Related
The Return of the Kinggives an epic conclusion to J.R.R. Tolkien ’s trilogy , but what happens afterThe Lord of the Ringsis something many fans have speculated over for decades . After stealing the One Ring and fighting with Frodo ( Elijah Wood ) , Gollum ( Andy Serkis ) soak up into the fiery pits , and the One Ring was finally put down . The destruction of the Ring actuate the death of Sauron , Mordor collapsed , and the warfare was finally over . Aragorn ( Viggo Mortensen ) becomes the King of Gondor . While peace seems to have returned , there is still some interrogation about what comes next .
TheLord of the Ringstrilogy takes placeat the ending of the Third Age of Middle - earth , with the Fourth beginning immediately afterward . There have been multiple films and books depict what happened before theLord of the Ringstrilogy , includingThe Hobbit , reference books and appendix pen by Tolkien , and Amazon’sRings of Powerseries sic during the Second Age . However , there are fewer hints about what happened next , but that does n’t think Tolkien did n’t get reader some idea of what happens afterLord of the Ringsand the event of the Fourth Age of Middle - earth .
Long before Frodo and Bilbo ’s adventures in the Third Age , the Lord of the Rings ' Second Age fall out , filled with distasteful wars and seismic shifts .
What Happened Immediately After Return Of The King (And Why Not Much Of It Is Known)
The Post-Return Of The King Period Became The Fourth Age
Thanks to Tolkien ’s literary works , some light has been shed on the future of Middle - earth afterThe Return of the King . The Lord of the Ringshas an almost fairy story conclusion , making a refreshing time out from desolate forward-looking phantasy likeGame of Thrones . Sauron ’s defeat allow for a happy closing for the hold up members of the Fellowship of the Ring as they run on with their lives . Frodo and Sam ( Sean Astin ) return to the Shire at last , and Sam started a home .
This menstruation of Middle - earth ’s timeline , unlike its pre - Lord of the Ringshistory , is n’t covered in corking detail .
Some of this is picture inThe Return of the Kingand more is covered in the extended editions . What most viewers lie with is that Frodo was n’t content with his aliveness in the Shire , due in part to wound he sustained inThe Lord of the Rings . As see at the terminal ofReturn of the King , Frodo left in-between - earth for the Undying Lands .
Meanwhile , also understand in the movie version , Aragorn took his rightful place as the King of Gondor . He wed the Elf , Arwen ( Liv Tyler ) , who willingly gave up her Elven immortality in rescript to share a spirit with Aragorn . Aragorn endure a long , full life with Arwen for many days afterThe Lord of the Rings , and passed away at the age of 210 .
Most of these events took place in an era known as the Third Age . The timeline of Middle - earth is broken up into several farsighted eras , and the Third Age is just one of them . The 2nd Age is the focal point of Amazon’sLord of the RingsTV series , The Rings of Power . Tolkien write a surprisingly great amount about The Second Age in his appendix and books likeThe Silmarillion .
The Third Age , which endure for a period of time of 3021 years , is the setting for bothThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Ringstrilogies . Shortly after the ending ofThe Return of the King , the Fourth Age of Middle - earth lead off . This period of Middle - world ’s timeline , unlike its pre - Lord of the Ringshistory , is n’t insure in great point . There are , however , a few confirmed particular .
The Lord of the Rings movies are known for their epic battles , but they are nothing compare to the battle Tolkien described to have come before .
Aragorn Created the Reunited Kingdom
The Time Of Men Is Restored
For Aragorn , life story after Sauron ’s defeat was about rejoin the Kingdoms of Men to their former resplendency . Located in the north , Arnor was a prominent kingdom inthe 2nd Age of Middle - world . Populated by Elves , Hobbits , and Men , Arnor boom for C , but in the early part of the Third Age , Arnor was no longer such a well-situated office . Political ferment and deceit divided the kingdom into three small kingdoms , and over time , polite war brought them to their knee joint .
Under Aragorn ’s control , the Reunited Kingdom became the most dominant forcefulness in the northwesterly region of halfway - globe .
There were attempts at reunification . For a time , Gondor and Arnor were one kingdom , but this did n’t last . After its tumble , what was get out of the people of Arnor moved on to other regions . One of the king of Arnor ’s descendants is Aragorn . This meant that Aragorn , who was already the King of Gondor , was also entitled to the pot of Arnor .
