It isn’t easy to adapt books into movies. For example, the Twilight and The Hunger Games films, which come out of the gate swinging, failed to keep their momentum and fell flat on their faces by the end. The Lord of the Rings trilogy doesn’t have that problem because Peter Jackson and his team bring Middle-earth to life with passion, telling a compelling story that, in some ways, enhances J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material. That’s not to say The Lord of the Rings movies are perfect, however, as they have their fair share of flaws that are the subject of many conversations online.
Debates about the Eagles and Sauron’s defenses around Mount Doom never stop, but not every plot hole is created equal. In fact, some of the issues that fans have with The Lord of the Rings movies are more like nitpicks than anything else.
1) Does Frodo Really Not Know Legolas’ Name?
Frodo can’t catch any breaks during his journey to destroy the One Ring in Mordor. His life is always at risk, his only travelling companions are another Hobbit and a creature hellbent on killing him, and he rarely gets a good night’s rest. That’s why it’s hard to blame him when he gets knocked out after throwing the ring in Mount Doom.
When Frodo wakes up in Rivendell, all of the remaining members of the Fellowship are there to greet him. He says almost everyone’s names as they walk into the room, but Legolas doesn’t get a familiar greeting, with the Hobbit just smiling at the Elf. It’s possible Frodo is just too tired to keep talking, but it’s just as likely that he forgot some names during his treacherous journey.
2) Why Couldn’t Sauron Find the Shire After Interrogating Gollum?
In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf believes that Frodo is in possession of the One Ring and heads out to learn more about it. He eventually catches up to Gollum, who knows all about the object and gave the rundown to Sauron. Gandalf discovers that the Dark Lord knows about the name “Baggins” and the Shire, meaning he’s hot on Frodo’s trail.
It’s unclear when exactly Sauron gets his hands on Gollum, but it’s definitely before Gandalf meets up with the monster. That gives Sauron a major head start, but he ends up squandering it, only sending forces to the Shire after Gandalf knows everything. However, it’s hard to blame the Dark Lord because the Shire isn’t exactly the most well-known location in Middle-earth.
3) How Does Wormtongue Get Away With Influencing the King of Rohan?
Saruman doesn’t do all of the dirty work himself. He places agents in spots all over Middle-earth to wreak havoc, including Rohan. Grima Wormtongue acts as a counsellor for King Théoden of Rohan, poisoning his mind and ensuring that the kingdom doesn’t send its forces after the White Wizard.
Wormtongue is obviously an evil character, though, making it hard to believe that he can operate freely. However, Saruman’s influence can’t be underestimated, especially when he has a king’s ear and makes the rest of the royal family out to be a major problem. Only when someone as powerful as Aragorn shows up does the tide start to turn.
4) Why Doesn’t Gandalf Use His Powers More?
Gandalf doesn’t seem to be much more than a wise old man at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring. Sure, he claims to be a wizard, but he doesn’t show what he’s capable of until he faces off against the Balrog. Sadly, he seemingly loses his life during the battle, leaving the rest of the Fellowship devastated.
When the wizard returns as Gandalf the White in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, it seems like he’s about to turn over a new leaf, one that sees him throw down more often. That doesn’t come to pass, though, with Gandalf still being very selective about when he uses his magic. However, it’s important to remember that the magic of Middle-earth isn’t all that physically imposing, being more useful in mental battles than physical ones.
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5) Does Gollum Really Think He Can Get Past a Giant Spider?
Despite acting like a friend to the Hobbits, Gollum always intends to betray them as they make their way to Mordor. To avoid having to fight them himself, the creature decides to lead them to Shelob, a giant spider that’s always ready for a meal. Of course, things blow up in Gollum’s face when Sam gets the best of the spider and grabs the ring.
Gollum has a bit of history with Shelob, learning of her existence during his travels to Mordor. However, she’s not a beast to mess with, and Gollum should know that and want to avoid her at all costs. The only logical explanation is that Gollum is so obsessed with the One Ring that he’s willing to throw caution to the wind.
6) What Becomes of Saruman?
Saruman puts everything he’s got into the Battle at Helm’s Deep because he doesn’t want to let Sauron down again. However, the odds aren’t in his favor, and things only get worse for the wizard when the Ents arrive in Isengard and flood the stronghold. Saruman doesn’t even appear during the theatrical cut of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, as he’s no longer important to the story.
While Saruman is no longer one of the big fish that need frying, it’s still disappointing to see his story end so suddenly. Fortunately, the extended cut of The Return of the King gives the wizard a bit more to do, having him fight Gandalf one last time and die when Wormtongue betrays him by literally stabbing him in the back.
7) How Does Eowyn Hide Her True Identity for So Long?
Eowyn, King Théoden’s niece, catches onto Wormtongue’s scheme pretty early on and is having none of it. She gets to celebrate alongside the rest of Rohan when her king recovers and joins the fight against Sauron’s forces, but she wants more than that. Eowyn has a fighting spirit and wants nothing more than to help bring peace to Middle-earth.
As a woman, the men of Rohan expect Eowyn to stay behind. However, she puts on a disguise and travels with the Riders of Rohan to fight in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. It’s hard to believe that she keeps the ruse going for the whole journey, but the passion she shows while fighting the Witch-King of Angmar proves she’ll do whatever it takes to win.
Do you think the explanations for these Lord of the Rings plot holes make sense? What other moments do you think belong on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
