Kenji Kamiyama invites The Lord of the Rings fans back into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson. While this is not the first animated feature for the franchise, it is a spectacular one! The first animated film in the series was created by Ralph Bakshi in 1978. He specialized in independent animations that cater to adult audiences. Adult/teen animation is experiencing a strong comeback, led by shows like Invincible, The Legend of Vox Machina, and Arcane. Now, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim hopes to continue along with a similar trend.
Set 183 years before the original film trilogy, the story follows the fate of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for his father’s death, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg—a mighty fortress that will later be known as Helm’s Deep. Amid the escalating crisis, Héra, Helm’s daughter, must find the strength to lead the resistance against a relentless enemy determined to exact their revenge.
The story structure of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was connected in a well-thought-out way. The connections to the locations and characters from the original Jackson trilogy were seamlessly woven into the main narrative, ensuring that all references felt completely organic and effortless. Each reference or mention of a name or thing from the original Lord of the Rings story made sense in relation to Rohan and its neighbouring kingdoms/places like Gondor and Isengard.
The producers and writers explained that Héra was inspired by an unnamed daughter of Helm. In the novel series, this story is told in just two pages. With so little source material, Kamiyama and the team had considerable creative freedom in crafting this film. This approach reminded me of Pablo Larraín’s style in biopics like Maria and Spencer, which focus on iconic women in history but explore periods where ambiguity in the facts allows for imaginative storytelling.
Gaia Wise delivered an outstanding and epic performance as Héra in her voice acting role. Her voice reminded me of a lot of the English dubs for many of the female leads in Studio Ghibli and Hayao Mioyazaki’s films, such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Howl’s Moving Castle. Alison Lohman, Emily Mortimer and Jean Simmons all did well for their roles in these Studio Ghibli films. But Wise brought the heat with this performance in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
Wise’s Héra embodied a fierce and unwavering spirit. Héra was first shown to be a free-spirited character of royalty, almost like Princess Merida in Disney Pixar’s Brave. The first scene introducing Héra was not only an homage to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers but a wonderfully shot scenic moment to introduce the main character in the hilly grasslands of Rohan outside Edoras.
“One of the cool parts of knowing that this film was headed back to Helm’s Deep was how this film was not just a rehash of the Helm’s Deep battle we knew from The Two Towers.“
It is easy to compare Héra to Miranda Otto’s portrayal of Éowyn, as both characters grow into shieldmaidens—female warriors who fought for Rohan long ago. This concept will feel familiar to fans of Viking series like Vikings or The Last Kingdom. I have to applaud the writing team—Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins, Arty Papageorgiou and Philippa Boyens.
The Jackson films didn’t have much time to delve into the history of Rohan’s shieldmaidens, but this film manages to do so both concisely and thoroughly. In The Two Towers and The Return of the King, it was implied that audiences or fans of Tolkien’s books would understand Éowyn’s role as a shieldmaiden.
Interestingly, Éowyn does not display her fighting skills until the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. In the second film, it is subtly suggested that she has a remarkable sense for battle, even though her responsibilities often pull her toward domestic concerns rather than combat. In The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Héra explores these two sides of herself throughout the movie. It comes together effectively, as she acts opposite Brian Cox as Helm—a character reminiscent of King Théoden.
Much like the father-daughter dynamic between King Théoden and Éowyn, Helm and Héra find themselves in similar positions. King Théoden was the ruler of Rohan, focused on securing his niece and nephew as future heirs, while Éowyn sought to dedicate her life to protecting the people on the battlefield. These female figures represent the desires and struggles of others across different eras, showcasing how Rohan has a history of strong women who are often underestimated—Faramir truly was a lucky man!
One of the exciting aspects of returning to Helm’s Deep in this film was that it wasn’t simply a rehash of the iconic battle from The Two Towers. The story surprised me by presenting Helm’s Deep differently from the Hornburg fortress portrayed in the live-action film. I appreciated how the filmmakers resisted the urge to insert references just for the sake of nostalgia.
As you can tell, I was engrossed by the character-driven story of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The other half I enjoyed had to have been the spectacular animations. Fantasy adult animation has been great with the recent releases of the Castlevania and The Legend of Vox Machina series. Although these series are rated R, The War of the Rohirrim remains faithful to the original Lord of the Rings material by choosing to maintain a PG-13 rating. It effectively presents brutal storytelling, much like how the Jackson trilogy successfully integrated darker themes.
The score took me back to the first time I heard the Riders of Rohan theme, accompanied by the stunning shot of Edoras in The Two Towers. What Stephen Gallagher achieved in blending and creating an orchestral theme for this era of Rohan was remarkable. The music transported me to my younger self, watching The Two Towers in theatres for the first time. The IMAX option is well worth it for die-hard fans!
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim contained great animation that felt familiar and worked for this anime adaptation. The music and scoring were amazing, taking me back to the original introduction of Rohan from The Two Towers. While there were a few pacing issues, it did not feel too dragged out. There was enough action and suspense to keep me entertained as the other Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit films. Fans of the previous films will love the nostalgia and references in this prequel story. Not as far back as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but the perfect amount of time before the main story.