As a result , a key event that chance afterLord of the Ringsis that Aragorn rebuilt Arnor and became its 26th Riley B King . This allowed Aragorn to take the High King of Arnor and Gondor place , a title that had n’t been held since Isildur in the Second Age . After century of being aside , Aragorn mended the split between Arnor and Gondor and created the Reunited Kingdom .
Under Aragorn ’s dominance , the Reunited Kingdom became the most dominant military force in the northwesterly region of center - earth . During this prison term , the Reunited Kingdom set out to recapture all the lands that were previously interest by Arnor and Gondor . Only sure territories were leave alone as the Reunited Kingdom fought to take back what once belonged to them .
The iconic Christian Bible series and the nation of Middle - Earth are the cornerstone on which modern fantasy is base .
The final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King concludes the epic saga of the Fellowship’s quest to destroy the One Ring and put an end to Sauron’s reign of terror. As Frodo and Sam continue on their way to Mordor and Mount Doom, accompanied by Gollom, the rest of the Fellowship work to defend Minas Tirith from Sauron’s forces. The film’s ensemble cast includes Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Vigo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan.
The Fourth Age & The Dominion of Men Began
The Elves were the most predominant raceway in the First and Second Ages of midway - earth . This began to exchange in the Third Age when the top executive of the Elves begin to decline . In the beginning of the Third Age , the Elves started to leave behind for their homeland , Valinor , though many of them remained in various area of halfway - ground . What was next for the Elves and the fate of Middle - earth afterReturn of the Kingwas teased by Gandalf :
" For the time do of the Dominion of Men , and the Elder Kindred should pass off or digress . "
Gandalf ’s prediction was proven right when the remain Elvesleft Middle - earth for the Undying Landswhen the Three Rings lost their power as a answer of Sauron ’s licking . The departure of the Elves show in the dawn of the Fourth Age , which is characterized by the Dominion of Men . Also , the dwarf begin to go off in the Fourth Age , since women only made up a third of their population , and Dwarven females often choose not to espouse . So , over time , the Dwarves ' contribution to the world were forget , leave humanity as the most significant race remain on the face of Middle - ground .
The Fellowship takes on an arduous journey in The Lord of the Rings , but how old is each member of the mathematical group when first imprint at Rivendell ?
The Shire Became A Sanctuary For The Hobbits
Aragorn Banned Humans From The Shire
InThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings , the shire horse is the homeland of the Hobbitsand a region located in the northwest portion of Middle - terra firma . The Shire was excellently visited by Gandalf and a companionship of Dwarves inThe Hobbitand again by Gandalf inLord of the Rings . While it is only occupied by Hobbits , it has seen its fairish portion of visitors over the century . Both Elves and gnome have been known to occur through .
Aragorn ’s intention in banning Men from the Shire was to ensure that the Hobbits could live peacefully without intervention from outsider .
While the Fellowship was off on their dangerous undertaking , a radical of Men call the Ruffians became a threat to the Shireand the Hobbits ' way of life sentence . The Ruffians were dealt with once Frodo and the others returned home . Things change for the shire horse - folk when Aragorn — lie with by the name " King Elisaar " in the Fourth Age of Middle Earth — formed the Reunited Kingdom .
The lands he gained as the gamey King give him some level of control over the Shire ’s fate . Knowing that masses like the Ruffians would always be a problem for the shire horse , he declare that the Shire was a sanctuary for the Hobbits that should never be visited by Men , including himself . Aragorn ’s intention in banning Men from the Shire was to secure that the Hobbits could experience peacefully without intervention from outsiders .
Gandalf seemed to know that Hobbits would be important in saving halfway - earth , but was this the only grounds he befriended them in Lord of the Rings ?
What Tolkien Books Are Set After Lord Of The Rings?
While Tolkien wrote several stories and appendices set during or aboutLord of the Rings’Fourth Age , there was never a full novel - duration sequel toLord of the Rings . Tolkien started writing aLord of the Ringssequel in the 1960s , which had the titleThe New Shadow . It ended up only being nine page of story though , and they were all published inThe Peoples of Middle - earth – the twelfth and final volume inThe History of midway - earthseries , featuring unpublished Tolkien appendices , letter , bank note , and previously unpublished manuscripts that were collated and issue by his son , Christopher Tolkien .
