Dimension 20‘s parody of The Lord of the Rings is the perfect comical appetizer for Tolkien fans ahead of The Rings of Power‘s second season premiere. The TTRPG-series hops around various settings and stories from season. This includes some pretty fantastic fantasy parodies, including “Escape from the Bloodkeep.” The six-episode “Side Quest” is centered the lieutenants of Zaul’nazh, a Sauron-style villain who seeks to rule the world of Elna. When the Lord of Shadows is suddenly destroyed by the Forces of Light, the Generals scramble to restore him and prevent the fall of their dark kingdom.

Featuring an entirely different cast from the show’s primary campaign, “Escape from the Bloodkeep” was an early example of how good the best self-contained seasons of Dimension 20 could be. The clear parody of Middle-Earth and its denizens lends itself well to the dark comedy of the cast, who play alongside series creator Brennan Lee Mulligan to flesh out a goofy, brutal, and surprisingly emotionally grounded version of the fantasy epic.

Dimension 20’s Escape From The Bloodkeep Is A Pitch-Perfect LOTR Parody

“Escape from the Bloodkeep” Remixes The Lord of the Rings Into A Goofy Villainous Comedy

“Escape From The Bloodkeep” is the second season of Dimension 20 and serves as a pretty perfect parody of Lord of the Rings that flips the traditional narrative and characters on its head while still embracing some of the central themes of the original. The clear analogues to characters from The Lord of the Rings make the satire clear by humanizing the kind of villains who appear in Tolkien’s epic. The Generals are comically relatable, with clear stand-ins for Shelob and the Nazgul — here recast as a murderous single mother named Lilith and a perpetually put-upon champion named Leiland.

The main cast expands on the setting by introducing marauding pirates, corrupted elves, devilish beings, and gleeful beastmasters. The parody also extends to the heroes, most obviously with the Sam stand-in Galfast Hamhead (a sweet-natured Halfling who becomes Leiland’s unexpected rival) and a version of Aragorn whose lifetime of being a Ranger means he’s ill-equiped to actually be a king. By shifting focus to the kinds of characters that Lord of the Rings primarily used as one-note monsters and straightforward villains, Dimension 20 finds great comedy in their unexpected personality quirks.

Dimension 20 Fused The Rings Of Power’s Celebrimbor With LOTR’s Gollum

Dimension 20 Gives Their Version Of Celebrimbor A Surprisingly Tragic Fate

One of the most pointed parodies in “Escape from the Bloodkeep” that feels particularly relevant in light of Rings of Power is Avanash. In the comedy series’ lore, Avanash was a legendary Elven blacksmith who was capable of creating Soul Crowns. After refusing to help the Lord of Shadows and being imprisoned for centuries, he’s recovered by the Generals as a means of creating a new Soul Crown for Zaul’nazh. Avanash serves as a direct analogue with Celebrimbor, who helped Sauron forge some of the Rings of Power in season 1 of the Prime Video series.

However, his isolation and ensuing mental collapse has left the character emaciated and comically paranoid of other punishments. His physical appearance and mental state makes him the show’s version of Gollum as well. It’s a tragic remix of what could have happened to Celebrimbor if he had refused to work with Sauron. It’s a brutal parody that still manages to be funny, thanks to his personality weirding out the openly villainous Generals. By combining the two character concepts, an improvised NPC from Mulligan became one of the most interesting reflections of Lord of the Rings in the season.

Dimension 20 Gave The Forces Of Darkness Their Own Version Of LOTR’s Fellowship

“Escape from the Bloodkeep” highlights the natural comradery that can form in TTRPG shows like Dimension 20, and actually reflects a major theme of Lord of the Rings. A big element of the Tolkien classic are themes of the heroes overcoming their flaws and prejudices to become friends and heroes. Gimili and Legolas go from reluctant allies to close friends, while the bond between Frodo and Sam ends up being the key to Middle-Earth’s survival. In a similar way, “Escape from the Bloodkeep” sees the six Generals steadily overcome their mistrust and hold-ups to become a surprising family.

This impacted the direction of the story, as Mulligan’s original intentions would have pitted the six against each another in a final battle for Zaul’nazh’s throne. However, the connections fostered between the unlikely allies resulted in a more fulfilling and surprisingly earnest arc about how unexpected bonds can elevate people to their true potential and purpose. Amid all the massive monsters, fatal fights, and expansive lore, “Escape from the Bloodkeep” ends up reflecting key themes of Lord of the Rings. It highlights how the parodies of Dimension 20 transcend surface-level riffs to feature genuine riffs on the source material.