This article contains spoilers forThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerfinally revealed its version of Tom Bombadil, but the show made a few changes to the character laid out by pioneering fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien. Showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne teased Tom Bombadil’s inclusion in their show all the way back in May 2024, but it wasn’t certain until the airing of episode 4 how they would portray the character (viaVanity Fair). It is now clear thatThe Rings of Powerseason 2is celebrating Tolkien’s Tom Bombadil in numerous ways, but is taking the character in its own direction.
Lord of the Ringscharacter Tom Bombadilis one of the most beloved characters of the book, which is Tolkien’s magnum opus and one of the fewLord of the Ringsbooks he published while alive. The majority of Tolkien’s legendarium was published by his son, Christopher, after his death. As such, Tom Bombadil is one of the pillars of Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsworld, makingRings of Power’sunprecedented on-screen portrayal of him a landmark moment for TV and literature. This makes it intriguing to pick apart the differences between the show’s Tom Bombadil and the Tom of the book.
10Tom Bombadil Deals With Old Man Ironwood In The Show
Tom Bombadil Deals With Old Man Willow In The Book
The Rings of Power’sTom Bombadilrescued the Stranger from a sentient tree that Tom Bombadil called Old Man Ironwood, which didn’t happen in the book. However, this did recall a scene inThe Lord of the RingswhereTom rescued the Hobbits Merry and Pippin from a sentient treecalled Old Man Willow. Old Man Willow was a willow in the Old Forest, soRings of Powercouldn’t adapt him, as it set Tom Bombadil in Rhûn. However, it could retain the spirit of Bombadil’s arc in the book, which it did with Old Man Ironwood.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Amazon Prime, with a new season 2 episode out every Thursday.
Those seeking a completely faithful adaptation of Tolkien’s tales will likely be dissatisfied with this change from the book.The root of this change lies in Tom being in Rhûn, rather than the Old Forest - that is the core change here. For those happy to see Bombadil finally committed to screen, albeit with a non-canonical storyline, this could be seen as the show’s determination to adaptLord of the Ringsdespite the twists and turns it was obliged to take to tell the story ofMiddle-earth’s Second Age. This is a difficult narrative to master in a TV show, and it won’t be fully understood by viewers until the show’s end.
9Tom Bombadil Controls Fire In The Show
Tom Bombadil Is Master Of Wood, Water, And Hill In The Book
Tom Bombadil lit a candle in his cottage, and many more immediately lit, suggesting a kind of magic not described inThe Lord of the Rings. InThe Lord of the Rings, Tom was “master of wood, water, and hill.” This vague but evocative description of Bombadil’s extreme and overarching power didn’t preclude power over fire but didn’t suggest it either.Bombadil never lit multiple candles with one flamein the book.
In the book, Tom’s powers over wood, water, and hill went hand in hand with his home in the Old Forest.Tom Bombadil had power in his realmand over it but not necessarily outside it.Tom was removed from his canonical homein episode 4. Tom’s apparent pyrokinesis displayed him as the powerful being he was in the book, retaining his awe-inspiring quality and combatting the risk of him seeming powerless and weak outside the Old Forest. A powerless and weak Tom Bombadil really wouldn’t be Tom Bombadil at all.
8Tom Bombadil Adds A Desert Verse To His Book Song In Rings Of Power
Tom Bombadil Builds Out His Famous Song
InThe Rings of Powerseason 2’s episode 4,Tom sang of “Sandflies in the grass, bees around the willow.” This line wasn’t inLord of the Ringsbut was sandwiched between lyrics that were. It was a victorious moment, seeingTom Bombadil singing inThe Rings of Power, solidifying Tom’s position as a source of levity in a dark story. This was Tom’s role inLord of the Rings, and it appears to be his role inRings of Power.
Rings of Powergiving Bombadil the exact lines that he sang inLord of the Ringswas a nice touch, especially as this faithfulness extended to the vast majority of Tom’s singing in episode 4.Tom’s line about sandflies appeared to be the only musical deviation from lore, and it nodded eloquently toRings of Power’sown interpretation of Tom. The show’s Tom is a desert-dweller singing of sand, whereas the book’s Tom only sang of woods.
Why The Rings Of Power’s Stranger Hears A Female Voice In Tom Bombadil’s House
The Stranger hears a voice while visiting Tom Bombadil in The Rings of Power season 2, episode 4, and it may raise questions about who it belongs to.
7Tom Bombadil’s Boots In The Book May Differ To His Boots In The Show
Tom Bombadil’s Colorful Clothes Are An Identifying Feature
Tom Bombadil was a colorful figure inLord of the Rings, but it’s debatable if the show adapted his yellow boots. “Bright blue his jacket [was], and his boots [were] yellow” inLord of the Rings, butTom’s boots in the show were closer to ochre than yellow. However, ochre is a kind of yellow and is in keeping with the pallet and costume design of Bombadil, Rhûn, and the show in general.
Bombadil could be seen wearing a blue coat inThe Rings of Power, and also the weathered hat described inLord of the Rings. Bombadil did have ruddy cheeks in the show, a Tolkienian detail that anchored him to the source material.Bombadil’s boots were far from the biggest change made by the showto Tom, but they may be seen as not quite yellow enough by some.
6Tom Is Known As Iarwain In The Book But Calls His Lamb Iarwain In The Show
Iarwain Is One Of Tom Bombadil’s Names
Tom Bombadil seemed to call his lamb Iarwain inRings of Power, butTom didn’t have a lamb called IarwaininLord of the Ringsand was actually known by this name himself. Gandalf said “Iarwain Ben-adar we called him, oldest and fatherless,” referring to Tom Bombadil inLord of the Rings. There’s nothing to say that Tom doesn’t go by the name of Iarwain Ben-adar in Rings of Power, so Tom’s lamb is more of an Easter egg than a lore shift.
