immortality to live a mortal life with him.

LĂșthien demonstrates that Tolkien believed women could be as strong and impactful as men, even in the world of Middle-earth. However, this wasn’t fully realized in *The Lord of the Rings*. Arwen, LĂșthien’s great-granddaughter, had a limited role, often seen through the eyes of male characters. She became a representation of her father Elrond’s sorrow and a source of hope for Aragorn, rather than a fully developed character with her own ambitions. Like LĂșthien, Arwen chose mortality for love, but she feels more like a prize for Aragorn than an independent person. Galadriel, Arwen’s grandmother, also possesses great power, but she chooses not to use it, instead becoming a wise mentor and admired figure, known more for her beauty and gifts than her own agency.

Many devoted fans point to Éowyn in *The Lord of the Rings* as a strong female character, and rightfully so. She fights with incredible bravery, ultimately defeating the Witch-king of Angmar – the most powerful of Sauron’s forces. Éowyn’s defiance of expectations is particularly striking, echoing the stories of real women throughout history who disguised themselves as men to pursue their goals. While her defeat of the Witch-king challenged traditional gender roles, Éowyn’s story concludes with her marriage to Faramir. This ending feels somewhat like Tolkien reasserted traditional societal structures, portraying Éowyn’s heroism as remarkable, but ultimately limited; despite her desire to be a warrior, she eventually chooses a life focused on healing and steps away from battle.

Looking back at Peter Jackson’s adaptation of *The Lord of the Rings*, I’ve always felt a bit frustrated by how the female characters were handled. While he didn’t *completely* mess up their storylines – he mostly kept them intact, and even gave Arwen a cool warrior moment rescuing Frodo – he also significantly downplayed or outright cut several important women from the books. Ioreth, for example, who was one of the first to recognize Aragorn’s destiny, is just
gone. And Goldberry, a key figure in the Old Forest, suffered the same fate. Even smaller roles, like Rosie Cotton and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, were completely erased – they don’t even get a single line of dialogue! It feels like Jackson, unfortunately, continued a pattern started by Tolkien himself – a tendency to minimize the presence and impact of women. And honestly, adding Tauriel to *The Hobbit* films didn’t really address the problem at all.

The Rings of Power Offers a Stronger Diversity of Female Characters

Fans of *The Lord of the Rings* were very excited for *The Rings of Power*, especially considering its huge budget. The show quickly distinguished itself from earlier adaptations by making several female characters central to the story. One significant change was to Galadriel, who was portrayed as a fierce warrior much younger than she appears in the original stories – and one of the series’ strongest characters. While Tolkien didn’t write Galadriel as a fighter, he did hint at her fiery youth, which the show built upon. Though she wasn’t originally involved in the search for Sauron, this change felt logical, as Galadriel felt responsible for the failures of the past and was determined to help rebuild Middle-earth, no matter the cost.

The show *The Rings of Power* significantly expanded the story of MĂ­riel of NĂșmenor, giving her a crucial role in delaying NĂșmenor’s downfall. Through her leadership and bravery, she actively worked to save Elendil and her people. Even with the challenge of blindness in Season 2, MĂ­riel continued to demonstrate her strength and capabilities. The series also notably introduced female Dwarves for the first time, with Princess Disa of Khazad-dĂ»m being a particularly refreshing addition. Inspired by DĂ­s, Thorin Oakenshield’s sister (the only named female Dwarf in Tolkien’s original writings), Disa is a well-developed character deeply involved in the political and social life of her kingdom, offering a unique and powerful voice.

The human characters Bronwyn and EĂ€rien, though not part of the original stories, showed the strength of women in a world largely focused on men. Bronwyn, a single mother, balanced protecting her son Theo with fighting against Adar’s forces. A potential romance between her and the Elf Arondir offered a fresh perspective on relationships between different races, but was sadly cut short by her death. EĂ€rien’s story continues, highlighting women’s independence and influence beyond just combat. Furthermore, the series features other powerful women, like the all-female group of Mystics, demonstrating that female characters aren’t limited to one type.

A common criticism of *The Rings of Power* focused on the early appearance of Hobbits – or Hobbit-like Harfoots – since they weren’t around until much later in Middle-earth’s history. However, the show avoided simply retelling Frodo and Sam’s story. Instead, the character of Nori Brandyfoot, a young Harfoot who befriended the mysterious Stranger (revealed to be Gandalf), provided strong female representation that was missing from Peter Jackson’s *Lord of the Rings* films. The relationship between Nori and fellow Harfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, added a compelling and unique element to the plot. Characters like Galadriel, Nori, EĂ€rien, Bronwyn, Disa, MĂ­riel, and Poppy represent a positive step forward, giving female fans characters they can connect with in this beloved fantasy world.

Canon Isn’t Absolute When It Comes to Retrofitted Casting Choices

A major complaint about Peter Jackson’s *Lord of the Rings* films comes from dedicated Tolkien fans who strongly prefer the original story. Some were particularly upset by changes Jackson made, like showing Arwen actively fighting in the Battle of Helm’s Deep – riding quickly and wielding a sword. A *Wired* article from 2001 described how some fans disliked actress Liv Tyler, feeling she didn’t capture Arwen’s gentle, Elven qualities – they even jokingly nicknamed her ‘Xenarwen,’ which unintentionally made the character sound more powerful. A petition with over 16,000 signatures asked Jackson to stay true to Tolkien’s vision, and it appears he listened, ultimately dropping some of his more creative ideas.

The main problem with how fans react to adaptations of beloved stories is that some refuse to accept any changes, even if those changes improve the story. But adaptations *shouldn’t* be exact copies. While Tolkien’s writings are the foundation of his world and characters, the movies didn’t need to follow every single detail. Considering *The Rings of Power* is being made today, it wouldn’t make sense for the creators to ignore modern perspectives. The female characters aren’t perfect, and viewers are free to critique them, but expecting them to take a backseat to male characters feels outdated. Staying true to the original source material is important, but not if it sacrifices good storytelling. Luckily, Season 2 of *The Rings of Power* shows the show is finally finding its footing and learning to build on its own world.

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2025-10-20 03:10