‘The Rings of Power’ Risks Following ‘The Acolyte’ Down the Same Troubling Path by Repeating a Critical Mistake

‘The Rings of Power’ recently premiered its first three episodes of Season 2. While the first season faced controversy for deviating from the established canon and making some contentious changes to characterizations, Season 2 is generally viewed as an improvement, particularly in its technical aspects. However, the story continues to be “updated” in ways that many fans feel conflict with Tolkien’s original writing.

In Season 2, the portrayal of orcs takes a notable shift. The orcs are now depicted in a new light, with one scene showing an orc holding a child, suggesting that they have families. Moreover, the orcs in ‘The Rings of Power’ are portrayed as less driven by a desire to fight with Sauron, instead being framed as misunderstood.

The depiction of orcs as purely evil and brutal has been a more-or-less standard in fiction for a long time, often showing them as mindless forces of chaos. So, portraying them as “misunderstood” is both daring and somewhat foolish. Fans have mocked this shift, arguing that it disregards decades of lore where orcs were consistently shown as embodiments of chaos. It seems that all their previous atrocities—murder, pillaging, and cannibalism—are now just misunderstandings. Perhaps orcs even see their own kind as worthless because they’re misunderstood.

A similar approach is evident in ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte,’ the latest and most controversial Star Wars release. The Jedi are depicted negatively, while traditionally evil characters are given “good reasons” for their actions, framed as simply being misunderstood.

A prime example is Qimir, a newly introduced Sith. He desires freedom and wishes to use the Force on his own terms. Although he has a past with the Jedi Order, he rejects it to embrace chaos. Ironically, Qimir reveals himself to the Jedi on Khofar (when they are unaware of the Sith) and attacks them, killing a dozen in a quest for freedom. His actions are portrayed as “righteous” as he displays scars supposedly inflicted by his Jedi Master.

The Sith’s ideology is also portrayed as “misunderstood,” suggesting that their killing and hatred are merely expressions of their quests to “live as they want”. I guess the Sith also harbor self-hatred because they want to liberate themselves from within.

This approach doesn’t hold up well. No amount of rationalization can rewrite decades of established lore with a few scenes. The intention to explore beyond good and evil, acknowledging flaws on all sides, is clear. However, much like ‘House of the Dragon’s’ failed attempt at deep allegory about sexism, these decisions seem rushed and disconnected from the source material.

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