The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerrepeats a redemption story fromThe Two Towers,even ending it the same way by killing the character off.The Rings of Poweris based on theSecond Age of Middle-earthoutlined inJ.R.R. Tolkien’s books, but its characters, backdrops, and themes heavily mirror those seen inThe Lord of the Rings. Although there are complaints about theAmazon show’s approach to the source material, it’s clear that it’s trying to recapture everything that makes Tolkien’s Third Age story — andPeter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsmovies— so great.
And in some cases,The Rings of Powerdirectly copiesthe events ofThe Lord of the Rings. Sauron rising in the west, while a Dark Wizard emerges in the east, is just one example of this. Another is King Durin III’s character arc, which closely resembles a narrative fromThe Two Towers.Although the characters have no connection to one another,Durin III’s journey in season 2 repeats a story already told through King Théoden. It even ends the same way, as both characters have similarly tragic fates.
The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Durin III Story Closely Followed Théoden In The Two Towers
Both Characters Are Corrupted, Then Die Seeking Redemption
The Rings of Powerseason 2’s Durin III story closely mirrors Théoden’s narrative inThe Two TowersandThe Return of the King,as both characters start and end their arcs in the same place. InThe Two Towers,Théoden is corrupted by Saruman, who puts a spell on the King of Rohan in order to control him. It’s only thanks to interference from Gandalf and the Fellowship that Théoden regains his freedom, and he then seeks redemption by fighting Sauron’s forces and coming to Gondor’s aid. Unfortunately, he dies on the battlefield, bringing his redemption to a sad end.
Durin III’s story inThe Rings of Powerseason 2 follows a similar trajectory, as he’s also a good king who is corrupted by a dark influence.
Durin III’s story inThe Rings of Powerseason 2 follows a similar trajectory, as he’s also a good king who is corrupted by a dark influence. In his case,the Ring of Power he receives from Sauron makes him greedy and irrational, pushing him to seek riches and power to the Dwarves' detriment. He eventually sees the error of his ways, but like Théoden, he dies redeeming himself. He sacrifices his life to save Durin VI and Khazad-dûm from the Balrog he inadvertently awakens in his quest to mine more mithril.
The Rings Of Power’s Durin III Story Was Still Good, Even If It Mirrored The Two Towers
It Makes Sense Within The Context Of The Amazon Show
Durin III’sRings of Powerarc may mirror Théoden’s inThe Two Towers,but that doesn’t make it any less compelling.The Rings of Powerchanges Durin III’s story from the source material, as Durin III and Durin VI aren’t father and son in Tolkien’s writings, nor are they alive at the same time. Within the context of the show’s changes, however,Durin III’s story makes a lot of sense. His season 2 death gives Durin VI the chance to step up as a leader, and it shows the far-reaching impact the Rings of Power have on every race in Middle-earth.
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The fallout of Durin III’s death is sure to be felt inThe Rings of Powerseason 3, which will have an opportunity to explore the aftermath in more depth thanThe Lord of the Ringsdoes with Théoden. Both characters are great examples of good triumphing over evil in Tolkien’s world, demonstrating how the darkness can be overcome — and how those who fall prey to it can find their way back.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powersends that message effectively through Durin III’s final scene. It hits all the right emotional beats and opens the door for interesting developments in future episodes.
