Summary
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 1 made some controversial decisions in its choice of plot and characters, and it looks likeThe Rings of Powerseason 2will be no different, with certain characters standing out.The Rings of Powerhad a mixed receptionon its 2022 launch, with its original material coming under fire for stepping away from a faithful adaptation of Tolkien’s work. The show’s original characters included Durin’s wife, Disa, Bronwyn, the Elf Arondir, and the Harfoots Nori, Poppy, and their community. Season 2 will add more original characters.
WithThe Rings of Powerset inTolkien’s Second Age, it is using the appendices to legendary fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Ringsfor its source material, with rights to adapt these plus the fullLord of the RingsandThe Hobbit. It is often pulling on scant resources, since the majority of Tolkien’s words on the Second Age were in works that the show doesn’t have the rights to adapt, such asThe Silmarillion. The show bulks out this content with original material, andseason 2’s newly announced original characters may prove divisive.
The Rings Of Power’s Stoors: Connection To Hobbits & LOTR History Explained
Rings of Power season 2 has introduced the Stoors, another race of pre-Hobbits with a rich history connecting to the events of Lord of the Rings.
The Rings Of Power Season 2 Is Repeating Its Controversial Harfoot Choice With The Stoors
The Stoors Will Join Rings Of Power Season 2
In an exclusive forEntertainment Weekly, Amazon Prime Video revealed that it would include the Stoors as newRings of Poweroriginal characters. The show’s choice to include Harfoots, the race that preceded the Hobbits, was met with controversy throughout season 1.The Rings of Poweris doubling down on its stance and including another pre-Hobbit racethat led to the Third Age Hobbit community, the Stoors. The Stoors were one of three pre-Hobbit communities, with the final one being the Fallohides, who have not yet been added to the show.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 will be released on June 07, 2025.
The Stoors were revealed to be living ina part of Middle-earth called RhûninThe Rings of Powerseason 2, which isn’t their canonical place of residence. The Stoors in Tolkien’s world were water-lovers who dwelled beside the Anduin river. New Stoor actor Gavi Singh Chera commented, “It’s so interesting that their origins are a really arid and dry environment, a place where water is sacred. So if you then travel and… come across a river… it must seem like the ultimate oasis.” Despite this link to canon,the show’s change to the Stoors' Tolkien-sanctioned location won’t please everyone.
Why J.R.R. Tolkien Fans Didn’t Want The Harfoots In The Amazon Series
Harfoots Weren’t A Huge Part Of The Story
Like much ofThe Rings of Power’scontent, there is not much to go on regarding the Harfoots in Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsor its appendices, leading some Tolkien fans to dispute their inclusion in the show.The Lord of the Ringsprologue stated that “The beginning of Hobbits lies far back in the Elder Days,” and went on to describe the Harfoots. Therefore,the Harfoots' existence in the Second Ageis indisputable. However, the text didn’t give much more than context on the Harfoots, not picking out any characters in particular.The resultingoriginal material polarized fans.
To retain the continuity of Tolkien’s whole tale, Nori and Poppy shouldn’t draw Sauron’s attention in the show.
The show’s original content took up time in the show that could have been spent telling stories that were included in the source material, which was the crux of the problem for some viewers. Additionally, despite the Harfoots' existence at the time, Sauron “entirely overlooked the existence of hobbits,” according to Gandalf. It follows thatpre-Hobbits were not doing anything of fame or renownin the First or Second Ages. To retain the continuity of Tolkien’s whole tale, Nori and Poppy shouldn’t draw Sauron’s attention in the show. This risk was noted by fans, but hasn’t yet materialized.
The Rings Of Power’s Harfoot Change Means It Has To Include Stoors In Season 2
The Harfoots Foreshadowed The Stoors
The Rings of Power’sinclusion of the Harfootsforeshadowed its inclusion of the Stoors and foreshadows its inclusion of Fallohides, to a certain extent. While the show wouldn’t be remiss to leave Stoors and Fallohides out of the narrative merely due to adding in Harfoots, it makes sense for the show to explain all pre-Hobbits, rather than just one type.The Harfoots were a Chekhov’s Gunof sorts, paving the way for world-building around one of Tolkien’s most popular races. The Hobbits humanized the darkLord of the Rings, so it’s unsurprising that the show is replicating this.
Adding in Stoors, and possibly eventually Fallohides, makes the pre-Hobbit story complete inThe Rings of Power.The show can build on elements of Tolkien’s world alluded to in the appendices toLord of the Rings, but it should watch out that it doesn’t contradict source material. This is, after all, a part of its deal with the Tolkien Estate. As such, Nori’s journey with the Stranger in Rhûn, and the Stoors they will probably bump into there, shouldn’t really cross paths with Sauron. If they do, it should fly mostly under Sauron’s radar.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 is more than capable of navigating the Harfoots and Stoors without contradicting the source material, and its fleshing out of roughly sketched races could be a valuable contribution to the franchise. The Stoors' inception in the eastern Rhûn could segue to their eventual migration to the Anduin, resulting in an origin story for Hobbits.Lord of the Ringsdoes allude to pre-Hobbitsmigrating west, fleeing the influence of Sauron. The Stoors won’t satisfy everyone, like the Harfoots didn’t, but if they stay within Tolkien’s framework, they could add a rich new layer to his world.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
