Novel → Film · Direct adaptation

The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003)

Peter Jackson's trilogy keeps the six-Book spine nearly whole while quietly rerouting its people: Arwen absorbs Glorfindel's rescue, Faramir is tempted where the book insists he would not be, and two entire chapters, Tom Bombadil and the Scouring of the Shire, never reach any cut.

Source

The Lord of the Rings · Novel · 1954–1955 · One novel in six Books, published as three volumes

J. R. R. Tolkien (author)

George Allen & Unwin

Adaptation

The Lord of the Rings · Film · 2001–2003 · One continuous film released in 3 parts, with 2 cuts each

Peter Jackson (director), Fran Walsh (screenwriter), Philippa Boyens (screenwriter), Stephen Sinclair (screenwriter (The Two Towers))

New Line Cinema / WingNut Films

TrueToPage 82 · The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003 Theatrical) · v0.3censuscatalog score

Cut178 + 179 + 201 minutes across Fellowship, Two Towers, and Return of the King. No Houses of Healing romance, no Mouth of Sauron, and Saruman's death is never shown.

Jackson's three films are treated here as one continuous adaptation released in three yearly parts, with two cuts: Theatrical (default) and Extended Edition. Coverage and several mapping rows differ by cut.

Extended-edition runtimes are reported inconsistently across sources depending on whether an appended cast/crew tribute reel is counted. This record uses the commonly cited film-content runtimes (208, 223, 252 minutes); some home-video reissues report the same discs several minutes longer (up to 228, 235, 263) because that reel is included.

J. R. R. Tolkien died in 1973, decades before this trilogy existed, and left no recorded comment on it. His 1958 letter objecting to Morton Grady Zimmerman's proposed animated screenplay concerns an unrelated, unmade adaptation and is not treated here as a statement about Jackson's films, though his general skepticism of dramatic adaptation is well documented.

Fidelity

Higher = more of the source is still true. Fidelity is not quality.

Plot structure73Across 29 mapping rows weighted by rough source length, the trilogy keeps the spine's causal order intact from the Council of Elrond through the Ring's destruction, the coronation, and the Grey Havens, while condensing roughly a third of those rows (the Council itself, Lothlorien, the Paths of the Dead, the Field of Cormallen) into shorter sequences. Two full chapters, Tom Bombadil's episode and the Scouring of the Shire, are dropped from every cut. Several load-bearing beats keep their structural position but run on a different mechanism: Faramir's release of Frodo is rerouted through an invented march to Osgiliath, Sam is sent away from Frodo before Shelob's lair rather than separated by her ambush, and the Army of the Dead fights the main battle at the Pelennor Fields instead of only the Corsair fleet.strong evidenceN = 29 beats, source weight 66

Character81Prominence-weighted across ten adapted people and two omissions, the core Fellowship figures with the most attested traits score highest: Gandalf and Gollum keep every inventoried trait, and Aragorn (86) and Sam (88) keep most of theirs. The pull-down comes from Arwen (67), whose expanded role absorbs Glorfindel's rescue of Frodo at the Ford and adds original scenes the book never gives her, and from Denethor (71) and Faramir (75), both re-characterized on screen: a more openly hostile, ineffectual Denethor, and a Faramir who is tempted by the Ring where the book has him refuse it outright. Tom Bombadil and Glorfindel, both cut entirely, sit in the table at 0.strong evidenceN = 12 people, weight 27

Dialogue & voice75Of eight inventoried voice markers, six survive on screen: Gollum's hissing 'my precious' diction, Treebeard's slow, deliberate Entish register, Eowyn's 'I am no man' line kept nearly verbatim, the formal register given to Elves and Gondorians against plainer Hobbit speech, Sam's rustic loyalty speeches, and Boromir's Gondor-and-glory rhetoric. Two are altered: the book's implicit frame that the story is the hobbits' own written history, the Red Book of Westmarch, becomes a simpler keepsake device on screen rather than a stated narrative source, and Faramir's poetic refusal of the Ring is dropped along with the personality that produced it.partial evidenceN = 8 voice markers

Theme & tone88Of eight inventoried thematic claims, seven survive, including the Ring's corrupting pull on the well-intentioned, the outsized power of pity and mercy over force, and Frodo's inability to be healed except by leaving Middle-earth. The one alteration is the book's sharpest environmental argument: that the war's violence follows soldiers home and the land itself needs tending after victory, which rests on the Scouring of the Shire and is never dramatized in any cut, leaving the trilogy's Shire peaceful rather than a peace that had to be fought for twice.partial evidenceN = 8 thematic claims

Coverage86Theatrical cut. Of 29 mapping rows built from the novel's six Books, 25 appear on screen in some form. The Old Forest and Tom Bombadil chapters and the Scouring of the Shire are absent from every cut; the Houses of Healing romance and the Mouth of Sauron's parley are absent from the theatrical cut specifically. The Extended Edition restores those last two, raising coverage to 27 of 29 rows on the cut toggle.strong evidenceN = 25 of 29 source units present

Additions restraint86Counting the 25 non-omitted theatrical mapping rows against four wholly invented beats, restraint stays high: Aragorn's reluctance to claim the throne, the Elves fighting at Helm's Deep, Frodo sending Sam away on the stairs, and the Army of the Dead fighting the main battle rather than only the Corsairs. No new characters or subplots are added. The Extended Edition adds one more invented beat, the Witch-king breaking Gandalf's staff outside Minas Tirith, which would lower its own equivalent figure slightly.strong evidenceN = 25 source beats, 4 invented

Ending

Side by side, in our words.

