Tolkien found the sweetest way to drive Pippin and Faramir’s life-long friendship home, and I wish the Lord of the Rings movies could have included it. This man and hobbit were another of the Lord of the Rings franchise’s unlikely friendships, and it happens to be one of my favorites. Pippin fought as hard as he could to save Faramir during the siege at Gondor, and against all odds, he successfully protected the man from his father’s madness. Unfortunately, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King didn’t have time for all the details.
Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books explained much of what happened after the One Ring was destroyed that Jackson’s movies didn’t have time for. Pippin saving Faramir’s life solidified a close bond, paralleling a similar relationship between Merry and Eowyn. The Hobbits’ relationships with these two kingdoms were emphasized by the bond between Eowyn and Faramir, who were ultimately married. It was a happy ending for all, as the Hobbits and Men of Gondor and Rohan became bonded by their shared experiences. Pippin even went on to name his son after his dear friend.
Pippin Names His Son After Faramir In The Lord Of The Rings Books
Tolkien Wrote About Pippin’s Continued Story
After Frodo destroyed the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, he and the other three hobbits returned to the Shire (where they had more battles to fight before they could settle in at home). Tolkien’s Appendices detailed how the years played out for these characters. In Pippin’s case, he went on to marry a hobbit called Diamond, and ultimately became the Shire-thain. Pippin and Diamond Took had a single son, who was affectionately called Faramir, after the Steward of Gondor Pip had saved during the Battle of Pelennor Fields.
Though Faramir Took isn’t a feature of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings book itself, the author’s extensive Appendices detailed how Pippin’s son maintained a close relationship with Gondor as he eventually took over his father’s position as Shire-thain. Interestingly, Faramir Took married Samwise Gamgee’s daughter, Goldilocks Gardner. It’s deeply meaningful that Tolkien took the time to extend these characters’ stories, since it demonstrates how bonded they remained over the years following their adventures. Unfortunately, the Lord of the Rings movies left all this out.
I Wish The Lord Of The Rings Movies Included This Sweet Nod To Pippin & Faramir’s Bond
It’s The Perfect Representation Of The Bonds Formed During The War
Unfortunately, the fact that Pippin named his son after Faramir was left out of Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies. In fact, Return of the King barely paid any attention to any of Faramir’s relationships. The character was far more sullen in his on-screen version, and the scenes in which he shows Pippin so much gentle kindness were only included in the extended edition of Return of the King. The same is true for the scenes featuring Faramir’s budding relationship with Eowyn. As a result, the profoundly important links between Gondor, Rohan, and the Shire were largely absent from the Lord of the Rings movies.
Before Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin left the Shire and joined the Fellowship of the Ring, much of Middle-earth knew nothing of Hobbits. However, sweet Merry and Pippin developed close relationships with Rohan and Gondor, respectively, and their involvement with Eowyn and Faramir aided in uniting these two kingdoms. These friendships and their ripple-effect consequences are a major theme of The Lord of the Rings, and it would have been a delight to see this represented more on screen.
Why This Detail Isn’t Included In Peter Jackson’s Movies
It Makes Sense That These Extra Details Were Cut
Though I’m sad that Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies didn’t ever reveal that Pippin named his son after Faramir, I can understand why they didn’t. Even Tolkien’s central story didn’t dive into this detail, and the big reveal was left in the Appendices. Jackson focused the ending of Return of the King on Frodo’s departure for the Undying Lands and Sam’s happiness with Rosie Cotton, a girl he often spoke of and whom audiences were already familiar with. It would have been sweet to see Pippin get married and welcome his son, but it would have taken build-up that Jackson didn’t have time for.
We didn’t see the development between Faramir and Pippin on screen in the same way we did in the books.
Additionally, as previously stated, Jackson had already cut much of Faramir’s story out of The Return of the King. We didn’t see the development between Faramir and Pippin on screen in the same way we did in the books. Perhaps one day there could be a sequel movie that dives into Aragorn’s reign in Gondor. This movie could reveal just how close Pippin remained with the friend he had made during the War of the Ring. For now, we can only content ourselves with the heartwarming story Tolkien included in his The Lord of the Rings books.
The Lord of the Rings
- Movie(s)
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The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
- Created by
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J.R.R. Tolkien
- First Film
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The Lord of the Rings (1978)
- Cast
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Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt
- TV Show(s)
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
