The upcoming movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set long before the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but a few familiar faces are still alive during this time. The story of this newest Tolkien adaptation will follow Helm Hammerhand, a king of Rohan who defeated the Dunlendings in an epic battle in TA (Third Age) 2759. Since Frodo’s journey begins in TA 3018, War of the Rohirrim will be set about 260 years before The Lord of the Rings—so some characters will already be knocking around Middle-earth.
Of course, younger characters like Biblo, Frodo, and Aragorn won’t be around in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. However, many of the Elves, Maiar, and a few of the oldest Dwarves were born before Helm Hammerhand’s legendary battle with the Dunlendings. Still, as a kingdom of Men, Rohan had little involvement with the other races of Middle-earth, so it’s unlikely that these characters will come into play. Still, it’s interesting that these Lord of the Rings characters are somewhere in the world during War of the Rohirrim‘s events.
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9 Gandalf Is Older Than Middle-earth Itself
Gandalf should be near the Shire during War of the Rohirrim.
As a demi-god-like being who assisted in the creation of the universe, Gandalf is certainly alive during the events of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The Maia arrived in Middle-earth in his wizard form at the start of the Second Age, which means he would have been wandering this realm for over 2,000 years. Most likely, Gandalf’s exploration of Middle-earth took him to Rohan by this point, but during the Long Winter that plays a role in War of the Rohirrim, Gandalf was notably observing the Hobbits of the Shire.
8 Galadriel Is Over 8,000 Years Old During War Of the Rohirrim
Galadriel is living in Lothlórien during the Long Winter.
Though not as old as Gandalf, Galadriel is still among the oldest Elves in Middle-earth. By the events of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, she would have crossed 8,000 years old and would already hold dominion in Lothlórien. Like Gandalf, Galadriel had nothing to do with Rohan and its conflicts during this point in Middle-earth’s history, so there is no reason for her to be included in the upcoming Tolkien adaptation. Still, it’s mentioned in Lord of the Rings that the Riders of Rohan believed Galadriel to be a fearsome witch, so the movie could reference this.
7 Elrond Would Be About 6,237 During War Of The Rohirrim
Elrond lives in Rivendell during Rohan’s war.
Elrond is another of the oldest Elves in Middle-earth, and during Rohan’s war with the Dunlendings, he would have already been well-established as the leader of Rivendell. Elrond was 6,497 years old during Lord of the Rings, so he would only be 260 years younger during War of the Rohirrim—not much when considering his vast life. Once again, Rivendell had no connection to Rohan and its war with the Dunlendings. The Last Alliance of Elves and Men had been precisely that, and the two races had little to do with one another until Lord of the Rings.
6 Arwen Would Be About 2,518 During War Of The Rohirrim
Arwen might have lived in Rivendell or Lothlórien during the Long Winter.
Arwen is one of the youngest Elves seen in Lord of the Rings, born in TA 241. This means that she would be a little over 2,500 years old during the events of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Arwen often moved between living in Rivendell and Lothlórien, so it’s difficult to say where she would be while Helm Hammerhand waged war with his neighbors. Arwen’s mother left for the Undying Lands only a few hundred years before, so it’s possible the young Elf was still mourning these tragic events.
5 Legolas Is About 2,671 Years Old During War Of The Rohirrim
Legolas was likely in Mirkwood during the Long Winter.
During the events of The Lord of the Rings, Legolas was about 2,931 years old, which would make him about 2,671 during The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Of course, like the other Elves, he shouldn’t be expected to appear in the upcoming movie. The character, played by Orlando Bloom, was already added to The Hobbit when he hadn’t been in the book, and this invited significant criticism from fans. Still, Legolas at least made sense in Mirkwood—but he has no business in Rohan during this significant war.
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4 Sauron Is Diminished But Still Alive during War Of The Rohirrim
Sauron is still seeking out his One Ring and growing his forces during Rohan’s war.
Sauron created his One Ring in the Second Age of Middle-earth and spent most of the Third Age trying to get it back. During the events of The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim, the Dark Lord won’t have made many major advancements, but the impact of his darkness could still be felt in Middle-earth. In fact, it’s often said that any conflict between the Kingdoms of Men found its roots in Sauron’s evil. While this villain isn’t likely to appear in the upcoming movie, his influence is sure to be at least mentioned.
3 Saruman Is As Old As Gandalf & Sauron
Saruman would know about Rohan’s war but wouldn’t get involved.
Like Gandalf and Sauron, Saruman has existed since before the creation of the universe, and the White Wizard arrived in Middle-earth at the start of the Third Age. By TA 2759, Saruman would already be well established in Isengard, but he is still a couple of centuries away from his final turn to evil. About a thousand years before War of the Rohirrim, Saruman would have been made the Head of the White Council, so he would certainly be fully aware of Helm Hammerhand’s deadly feud. However, the events likely would have been below the wizard’s care.
2 Thorin Would Be About 12 During War Of The Rohirrim
Thorin still lived in the Lonely Mountain during the Long Winter.
Almost all the Dwarves of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings won’t have been born yet in Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. However, the oldest of them, Thorin Oakenshield, would be about 12 years old. At this point in the Dwarf’s life, he would still be living blissfully in the Lonely Mountain. However, about ten years after Helm Hammerhand died in TA 2759 (something Thorin likely knew nothing about), the young Dwarf would be forced to leave his home thanks to the arrival of the dragon Smaug.
1 Smeagol Would Be About 330 Years Old During War Of The Rohirrim
Smeagol would be hiding away with the One Ring during the Long Winter.
Smeagol (or Gollum) was born in TA 2430 and stole the One Ring from his friend Déagol on his 33rd birthday. As a Stoorish Hobbit, he shouldn’t have been immortal. However, Sauron’s Ring gave him an unnaturally long life, so he would have been alive during Rohan’s conflict with the Dunlendings. Since The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim takes place during Middle-earth’s Long Winter, it’s devastating to consider what this time would have been like for the tormented Smeagol. Ultimately, he would have had a lot more to worry about than Rohan’s war.
