Peter Jackson made several changes from the Lord of the Rings books for his films, and some of them were actually an improvement. Typically, alterations made to a plot for a book-to-screen adaptation are met with criticism from fans. Of course, Jackson’s trilogy was no exception, but some of his changes have been praised. Though J.R.R. Tolkien’s original works are timeless and beloved, some characters and events were ultimately enhanced by the shifts the Lord of the Rings movies made to the story.
Lord of the Rings canon is often a topic of fiery debate, especially with the creative liberties taken by Prime Video in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Since Tolkien spent decades creating a complex world with its own unique history, fans often feel protective of his work. However, there are times when even die-hard fans have been accepting of certain changes, especially when it comes to the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Though the books themselves are perfect as they are, some changes were necessary to make good screen adaptions, and Jackson seemed to have perfected this skill.
11 Cutting The Scouring Of The Shire
At the end of the Lord of the Rings books, Frodo and the rest of the hobbits returned to the Shire to find that Saruman had industrialized it. To win it back, the group had to rally their people and fight the men who had taken control. Then, Sam and his gardening skills (with the help of Galadriel’s gifts) regrew the destroyed countryside. It was a significant moment with a touch of social commentary, but by cutting this out and having the hobbits instead return to an entirely unchanged home, Jackson increased the emotional impact of the film’s ending.
10 No Tom Bombadil Sequence
Tom Bombadil is one of the most mysterious characters of The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien himself never revealed the strange being’s true identity—all that was ever known was that he was older than Middle-earth itself. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin met him shortly after leaving the Shire in the Lord of the Rings books when he saved their lives from a killer willow tree. They learned he could wear the One Ring without ill effect and had mysterious power before they moved on and never saw him again. Though full of hidden lore context, this moment would have only been confusing in the Lord of the Rings movies.
9 Condensing The Timeline For Frodo’s Departure
Frodo left the Shire rather quickly in the Lord of the Rings movies, but this wasn’t the case in the books. Instead, in the canon version of the story, over 20 years passed between Bilbo’s birthday party and the moment that Frodo finally escaped the Shire with the One Ring. The reason for this was an abundance of caution. Gandalf wanted Frodo to prepare himself for a subtle move that wouldn’t raise suspicion from the other hobbits. He also wanted time to confirm that Bilbo’s trinket was Sauron’s Ring of Power. Of course, this would have been a pretty dull passage of time in the movies, so the timeline was better off condensed.
8 Fatty Bolger Removed As The “Fifth Hobbit”
During the years that Frodo prepared to leave the Shire in the Lord of the Rings books, his closest friends began to guess that something was up and conspired to help him from behind the scenes. They secretly learned about the One Ring (though they didn’t fully understand it) and planned to help their friend when the time came—and even secretly planned to go with him. Of course, this included Sam, Merry, and Pippin, but there was also a fourth conspirer, Fatty Bolger. Fatty played a considerable role in helping the group of hobbits, but he didn’t join them on their journey. Therefore, he was better off just being left out entirely.
7 The Eye Of Sauron Looked Great (Even If It Wasn’t LOTR Canon)
Though the Eye of Sauron is a familiar sight in the Lord of the Rings movies, it was never a literal eye atop a tower in the books. Instead, whenever Frodo put on the One Ring, he could feel Sauron’s eye on him and sometimes see the flaming glint of the Dark Lord’s gaze. This was simply a symbolic way of representing Sauron, especially since he didn’t have a standard physical form (though there were indicators that he could take shape). Ultimately, by making the metaphorical eye of the books literal, Jackson created a physical villain for his movies—and it added a perfectly tasteful dramatic flair.
6 Aragorn’s Reluctant Hero Arc Made Him More Likeable
In the Lord of the Rings books, Aragorn knew that it was his destiny to become king, and it was something that he never thought twice about. He had been trained for this position by Elrond in Rivendell and had even been told that he could only marry Arwen after he had taken back his throne. This was, of course, not the case in the movies. Instead, Jackson made Aragorn a reluctant hero who feared repeating the mistakes of his ancestors. This Lord of the Rings change made Aragorn’s story more dramatic but also made him even more likable than his book counterpart.
5 Arwen’s Bigger Role Improved Her Romance With Aragorn
Though Arwen was a frequent presence throughout the Lord of the Rings movies, this wasn’t the case for the books. In fact, as far as the original six novels, Aragorn’s elven lover didn’t even have any spoken lines. Instead, the extent of the couple’s story was thrown into the appendices of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. By making Arwen a larger part of the plot, Jackson made her romance with Aragorn something audiences could root for rather than an afterthought. Unfortunately, this also meant removing the elf Glorfindel from the movies, but it was a trade that ultimately paid off.
4 Legolas Was Given Far More Personality
Overall, the personalities of the members of the Fellowship of the Ring were accurate from book to screen. However, Jackson’s film trilogy spent a little more time making the characters likable to modern audiences. Merry and Pippin were made more comical, and Gimli was made even more stubborn (though maybe a little too silly). Still, the most significant change was Legolas. Though the regal elf did have a competitive relationship with Gimli in the books, it wasn’t featured nearly as often. Ultimately by adding lines like “How about side by side with a friend,” Jackson gave Legolas more emotion and personality.
3 The Balrog Design Was Far More Frightening
The Balrog is described in the Lord of the Rings books as one of the most dangerous and evil creatures in Middle-earth. However, Jackson significantly changed the appearance of his version compared to that of Tolkien. The author described the Balrog as the size and shape of a man but made entirely out of shadow and surrounded by flame. It held a sword and a whip and struck fear into each member of the Fellowship of the Ring—including Gandalf. Still, the massive, demon-like form with horns and wings seen in Jackson’s trilogy was terrifying in an entirely different way—and it’s hard to deny that it made the scene even better.
2 Boromir’s Death Was Even More Heroic
Boromir’s fight with the Uruk-hai in the Lord of the Rings books was only described second-hand, so it was mainly left to readers’ imaginations. However, the movie showed every moment of the brave warrior’s efforts to save Merry and Pippin. This was made even more impactful by Jackson’s efforts to lead up to the big moment throughout the Fellowship of the Ring movie. Boromir had developed a close bond with Merry and Pippin that hadn’t been described the same way in the books, making his efforts to save them even more heartbreaking. Ultimately, Boromir’s far more dramatic death made for one of Fellowship‘s best scenes.
1 The Conflict Between Frodo & Sam Enhanced The Rings’ Affect
The conflict that grew between Frodo and Sam in the Lord of the Rings movies was difficult to watch—and was a little frustrating to book fans who knew it had never happened that way in canon—but it ultimately did something very important for Jackson’s trilogy. One of the challenges of book-to-screen adaptations is bringing the inner dialogue from the page onto the screen. In the Lord of the Rings movies, audiences don’t know what Frodo is feeling like they could when reading the books. Therefore, Jackson had to find a creative way to reveal just how the Ring was affecting him. By making him send his companion away, Jackson’s film trilogy communicated the Ring’s true power more effectively than if he had stuck to the books.
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