What The Lord of the Rings Movies Didn't Cover

Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies brought Middle-earth to life with some serious emotional punches. But even with hours of extended footage, plenty of moments from J.R.R. Tolkien’s world never made it to the screen. Let’s dig into a few fascinating book scenes that were left behind. Shall we?

Tom Bombadil: The Most Mysterious Character

If you’ve only seen the movies, you might be wondering, “Who?” Well, Tom Bombadil is an ancient, cheerful figure who skips through the Old Forest singing songs and showing zero concern about the Ring's dark powers. In fact, the Ring doesn’t affect him at all.

So why wasn’t he included? It's simple, he doesn’t really drive the plot. While his scenes are whimsical, cutting him kept the story moving. Still, Bombadil remains a fan favourite for readers who enjoy his cryptic wisdom.

The Scouring of the Shire

The movies wrapped things up with a bittersweet return to the Shire. But, in the books, Frodo and his friends arrive home to find the Shire overrun by Saruman going by the name “Sharkey” and his goons. The hobbits lead a rebellion and reclaim their home.

Peter Jackson chose to skip this chapter, likely to maintain the emotional high of the Ring’s destruction. But the Scouring is a reminder that war leaves scars, even in the most peaceful places.