Warning: This article contains spoilers for Rings of Power season 1
A big death scene in The Rings of Power season 1 finale marked a major moment in Lord of the Rings history for its treatment of one of its Hobbit ancestors, Sadoc Burrows (Lenny Henry). Peter Jackson’s adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s epic fantasy trilogy as well as the hit Hobbit trilogy never featured the on-screen death of any Hobbits, despite Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin facing more than their fair share of danger. By contrast, Rings of Power saw the Harfoot leader, Sadoc Burrows, die fighting the cultists of Sauron.
As Harfoots are the ancestors of Hobbits, it is astounding to see Rings of Power kill off their leader, Sadoc Burrows. Hobbits have always remained safe in the realm of Middle Earth – at least on the screen – as they play an important thematic role in Jackson’s version of Tolkien’s story. By having Sauron’s cultists kill Sadoc as he attempts to protect The Stranger, the Amazon Prime show is being set up as far darker than any story set in Middle Earth ever brought to the screen.
Why Jackson Didn’t Kill Off Any Of The Hobbits
Despite obviously putting Lord of the Rings protagonists Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee through the brutal mission of delivering the One Ring to Mount Doom, no Hobbits die in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. This is largely due to Jackson removing Saruman’s assault on the Shire, which comes at the end of The Return of the King after Frodo has killed Sauron. With this scene from Tolkien’s books removed, the audience only follows the four primary Hobbits (plus Bilbo in The Hobbit trilogy), meaning every hairy-footed protagonist is still alive at the end of the third movie.
Hobbits serve a major thematic purpose in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, even beyond their crucial roles in taking down the likes of Sauron and the Witch King of Angmar. Hobbits were shown to be far more pure of heart than Men, Elves, Dwarves, and even Maia like Gandalf who are all far more susceptible to Sauron and the One Ring’s seductive powers (though of course Bilbo and even Frodo were not immune to the incredible will Sauron imbued it with). Hobbits were often presented as more humble and peaceful, and maintained a certain level of innocence in their depictions. This may be why Jackson spared viewers the assault on the Shire, as seeing such lovable creatures killed by Saruman and his Orcs of Isengard would have made the six films far darker.
Sadoc’s Death Hints At A Darker LOTR Story Going Forward
Harfoots were very similar to Hobbits and seemed just as innocent and humble. By killing Sadoc at the end of Rings of Power season 1, the series has been set up as a far darker story than both Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Killing a Hobbit-like character raised the stakes and suggested that anyone could die, giving the Middle Earth series an almost Game Of Thrones style level of tension, besides characters with fixed canonical deaths such as Isildur and Elendil, as well as those who survived The Lord of the Rings such as Gandalf and Galadriel.
Sadoc’s death was especially sad given Sir Lenny Henry’s status as one of the first Black actors to portray a Hobbit (albeit their ancestors) in the Middle Earth universe. The actor suffered unacceptable online abuse due to the casting, and it was a shame to see him leave the series so early when his casting was so important and his performance so excellent. Yet, Sadoc’s death serves as a marker of things to come. As Sauron’s power grows stronger upon the forging of each set of rings, Rings of Power is sure to get darker, and Sadoc’s death is likely the first of many heartbreaking moments.