However, the show has yet to explore Tom’s many nicknames.Tom’s lamb could well be named after Tom, whether it was named by Tom himself, Goldberry, or someone else. Tom’s animals in the show help to build the sense of him as a caring figure who works the land to keep it safe.
5Tom Bombadil Has Traveled To Rhûn In The Rings Of Power
Tom Bombadil Never Goes To Rhûn In The Book
One ofRings of Power’sbiggest changes to the character of Tom Bombadil was situating him in Rhûn, when he lived in the Old Forest in the book. InThe Lord of the Rings,Tom was protective of his realm and was reluctant to leave it. When confronted with leaving his realm, he said (in his characteristic third-person vernacular) “Tom’s country ends here: he will not pass the borders.” InRings of Power, Tom left his home to investigate the dark shadow threatening nature in Rhûn. Tom was a protector of nature inLord of the Rings, so this motivation, at least, aligns with the original character.
Whether Tom’s protectivity of nature or his reluctance to leave his realm would have won out if faced with the threat of Rhûn in the book is purely speculative.
Whether Tom’s protectivity of nature or his reluctance to leave his realm would have won out if faced with the threat of Rhûn in the book is purely speculative. However, Gandalf’s claim that Tom “will not step beyond” his bounds points to a possible answer. Despite this,the show explores an earlier version of Tomthan the one inLord of the Rings, leaning into the possibility that Tom used to travel. Gandalf said, “now he is withdrawn into a little land,” suggesting that Tom acted differently beforehand.
4The Rings Of Power’s Tom Bombadil Has Knowledge Outside Of The Old Forest
Tom Bombadil’s Realm Is The Old Forest In Lord Of The Rings
Tom Bombadil’s knowledge only extended to the borders of his realm, the Old Forest, inLord of the Rings, whereas it definitely seemed active in Rhûn in the show.Tom said in the book “Out east my knowledge fails. Tom is not master of Riders from the Black Land far beyond his country.” Tom was out east inRings of Powerbut seemed just as wise as he did in the book.
Granted, Tom’s statement in the book was a generic reference to his knowledge of the goings-on of the eastern lands, and doesn’t mean he could never attain this knowledge. Tom clearly traveled to Rhûn many years ago in the show, giving him time to acclimatize. Whatever the case may be,Tom’s magical foresight and powers were certainly in full swinginRings of Power.
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3Tom Bombadil Is Keeping Goldberry Secret In The Show
Goldberry Is Bashful In The Show
Goldberry was Tom Bombadil’s wife inThe Lord of the Ringsand was one of the best characters of the book, but was very different inRings of Power.Tolkien depicted Goldberry as a sacred presence, beautiful and one with the river. She was welcoming and friendly. However, inRings of Power, she was accused off-screen of being “bashful” by Tom then never made an appearance.
Goldberry’s symbolic importance inThe Lord of the Ringsmakes her an interesting card for the show to play in future.
It is unclear if Goldberry’s bashfulness will be justified by future episodes ofThe Rings of Poweror if this lore change will go unexplained forever.It seems like too glaring a mysteryfor the show to leave unresolved. Goldberry’s symbolic importance inThe Lord of the Ringsmakes her an interesting card for the show to play in the future.
2Tom Bombadil Trains The Rings Of Power’s Two Wizards
The Wizards' Identities Are Shrouded In Secrecy
The Rings of Power’sDark Wizardwas a huge bombshell in season 2, matched by the bombshell that Tom Bombadil knew him and gave him counsel. It seems like the mysterious Dark Wizard could be a Blue Wizard of lore. None of the Istari (which included Saruman, the Blue Wizards, and Gandalf) were around in the Second Age in lore and Tolkien gave conflicting accounts of the Blue Wizards' political alignment, obscuring the Dark Wizard’s identity. However, there is enough source material to suggest that theBlue Wizards started their own magical cultin the east, which the Dark Wizard seems to have done.
Tom never advised Blue Wizards or Gandalf inLord of the Rings.
Tom Bombadil gave advice to both the Dark Wizard and the StrangerinRings of Power. There have been enough hints dropped byThe Rings of Powerto strongly imply thatthe Stranger is Gandalf, although his identity is enigmatic. If the identities of the Dark Wizard and the Stranger turn out to be, respectively, a Blue Wizard and Gandalf, that makes Tom Bombadil’s admission significant. Tom never advised Blue Wizards or Gandalf inLord of the Rings.
1Tom Bombadil Gets More Involved Than He Does In The Lord Of The Rings
Tom Bombadil Is Non-Interventionist In The Book
Tom Bombadil was non-interventionistinThe Lord of the Rings, resisting taking part in the War of the Ring, but he was advocating the Stranger takes on Sauron in the show. InLord of the Rings, Elrond suggested that Tom Bombadil’s enormous power made him a good candidate for attendee of the council he held assessing the future of the One Ring. Gandalf said that “He would not have come” if he had been invited.
J.R.R. Tolkien said in a letter that Tom Bombadil represented “a natural pacifist view.” It is also true thatpacifism exists on a sliding scale, and that Tom rescued the Hobbits from Barrow-wights and armed them with swords inLord of the Rings. Therefore, the reality is complex, and the show has a tough job adapting this symbolic character. Love it or hate it, Tom will keep singing his way throughThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2, whether on-screen or off-screen.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
