The Lord of the Rings films feature the elves, dwarves, and humans of Middle Earth as for years, they try to take down Sauron. The films adapt the intricate story crafted by J.R.R. Tolkien in his acclaimed novels and offer viewers a deep dive into the fight against the Dark Lord.
Similar to other popular fantasy films, The Lord of the Rings franchise also holds a massive fan base, as it takes viewers back to the Second Age of Middle-earth when numerous living beings including the leading dwarves, elves, and some humans join forces to stand against the formidable Sauron.
Viewers can watch Jackson's films according to the release dates. However, to deeply understand the origins and story in these films, it's better to watch them in chronological order based on the story's timeline which will be discussed in this article.
How to watch The Lord of the Rings films in chronological order
For viewers who wish to enjoy the stories of the six movies in chronological order, here's how the list goes:
1) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Out of the total six films currently available, three are included in The Hobbit series, which were released afterward but take place before the other three installments.
The events covered in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey occur almost sixty years before The Lord of the Rings, featuring Martin Freeman in the titular role of young hobbit Bilbo Baggins. The story begins after Bilbo joins the dwarves under the leadership of Thorin, as the group is determined to reclaim their kingdom.
As the dwarves and Bilbo's journey begins, they face notable challenges including the evil Orc leader Azog. The leading character then encounters another crucial figure Gollum, who owns a ring.
2) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The second installment of The Hobbit series brought back Freeman as Bilbo, and other characters including Gandalf, who recruited Bilbo into the Company. The film continues with Thorin's group moving towards The Lonely Mountain.
Thorin's people take down huge deadly spiders, and once again have to confront the most villainous Azog. However, a bombshell battle is on the way as seen in the next film.
3) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
As the film's title suggests, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is fueled with unavoidable action and impressive initial confrontations between dwarves, elves, and humans.
The formidable dragon Smaug is finally dethroned, but Thorin's unexpected greed worsens the situation in his kingdom. After significant fights and bloodshed, we see Bilbo getting back to his home. However, he doesn't reveal anything about having Gollum's ring.
Since Bilbo is unaware of the ring's powers and significance, he prefers keeping it from everyone until the truth reveals itself. The Hobbit trilogy ends with the 2014 film.
4) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
These films were released before The Hobbit series but didn't expand on the past events that caused multiple armies to fight against the Dark Lord. In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the focus shifts from 111-year-old Bilbo to his younger cousin Frodo played by actor Elijah Wood.
Now that Frodo has the ring created by Sauron, Gandalf has to alert him about the upcoming threats. Frodo then decides to abandon the Shire along with his most loyal friend, and the two must navigate various obstacles to destroy the evil ring.
Meanwhile, Gandalf joins the quest accompanied by Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, and Merry. Since the ring can only be destroyed in Mordor, the group moves toward the dark region.
5) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Frodo and his friend Sam meet Gollum, the character first seen in The Hobbit series. After entering Middle Earth, Gollum serves as Frodo and Sam's guide to the dangerous region.
At the same time, Gandalf with more powers in this film, along with the members of the fellowship, continues to save Rohan, as Saruman has teamed up with the Dark Lord Sauron to destroy the place. The most iconic moment in this film is the Battle of Helm’s Deep, featuring the saviors of Rohan and other righteous people standing against Saruman's massive Orc army.
As the film concludes, the remaining members of the fellowship navigate challenges to help Frodo and Sam destroy the ring. They contribute to clearing the part of the dark region so that the two can reach their destination on time.
6) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
As the previous film showed how Frodo and Sam were helped during their journey, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King finally shows the titular character destroying the ring. However, before that, they have an epic confrontation with the Dark Lord's followers, and as expected, Frodo is able to defeat them.
The trilogy concludes with Frodo destroying the ring created by Sauron in Mordor.
How to watch The Lord of the Rings movies according to release dates
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
You can also watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power TV series consisting of two seasons, with the second one currently ongoing on Prime Video.
Is The Rings of Power series connected to Peter Jackson’s films?
No, The Rings of Power TV series isn't directly linked with Peter Jackson's films as Amazon faced notable legal challenges while acquiring rights to make this series. Amazon only got the television rights of The Lord of the Rings trilogy which is connected to the Hobbit trilogy.
Since they only had rights to half of the films, Amazon had no choice but to bring new faces to play the titular characters. However, they have the right to utilize Tolkien's other stories, signifying that Amazon can significantly expand the narrative.
Many fans expressed disappointment over the Prime Video series not connecting with the acclaimed films, and there were speculations that Amazon was trying to involve Jackson. However, that conversation reportedly ended during the initial stage, and the TV series was developed without Jackson's involvement.
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies are currently streaming on Prime Video along with The Rings of Power.
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