The decision not to feature Helm Hammerhand as the primary character in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has been controversial, but a new clip from the movie justifies the choice. The new animated film, which hits theaters on December 13, 2024, is based on one of Tolkien’s stories set a couple of centuries before Frodo’s own adventure. Given the setting and central conflict between Rohan and the Dunlendings, it was assumed that the War of the Rohirrim‘s primary focus would be King Helm Hammerhand. However, it was eventually revealed that the ruler’s daughter, Hera, would be the movie’s protagonist.

Helm Hammerhand’s daughter was unnamed in Tolkien’s works, so the decision to make her a leading character in The War of the Rohirrim has been controversial. The new film has no choice but to take extensive creative liberties with this character and the overall story. After all, there’s no way to make Hera a hero without making some adjustments to the canon. However, leading up to the Lord of the Rings movie’s theatrical release, an eight-minute War of the Rohirrim teaser clip has provided a look at why it was crucial that Helm Hammerhand not be the central protagonist of War of the Rohirrim.

War Of The Rohirrim’s New Clip Portrays Helm Hammerhand As An Almost Mythical Figure

The New Lord Of The Rings Movie Keeps Helm Shrouded In Powerful Mystery

Helm Hammerhand was a traditional folk hero in Tolkien’s version of this Middle-earth story. He was impossibly strong but also full of a dangerous sort of hubris that resulted in his own death during the conflict between Rohan and the Dunlendings. The eight-minute teaser clip of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim unveiled the new movie’s interpretation of Helm Hammerhand, and it certainly seems that they leaned into this folk hero status. The king is seen to be a powerful and mysterious force, so fearsome that his own people even refer to him as a wraith.

J.R.R. Tolkien often took inspiration from Norse mythology in his work – which is evident in his character Helm Hammerhand.

The New Lord Of The Rings Movie’s Clip Explains Why Helm Isn’t The Main Character

It’s Better To See A Legendary Figure Like Helm Through Hera’s Eyes

Helm Hammerhand’s strength and abilities go far beyond that of a typical Man in the new Lord of the Rings movie’s teaser clip, and this is certainly (more or less) how Tolkien built up his character. It seems War of the Rohirrim will approach the question of why he’s so powerful as a sort of dark mystery. Helm Hammerhand is clearly beloved by his people, but he is also feared as a sort of mythological figure. If the movie had taken the king’s perspective from beginning to end, the intriguing and somewhat chilling mystery of his power would have been lost since the character would naturally become more humanized.

If the movie had taken the king’s perspective from beginning to end, the intriguing and somewhat chilling mystery of his power would have been lost since the character would naturally become more humanized.

In the War of the Rohirrim clip, Helm sacrifices himself to help his daughter escape into the Hornburg (Helm’s Deep), heroically facing an entire army himself in the terrible cold. It looks as if this will be the moment that catapults Hera into a leading position. Through her perspective, audiences can continue to see Tolkien’s Helm Hammerhand as a legendary and heroic figure. This makes Hera far more relatable as well—a more human character that audiences can seamlessly connect to in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. So, while it’s a change to Tolkien’s canon, it’s the best way to maintain the legacy of the author’s creation.