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J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is one of the most celebrated and influential fantasy novels of all time. Published in three volumes between 1954 and 1955, the epic story follows the journey of Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship as they seek to destroy the One Ring and defeat the Dark Lord Sauron.
The depth of Tolkien’s world-building, his creation of diverse languages, cultures, and histories, and the novel’s themes of friendship, sacrifice, and the battle between good and evil have captivated readers for decades. When Peter Jackson adapted the novel into a film trilogy in the early 2000s, it became a cinematic milestone, winning numerous awards and garnering a devoted fanbase.
However, adapting a novel as expansive as The Lord of the Rings inevitably led to changes in the story. While Jackson's films stayed true to the spirit of Tolkien’s work, several elements were altered or omitted to fit the demands of a visual medium.
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Disclaimer: The article contains spoilers for the franchise, The Lord Of the Rings.
Exploring the 5 differences between The Lord Of the Rings novel and movies
1) The absence of Tom Bombadil in The Lord of the Rings
One of the most talked-about omissions in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy is the character of Tom Bombadil. In the book, Bombadil is an enigmatic, cheerful figure who helps Frodo and the hobbits during their early journey by rescuing them from Old Man Willow and the Barrow-wights.
He’s notable for his whimsical personality and mysterious ability to wear the One Ring without being affected by it, a detail that further emphasizes the Ring’s power over others.
However, Jackson decided to leave Bombadil out of the film entirely. The director explained that Bombadil’s episodes, while charming, did not advance the main plot of Frodo’s journey to destroy the One Ring.
Including Bombadil would have slowed the movie’s pace, which needed to be streamlined for a cinematic audience. Although Bombadil is a fan-favorite character from the books, his absence is understandable given the film's focus on the core narrative.
2) Arwen’s expanded role in The Lord of the Rings
However, the same is not true when it comes to the females in Tolkien’s novels, particularly the character of Arwen who is an elf maiden and romantic interest to Aragorn, who has limited character exposition. Her narrative is mostly revealed in the appendices, and her courtship with Aragorn remains very much off-stage.
Still, Peter Jackson preferred to increase the scope of Arwen’s character in the movies, which made her participation in the plot more significant. For instance, in The Fellowship of the Ring, it is Arwen who rescues Frodo from the Ringwraiths, a scene that does not appear in the book.
Jackson and his crew were adamant in stating that this was done so that Arwen's character could be built considerably more and incorporate more action in the unfolding events of Aragorn's character.
This particular change made the films possess a mainly enhanced romantic sub-plot and also the supporting characters received a degree of flourish as the audience could appreciate the kinds of personal sacrifices that Arwen had to endure for the sake of her love for Aragorn.
3) Exclusion of the Scouring of the Shire in The Lord of the Rings
Among the many disparities between the novel and the motion picture is the scouring of the Shire which does not occur in the film’s plot. In the Return of the King, in the epilogue, after the victory of the. Sauron and the hobbits try to go back home only to find out that Saruman and Wormtongue have conquered the Shire.
This portion is very significant in the books because it envisions the hobbits as revolutionary figures who take the lead in the defense of their homestead.
This, however, is not a burden that Peter Jackson shouldered, and it is explained by the fact that the Shire has not been involved in the events of the War of the Ring. In the end, the hobbits come to a non-warring Shire and this makes it a happy ending.
This is how Jackson perceives that the Scouring would have rather shifted the audience’s focus from the climax of the film, which is the destruction of the ring.
4) Faramir’s characterization in The Lord of the Rings
In Tolkien’s narratives, Faramir, the honorary melanoma of Boromir, is described as an aristocrat whose will is not subjected to the one ring. In the two towers and his interactions with Frodo and Sam, Faramir does not desire to take the ring for Gondor, unlike his brother who fought for it and lost.
In the film adaptation, however, Faramir wanted the Ring returned to Gondor this decision doing more to the internal struggles of his character. Later on, Jackson justified these modifications by the fact that it was necessary to raise the stakes and emphasize the sheer force of temptation possessed by the Ring.
5) Saruman’s Fate in The Lord of the Rings
Even in the case of Saruman’s defeat in Isengard, in the novels, that is not where his stories end. After being stripped of his powers, he goes to the Shire and actively participates in the events of the ‘Scouring of the Shire. Saruman is ultimately killed by Wormtongue during this chapter.
However, since the Scouring was left out of The Lord of the Rings, Saruman’s fate had to be revised. In these scenes from the extended version of The Return of the King Saruman dies at Isengard when his exile in the earlier release gets cut earlier in the editt.
Interested viewers can watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy on Amazon Prime Video.