On the page · The Lord of the Rings

Frodo cannot destroy the Ring at the Cracks of Doom and claims it for himself; Gollum bites it from his hand and falls into the fire with it, completing the quest by accident. Sauron falls, Aragorn is crowned King of the Reunited Kingdom and weds Arwen, and the hobbits return to a Shire they must reclaim from Saruman's petty tyranny during the Scouring. Years later, unable to heal from his wounds, Frodo departs with Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Elves over the Sea from the Grey Havens, leaving Sam, Merry, and Pippin in Middle-earth.

On the screen · The Lord of the Rings

The films keep Frodo's failure and Gollum's fall beat for beat, Aragorn's coronation, and Frodo's final departure from the Grey Havens with Bilbo and the Elves, staged as one of several successive endings. The Scouring of the Shire never happens on screen; the hobbits return to a Shire that was never touched by the war.

The two beats that matter most to the story's meaning, Frodo's failure and Gollum's fall, and Frodo's final departure over the Sea, are both kept unflinching. What is cut is the passage between them: without the Scouring, the films' Shire needs no reclaiming, so Frodo's inability to enjoy the peace he fought for reads as a private wound rather than proof that the violence he witnessed follows a soldier home even after victory.

Mapping

29 rows. Every source unit, including the ones that never appear.

Source unit	What happens there	On screen	Notes	Cut	Evidence
Book I, ch. 1-2: A Long-Expected Party; Gandalf's investigation of the Ring	Bilbo disappears at his birthday party and leaves the Ring to Frodo; Gandalf spends the next seventeen years confirming it is the One Ring before Frodo sets out.	Film, Fellowship of the Ring, opening	kept, condensed; the seventeen-year gap between the party and Frodo's departure is compressed so the two events appear to follow within days	all	strong
Book I, ch. 3-5: Three hobbits set out; Black Riders on the road; the Bucklebury Ferry	Frodo, Sam, and Pippin leave the Shire on foot, evading Black Riders, and are joined partway by Merry, who with Pippin has independently learned of the Ring and organized a conspiracy to accompany Frodo.	Film, Fellowship of the Ring, first act	kept, condensed; Merry and Pippin's prior knowledge and planned conspiracy are cut, so on screen they join by accident while raiding a farmer's crop	all	strong
Book I, ch. 6-8: The Old Forest, Tom Bombadil, and the Barrow-downs	Tom Bombadil, an ancient being immune to the Ring's power, rescues the hobbits from Old Man Willow and from a Barrow-wight, and arms them with blades later used against the Witch-king.	omitted	omitted entirely from every cut	all	strong
Book I, ch. 9-11: Bree, Strider, Weathertop, and Frodo's wound	The hobbits meet the Ranger Strider at Bree, and Frodo is stabbed by the Witch-king's Morgul-blade atop Weathertop.	Film, Fellowship of the Ring, first act	kept	all	strong
Book I, ch. 12: Flight to the Ford of Bruinen	The Elf-lord Glorfindel finds the wounded Frodo on the road, lends him his horse, and the flooding Ford sweeps away the pursuing Black Riders.	Film, Fellowship of the Ring, first act	kept, altered; Arwen performs the rescue and summons the flood in Glorfindel's place	all	strong
Book II, ch. 1-2: Many Meetings and the Council of Elrond	At Rivendell, the Council of Elrond debates the Ring's history and danger at length before deciding it must be destroyed at Mount Doom, and the Fellowship of nine is formed.	Film, Fellowship of the Ring, second act	kept, condensed into a single shorter scene	all	strong
Book II, ch. 3-5: The Fellowship departs; Moria; Gandalf's fall	The Fellowship crosses the Misty Mountains through the Mines of Moria, where Gandalf falls fighting a Balrog to let the others escape.	Film, Fellowship of the Ring, second act	kept	all	strong
Book II, ch. 6-8: Lothlorien; Galadriel's Mirror and gifts	The Fellowship recovers in Lothlorien; Galadriel shows Frodo her Mirror and gives each member a parting gift.	Film, Fellowship of the Ring, third act	kept, condensed	all	strong
Book II, ch. 9-10: Boromir's attempt on the Ring; his death; the Fellowship breaks	Boromir tries to take the Ring from Frodo at Amon Hen, then dies defending Merry and Pippin from an Uruk-hai raid; the Fellowship scatters.	Film, Fellowship of the Ring, ending	kept, unflinching	all	strong
Book III, ch. 1-3: Aftermath of Boromir's death; Merry and Pippin captured; the pursuit begins	Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli find Boromir's body and set off after the Uruk-hai who have taken Merry and Pippin.	Film, Two Towers, opening	kept, condensed	all	strong
Book III, ch. 4: Fangorn Forest and Treebeard	Merry and Pippin escape into Fangorn Forest and meet the Ent Treebeard, who is slow to act against Saruman.	Film, Two Towers	kept, condensed	all	strong
Book III, ch. 5-6: Gandalf the White; Theoden freed from Wormtongue's influence	Gandalf returns transformed as the White; at Edoras, Grima Wormtongue's political manipulation of King Theoden is broken by Gandalf's counsel.	Film, Two Towers	kept, altered; the film stages Saruman's hold on Theoden as a literal, near-demonic possession rather than the book's political manipulation through Wormtongue, resolved as an exorcism	all	strong
Book III, ch. 7: The Battle of Helm's Deep	Rohan's garrison and refugees hold Helm's Deep against Saruman's army until Gandalf arrives with Erkenbrand's riders at dawn.	Film, Two Towers, climax	kept, altered; a company of Elves from Lothlorien reinforces the defenders, a addition not in the book, and Erkenbrand's role is folded into Gandalf and Eomer's arrival	all	strong
