High Ten Star Wars Characters Who Might Carry The Ring to Mordor

At its coronary heart, Star Wars is a straightforward story. A boy. A journey. A future. Good conquers evil, gentle illuminates the darkness, and ultimately, the unhealthy guys get their simply desserts.

It’s an absolute picture-perfect execution of the hero’s journey – or monomyth – as popularized by Joseph Campbell. After all, George Lucas makes no secret of his affect on his area saga. Neither is it a secret that many tales share comparable traits.

Or comparable characters.

Character Archetypes

For instance, there may be the clever man, the naif, and the warrior. These basic figures exist in a whole bunch of tales instructed over hundreds of years, together with J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

Now, in gentle of Amazon’s lovely Rings of Energy and absolutely the feast of Star Wars content material laid out by Disney this 12 months, the similarities between the 2 worlds have by no means been clearer. And it makes you marvel. Who would the characters of Star Wars be in the event that they fell into Center Earth proper now?

What follows is a really scientific record analyzing simply that risk, so please, take it significantly.

Anakin Skywalker

He is Aragorn. Now I do know there shall be many objections to this, however save these protests for the extra controversial takes coming later (see: Leia). Let me lay this out for you now and see if you happen to disagree with me later. First, if there’s a designated Chosen One in The Lord of the Rings saga, then Aragorn, Isildur’s inheritor, is most positively The One.

Folks could argue that Frodo is the Chosen One because the Ringbearer and the story’s protagonist, however that could be a mischaracterization of his function and company. There isn’t any blood legacy Frodo inherits (not less than, not one with the expectation of heroism), and no nice future is awaiting him. Sure, he seems in a prophetic dream to Faramir and Boromir, however Aragorn, too, has prophecies about his coming.

Peace?

However extra essential than a prophecy is the expectation of its success, which Anakin positively has in frequent with Aragorn. Anakin is supposed to deliver stability to the Pressure. He’s probably the most gifted, highly effective, and brightest witch his age.

Likewise, Aragorn is the perfect horse woman in Center Earth, a crafty warrior, and an excellent pal. Simply as Anakin is supposed to grow to be the perfect of the Jedi, so too is Aragorn anticipated to grow to be the King of Males. They’re each characters poised on the sting of their future.

And they’re each tempted by evil to desert it.

After all, we all know Aragorn finally overcomes that temptation whereas Anakin… would not. Nonetheless, narratively they’re each conventional heroes put to traditional exams.

As is custom, in addition they get the woman.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan needs to be Frodo Baggins. No, this isn’t as a result of I merely need all my favorites to align neatly right into a single shared archetype, Mother. It is only a comfortable coincidence (or an alarmingly constant tendency of my very own) that they do.

Whereas Obi-Wan Kenobi just isn’t the definitive protagonist of Star Wars, one may make a case that he’s the collection’ coronary heart. He’s the throughline that carries the narrative from one trilogy to the following, the one who bears the load of the plot even when he would not drive it.

A Ringbearer, if you’ll.

The Information

Like Frodo, Obi-Wan is the shepherd of the story. The shepherd bears witness to evil. In Frodo’s case, he carries it as a bodily object, in Obi-Wan’s as a survivor of genocide. Each work for the salvation of their world, but neither reside to see it finished.

The fandom loves to present Obi-Wan the basic quote, “I give hope to Man, I maintain none for myself,” which is alleged initially by Aragorn’s mom about her son. However there is a manner higher one.

In Sauron Defeated, an prolonged scene following the Ring’s destruction depicts Gandalf giving Frodo and Sam new names. He proposes that Frodo be known as Bronwe athan Harthad, which implies “Endurance past Hope.”

That identify is equally relevant to Obi-Wan, who carries on when all different lights within the galaxy have gone out. Alone, he endures. Even after Vader destroys all hope of his personal redemption, Obi-Wan nonetheless carries on. One foot in entrance of the opposite. Identical to Frodo. He pushes previous hope. He survives past motive. He endures till the very finish.

