5 Key Differences Between 'The Lord Of The Rings' And 'The Rings Of Power'
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The Rings Of Power is the newest content set in the world of Middle-earth. A majority of the stories and characters we see come from the notes of J. R. R Tolkien. However, not everything in the show is considered “Tolkien canon” as Amazon did have to take some creative liberties to make the show. This is unlike Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, where everything in that story was from the mind of Tolkien himself. While The Rings of Power does take some creative liberties, it does not make it any less Tolkien than what we are familiar with in The Lord of the Rings. The Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age of Middle-earth, long before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. Both pieces of Tolkien lore are quite different from one another.
Evil Isn’t As Noticeable
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The Rings of Power makes it clear that something evil is coming to Middle-earth, and that Sauron is alive, but he is not the Dark Lord that we are all familiar with yet. In The Lord of the Rings, Sauron is a Dark Lord, who has an army and base in Mordor. In The Rings of Power, we just found out who he is during the finale, and he has yet to come into his dark powers. To the people of Middle-earth at large, however, Adar and his orcs are the biggest threat to them right now.
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No Wizards
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Wizards do not appear until the Third Age of Middle-earth. Many theories have suggested that The Stranger is a wizard, which would break Tolkien's canon. In The Lord of the Rings, we are used to seeing Gandalf, an all-powerful wizard aiding the fellowship. The people of The Rings of Power aren’t as lucky, as wizards do not exist yet.
Elves And Dwarves Still Communicate
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The reason why the friendship between Legolas and Gimli was so special was that during this time in Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves were not on good terms. We see Legolas and Gimli fought at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, but they eventually become good friends. In The Rings of Power, there is still a relationship between Elves and Dwarves, although we do detect a hint of underlying distrust. We see this with Elrond and Durin, an Elf and a Dwarf who are good friends and have respect for each other.
Mordor Has Yet To Become All Powerful
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The Lord Of The Rings shows Mordor as an all-powerful part of Middle-earth. It is where Sauron leads his army, and where the Uruk-hai are created. Mount Doom is an active volcano, and where Frodo and Sam must journey to destroy the One Ring. The Rings of Power shows the creation of Mordor, and we see Halbrand/Sauron journey to Mount Doom and Mordor in Season 1 finale. It has yet to become the evil hub we know it will be.
Numenor Is Still Around
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The kingdoms of Men thrived during the Second Age, especially on the island of Númenor. It was settled by the Edain, the first recorded Men of Middle-earth. They allied with the Valar against Morgoth, and in return, were gifted the island kingdom of Númenor. The people of Númenor were also granted extended lifespans. However, the fall of Númenor marks the end of the Second Age. The city would be buried under great waves, and its inhabitants will be scattered across Middle-earth. This lasting effect is seen in The Lord of the Rings as the kingdom of Men is no more.
While both The Rings of Power and The Lord of the Rings are based on Tolkien lore, they are both very different. One is the story of the forging of the rings of power, and the other is the story of two Hobbits who set out to destroy the One Ring. Both are essential pieces in completing the lore of Middle-earth.
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Source(s): Screen Rant
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