The sympathetic Orcs inThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerare controversial, but they are fully supported by the work of high fantasy pioneer J.R.R. Tolkien.The HobbitandThe Lord of the Ringswere working toward this conclusion, with Tolkien explaining his position on Orcs in other stories and letters that he wrote throughout his life. However, one little-knownLord of the Ringspublication lays this out in clear detail. That is 1962’sThe Adventures of Tom Bombadil,the third of only fourLord of the Ringsbooks that Tolkien published in his lifetime.
Together with 1937’sThe Hobbit, 1954’sThe Lord of the Rings, and a 1967 songbook calledThe Road Goes Ever On,The Adventures of Tom Bombadilforms the Tolkien-approved, undeniable canonofThe Lord of the Rings. Subsequent publications form a glorious mythopoeia of mixed legends, occasionally contradicting each other in the style of true myth, leaving canon to be debated. Tolkien’s backing ofThe Adventures of Tom Bombadilis irrefutable, making its varied, emotional “evil” creatures a clear model forThe Rings of Power’ssympathetic Orcs.
The Adventures Of Tom Bombadil Set A Precedent For Middle-Earth’s “Evil” Creatures Being More Complex
Trolls Are Friendly & Dragons Are Depressed In Lord Of The Rings' 1962 Book
Samwise Gamgee wrote about “The Lonely Troll” in “Perry-the-Winkle,” confirming thatMorgoth’s creatures weren’t perceived as soullessnor black-and-white bythe residents of Middle-earth. Seeking company through rejection, this troll finally befriends Perry-the-Winkle. In-universe,The Lord of the Rings’tales were recorded by Hobbits (sometimes translated from Elvish lore) in the Red Book of Westmarch.The Adventures of Tom Bombadilis a poetry anthology included in the Red Book of Westmarch. The book provides another sympathetic creature normally associated with evil - the dragon with drooping ears and dead joy in “The Hoard.”
The Lord Of The Rings Doesn’t Have Sympathetic Orcs, But The Rings Of Power’s Moral Complexity Makes Sense
J.R.R. Tolkien Confirmed That Orcs Have Rights In Lord Of The Rings
InThe Lord of the Rings, the Orcs weren’t nice, or particularly sympathetic, but they were more than the automatons that the Peter Jackson movies portrayed them as.The Lord of the Ringsmoviesdefined high fantasy and their influence is far-reaching for good reason. However, the indiscriminate and trivialized killing of Orcs throughout the movies is less of a reflection of the source material thanThe Rings of Power’smore nuanced depiction of Orcs. As Halbrand pointedly said in season 1, “If you want to murder Orcs… don’t dress it up as heroism.”
Sauron Will Need Help From 2 Key LOTR Characters To Forge The One Ring In Rings Of Power Season 3
Two Lord of the Rings characters will give Sauron what he needs to forge the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3.
The Rings of Power’soriginal character, Glûg, and his Orc wife and baby, courted backlash for risking creatingsympathy for Sauron’s side. ButThe Letters of J.R.R. Tolkienconfirmed that “the Orcs are not evil in origin,” with the right to peace and respect.The Adventures of Tom Bombadilbacks this up immensely, displaying Morgoth’s creatures with a range of emotions and moral standpoints.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powergives its Orcs a logical moral complexity consistent with what Tolkien believed increasingly as he got older.
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.
