The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim got a mixed reception on its December 13 launch, and Warner Bros.’ Lord of the Rings romance problem could have something to do with it. The movie was perfectly inoffensive in many ways, and it was refreshing to get a theatrical release for a new anime movie, especially for the first-ever Lord of the Rings anime movie. Kenji Kamiyama’s animated picture follows Peter Jackson’s Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies, which are undeniably tough acts to follow, but the romance difficulties loomed large.

As the only company that currently has the rights to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit novels into movies, Warner Bros. has a monopoly on Lord of the Rings films. Jackson launched a тιтan of a movie franchise with the first Lord of the Rings trilogy, debuting characters like Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn and Miranda Otto’s Éowyn. The War of the Rohirrim movie obviously riffed off the strength of these characters to create its script and narrative. But whenever it dived into romance territory, even mildly, it faltered.

Hèra And Wulf’s Romantic Dialogue Was The Weakest Part Of The War Of The Rohirrim’s Script

The War Of The Rohirrim Script Was Strong Apart From This One Element

Hèra and Wulf’s dialogue in 2024’s War of the Rohirrim movie was the weak point of the script. The script, in general, was fairly strong. It did what it had to do. Penned by Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou, the screenplay veered from exposition into action and back well. However, Hèra and Wulf’s interactions were unfortunate for both them and the audience. Wulf’s advances and Hèra’s responses were cringe-worthy and misjudged, displaying a lack of awareness of how to create believable and romantic Lord of the Rings lines.

War of the Rohirrim’s Hèra shared incredibly basic, contemporary, one-dimensional interactions with Wulf. The movie appeared to be set in Middle-earth until these two started talking, and then it moved straight into telenovela territory. Producer Philippa Boyens wrote the screenplays for the original LotR and The Hobbit but notably handed the reigns over for this outing. However, it remains to be seen if it was her presence that was missing from this script, or if its flaws signified a more general hole in Warner Bros.’ knowledge when it comes to writing Lord of the Rings romance.

Warner Bros.’ Lord Of The Rings Movie Romances Have Experienced Varying Levels Of Success

The Lord Of The Rings Romances Have Been Controversial

Warner Bros.’ Lord of the Rings movies included romance with varying degrees of success. Aragorn and Arwen’s relationship in Lord of the Rings got the V.I.P. treatment and is one of Hollywood’s most iconic romances, both within and outside of the fantasy genre. The Hobbit, however, did not have as many positive contributions to the romance sphere. The Hobbit movies, in general, were more controversial than the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. Not only did they extend one children’s book into three feature-length films, but they added in two original romances that didn’t hit the spot for many.

Dragging the source material out was a commercial move. It risked cheapening Tolkien’s story. The further away The Hobbit movies got from the book, the less they resembled the profound and influential work of fantasy’s greatest writer — and the more they resembled typical Hollywood fare. This was reflected in the movie’s romances. There was no romance in the book; it was an adventure story. The movies were certainly adventures, but Warner Bros.’ didn’t feel secure releasing a whole trilogy without a key romance, so the films invented the divisive Tauriel for both Kili and Legolas.

The War Of The Rohirrim Did The Right Thing With Hèra’s Romance Story

Hèra Was Better Off Single Than Ending Up In Love

The War of the Rohirrim was right to leave Hèra single. The romance notes hit by The Hobbit movies for both Kili and Legolas represented a romance problem that War of the Rohirrim also exemplified in its Hèra-Wulf dialogue. However, the anime movie managed to move away from this problematic romance before it got any further. Canonically, the whole Third Age Rohirrim war is indeed based on the failed marriage of the daughter of Lord of the Rings’ Helm Hammerhand. So, this romance was destined to fail, thankfully. Nonetheless, the movie could have taken it much further.

The War of the Rohirrim could have explored the depth of Hèra’s feelings for Wulf, giving her more reason to like him. Likewise, it could have easily made Wulf more lovable. It is a credit to Kenji Kamiyama and the movie’s story creators — Addiss, Matthews, and Boyens — that the romance was reasonably sidelined. In sidelining its romance, War of the Rohirrim bucked a trend in The Lord of the Rings movies by Warner Bros., which have insisted on centering on romance. The movie did not fall into the same trap that The Hobbit did.

Romance Is Vital In Lord Of The Rings & Future Movies Should Honor That

Love Is A Key Theme In Lord Of The Rings But It Needs The Right Tone Of Voice

Far from being superfluous to the plot, love is one of Lord of the Rings’ most important themes, and it should continue to be respected in future adaptations. Movie romances that remain faithful to Tolkien’s legendarium are not just welcome but essential to telling a story about ancestry, history, and power. Love created marriage, which created lineage, which created the heroes needed to fight evil in The Lord of the Rings. That’s why romances like Aragorn and Arwen’s should indeed be highlighted and made to shine on-screen. Warner Bros. could add original romance to its movies, but it is risky.

Tauriel’s Kili-Legolas love triangle was fun but unnecessary, and it took away from the power of the story that could have been told. While War of the Rohirrim avoided over-the-top focus on Hèra and Wulf, it still didn’t nail this original romance. The reason the Aragorn-Arwen romance dialogue — which was virtually all original — worked was that it sounded like Lord of the Rings. “May the Valar be with you” is as Tolkienian as it comes. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim shows that Warner Bros. haven’t yet learned that contemporary romance lines will never echo Tolkien’s 1950s masterpiece.