He’s the endurance, not the hope. And that is as a result of there may be somebody who’s Hope Unquenchable. A brand new hope.

Luke Skywalker

Our boy Luke is Samwise Gamgee. Come on. You possibly can’t even struggle me on this one. It is apparent. Sunshine farmer boy is clearly the Galaxy Far, Far Away’s counterpart for candy gardener Gamgee.

Whereas the separation of a era means we lose the epic relationship between these characters, Obi-Wan and Luke nonetheless share an unimaginable hyperlink. Although it’s extra paternal, there may be nonetheless a deep love between the 2. Why else would Obi-Wan spend nineteen years within the desert? And in Timothy Zahn’s basic Inheritor to the Empire, Obi-Wan affirms this sense by telling Luke, “I liked you as a son, and as a scholar, and as a pal.”

The Sam

Identical to Sam, Luke is the particular person to whom Obi-Wan’s burden falls when he dies. Identical to Sam, he’s the inheritor to all of Obi-Wan’s legacy and work. And similar to Sam, Luke is the hope that retains Obi-Wan going and one of many lone beacons of pure gentle within the universe.

He’s naive, he’s earnest, he’s candy, and he’s additionally a little bit of a boss when the temper strikes. Luke is the promise that is still after the battle is gained and the work of rebuilding begins.

Yoda

That is a straightforward one and may come as no shock to anybody. Yoda is clearly Lobelia Sackville —

Gandalf. He is Gandalf, buddies. How may he be anybody else?

He is the outdated sage, the mystic who dispenses knowledge however whose council typically goes unheeded on the worst doable second.

All Yoda

Although Obi-Wan technically fulfills this function in A New Hope, within the better scope of the story, it’s a hundred percent Yoda.

Historic, even within the prequels, Yoda is the grasp who guides each younger and outdated alike. He appears to have appreciable fondness for youngsters, in comparison with Gandalf’s appreciation of hobbits. However it’s additionally paying homage to his portrayal within the Lord of the Rings movies by the delight he takes in setting off fireworks for the Shire’s faunts. Younglings. Youngsters.

Yoda shares with Gandalf the flexibility to simply swing from childlike glee to stern authority. He’s an imp and a warrior by turns.

And hey, you may even argue that Yoda’s CGI frog fighter look within the prequels is a bit like Gandalf the Gray turning into Gandalf the White. If you happen to squint.

Depend Dooku

Now it will get juicy as a result of Dooku needs to be Saruman. And consider how that might play out in Center Earth. Think about if Saruman have been Gandalf’s apprentice. The betrayal! The drama! That is exactly how one falls right into a pit on AO3 at two within the morning.

However apart from that deliciously fanfiction-y fabrication, it is unattainable to disregard the similarities between these characters.

They’re each highly effective wizards who maintain exalted positions inside their orders and who flip from the sunshine to serve the darkish. However to serve just isn’t sufficient. No, each of those males plot to overthrow their superior in evil and take his throne.

Each Fail

Apparently, each of them fail on this. Tolkien and Lucas appear to treat turncoats as worse than villains. Dooku and Saruman each meet slightly pathetic ends. They’re pitied by the nice and completely dismissed by the unhealthy. They each discover comparable themes of morality, betrayal, and petty villainy as counterparts.

And actually, good on Christopher Lee for making this parallel so visually clear. You see the similarities, do not you? They’re greater than pores and skin deep.

R2D2 is…

The primary half of our dynamic duo could be akin to Merry Brandybuck. Certain, the Merry and Pippin of the movies are barely completely different than these of the e book, however I am fairly satisfied I am proper both manner.

Merry, barely older and wiser than Pippin, is usually the underappreciated brains of the operation. And simply as Obi-Wan claims to not bear in mind proudly owning a droid, so does Frodo attempt to dissuade Merry from accompanying him within the books. Even within the motion pictures, Merry remains to be your thought man. He needs the larger firework. He thinks of Buckleberry ferry.

