It’s been a bit of a turbulent time for “The Lord of the Rings” fans, me included. Most will accept that “The Hobbit” films were barely tolerable (and I’m being extremely polite there), and don’t even get me started on “The Rings of Power.” It’s also been announced that “The Hunt for Gollum” will be released in 2026, with a series of live action films also in the making.
So, when “The War of Rohirrim,” an anime “The Lord of the Rings” fantasy film directed by Kenji Kamiyama, was released in December 2024, it was certainly met with trepidation. Any continuation of Jackson’s original trilogy will undoubtedly be heavily compared and criticized, as is the case with most prequels or sequels. Not to mention, anime doesn’t necessarily sell itself to everyone, and it can feel slightly strange when a world you are familiar with is reimagined and portrayed in another medium. So, I can understand why ratings might be low, mustering only around 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, and grossing a bleak $10 million dollars after its first weekend. However, let me say this: I certainly don’t think it is deserved.
Callbacks to Tolkien’s World
The film is set around 183 years before the events of the “The Lord of the Rings,” based on characters and details that appear in J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices. Narrated by the wonderful Miranda Otto (who plays Éowyn in “The Lord of the Rings”) it focuses on the events of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and the founding of Helm’s Deep, a valley gorge in the White Mountains of Middle-Earth that features the fortress the Hornberg (“LOTR” fans will know this as the site of that epic battle in “The Two Towers”).
And at the heart of the story, and perhaps my new favourite female lead, is Héra, daughter of Helm Hammerhand, who must lead the resistance against Wulf. Wulf is a brutal and ruthless lord of Rohan who is exacting revenge on Helm Hammerhand for murdering his father. I won’t lie, the plot isn’t overly complex, but it doesn’t need to be—it pulls you into the heart of the story immediately and is fun, feisty, and full of sentiment. And it’s got a long enough run time to really flesh out the characters and to allow us to get fully invested and immersed.
And from a fan’s perspective, I think Héra’s character was written perfectly—she encapsulates exactly what you’d expect as the daughter of the King of Rohan, and serves as a strong, female protagonist that we need more of in cinema. In many ways she reminds me of Éowyn’s character in the Lord of the Rings—I guess they’d be descendants—so it was also a nice touch having Miranda Otto narrate.
Strong Visuals via Powerful Anime
It may not be the most sophisticated anime—there are some strong contenders out there—but it features some truly stunning visuals that had me locked to the screen (and that’s saying a lot, seeing as it was a late showing). And it has a fantastic soundtrack (including Howard Shore’s original “The Lord of the Rings” score).
Don’t get me wrong: it’s certainly not winning the best film of the year award, but it was a gentle journey back to the world of “The Lord of the Rings” that pays homage to the original books and trilogy without causing too much disturbance. And though it’s been criticized as being made purely for “LOTR” fans (though, I suppose you would say that if you weren’t a fan, wouldn’t you), I genuinely believe this could be enjoyed as a standalone anime. It might even encourage someone to discover—or rediscover—the “Lord of the Rings” saga. And for me, that is exactly an example of what a franchise should do.
So, let’s hope that the films that follow “The War of Rohirrim” will equally bring something new and exciting to the franchise, whilst paying the original series the respect that it certainly deserves.