It ’s fromThe Peoples of Middle - earthand the extract ofThe New Shadowthat almost all contingent on the Fourth Age of Middle - ground are drawn . Tolkien abandoned the novel , however , because he found it too stark a place setting . Had it been finish , The New Shadowwould have been set a C after the drop of Mordor and would have usher more of the kingdoms of Men and what befall afterThe Lord of the Rings . For his part , Christopher Tolkien comment inThe Peoples of Middle - earththat the unfinishedThe New Shadow :
" [ The New Shadow]would nonetheless have been a very remarkable ‘ thriller ’ , and one may well view its early forsaking with regret . ”
The Lord of the Rings picks up thousands of years into Gandalf and Saruman ’s friendship , but Tolkien ’s other work outline the path to betrayal .
Will The New Lord Of The Rings Movie Take Place After Return Of The King?
An Animated Adventure Is The Next Continuation Of The Middle-earth Story
Warner Bros. has denote it will be hark back to theLord of the Ringsfilm series with new titlesin the future . The first plastic film as a answer of this project will beThe Lord of the Rings : The War of the Rohirrim , an invigorate feature film directed by anime veteran Kenji Kamiyama and featuring the voices of Brian Cox and Miranda Otto . The War of the Rohirrimwill take place 183 years before the event ofThe Lord of the Rings .
give the continued popularity of Middle Earth , it seems inevitable that at some point viewer will see an on - screen tale of what happens afterThe Lord of the Rings .
An animatedLord of the Ringsmovie based on Rohan is a spill point in itself , but many are wondering if a newLord of the Ringsmovie could be a continuation adjust in the Fourth Age of Middle - earth . While few concrete plans for Warner Bros’Lord of the Ringsslate have been foretell , it would seem as though the franchise proceed to plumb Tolkien ’s writing about the past of Middle - Earth rather than its futurity .
Creating a picture show or series in the Fourth Age of Middle Earth would confront many challenges , as it would have to be created from scratch and parcel out with the fading of many of the magical and fantastical elements from Tolkien ’s world in favor of a more modern society . However , given the continued popularity of Middle Earth , it seems inevitable that at some point in time spectator will see an on - screenland write up of what happens afterThe Lord of the Rings .
Lord of the Rings : War of the Rohirrim contribute Middle - world into the realm of gum anime . Here ’s everything to know about the animated epic .
What Happened To Each Of The Main Characters After Lord Of The Rings
Frodo
Of all the main characters in the serial , what happened to Frodo afterLord of the Ringsis perhaps the most well documented , and was even covered in the Peter Jackson movie trilogy . None of the Fellowship suffered during the warfare against Sauron as much as Frodo , and his clip as the Ringbearer took its cost on him both physically and mentally . While it was potential for the likes of Sam , Merry , and Pippin to yield to a slightly normal sprightliness , the same was n’t true of the Hobbit who bring the One Ring all the room from The Shire to Mordor .
As such , Frodo was granted an laurels that almost none who are n’t imp have received in the history of Middle - ground — passage to the Undying Lands . Here Frodo would live a retentive and peaceful life history . While the Undying Lands would n’t make him immortal , they would give him an lengthened lifespan , though since Tolkien did n’t write much about the Fourth Age it ’s unsung on the button how honest-to-goodness Frodo was by the prison term he die .
Sam
Samwise Gamgee was the true hero ofLord of the Ringsin the middle of many , as it ’s all - but - certain that Frodo would never have reached Mordor without him . Tolkien may have recognized this too , as Sam got an implausibly happy conclusion after the events ofThe Return of the King . Like Frodo , the final moving picture in theLotRtrilogy exhibit some of what happened to Sam once he returned to the Shire . Much to the joy of viewers , Sam settled down and married Rosie Cotton , the distaff Hobbit he ’d been in sexual love with for years(as was express inThe Fellowship of the Ringbefore he and Frodo left the shire horse ) .
Sam would eventually go on to become Mayor of the Shire , and held the office for a total of 49 years .
Sam would eventually go on to become Mayor of the Shire , and held the office for a total of 49 years . He and Rosie also had 13 child , so he spend the latter tenner of his life wall by a gravid and loving family . The only sad bank bill in Sam ’s tale is that he outlast his beloved , though having to live through the going of Rosie would have been much less dreadful with his many child there to comfort and comfort him .
Merry & Pippin
Merry and Pippin were almost inseparable throughout the events ofThe Lord of the Rings , and during the time the spend aside it was cleared they missed each other dearly . Thanks to Tolkien ’s greenback and appendices , it ’s sleep with that this intensely unaired friendship continued until they both passed away . affectingly , they both died together in Gondor around the long time of 100 , and were buried side - by - side ( and , subsequently , Aragorn would also be buried alongside them ) .
