What games are canon in Lord of the Rings?
The Lord of the Rings gaming universe is vast and complex, with various games drawing inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary works, but only The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is considered canon, as it carefully avoids contradicting events from the films and expands on the narrative of the War of the Ring. This game is the only one that is fully aligned with the Tolkien canon, which includes The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.
Understanding Canon in the Lord of the Rings
The concept of canon in the Lord of the Rings universe refers to the official and authentic storyline, characters, and events created by J.R.R. Tolkien. To be considered canon, a game must adhere to the original narrative and not introduce contradictions or inconsistencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Shadow of Mordor canon?
No, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is not considered canon as it introduces new characters and storylines that are not part of the original Tolkien narrative.
2. Is The Lord of the Rings: Gollum canon?
No, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is not canon, despite attempts to fit it into the book’s timeline, as it is not a direct adaptation of Tolkien’s work.
3. Who is Talion in the Lord of the Rings?
Talion is the protagonist of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War, but he is not a canon character, as he was not created by Tolkien.
4. Is Isildur a Nazgul in canon?
No, in Tolkien’s original work, Isildur is not a Nazgul, but rather the King of Gondor who defeated Sauron and took the One Ring.
5. What do the orcs call Talion?
The orcs refer to Talion as “the Tark” in the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor game.
6. Is The Hobbit canon?
Yes, The Hobbit is considered canon as it was written by Tolkien and is part of the original narrative.
7. Are the Middle-earth games canon to LOTR?
No, the Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War games are not canon to the Tolkien-verse.
8. Is Celebrimbor evil in canon?
In Tolkien’s work, Celebrimbor is not portrayed as evil, but rather as a skilled craftsman who was deceived by Sauron.
9. Are there female orcs in LOTR?
While not explicitly mentioned, it is possible that female orcs exist in Tolkien’s world, as the differences between male and female orcs might be minimal.
10. Why did Celebrimbor betray Talion?
In the Middle-earth: Shadow of War game, Celebrimbor betrays Talion to overthrow Sauron and use Eltariel to defeat him.
11. Who is Sauron in canon?
Sauron is one of the most powerful Maiar, created by Ilúvatar before the Music of the Ainur, and is the primary antagonist of The Lord of the Rings.
12. Is Rings of Power canon to LOTR?
The Rings of Power series is based on Tolkien’s work, but it introduces new storylines and characters, making it not entirely canon.
13. Is Talion related to Boromir?
Talion was inspired by Boromir, a character from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
14. What are elf-orcs called?
In some fantasy settings, elf-orcs are referred to as Uniya, a term used to describe individuals with both elvish and orcish lineage.
15. Is Gandalf in Shadow of War?
Gandalf is a playable character in the Shadow of War Mobile game, but his appearance is not considered canon to the original Tolkien narrative.