Book III, ch. 8-9: The Ents flood Isengard	Roused by Merry and Pippin, the Ents march on Isengard and flood it, destroying Saruman's war machine.	Film, Two Towers	kept	all	strong
Book III, ch. 10-11: The Voice of Saruman; the palantir	Gandalf and the company confront the imprisoned Saruman at Orthanc; Wormtongue throws down a seeing-stone that Pippin later looks into.	Film, Two Towers, ending; Saruman's death restaged at Isengard, Extended Edition only	kept; the confrontation and palantir handoff are in both cuts, but the film relocates Saruman's death to Isengard immediately afterward (Wormtongue stabs him) rather than the Shire, and this death scene appears only in the Extended Edition	Extended Edition	strong
Book IV, ch. 1-3: Frodo, Sam, and Gollum; the Dead Marshes	Gollum is captured, tamed, and agrees to guide Frodo and Sam toward Mordor through the Dead Marshes.	Film, Two Towers	kept, condensed	all	strong
Book IV, ch. 4-6: Faramir captures Frodo and Sam at Henneth Annun	Faramir questions Frodo and Sam, resists the temptation to take the Ring for Gondor's sake, and lets them continue toward Mordor.	Film, Two Towers, third act	kept, altered; the film's Faramir is visibly tempted and marches the hobbits toward Osgiliath before releasing them, a detour the book does not include	all	strong
Book IV, ch. 8-10: Shelob's lair; Frodo stung and captured	Frodo and Sam enter Shelob's lair together; Gollum attacks Sam from behind, Shelob stings Frodo, and Sam, believing Frodo dead, takes the Ring and continues alone.	Film, Return of the King, first act	kept, altered; the film has Frodo send Sam away beforehand after Gollum convinces him Sam covets the Ring, an invented rift not in the book	all	strong
Book V, ch. 1, 4, 7: Pippin in Minas Tirith; Denethor's despair and the palantir	Denethor, a capable if grieving ruler who has secretly used a palantir for years, prepares Gondor's defenses but sinks into despair as the siege worsens.	Film, Return of the King	kept, altered; the film's Denethor is passive and self-indulgent rather than a formidable ruler undone by true but selectively shown visions	all	strong
Book V, ch. 2: The Paths of the Dead	Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pass through the Paths of the Dead and bind the oathbreaking dead to fight for him.	Film, Return of the King	kept, condensed	all	strong
Book V, ch. 3, 5: The Rohirrim muster; Merry rides hidden with Eowyn	Merry, forbidden to ride to war, is smuggled along by Eowyn disguised as the soldier Dernhelm.	Film, Return of the King	kept, condensed	all	strong
Book V, ch. 4: The siege of Gondor; Gandalf and the Witch-king at the gate	The Witch-king breaches the gate of Minas Tirith and confronts Gandalf, but withdraws when the horns of the arriving Rohirrim sound, without either landing a blow.	Film, Return of the King; Extended Edition adds a physical duel	kept in both cuts as a stand-off interrupted by the horns; the Extended Edition additionally stages the Witch-king shattering Gandalf's staff, a physical clash the book does not have	all	strong
Book V, ch. 6: The Battle of the Pelennor Fields	The army of the dead empties the Corsair ships besieging southern Gondor by fear alone; Aragorn frees them, and he, Legolas, and Gimli sail the recovered ships to Minas Tirith in time for the battle.	Film, Return of the King, climax	kept, altered; the film has the Army of the Dead itself sweep the Pelennor Fields and rout Sauron's forces directly, rather than only clearing the Corsair fleet	all	strong
Book V, ch. 8: The Houses of Healing	Recovering from their wounds in Minas Tirith's Houses of Healing, Eowyn and Faramir fall in love before news of the Ring's destruction arrives.	Extended Edition only	absent from the theatrical cut, which shows only a wordless glance between them at the coronation; restored in the Extended Edition	Extended Edition	strong
Book V, ch. 10: The parley at the Black Gate	Before the final battle, the Mouth of Sauron rides out to parley, displays what he claims is proof of Frodo's death, and is dismissed unharmed.	Extended Edition only	absent from the theatrical cut; the Extended Edition adds the scene and has Aragorn behead the Mouth of Sauron, an act of violence against an unarmed messenger the book does not include	Extended Edition	strong
Book VI, ch. 1-3: Mount Doom; Frodo's failure and Gollum's fall	Frodo claims the Ring for himself at the Cracks of Doom; Gollum bites it from his hand and falls into the fire, destroying it.	Film, Return of the King, climax	kept, unflinching	all	strong
Book VI, ch. 4-6: The Field of Cormallen; Aragorn's coronation	The hobbits are honored on the Field of Cormallen, and Aragorn is crowned King of the Reunited Kingdom in Minas Tirith.	Film, Return of the King	kept, condensed	all	strong
Book VI, ch. 8: The Scouring of the Shire	The hobbits return home to find the Shire under the petty tyranny of Saruman ('Sharkey') and his ruffians, and lead their people in a battle to reclaim it.	omitted	omitted entirely from every cut; Frodo's vision of a ravaged Shire in Galadriel's Mirror in Book II is the only on-screen trace of this material	all	strong
Book VI, ch. 9: The Grey Havens	Unable to heal from his wounds, Frodo departs Middle-earth over the Sea with Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Elves, leaving Sam, Merry, and Pippin behind.	Film, Return of the King, ending	kept	all	strong