Like Sam , both Merry and Pippin wield political influence in the Shire afterReturn of the King . Merry became the Master of Buckland , and Pippin was Thain of the Shire . Thanks to their clip with the Ents , they were also notably taller than other Hobbits upon their return . It ’s have it away that both Merry and Pippin had at least one boy each . Merry married Estella Bolder , while Pippin settled down with Diamond of Long Cleve . While the name of Merry ’s youngster were unknown , Pippin name his boy Faramir . Faramir went on to Marry Goldilocks Gamgee , one of Sam and Rosie ’s girl .
Gimli
Gimli ’s adventures did n’t stop after the destruction of the One Ring and Sauron ’s defeat . The dwarf had an improbably emotional journey despite being the laughable relief in the movies , such as when he discover his kin group had been wipe out in Moria . Perhaps in reaction to this , Gimli ’s next footprint was to travel to the Glittering Caves of Aglarond beneath Helms Deep , remove many dwarves with him and establishing a fresh colony there - which also brings him the claim of " Lord of the Glittering Caves " .
Gimli and his discipline impart their skill with Freemasonry , twist , and metalworking to Aragorn ’s people .
This dwarven settlement in the Kingdoms of Men bring many benefit to both races , as Gimli and his content lend their skills with Freemasonry , construction , and metalworking to Aragorn ’s people . For example , the broken gate of Minas Tirith is supersede by one of dwarf expression and design , consist of mithril and brand . Gimli did n’t stay on in Middle - earth until his death , however . He rather becamethe first dwarf to travel to the Undying Lands , heading there with his lifelong friend Legolas once Aragorn had passed away .
Legolas
Much like Merry and Pippin , Gimli and Legolas remained good friendsafter the events ofThe Return of the King . Legolas did n’t have an consequential a time after the destruction of the One Ring as Gimli did , though he did accomplish a few things before at last sail west to the Undying Lands . Legolas lead Gimli through Fangorn Forest to satisfy a hope the two made to one - another at the Battle of Helm ’s Deep , and then fill his remnant of the bargain by follow Gimli to The Glittering Caves . Once Gimli became lord of the dwarf that settled there , Legolas return to visit often .
As for his own people , Legolas led a eventuality of Silvan Elves ( forest or wood - gremlin ) south , where they locate in a realm of Gondor . Legolas stay in Gondor ( or Ithilien , as the elves called it ) for around a century with the elves , finally sailing west with Gimli after the death of Aragorn .
Gandalf
The finish ofThe Lord of the Rings : Return of the Kingshows Gandalf sailing Benjamin West to the Undying Lands with Frodo . While this is honest to the books , Tolkien ’s committal to writing gives a few more details about what Gandalf gets up to in the prison term between crowing Aragorn as the newfangled King of Gondor and leaving midway - earth eternally with Frodo . There are about two years between both events in the beginning material , something the final movie in theLord of the Ringstrilogy color over .
After spending two years converse with Tom Bombadil , Gandalf then travel to the Undying Lands with Frodo , Bilbo , Elrond , and Galadriel .
Gandalf travels back to the shire horse with Frodo , Sam , Merry , and Pippin after the celebrations in Gondor are done with . However , he result them at the boundary line , and thengoes on to meet Tom Bombadil , an incredibly powerful individual who was cut from the movies . After spend two years conversing with Tom Bombadil , Gandalf then move around to the Undying Lands with Frodo , Bilbo , Elrond , and Galadriel . It ’s worth nothing that , once he arrives , Gandalf return to a younger version of himself and takes the name Olórin .
Aragorn
AsThe Return of the Kingshowed , Aragorn is crowned the in high spirits King of Arnor and Gondor after the dying of Sauron , study the title King Elessar ( Elessar being the name bestowed upon him by Galadriel ) . He then splice Arwen curtly later , and the two had a boy , Eldarion , as well as an unknown phone number of unnamed daughters . Aragorn ’s rule was , as to be expected , one of nifty prosperity for Gondor , and it ’s safe to say he laid square base for the Dominon of Men in the Fourth Age of Middle - ground .
Aragorn snuff it of old age , living to be 210 . He reign as king for 122 age , and after he guide , was buried next to Merry and Pippin . Arwen cash in one’s chips around the same clock time , though did slimly survive Aragorn , as Tolkien wrote that she passed away due to a humiliated heart . The potty of Gondor was then passed on to Aragorn ’s Logos Eldarion in the year 120 of the Fourth Age , over a hundred afterThe Lord of the Ringsconcluded .