See, regardless of how others attempt to conceal it, Merry has a eager ear for secrets and techniques and a flair for crafty. He is the planner. He will get the provides, secures the escape route, he retains Frodo’s lightsaber protected in his head. Or slightly, Artoo does that for Luke.

Merry

Like Merry, Artoo is the man you need in your nook when issues begin wanting slightly dire. He is a stable second in a duel. He is received your again, and he is at all times one step forward.

Plus, they each have plucky little attitudes, and you already know they’d be those to drop a well-placed f-bomb if solely their genres allowed it.

C3-P0 is…

He can solely be Pippin. Peregrin Took, the youngest of the Fellowship and probably the most endearingly ridiculous, is an ideal counterpart for C-3P0.

Perhaps it is due to his comparative youth or as a result of a literal little one programmed him, however both manner, Threepio displays the identical guilelessness that Pippin has.

Each are inclined to stumble into conditions they’re unprepared for, and each finally achieve positions of respect. Pippin turns into Thain of the Shire, a spot populated by small individuals with bushy toes, and C-3P0 turns into a god worshipped by small individuals with bushy toes.

Mischievous

Although Threepio’s overriding attribute is a fretful and vaguely annoying nervousness not current in Pippin’s characterization, they each are inclined to strive the persistence of different get together members. Han famously directs Leia to “shut him up or shut him down,” whereas Gandalf prefers extra direct insults. “Idiot of a Took,” he calls Pippin, and that’s an apt description for these counterparts.

Arguably, Pippin has a extra distinct arc than C-3P0. He goes from a younger man barely out of his tweens to a soldier and a king’s consultant, prepared to die for his trigger. However Threepio does make an identical sacrifice in The Rise of Skywalker. They restored his reminiscence drives, however that does not reduce the load of his sacrifice.

See? It is all coming collectively. Now for the extra contentious claims.

Leia Organa

Leia is smart, lovely, and a princess. Who else may she be however Legolas, Prince of the Woodland Realms? They’re regal beings with equally astonishing manes of hair.

Like Legolas, Princess Leia is a deeply compassionate particular person who places her life on the road in a struggle to deliver peace to the galaxy. Folks maintain her in nice respect and adoration alike.

Additionally, like Legolas, the reality of her mom’s id is a superb secret, and he or she just isn’t wholly of the world the place she was introduced up. But, regardless of that, she feels deeply related to Alderaan and wears the duty of her title with grace.

Robust

She wields a blaster like Legolas wields a bow and in addition makes no secret of her disdain for a selected member of her firm. Sharp-tongued, and but vibrant and optimistic, Leia is an ideal match for Legolas.

This conclusion makes a lot sense when you think about who comes subsequent.

Han Solo

Proper? Did you guess? He is Gimli. He needs to be.

Gruff, hot-headed, and doubtless a bit smelly, Han Solo‘s Center Earth double is none aside from Gimli, son of Gloin.

These two share greater than only a flare for amusingly melodramatic reactions. Extra convincing than their humorousness is the resentment they carry because the much less elegant associate to their wives.

Related Patterns

Gimli argues with Legolas over whose fault it’s that elves and dwarves aren’t buddies in a way paying homage to Han and Leia bickering over wealth versus friendship. There may be such pressure between these pairs.

However ultimately, their animosity turns to adoration, and so they discover there is no such thing as a one they’d slightly be with. So Gimli sails West with Legolas, and Han and Leia get married and rule the galaxy. Parallels.

Plus, I can assume of some higher descriptors for Gimli than “scruffy-looking nerf herder.” Legolas would have known as him the identical factor if he’d solely considered it first.

Padmé Amidala

She’s Boromir, not simply because he is the one one left on the record, however for different causes.

Initially, if anybody in Star Wars goes to pledge timeless loyalty to Anakin as captain and king, it is Padmé “There’s Nonetheless Good in Him” Amidala. Perhaps we’ll depart the brother epithet apart. This is not Sport of Thrones.

