Danica Davidson
December 9, 2024 
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a beautifully adapted anime movie that works as a stand-alone prequel to Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Many people involved with Jackson’s movies were also involved with this one, and it was directed by Kenji Kamiyama, whose credits include Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
The story is about Helm Hammerhand and the establishment of the second line of king of Rohan (which will eventually lead to King Théoden, as we see him in The Lord of the Rings). Helm’s two sons are named by Tolkien, but the daughter is not, though some things do happen involving her. The two sons and Helm ultimately die, so it makes sense to tell the story from someone who survives. Thus, the daughter is given the name Héra and the story is presented through her eyes.
The action is gripping, the acting is outstanding, the animation is beautiful.
Despite some online controversy about the female lead, Héra fits well within Tolkien’s world. Tolkien’s main characters might have been male, but he had women characters who were powerful and influential. Think about characters like Galadriel, who is very wise and has great power in magic, or Éowyn, a shieldmaiden who disguises herself as a man to go into battle and kills the Witch-king, the ruler of the Nazgûl. The movie does a good job of placing Héra firmly within the lore, connecting her with the shieldmaidens like Éowyn. She might be on the more aggressive end of how Tolkien portrayed his female characters, but she doesn’t go outside of what would work in his world. In other words, she doesn’t feel like some cardboard-cutout warrior princess trope. For those fretting that this is just another Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power that changes just about everything: don’t. This movie was made with care and attention to the original details.
No, it’s not 100% accurate to Tolkien, which will upset some of the purists, but it’s pretty close. For example, the movie streamlines two battles into one, which moves the story along but doesn’t take away from it. One of Héra’s brothers dies in the original story after wandering off and getting lost in the snow. The story doesn’t outright say what happens to him, though you can assume he froze to death. In the movie, we know how the brother dies, and it’s a very dramatic scene. The Watcher is shown someplace other than where Tolkien mentioned, but it could be argued it’s another Watcher. So there are things people can be mad about online, but The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is not doing things like completely changing characters’ personalities or contradicting major parts of the lore.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is well worth watching, for both fans of The Lord of the Rings and anime. Also, people who are new to anime and Tolkien can just get caught up in the story and how well it was made.
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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