Fans of The Lord of the Rings are abuzz after Warner Bros. Discovery and New Line Cinema released the first trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rohirrim Warthe first full animated expedition into Middle-earth since Ralph Bakshi's 1978 film. Between the English and Japanese trailers, this film is coming out strong with action-packed scenes.
Rohirrim War follows the story of Hera Hammerhand as she fights to defend Rohan from her former childhood friend Wulf, leader of the people of Dunland. While the two trailers combined only amount to about three minutes of actual footage, the film already looks promising as a grand, epic adventure.
10 The Oliphaunts ruin the party
Big Trouble in Little Edoras
One of the first big shots in the trailer shows that the Mûmakil, or Oliphaunts as the hobbits call them, are back in action. An epic shot shows one of the war colossi breaking through what appears to be the walls of Edoras, the capital of Rohan. The Mûmak appears fully prepared and ready for battle. The shot also shows off the 3D compositing work that seems to be common in the film, with the Mûmak tearing down the wall and sending splinters and shards of wood flying everywhere.
Most fans know the Mûmakil from The Return of the Kingwhere they were the focus of an epic sequence in which Legolas pulls off the near-impossible feat of single-handedly taking down one. Gimli is quick to point out that, in fact, there was only one. And there is a chance that there is only one Mûmak in this film. So far, there have not been more than one on screen at a time, so it is possible that there is only a single Mûmak in this fight.
9 The Rohirrim ride again
Full of nostalgia for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Riders of Rohan are one of the coolest armies in Middle-earth. Their epic charge into the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is still one of the highlights of Peter Jackson's film trilogy. Luckily for fans, THE Rohirrim War Trailer previews another epic battle for the Riders of Rohan. In the shot near the beginning of the trailer, it appears that the Rohirrim are gathered together to prepare for a great battle. Their king and leader, Helm Hammerhand, is giving them a motivational speech, with his hammer raised.
Despite the obvious connection between Helm and this signature weapon, Helm actually rarely fights with a hammer, or any other weapon. According to the Silmarillion, his nickname “Hammerhand” actually comes from his legendary skill in fighting with his bare hands, as seen in his fight against Freca later on. His hammer here could be an indication that this is a younger Helm, or simply that he has a ceremonial hammer that is rarely used in battle.
8 Another epic showdown at Helm's Deep
First battle of the famous fortress
The legendary Battle of Helm's Deep in The Two Towers It's one of the most beloved sequences in the entire Lord of the Rings saga, and an epic shot of a tower crashing into the fortress wall makes it look Rohirrim War is ready to bring fans back to the legendary city. While some critics might denounce the move as nothing more than fanservice, the reality is that Rohirrim War will likely tell the story of the origins of Helm's Deep.
Helm Hammerhand, king of Rohan, is one of the main protagonists of Rohirrim War. As experts in Middle-earth lore know, it is Helm for whom Helm's Deep is named. After Helm kills Freca, Lord of the Dunlendings, a great war breaks out between Helm and Freca's son, Wulf, who seeks to avenge his father's death and control of Rohan. The war eventually drives Helm's people from their homes and into the city that would eventually be known as Helm's Deep, and it seems that Rohirrim War will finally bring that story to the screen.
7 Battle for Edoras
A fiery clash of swords
Several flashes in the trailer appear to be from the same scene, which could be the film's first big set piece: Wulf leads the Dunlendings into battle right at Edoras, the capital of Rohan. There are a few quick shots scattered throughout the English and Japanese trailers for the series. Among them, they show a massive Mûmak breaking through the city walls, Wulf ordering a volley of Southron arrows, and Hera fighting alongside one of her brothers, presumably Prince Haleth.
According to Middle-earth lore, Prince Haleth was the last man of Rohan to fall defending the gates of the Golden Hall. Given what the trailer shows of other fights, this could be the fall of Edorasa climactic loss that sets up a battle at Helm's Deep, or a showdown between Wulf and Hera somewhere else. Since Hera is shown fighting in two fiery places, once in her knight's garb and once in her white robe, it's safe to say that Edoras won't be the only city razed in Wulf's quest for vengeance.
6 Collision in the snow
Helm Hammerhand faces a terrifying ice creature
While the English version of the trailer has plenty of awesome moments, the Japanese version has some extra special scenes not seen in the West. One of the biggest moments exclusive to Japan is what looks like an epic fight in a blinding blizzard between Helm Hammerhand and an unidentified frozen mountain beast.
