From the first glance at The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerhad some difficulties in reconciling the younger version of Galadriel from the series with the The Lord of the Rings (and immortalized by Cate Blanchett in the film). There are still claims that this new version is a break with the source material, a reinterpretation, or even a rejection of Tolkien’s true vision. But ScreenRants The Rings of Power Podcast is to look directly for the truth in Tolkien’s own unpublished writings.
As with the debate over whether the Stranger is Gandalf or a blue wizard, the idea of JRR Tolkien’s “canon” must be thrown out the window. The originally published books introduced the world to Galadriel, details of her backstory were not published until much later. But Tolkien continued to expand on his original vision, writing new chapters, new versions, and even changing his Silmarillion in response to a growing and changing idea of who Galadriel is, was and could become. So how do these ideas compare to those in The Rings of Power? These answers can be found in the latest episode of The Rings of Power Podcast: “Young Galadriel’s Biggest Problem: Is She Based on Tolkien’s Version?” embedded below:
Hosts Andrew Dyce and Stephen Colbert delve deep into the existing lore, ideas and potential stories that JRR Tolkien wrote or discussed throughout his life, and where the Rings of Power Writers have room to fill out their own fiction. And when it came to describing the person Galadriel was long before she gained the wisdom to “pass the test” and refuse the One Ring offered to her by Frodo, the writers had a lot to work with.
Tolkien’s complete vision for Galadriel is frighteningly close to Rings of Powers
The author’s unpublished writings suggest a story arc for Galadriel that fits the series
The version of Galadriel’s story may depend entirely on which of Tolkien’s writings, published in various collections after his death, one looks for details in. From the moment she appeared on the page in The Companionsuntil the last days of Tolkien’s life, the idea of the “true” story of Galadriel was constantly changing. But through it all, One thing remained clear, however: Tolkien portrayed Galadriel as the brightest, boldest, strongest and most extraordinary of all the elves of Middle Earth. And she knew it too.
If you are curious, you can listen to the podcast episode “The Rings of Power” above or Tolkien’s Unfinished stories for further insights. But it is the latter versions that shed the most light on The Rings of Powerwhen Tolkien imagined Galadriel as a powerful elf on a quest for vengeance, whose hatred drove her from Valinor to Middle Earth in pursuit of an enemy, determined to oppose him by any means necessary… but blinded by the darkness this cast over her own mind. The enemy was Feanor, not Sauron, but from there the similarities grow.
For the full conversation and debate on this and all other topics related to the TV show, visit The Rings of Power Podcast on your favorite podcast app and stay tuned to ScreenRant for all the coverage of season two and beyond.
The Rings of Power Podcast
Tolkien enthusiasts Andrew Dyce and Stephen Colbert host this ScreenRant podcast about the ongoing Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Each episode explores questions, criticisms, and theories about the Middle-earth-set series.