Change log

The argument. The mapping above is the evidence.

Condensed
The seventeen years between Bilbo's farewell party and Frodo's departure from the Shire are compressed to appear nearly immediate.
Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 1-3 → Film, Fellowship of the Ring, opening
In the book, Gandalf's long, careful research into the Ring's history is what makes his certainty credible; on screen it is folded into a single archive scene.
Attribution: unknown / production decision
Omitted
Tom Bombadil and the Barrow-downs sequence is cut entirely.
Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 6-8 → omitted
Removes a figure the book uses to show a power entirely outside the Ring's reach; his narrative functions (rescue, arming the hobbits) are not reassigned.
Attribution: Peter Jackson, citing the character's lack of connection to the central quest
Merged
Glorfindel's rescue of Frodo at the Ford of Bruinen is given to Arwen, who also receives several original scenes built around the Aragorn-Arwen romance.
Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 12 → Film, Fellowship of the Ring, first act
Expands one of the book's least-seen characters into an active screen presence, and removes Glorfindel from the story entirely.
Attribution: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, per reported production accounts
Invented
Aragorn is given sustained reluctance and self-doubt about claiming the throne of Gondor.
Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 2 → Film, all three parts
Replaces the book's confident heir, who has long accepted his destiny, with an arc of earned acceptance built for the screen.
Attribution: unknown / production decision
Invented
A company of Elves from Lothlorien reinforces the defenders at the Battle of Helm's Deep.
Two Towers, Book III, ch. 7 → Film, Two Towers, climax
The book's Elves take no part in this battle; the addition also displaces Erkenbrand, whose arrival with reinforcements is folded into Gandalf and Eomer's.
Attribution: unknown / production decision
Tonal shift
Faramir is visibly tempted by the Ring and marches Frodo and Sam toward Osgiliath before releasing them.
Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 5-6 → Film, Two Towers, third act
Reverses an explicitly stated trait: the book's Faramir says he would not take the Ring even lying by the highway, precisely to distinguish him from Boromir.
Attribution: Philippa Boyens, in extended-edition commentary, on wanting the Ring's power to feel consistent rather than sparing Faramir alone
Invented
Frodo sends Sam away on the stairs of Cirith Ungol after Gollum convinces him Sam covets the Ring.
Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 8 → Film, Return of the King, first act
In the book the two are separated by Shelob's ambush, not by Frodo's own suspicion; the invented rift changes how Frodo's judgment reads at this point in the quest.
Attribution: unknown / production decision
Tonal shift
Denethor is characterized as neglectful and self-indulgent rather than a formidable, clear-sighted ruler undone by true visions in the palantir.
Return of the King, Book V, ch. 1, 4, 7 → Film, Return of the King
Softens the book's more tragic account of a strong will worn down by real (if selectively shown) knowledge into simpler villainy.
Attribution: unknown / production decision
Invented
The Army of the Dead fights and routs Sauron's forces directly at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
Return of the King, Book V, ch. 6, 9 → Film, Return of the King, climax
In the book the dead only empty the Corsair ships besieging southern Gondor by fear; they never fight at the Pelennor Fields itself.
Attribution: unknown / production decision
Omitted
The Scouring of the Shire is cut from every cut of the trilogy.
Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 8 → omitted
Removes the book's final proof that violence follows the hobbits home even in victory, and the argument that peace has to be actively reclaimed, not merely inherited.
Attribution: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, citing concerns about an anticlimactic fourth battle
Invented
The Witch-king shatters Gandalf's staff in a physical duel outside Minas Tirith.
Return of the King, Book V, ch. 4 → Extended Edition only · Extended Edition
The book's confrontation is a stand-off interrupted by the horns of the Rohirrim before either side acts; this scene stages a clash and a wound the text does not contain.
Attribution: unknown / production decision
Omitted
Saruman's death at Isengard is cut from the theatrical release.
Two Towers, Book III, ch. 10-11 (Saruman's death is narrated later, in Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 8) → Restored in the Extended Edition · Theatrical
Leaves the trilogy's second-billed antagonist without an on-screen ending in the more widely seen cut.
Attribution: Peter Jackson, citing pacing concerns about reopening the previous film's plot at the start of a new one
Kept, unflinching
Boromir's death, Frodo's failure to destroy the Ring and his claiming it for himself, and Gollum's fall into the fire are all kept.
Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 10; Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 3 → Film, all three parts
A softer adaptation could have given its hero a clean victory; instead the story's central figure fails at the one task the whole quest existed for, and is saved only by accident.
Attribution: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, per reported interviews on wanting to preserve the book's ending
Kept, unflinching
Frodo's inability to heal from his wounds and his final departure over the Sea from the Grey Havens are kept.
Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 9 → Film, Return of the King, ending
A more conventional ending would have Frodo settle happily at home after victory; the films instead keep the cost of the quest as permanent for him.
Attribution: unknown / production decision

People

Trait score = attested traits kept ÷ attested traits shown. Unstated traits are not rows.

