The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has taken a different approach to Tolkien’s works than Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and there are a few ways this has been an improvement. Any screen adaptation of the stories set in Middle-earth is bound to invite criticism, and Prime Video’s series is certainly not an exception. Rings of Power has taken several creative liberties with Tolkien lore, which Jackson did his best to avoid with his movies. However, there are ways in which the series is more accurate than The Lord of the Rings films, and some changes are an overall improvement.

Criticism has been predominantly aimed at Rings of Power recently, but Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies received their fair share back when they were released in the early 2000s. Any movie adaptation must minimize and simplify a book’s plot, which is especially true for Tolkien’s works on Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings movies did the best with the limited time and resources available, but The Rings of Power has a longer format to get the stories across and has the advantage of modern filming technology to bring Middle-earth to life. This has allowed the Prime Video series to stand taller than its predecessor in some areas.

Rings Of Power Makes Sauron A More Interesting Character

Sauron Was An Unseen Villain In Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings

In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Sauron was far from an invisible villain. The idea that the Dark Lord was nothing but a giant flaming eye was an invention of Jackson’s movies and in no way reflected the canon character. Then, Tolkien’s various notes and unfinished stories, collected and posthumously published as The Silmarillion and other books, provided even further details about Sauron, including his multiple plans, forms, and general personality. Prime Video’s The Rings of Power really works in that it brings these aspects to the screen. Halbrand may be an invention of the series, but he better reflects who Sauron was.

Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings Changed Elrond

Elrond Is Far Kinder & Less Critical In Rings Of Power

Elrond is among the more critical characters in Lord of the Rings lore, and though Jackson’s films communicated this to a point, their version of the Elf was nothing like Tolkien described. This had much to do with Jackson’s decision to make Arwen a stronger character (which was a great choice otherwise) and to add more conflict to her relationship with Aragorn. Elrond was aggressive and distrustful as a result, lying and manipulating Arwen to keep her out of harm’s way. The Rings of Power‘s version is more faithful to Tolkien’s works—wise, kind, and enduringly good.

Elrond never opposed Aragorn and Arwen’s romance in the Lord of the Rings books – he only required that the King of Gondor carry out his destiny before getting married.

Dwarves Aren’t Just Comic Relief In Rings Of Power

Gimli (& Other Dwarves) Were Far More Serious In Tolkien’s Works

One of the more significant crimes of Jackson’s Lord of the Rings was the reduction of Gimli’s character to comedic relief. Though the character had several great moments in the movies, he was so silly that it was difficult ever to take him too seriously. Since he was the only dwarf in these films, it was easy to assume that this ridiculousness applied to the race as a whole. The fact that The Rings of Power has brought far more drama to the plot surrounding the Dwarves has made them seem more like serious characters all their own while still possessing the quirky characteristics described in Tolkien’s works.

Orcs Look Fantastic In Rings Of Power

Practical Effects Have Come A Long Way Since Lord Of The Rings

Practical special effects have come a long way over the years, and this means that the Orcs of The Rings of Power look far more believable than those seen in the Lord of the Rings movies. The prosthetics used to make these beasts in the movies were stiff and barely movable, resulting in characters who looked entirely like actors in suits. Jackson’s The Hobbit films only made this worse by depending too heavily on CGI. Prime Video’s The Rings of Power has righted this wrong with some truly excellent prosthetic makeup that makes the Orcs look like monsters worthy of Tolkien’s imagination.

Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings Ruined Isildur

Rings Of Power’s Version Of Isildur Is More Faithful To Tolkien Canon

Isildur was never meant to be a villain, but that’s not how the Lord of the Rings movies would tell it. Though he indeed claimed the One Ring of his own, the idea that Elrond led Isildur to Mount Doom just for the man to give an evil smile and refuse to give it up is entirely unique to Jackson’s films. Instead, like everyone else who fell victim to the Ring, the tragic king of Gondor is meant to be a cautionary tale. Though The Rings of Power has yet to reach this point in Isildur’s story, he has been portrayed in a far more sympathetic light, which is more accurate to canon.

Rings Of Power Gives Elf Characters More Variety

Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings Made Elves Too Perfect

The Elves of Jackson’s Lord of the Rings were more or less the same—ethereal and definitively good. Ultimately, this meant the personalities of the Elvish characters began to blur together, This was never the case for Tolkien’s version of the fair race. Characters like Celebrimbor and Feanor were known to have significant faults, which often came down to pride and hubris. This is communicated far better in The Rings of Power, where these characters are seen to struggle with temptation in a far more relatable way and where one Elf is entirely defined from another.

Middle-Earth Is More Diverse In Rings Of Power

Lord Of The Rings’ Casting Greatly Lacked Diversity

One of the most debated changes to Tolkien’s original works is the decision to include actors of color in The Rings of Power. Of course, it is never explicitly stated that all the characters in Middle-earth had white skin, but given the time of publication, European influence, and some of the author’s phrasing, it has been assumed. Peter Jackson kept with this idea, casting only white actors to portray the character in his Lord of the Rings films. However, Rings of Power has created a far more diverse version of Middle-earth than has been included on screen. This has invited outrageous criticism, but when it comes to it, the more people that feel at home in Middle-earth, the better.

Rings Of Power Covers More Middle-Earth Stories At Once

Lord Of The Rings Was Limited By Its Movie Format

Tolkien described dozens of Middle-earth stories throughout his written works, all taking place at different points spanning thousands of years. The Rings of Power had the difficult task of bringing many of these to the screen at once, and it has managed to find a great balance. This means compressing the timeline and making assumptions about events that Tolkien didn’t explicitly describe (like the adventures of Harfoots during the Second Age), but this has more or less been effective. On the other hand, Jackson’s Lord of the Rings had a lot less time to work with, so several plot points had to be cut from the films.

Of course, this is the benefit of a TV series instead of films. There is far more room to dive into a story and flesh out all the nuanced points, where movies must conclude after a couple of hours. It’s not as if the beloved Lord of the Rings movies were bad by any means, they were just limited by their format. Rings of Power, on the other hand, has a lot more room to grow going forward. Despite the waves of criticism, this has given the Prime Video series quite the edge.