The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s inclusion of Tom Bombadil in season 2 is a far more significant break from lore than anything it shows in season 1. The show has the rights to adapt The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and the appendices. These works roughly outline the story that the show tells, but most detail on the show’s story is included in The Silmarillion, which the show doesn’t have rights to. The show is ambitious in its scope, portraying large-scale fantasy events not shown before on screen.

However, the rights available to the show, plus its long-term narrative spread across five seasons, have led to it inventing original material not laid out by author J.R.R. Tolkien. In The Rings of Power season 1, this includes original characters like the Harfoot Nori and Elf Arondir. While some features are controversial, perhaps one of the show’s most controversial original additions to The Lord of the Rings‘ world is its Mithril origin story, which adds major mythology to Tolkien’s carefully laid out pantheon of legends. Despite this, however, one new character suggests things will be even more transformative in season 2.

The Rings Of Power Season 2 Absolutely Cannot Reveal Anything About Tom Bombadil

Tom Bombadil Must Be As Enigmatic In The Show As He Is In The Books

Tom Bombadil appears in The Rings of Power season 2 as a character from the books, rather than an original character, but the show will still have to obey strict guidelines on his character if it wants to stay within a canonical framework. Many of Tolkien’s most gleeful passages on Bombadil are in The Fellowship of the Ring, and they paint Bombadil as a force of nature, a steward of the natural world, and larger than life. He is more of an elemental spirit and narrative catalyst than a significant character in the plot.

Though Tolkien said that The Lord of the Rings isn’t an allegory, his work is full of symbolism that speaks to multiple interpretations. Tolkien wrote a letter in 1937 calling Bombadil “the spirit of the (vanishing) Oxford and Berkshire countryside.” Bombadil may be the most primordial, powerful character in the legendarium, remaining uniquely unaffected by the devastating powers of the One Ring and having existed “before the Dark Lord came from Outside.” Unlike Tolkien’s heroes, Bombadil’s origins are never explained, precisely because he is not a hero. This mystique must remain in The Rings of Power.

Tom Bombadil’s Presence In The Rings Of Power Season 2 Already Breaks Canon

Tom Bombadil Stayed Out Of Wars On Principle In The Lord Of The Rings

The question of Tom Bombadil’s location during The Rings of Power‘s timeframe in lore has a revealing answer – he is nowhere to be seen because he keeps out of wars. As Gandalf says, “he is withdrawn into a little land, within bounds that he has set, though none can see them, waiting perhaps for a change of days, and he will not step beyond them,” adding that if Elrond and Gandalf had called Bombadil to their council, “He would not have come.” Tom’s neutrality enforces his guardianship of the natural order of things, since the passage of time is neither good nor evil.

Showrunners have discussed Tom Bombadil’s role in season 2 in an exclusive for Vanity Fair. Here, they reveal that Tom Bombadil’s live-action appearance in season 2 of The Rings of Power will include him living in Rhûn, a location he is never linked to in Tolkien’s work. In The Rings of Power season 2, he will interact with The Stranger, nudging him in the right direction. Although a shameless invention, it’s no more than Bombadil does in the books for Frodo. The show must avoid positioning Bombadil as a hero and force for good – otherwise, it risks subverting the character’s original purpose.

Tom Bombadil Will Be More Controversial Than Anything From The Rings Of Power Season 1

The Rings of Power Is Not Shying Away From Bold Moves

The Rings of Power season 1 lore changes are controversial but this could be the show’s most divisive choice yet. Perhaps it is wise of the show to show its hand early regarding this narrative choice, long before the show’s release on August 29, 2024. In doing so, it can gauge the audience’s response to Bombadil’s appearance in the show. Though season 2 is already wrapped and ready for release, reaction to Bombadil will go a long way towards determining whether the show succeeds.

Showrunners said they completed much work on the series before any audience feedback at all came in, but confirmed that fan response impacts The Rings of Power. The show’s bold move to include one of English literature’s most beloved classic characters will unquestionably fail to please everyone. Likewise, the gratuitous changes to Tolkien’s canon are guaranteed to cause controversy. Whether or not the show can navigate the challenging waters of the original material to create a story that is true to Tolkien’s themes, values and atmosphere will be the ultimate factor in its success.

Showrunner J.D. Payne comments on Bombadil that “he doesn’t have an agenda. He’s not driving forward and pushing people to arrive at any particular end,” illustrating that he does grasp the importance of Bombadil’s non-interventionist tactics. Tolkien states “Ultimately only the victory of the West will allow Bombadil to continue, or even to survive. Nothing would be left for him in the world of Sauron”, which confirms why Bombadil is comfortable nudging events in the right direction. In including Bombadil for season 2, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power could be onto something interesting, but it has to tread carefully.

Source: Vanity Fair