Frodo Baggins · Elijah WoodleadAltered7/9 attested traits kept78

The quest, the wound, and the departure survive. The seventeen-year time gap and his trust in Sam are the two attested facts that do not.

Identity	Is fifty years old, seventeen years after inheriting the Ring from Bilbo, when he finally sets out from the Shire.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 1-3	alteredstrong
Personality	Grows increasingly burdened and drawn toward invisibility and the Eye as he nears Mordor.Fellowship of the Ring & Two Towers, Book IV	preservedstrong
Relationships	Forms a close bond with Sam Gamgee, his gardener turned companion.throughout	preservedstrong
Relationships	Trusts Sam's loyalty without wavering, even as the Ring works on his judgment.the film has him send Sam away on the stairs of Cirith Ungol after Gollum convinces him Sam covets the Ring · Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 8	alteredstrong
Moral code	Is ultimately unable to destroy the Ring and claims it for himself at the Cracks of Doom.Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 3	preservedstrong
Vocation / role	Is chosen as the Ring-bearer at the Council of Elrond.Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 2	preservedstrong
Plot function	Is wounded by the Witch-king's Morgul-blade atop Weathertop.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 11	preservedstrong
Arc	Returns to the Shire changed and unable to find peace there.Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 9	preservedstrong
Plot function	Departs Middle-earth over the Sea from the Grey Havens.Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 9	preservedstrong

Samwise Gamgee · Sean AstinleadAltered7/8 attested traits kept88

His loyalty, his resistance to the Ring, and his growth all survive. His post-quest life as Mayor and his own eventual voyage West, told only in the appendices, are never shown.

Identity	Is Frodo's gardener before becoming his companion on the quest.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 1	preservedstrong
Personality	Is practical, humble, and plainspoken, and deeply devoted to Frodo.throughout	preservedstrong
Moral code	Resists the Ring's temptation when he briefly carries it outside Shelob's lair, choosing to return it rather than claim power for himself.Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 10; Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 1	preservedstrong
Relationships	Is ordered by Gandalf to accompany Frodo as a companion after being caught eavesdropping.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 2	preservedpartial
Plot function	Carries Frodo up the slopes of Mount Doom when Frodo can no longer walk.Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 3	preservedstrong
Plot function	Believing Frodo dead after Shelob's attack, takes the Ring and the quest upon himself alone.Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 10	preservedstrong
Vocation / role	Later becomes Mayor of the Shire and, decades on, sails West himself, as recorded in the appendices.Return of the King, Appendix B	omittedstrong
Arc	Matures over the course of the quest from a gardener into a warrior and leader in his own right.throughout	preservedstrong

Aragorn / Strider · Viggo MortensenleadAltered6/7 attested traits kept86

His service, skill, and eventual crown survive. His confident, long-accepted claim to the throne is replaced by sustained reluctance the book does not give him.

Identity	Is Aragorn son of Arathorn, heir of Isildur and chieftain of the Dunedain, raised in Rivendell under the name Estel.Fellowship of the Ring, Appendix A	preservedstrong
Body / ability	Is eighty-seven years old during the War of the Ring, appearing to be a man in his prime owing to Numenorean blood.Return of the King, Appendix A/B	not depictedstrong
Moral code	Has long known and quietly accepted his destiny to reclaim the throne of Gondor, sure of his own worth.the films give him sustained self-doubt and reluctance to claim the throne, fearing he could repeat Isildur's failure · Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 2	alteredstrong
Relationships	Loves Arwen, to whom he is betrothed on the condition that he become King.Return of the King, Appendix A	preservedstrong
Vocation / role	Has served anonymously for decades as a Ranger protecting Eriador under the name Strider.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 9-10	preservedstrong
Body / ability	Is a skilled tracker and healer, versed in the properties of athelas, and a formidable warrior trained by Elrond.throughout	preservedstrong
Plot function	Leads the Fellowship after Gandalf's fall, and later the army of the West to the Black Gate as a diversion for Frodo.throughout	preservedstrong
Arc	Is crowned King Elessar of the Reunited Kingdom and weds Arwen.Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 5	preservedstrong

Gandalf · Ian McKellenleadSame8/8 attested traits kept100

Every attested trait inventoried here survives in the theatrical cut; the Extended Edition alone adds an invented physical clash with the Witch-king.

Identity	Is one of the Istari, an order of wizards sent to Middle-earth, already ancient when the story begins.Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 2	preservedstrong
Body / ability	Dies fighting a Balrog in Moria and returns transformed as Gandalf the White, more powerful than before.Two Towers, Book III, ch. 5	preservedstrong
Personality	Has a quick temper but great compassion, especially for hobbits.throughout	preservedstrong
Moral code	Refuses to take the Ring when Frodo offers it to him, fearing the temptation to use it for good would corrupt him utterly.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 2	preservedstrong
Relationships	Is an old friend of Bilbo, mentor to Frodo, and longtime ally of Aragorn.throughout	preservedstrong
Vocation / role	Orchestrates and guides the Fellowship's quest as its strategist.throughout	preservedstrong
Plot function	Confronts the Witch-king outside Minas Tirith's gate, an encounter that is interrupted by the horns of the arriving Rohirrim rather than resolved by force.true of the theatrical cut; the Extended Edition adds a staff-breaking duel not in the book · Return of the King, Book V, ch. 4	preservedstrong
Arc	Departs Middle-earth over the Sea at the story's end, his task complete.Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 9	preservedstrong

Gollum / Smeagol · Andy SerkisleadSame8/8 attested traits kept100

Every attested trait inventoried here survives on screen.

