The Lord of the Rings has become a timeless tale with characters that are as iconic as the story itself. But what if the characters we know and love were actually very different in their early drafts? J.R.R. Tolkien’s process of shaping the story was an evolving one, and many key characters underwent major changes before becoming the figures we recognize today.
From Aragorn’s humble beginnings to Boromir’s betrayal taking a much darker turn, the early drafts of The Lord of the Rings were full of surprises.
Even Treebeard, a central figure in the story, almost ended up as an enemy instead of the wise Ent we admire. These shifts played a major role in shaping the epic saga we now treasure.
How different would The Lord of the Rings be if J.R.R. Tolkien had stuck to his original character ideas?
Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings have always been interested in knowing how much the story and characters changed while he was writing. There were many early ideas that were completely different from what we know today. These changes show just how much thought and work went into creating the beloved characters and story.
Take Aragorn, for example. In the beginning, Tolkien described him as “a queer-looking, brown-faced hobbit” who wore “wooden shoes.” Can you imagine? The strong, heroic Aragorn we know today was once very different.
At first, he was called “Trotter,” but Tolkien eventually decided that wasn’t a good fit for such a serious character. Aragorn went through a lot of changes and at one point, Tolkien thought he might be a hobbit who had run off to Mordor years before. Then he was imagined as a human Ranger, and for a while, even as an elf! Eventually, Tolkien settled on “Strider” as the name for him before revealing his true identity as Aragorn.
Not only did Aragorn go through significant changes before becoming the heroic figure we know today, but several other characters in The Lord of the Rings were also reshaped during the writing process. Boromir’s betrayal was originally much bigger, as he was meant to join Saruman out of jealousy and a desire for power, but this was later toned down.
Treebeard was initially a villain who pretended to be friendly but was secretly working for the Enemy. However, Tolkien quickly changed this, turning him into the wise Ent we know. Éowyn’s role was originally more overt as a warrior, and she was romantically involved with Aragorn before tragically dying in battle, but Tolkien revised her story, allowing her to survive and find peace.
These and some other revisions show how Tolkien continually refined his characters, ultimately shaping the beloved versions we recognize today.
Why did Evangeline Lilly worry about playing Tauriel in The Hobbit?
While she may have said goodbye to Hollywood for now, Evangeline Lilly has been part of some of the most exciting projects in the industry. One of her most talked-about roles was Tauriel in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. As a longtime fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, the actress was thrilled to join the world of Middle-earth. But taking on a character that didn’t exist in the original books came with both excitement and pressure.
Lilly embraced the challenge of playing Tauriel, a warrior elf and close ally of Legolas. Unlike other characters in The Hobbit, Tauriel was created specifically for the film, giving Lilly creative freedom to shape her role. She added via Yahoo Movies:
It was very, very fun having the liberty to just create, and that’s what we got to do, and create based on [Tolkien]’s work. If I dropped the ball, I would be the Jar Jar Binks of these films.
Her presence added a strong and independent female character to the film, helping balance a cast that was mostly male. The dynamic between Tauriel, Legolas, and Kili introduced new layers of tension and connection that weren’t present in the books but made the story more engaging for modern audiences.
While some fans debated her role in the films, Tauriel became a memorable part of The Hobbit trilogy, proving that even new additions could leave a lasting impact.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