Some fans have speculated that the creature Helm is facing could be a snow troll, which would be a neat nod to a line in The Silmarillion comparing him to one. If true, this would be the first official visual appearance of this particular beast.
A fight between two women only against the terrifying Mûmak
If there's one thing fans know from The Return of the Kingis that a fight against an Oliphaunt is a pretty big deal. A couple of quick shots in the trailer show that There will be another huge one-on-one fight between Hera and an enraged mûmak. A mûmak pursues Hera both on horseback across an open field and on foot through a forest. Cross-referencing reveals that the mûmakil in both shots share nearly identical battle damage, indicating that they may be one and the same.
This intense, high-speed chase could be evidence of Hera's statement earlier in the trailer that she's “the fastest horsewoman you've got,” when talking to Helm. Here, she's wearing her riding clothes, which indicates that this either takes place after the siege and fall of Edoras or is part of a longer journey she ends up taking. Hera's story is mostly left out of the Middle-earth books, so the creators of Rohirrim War have the opportunity to create something epic and exciting for his part of the story.
4 One Punch Man Guide
King Helm Hammerhand is the Saitama of Middle Earth
One of the film's most significant battles will undoubtedly be the clash between Helm and Freca, the spark that lights the fires of war between the Rohirrim and the Dunlendings. But this trailer wastes no time in showing exactly how the battle ends: After taking all of Freca's punches, Helm ends the fight with a single blow. Such a swift and decisive clash establishes Helm as an absolute power before the film even ends.
The moment when Freca falls feels even more epic with everything that precedes it. The sound design of each of Freca's strikes is perfect, giving each blow a huge, heavy impact. He's clearly not throwing punches here. Even so, it's not enough to knock Helm out. When he charges and strikes, his single punch sends Freca flying to the ground, flying back to the ground with a fatal thud.
3 Saruman the White Returns
The Evil Wizard in the West
Another exclusive surprise in the Japanese version of the trailer is the revelation that Saruman makes his appearance in Rohirrim War. The full extent of his involvement in the plot is still unknown, and will likely be minimal if the film follows pre-existing canon. The events of Rohirrim War roughly align between the years 2754 and 2758 of the Third Age, excluding flashbacks. This is after Saruman began to admire Sauron, but before he swore fealty to the Dark Lord.
Saruman is seen at what appears to be a celebration, possibly the coronation of Fréaláf Hildeson, who becomes the next king of Rohan after the death of Helm Hammerhand. In book canon, Saruman brings gifts to flatter Fréaláf and convince the king to grant him permission to take up residence in the tower of Isengard. If this is true, then Saruman is probably just an extra cameo near the end of the film, but it is a welcome surprise nonetheless.
2 The Observer in the Water
The mysterious creature presents itself once again
In a world as vast and well-documented as Tolkien's Middle-earth, there are rarely any unsolved mysteries and unanswered questions. Fortunately, it seems that the minds behind Rohirrim War are trying to shed a little more light on one of the biggest remaining questions. “Watcher in the Water” is coming back Rohirrim Warand also knocking down a mûmak.
Last seen on screen outside the Mines of Moria in The Fellowship of the Ringthe strange aquatic creature has remained unexplained by any official source. Not even Tolkien himself ever gave it a more descriptive name than “Watcher in the Water”, nor did he explain anything about what it is and why it is there. Whether it is the same as Company or another of its kind remains to be seen.
1 The climactic clash between Hera and Wulf
A Battle for the Future of Rohan
More than anything else, any references to past films or strange elements of Middle-earth lore, the trailer builds a solid narrative arc: Wulf and Hera will fight and it will be a colossal clash. The trailer builds a sense of history between the two characters, which seems to be its greatest original contribution. After all, Hera's story is the greatest blank slate the film can write on.
Naturally, this leaves one big question on everyone's mind ahead of the film's premiere: Was he going to kill Wulf? In canon, Helm Hammerhand's nephew, Fréaláf Hildeson, kills Wulf during the reconquest of Edoras. This means the film has two paths to go: either Hera kills Wulf, eventually letting Fréaláf take the credit, or Hera spares Wulf because of their lifelong bond, only to watch Fréaláf kill him later. No matter what they choose, it'll be a good time to watch.