As someone who grew up watching The Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars series, I believe “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien is superior. This series was crafted by a classically educated English professor who specialized in linguistics and had a deep fascination with Northern European mythology and history. While there aren’t many female characters in his stories, those that exist are not sexualized. Instead, they symbolize strength and power, with Galadriel and Éowyn serving as perfect examples. The biggest female character in the original series of Star Wars was shown in a bikini and the crowd went wild.
These female characters in LOTR (The Lord of the Rings) show bravery and wisdom, comparing well to the brutal male characters in the series. Eowyn plays a part in the final battle in Gondor, fighting alongside the men despite being the sister to the man next in line to the throne. She decided that fighting for her people was more important and growing up, this was an amazing depiction of a strong female character defying social norms.
The LOTR and The Hobbit were written during World War II. Many say Tolkien drew inspiration from industrialization, using Mordor as an example of the destruction of nature to further Sauron’s ambitions. This theme plays a significant role in the final book, “Return of the King”, illustrating the sacrifice of life for the greater good as people unite in the realm. His dedication to research, helping drive his story, is deeply inspiring.
Tolkien approved the creation of the movies but felt that they would not follow his vision as closely as he would’ve liked. As someone working on their book, I understand this. He died before the first movie was released and many fans agree that he would have been disappointed with what came out. Especially “The Hobbit”, a distinct example of scriptwriters throwing accuracy away and writing in new scenes and plot points to gain attention. This is a bold opinion, and I personally love both the book and the movies, but if someone made my story into a movie and added things I purposely didn’t write, I’d be rolling in my grave. LOTR is a beautifully written and compelling story. There should have been no changes, especially with The Hobbit as well.
I also think the characters in LOTR are more compelling, Sam Wise is the sweetest side character that brings loyalty and comedic relief to most scenes. His relationship with Frodo shows every side of bromance, and for fucks sake if it wasn’t shunned back then I’m sure Tolkien might have written in some gay characters. I would have hoped it would be those two, but who knows? Aragorn and Legolas are unbelievably badass characters, with sick lore and amazing examples for male figures in a series like this. Gandalf is an entity I could spend hours discussing with someone who knows more about the lore than me. I will say I have done this already at least eight times and still don’t understand him. Overall, while I grew up with both Star Wars and LOTR, the latter is so much more interesting and in-depth, especially with the reflection on the real world.