Identity	Was formerly a Stoor hobbit named Smeagol who murdered his friend Deagol for the Ring centuries earlier.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 2	preservedstrong
Personality	Is split between the personas 'Smeagol' and the murderous 'Gollum,' who argue with each other.Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 2	preservedstrong
Body / ability	Has had his life unnaturally extended and his body withered by prolonged possession of the Ring.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 2	preservedstrong
Moral code	Is capable of genuine, if fragile, loyalty to Frodo before Sam's suspicion and his own hunger for the Ring push him back to treachery.Two Towers, Book IV	preservedstrong
Relationships	Leads Frodo and Sam to Shelob's lair, betraying them to reclaim the Ring for himself.Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 9-10	preservedstrong
Vocation / role	Guides Frodo and Sam through the Dead Marshes and toward Mordor.Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 2	preservedstrong
Plot function	Bites the Ring, and Frodo's finger with it, from Frodo's hand at the Cracks of Doom and falls into the fire, unintentionally completing the quest.Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 3	preservedstrong
Arc	His fate remains tied to the Ring until the very end; his death, not any hero's virtue, destroys it.Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 3	preservedstrong

Faramir · David WenhamsupportingAltered6/8 attested traits kept75

His restraint toward the Ring is inverted into visible temptation, and his release of Frodo is rerouted through an invented Osgiliath detour.

Identity	Is Denethor's second son, Boromir's younger brother, and Captain of Gondor's Rangers.Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 5	preservedstrong
Moral code	States he would not take the Ring even if he found it lying by the highway, nor to save Minas Tirith itself.the film's Faramir is visibly tempted and takes the Ring-bearers captive toward Osgiliath before releasing them · Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 5	alteredstrong
Personality	Is scholarly and gentler than Boromir, and less favored by their father for it.Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 5	preservedstrong
Relationships	Loves and defers to Boromir, and longs for Denethor's approval, which he never receives.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 4	preservedstrong
Plot function	Captures Frodo and Sam at Henneth Annun, questions them, then releases them once convinced of Frodo's integrity.the book has him release them promptly; the film routes them through an invented detour to Osgiliath first · Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 6	alteredstrong
Vocation / role	Commands a Ranger ambush against Southron forces in Ithilien.Two Towers, Book IV, ch. 4	preservedstrong
Plot function	Is grievously wounded retaking Osgiliath, and Denethor, believing him dead, attempts to burn them both alive.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 4, 7	preservedstrong
Relationships	Recovers in the Houses of Healing and falls in love with Eowyn.shown only in the Extended Edition; the theatrical cut reduces this to a single glance at the coronation · Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 5	preservedstrong

Arwen · Liv TylersupportingAltered4/6 attested traits kept67

Her lineage, her choice of mortality, and her betrothal survive. Her near-absence from the main narrative does not: the films make her an active character and give her Glorfindel's rescue.

Identity	Is the daughter of Elrond and Celebrian, an Elf of Rivendell called Undomiel, the Evenstar.Return of the King, Appendix A	preservedstrong
Plot function	Is barely present in the main narrative, with most of her story told only in an appendix rather than the text proper.the films make her a recurring, actively narrated presence with several original scenes · throughout; Return of the King, Appendix A	alteredstrong
Plot function	Sends Aragorn her family's banner via her brothers before the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, but otherwise does not act in the war herself.the film gives her Glorfindel's role of rescuing Frodo and racing the Nazgul to the Ford, among other added scenes · Return of the King, Book V, ch. 2	alteredstrong
Moral code	Chooses mortality to marry Aragorn, forsaking her place on the ship to the Undying Lands.Return of the King, Appendix A	preservedstrong
Relationships	Is betrothed to Aragorn, whom she has loved since his youth, contingent on his becoming King.Return of the King, Appendix A	preservedstrong
Arc	After Aragorn's death, related only in the appendices, lives on alone and dies at Lothlorien.Return of the King, Appendix A	not depictedstrong
Relationships	Is Elrond's daughter and, through him, kin to the Half-elven line and to Earendil.Return of the King, Appendix A	preservedstrong

Denethor II · John NoblesupportingAltered5/7 attested traits kept71

His office, his favoritism, and his death by fire survive. His formidable will and competent generalship are replaced by a more simply neglectful characterization.

