Rings Of Power Brings Fan-Favorite Lord Of The Rings Character In Season 2?

Tom Bombadil is a character from the first book in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy series, The Fellowship of the Ring. He’s described as a mysterious but merry figure with a penchant for singing, dancing, and speaking in rhymes who resides in the Old Forest near the village of Bree and the Barrow-downs. He’s also the only character who can hold one of the rings of power and not be affected.

Peter Jackson cut Tom Bombadil from the original trilogy because, while the character is a lot of fun, he doesn’t do much to advance the plot. In The Fellowship of the Ring, he helps Frodo and the other hobbits escape danger in the Old Forest, a plot point Jackson was able to easily cut out by having the hobbits advance directly to Bree. Still, he’s remained a fan-favorite character for book readers, and his potential inclusion in Rings of Power is exciting. 

Despite his enigmatic nature and considerable power, Tom Bombadil chooses not to involve himself in the larger conflicts of Middle-earth. He’s willing to help Frodo and his friends while they’re in his woods, but he has no desire to help destroy the One Ring, even though he seems to have the ability to easily accomplish the mission. Tolkien never fully explained the origins or nature of Tom Bombadil, leading to much speculation and debate among readers about his true identity and significance in the mythology of Middle-earth—something that Rings of Power is looking to explore.

According to the leaked spoilers, Tom Bombadil and his nymph wife, Goldberry, will appear in one episode of Rings of Power where they’re said to be serving out retribution from Mandos. This allegedly follows a “long-held” fan theory. 

Mandos is one of the Valar, a group of powerful divine beings in Tolkien’s legendarium. This fan theory that Tom Bombadil and Goldberry are somehow linked to a punishment from Mandos could be one of many attempts by fans to explain the mysterious origins and nature of these characters, given the relatively limited information provided by Tolkien himself. According to the spy post, Bombadil and his wife will be played by the same actor and actress who will appear in Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 1 as Melkor/Morgoth and Ungoliant.

If the spy report is correct, it looks like Rings of Power is weaving a narrative where Tom Bombadil is the Dark Lord Morgoth, Sauron’s predecessor and the instigator of all the malevolent conflicts in Middle-earth’s history and Goldberry is actually Ungoliant, a primordial spider being, Morgoth’s ally, and the mother of Shelob, the giant spider that attacks Frodo near the end of his journey. It seems a pretty big stretch for a merry guy who likes to sing to trees and a pretty water maiden who wears flowers in her hair.

As much fun as it would be to have Tom Bombadil appear in Rings of Power Season 2, combining lore for the mysterious woodsman and the powers of darkness doesn’t sound like it’s the best way to introduce a character fans have been waiting decades to see on screen. And it may not happen.

These “spoilers” were shared anonymously on an anonymous board, and there is no way to confirm if it’s real or if someone just trolling until the series comes out. 

But for the sake of Tom Bombadil’s reputation, we’re hoping it’s not true and Rings of Power finds a better way to introduce the mysterious merry gentleman.

Source: The One Ring