What Challenges Could Be Awaiting Middle-Earth In The Fourth Age?
The Era Of Men Is Unlikely To Be Peaceful
J.R.R Tolkien never got the probability to indite much about the Fourth Age of center - globe . However , that does n’t imply it ’s impossible to bode how the so - called " Dominion of Man " would be for the various backwash and mass of the fantasy land . Whether intentional or not , J.R.R. Tolkien ' in reality sowed the thematic seeds for how the Fourth Age could potentially be . While Sauron is defeated , Saruman is go , and Middle - earth has in the end shaken off the long - endure stewardship of the Elves , the Age of Men that derive afterLord of the Ringsis being set up to be a roiling flow .
If there ’s one theme when it comes to humanity in J.R.R Tolkien ’s works , it ’s that Man are easily corrupted . Even with the threat of the Orcs of Mordor being unvarying , custodian like Denethor have been far - from - imposing rulers for Gondor , and Rohan has see more than its fair share of troubles that are n’t because of the forces of darkness . What ’s more , Sauron ’s chief partner in crime , the Nazûl , were all once human kings , and the Dark Lord happen them all - too - easy to corrupted ( an especially notable point since he was ineffectual to do the same to the Elves and Dwarves , evenwith the Rings of Power ) .
After the decease of Aragorn , his son Eldarion ascend the throne . It seems inevitable that the descendants of Aragorn would see a challenge to their rule earlier or later . As the events of the War against Sauron blow over from living memory , there would belike be many who saw primed to have a claim to the throne . The liklihood of this would only increase over time too , as Aragorn and Arwen ’s family Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree expanded over the decades and centuries , there ’s be more branches of the class tree diagram who could see themselves as the true claimants to the throne of Minas Tirith .
The final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King concludes the epic saga of the Fellowship’s quest to destroy the One Ring and put an end to Sauron’s reign of terror. As Frodo and Sam continue on their way to Mordor and Mount Doom, accompanied by Gollom, the rest of the Fellowship work to defend Minas Tirith from Sauron’s forces. The film’s ensemble cast includes Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Vigo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan.
Tolkien had already revealed in his lore that the human kingdoms of Middle - world had a tendency to let politics and infighting become a force for ego - end . One of Aragorn ’s first tasks was to reunify Arnor and Gondor . It ’s deserving observe that the once - mighty joined realm of man did n’t rive due to the machinations of Sauron , Saruman , or a exchangeable image , but due to the kind of political infighting that would n’t be out of plaza inthe Seven Kingdoms inGame of Thrones .
As a veteran of the oceanic abyss of World War 1 , J.R.R. Tolkien did n’t see humankind in a positive light . He ’d in person witness some of the worst of what men were capable of , and it ’s something that thematically bleed intoLord of the Rings . There ’s a reason Tolkien wrote the Elves as aloof - yet - charitable shop steward of in-between - earth , and why them leave was consider a tragical event . For Tolkien , humanity was far from fit to govern itself . Even Aragorn , the first leader to carry the wash of men into their own historic period of potency , was n’t cut from the same material as the rest of his deathly kin .
Aragorn being one of the Dúnedainwas a clear message from Tolkien — world is not up to of being its own Jesus of Nazareth . Once Aragorn dies , humanity will be left to its own devices . With Gandalf and the Elves gone , the only knock-down beings up to of ensuring the race of men stayed on a ( somewhat ) stable way of life are the likes of Tom Bombadil or the remain Istari such as Radagast , none of whom seem anywhere near as concerned in the function of humans .
Unless another great external wickedness of the likes of Sauron egress in the Fourth Age , it ’s extremely likely that Middle - earth afterLord of the Ringswould be define by civic warfare and the stagnation of the successfulness and serenity Aragorn helped usher in . It ’s impossible to hump for certain , of course , but Tolkien ’s own piece of writing seem to evoke this as the likely outcome for the Era of Men .
Your Rating
Your gossip has not been saved
Cast
The final installing of the Lord of the Rings trilogy , The Return of the King shut the epic saga of the Fellowship ’s quest to put down the One Ring and put an remnant to Sauron ’s reign of terror . As Frodo and Sam continue on their way to Mordor and Mount Doom , accompanied by Gollom , the residuum of the Fellowship oeuvre to fight down Minas Tirith from Sauron ’s effect . The moving picture ’s ensemble cast includes Elijah Wood , Sean Astin , Ian McKellen , Vigo Mortensen , Orlando Bloom , John Rhys - Davies , Billy Boyd , and Dominic Monaghan .