Identity	Is Steward of Gondor, father of Boromir and Faramir, and heir to a long line of Stewards.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 1	preservedstrong
Body / ability	Possesses one of the palantiri and has secretly used it for years.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 4, 7	preservedstrong
Moral code	Has such strength of will that Sauron cannot dominate him outright through the palantir, though the true visions it shows him feed his despair.the film gives him a more straightforward collapse into self-indulgent passivity rather than a formidable will worn down by real but selective visions · Return of the King, Book V, ch. 7	alteredpartial
Personality	Is a proud, capable, and clear-sighted ruler who prepares Gondor's defenses and holds firm against early assaults.the film's Denethor is largely passive and must be goaded into acting, such as lighting the beacons · Return of the King, Book V, ch. 1, 4	alteredstrong
Relationships	Openly favors Boromir over Faramir and blames Faramir for surviving when Boromir did not.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 4	preservedstrong
Plot function	Descends into madness and attempts to burn himself and the wounded Faramir alive in the tombs of the House of Stewards.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 7	preservedstrong
Arc	Dies by fire, having lost hope after the palantir shows him what he believes is Sauron's overwhelming might.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 7	preservedstrong

Eowyn · Miranda OttosupportingSame7/7 attested traits kept100

Every attested trait inventoried here survives on screen, though her romance with Faramir is cut-gated to the Extended Edition.

Identity	Is niece of King Theoden of Rohan and sister of Eomer, a shieldmaiden of the Rohirrim.Two Towers, Book III, ch. 6	preservedstrong
Personality	Chafes at being left behind to rule in the men's absence, dreading a 'cage' of duty and longing for glory.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 2	preservedstrong
Moral code	Disguises herself as the soldier 'Dernhelm' to ride to war against Theoden's orders.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 3, 5	preservedstrong
Plot function	Stands against the Witch-king of Angmar at the Pelennor Fields, declares 'I am no man,' and strikes him down with Merry's help.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 6	preservedstrong
Relationships	Has an unrequited love for Aragorn, who does not return her feelings and loves Arwen instead.Two Towers & Return of the King	preservedstrong
Relationships	Recovers in the Houses of Healing, falls in love with Faramir, and gives up her wish to be a shieldmaiden or queen.shown only in the Extended Edition · Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 5	preservedstrong
Body / ability	Is gravely wounded by the Witch-king's blow and nearly dies of the Black Breath.Return of the King, Book V, ch. 6, 8	preservedstrong

Boromir · Sean BeansupportingSame7/7 attested traits kept100

Every attested trait inventoried here survives on screen.

Identity	Is Denethor's eldest son, Steward's heir, and Captain-General of Gondor's armies.Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 2	preservedstrong
Personality	Is proud and valorous, but skeptical of relying on Elves or wizardry rather than force of arms.Fellowship of the Ring, Book II	preservedstrong
Moral code	Succumbs to the Ring's temptation and tries to take it from Frodo by force at Amon Hen.Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 10	preservedstrong
Relationships	Loves his younger brother Faramir and the people of Gondor fiercely, wanting to use the Ring to defend them.Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 2, 10	preservedstrong
Plot function	Repents immediately after his attempt on the Ring and dies defending Merry and Pippin from an Uruk-hai raid.Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 10	preservedstrong
Vocation / role	Travels from Gondor to Rivendell seeking counsel about a shared dream concerning a broken sword and a Halfling.Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 2	preservedstrong
Arc	His death is the Fellowship's first great loss and the trigger for its formal breaking.Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 10	preservedstrong

Tom Bombadil · absent from every cutcameoOmitted0/3 attested traits kept0

Cut entirely; his rescue functions are not reassigned to any other character.

Identity	Is an ancient, enigmatic being living in the Old Forest with his wife Goldberry, older than Middle-earth's oldest inhabitants.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 6-8	omittedstrong
Body / ability	Is entirely unaffected by the One Ring; it cannot make him invisible and holds no temptation for him.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 7	omittedstrong
Plot function	Rescues the hobbits twice, from Old Man Willow and from a Barrow-wight, and gives them barrow-blades later used against the Witch-king.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 6-8	omittedstrong

Glorfindel · absent; role reassigned to ArwencameoOmitted0/3 attested traits kept0

Cut entirely; his rescue of Frodo at the Ford is reassigned to Arwen.

Identity	Is a mighty Elf-lord of Rivendell, said to have returned from death in the Undying Lands.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 12	omittedstrong
Body / ability	His light and power are strong enough to make the Nazgul hesitate at the Ford of Bruinen.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 12	omittedstrong
Plot function	Finds the wounded Frodo on the road, lends him his horse Asfaloth, and the Ford's flood sweeps away the pursuing Black Riders' horses.Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 12	omittedstrong

Creator stance

Time-stamped. Co-creators are never collapsed.

Christopher Tolkien

son of J. R. R. Tolkien; literary executor; Trustee, the Tolkien Trust

September 2009

Opposed, credited

As chair of the Trustees, said in a statement on the settlement of the Tolkien Trust's lawsuit against New Line Cinema over profit participation that legal action had regrettably been necessary, that the dispute was now resolved on satisfactory terms, and that the Trust would allow New Line to proceed with its proposed Hobbit films.

This settlement concerned the underlying book rights and profit participation for all of New Line's Middle-earth films, not a specific artistic judgment of this trilogy.

About:ownershipsource ↗

Christopher Tolkien

son of J. R. R. Tolkien; literary executor

July 2012

Disowned

In a rare interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, said the films 'eviscerated the book by making it an action movie for young people aged 15 to 25,' and that his father's work had become 'a monster, devoured by its own popularity and absorbed into the absurdity of our time.'