(And actually, Frodo and Aragorn nonetheless have a really loving and tender relationship. The Shire remains to be beneath the nominal management of Gondor, so look, all of your ships work right here. I promise.)

Similarities

Anyway, as the following Steward of Gondor, Boromir has that very same not-quite-royal vibe as Padmé, who was solely elected queen for a hard and fast time period. She involves Coruscant to talk for her individuals the identical manner Boromir does his finest to petition support for Gondor in Rivendell.

As the one Males within the Fellowship, Boromir and Aragorn additionally share a detailed bond and know their fates are certain collectively. As a married couple, Padmé and Anakin are equally tied.

She additionally suffers an identical destiny as Boromir. Although not tempted to destroy by darkness as Boromir is, she does succumb to it by way of her personal naivety. By failing to take heed to the warnings of others, she dies.

However finally, her belief just isn’t misplaced. Simply as Boromir’s final phrases communicate of religion and hope in Aragorn, so too does Padmé die proclaiming the goodness of the person she admires most. Finally, each characters are proved proper.

As victims of evil and oracles of excellent’s triumph within the hearts of males, Padmé and Boromir are surprisingly good analogs for one another. Typically, I even amaze myself.

Bonus Spherical

The Galaxy Far, Far Away, and Center Earth are densely populated. As such, it is unattainable to pair each character with an ideal mirror. However there have been some that I believe match that did not fairly make the record

Palpatine is Sauron, clearly.

Chewbacca

Chewbacca is Invoice, the horse. They match the function of beloved animal companions who do the heavy lifting however go largely missed and unthanked. Sam does cry when Invoice is ready free by Moria, and Luke would in all probability cry, too, if Chewie ever left.

Satine is Galadriel, although this would possibly simply be the Cate Blanchett affect. Satine is extra stuffed with fury than Galadriel is. That stated, a Galadriel made indignant is a girl to concern. I would not need to get on both of their unhealthy sides.

Mon Mothma is one other candidate for Galadriel’s function. Nevertheless, I hope for her sake that Celeborn is nothing like Perrin is shaping as much as be. Primarily due to the ethereal and barely scary calm they mission and the refined crafty of their energy.

Ahsoka is our Eowyn. Each ladies need to be part of the motion and won’t keep exterior the battlefield. Every has rage and sorrow in them, and each develop into knowledge.

Oh, however the perfect one –

Gollum

Darth Maul is Gollum. He is a horrible little creep who ought to have died in his little gap. However, for higher or worse, he emerged from it to parade across the galaxy, inflicting chaos. He is the shadow to Obi-Wan’s gentle, simply as Gollum is to Frodo.

And finally, his decision comes not from revenge or evil however from the mercy and pity of his enemy. Maul dies in Obi-Wan’s arms, and Gollum dies in Frodo’s place. It is excellent. I am a genius.

A Story as Outdated as Time

Finally, these characters overlap so neatly as a result of neither of those tales is new. Tolkien and Lucas consciously crafted their work to take a seat upon the shoulders of generations of tales that got here earlier than. Lucas referenced Flash Gordon and Kurosawa. Tolkien pointed to Beowulf and British fantasy.

That stated, it is enjoyable to think about these characters cross-cast into their reverse circumstances. Anakin Skywalker summoning ghosts is nearly too straightforward to see. Gilmi and Legolas arguing over navigating an asteroid fiordereld is virtually canon. Luke completely would carry Obi-Wan up a mountain. In spite of everything, he tried to hold Vader out of the second Loss of life Star.

Different configurations are much less plausible however make for nice comedy.

Simply think about Aragorn and Boromir clasping one another lovingly on the information that they’ll have kids. Envision Boromir giving beginning to Gimli and Samwise. Take into account the wild household dinners shared by Gandalf, his apprentice Saruman, and their grand padawan, Frodo Baggins.

I imply, I am positive somebody’s written it. Or will. In spite of everything, there are nonetheless 4 seasons of Rings of Energy to go, and I’ve received my fingers crossed.

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