About:fidelityqualitysource ↗

Peter Jackson

director and screenwriter

2001-2002

Participating adapter

Said in a Charlie Rose interview around Fellowship of the Ring's release that Tolkien 'wasn't writing fantasy' but creating a mythology for England, and that the production treated the material as though filming a historical drama rather than a fantasy film, aiming to honor Tolkien's themes and characters rather than a scene-by-scene transcription.

About:fidelitysource ↗

Philippa Boyens

screenwriter

2002-2003, extended-edition commentary

Participating adapter

In special-features commentary discussing the change to Faramir, argued that a Faramir who scorned the Ring outright and felt nothing from it would have 'stripped the Ring of all its power' as a dramatic threat, and defended making him visibly tempted before releasing Frodo.

Sourced to a secondary article's paraphrase of the DVD commentary track rather than a transcript; no independent on-record interview repeating this specific justification was found.

About:fidelitysource ↗

No other adaptation of this source is catalogued.

Sources

Every score note points here. Wikipedia is a lead, not an authority.

secondarySlashFilm: Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Runtimes
Theatrical runtimes (178/179/201 minutes) for the three films
productionBox Office Mojo: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Confirms the Return of the King theatrical runtime of 201 minutes
referenceWikipedia: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Extended Edition (2004 DVD) runtime of 252 minutes; later Blu-ray reissues run longer
referenceWikipedia: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Extended edition runtime breakdown: 223 minutes of new film content plus 12 minutes of fan-club credits, totaling 235
secondaryDark Skies Film: The Length of Fellowship
Cross-check of theatrical and extended-edition runtimes across the trilogy
secondarySlashFilm: What J.R.R. Tolkien's Son Christopher Really Thought About The Lord Of The Rings Movies
Christopher Tolkien's 2012 Le Monde interview quotes about the films
secondaryScreenRant: Why Christopher Tolkien Hated Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings
Corroborates Christopher Tolkien's 2012 quotes and his general opposition to the films
primaryTheOneRing.net: Reuters - The Tolkien Trust, New Line Cinema and HarperCollins Settle Lord of the Rings Lawsuit
Christopher Tolkien's September 2009 statement on behalf of the Tolkien Trust settling the profit-participation lawsuit
secondaryTheThings: This Was The Key To Adapting 'The Lord Of The Rings', According To Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson's stated approach to adapting Tolkien faithfully as mythology rather than fantasy
secondaryFellowship & Fairydust: 12:15 Thoughts on Faramir
Paraphrase of Philippa Boyens' DVD commentary explaining the change to Faramir's temptation by the Ring
secondarySlashFilm: Why Peter Jackson Cut Tom Bombadil From The Lord of the Rings
Peter Jackson's stated reasoning for omitting Tom Bombadil
secondaryThe A.V. Club: Why do Return Of The King adaptations flinch away from its most crucial chapter?
Reasoning behind and thematic effect of cutting the Scouring of the Shire
secondaryScreenRant: 'There's Not As Much Of Her' - Why The Lord Of The Rings Movies Expanded Arwen's Role
Arwen taking over Glorfindel's role and the production's reasons for expanding her part
secondaryCBR: Why The Lord of the Rings Films Changed Aragorn's Motivations To Be King
Aragorn's invented reluctance to claim the throne, versus the book's confident heir
secondaryGameRant: LOTR: The Elven Archers Weren't At Helm's Deep In The Books
Elves added to the Battle of Helm's Deep and Erkenbrand's reassigned book role
secondaryGameRant: LOTR: Frodo Never Sends Sam Away, So How Are The Two Separated At Shelob's Lair?
The invented scene of Frodo sending Sam away on the stairs of Cirith Ungol
secondaryCBR: The Lord of the Rings Movies Changed J.R.R Tolkien's Best Battle (For the Worse)
The Army of the Dead's expanded role fighting at the Pelennor Fields rather than only the Corsairs
secondaryScreenRant: Saruman's Lord of the Rings Movie Death Explained (& Why It Was Cut)
Saruman's death restaged at Isengard and restricted to the Extended Edition, with Peter Jackson's stated reasoning
secondaryCBR: Why This Extended Scene From The Return of the King Was So Controversial
The Mouth of Sauron scene, restricted to the Extended Edition, and Aragorn beheading him
secondaryScreenRant: How Eowyn & Faramir Met In Return Of The King (Their Surprise Relationship Was Cut From Theaters)
The Houses of Healing romance between Eowyn and Faramir, restricted to the Extended Edition
secondaryCollider: 'Lord of the Rings': How Denethor Is Different in the Movies vs. the Books
Denethor's characterization change from a formidable, palantir-tested ruler to a more neglectful figure
secondaryScreenRant: How The Witch-king Breaks Gandalf's Staff In The Lord Of The Rings
The invented Gandalf/Witch-king staff-breaking duel, absent from the book
secondaryScreenRant: Lord of the Rings Fans Find A Potential Return of the King Plot Hole
Confirms the staff-breaking scene appears only in the Extended Edition, not the theatrical cut
secondaryDen of Geek: Lord of the Rings: How Faithful Are Peter Jackson's Movies to the Tolkien Books?
General critical overview of fidelity across the trilogy, including the Glorfindel/Arwen and Faramir changes

Record lord-of-the-rings-novel-to-jackson-films · schema 0.2 · scoring 0.3-census · completeness census. Fidelity is not quality; the score is not a review.