The Lord of the Rings: 7 key moments we still don’t have answers to

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is quite possibly the most well-known and beloved book of our era. Tolkien initially wrote it as a follow-up to his earlier children's novel, The Hobbit, which was released in 1937. He worked on The Lord of the Rings from 1937 until 1949. It was printed in three books: The Fellowship of the Ring (1954), The Two Towers (1955), and The Return of the King (1955).

It is set in an imaginary world called Middle-earth. It is a world with rich details populated by all sorts of people and creatures. The narrative focuses on a team of characters—a mix of hobbits, men, an elf, a dwarf, and a wizard.

They form a group called the Fellowship. They have been commissioned to destroy a magical ring called the One Ring. This ring was made by the evil Dark Lord Sauron, who desires to employ it to take over all of Middle-earth.

The main character is Frodo Baggins. He is a small and simple hobbit who lives in a peaceful area called the Shire.

Frodo inherits the One Ring from his uncle, Bilbo. With the help of the wise wizard Gandalf and the rest of the Fellowship, Frodo goes on a dangerous journey. The only way to destroy the Ring is to throw it into the fire where it was created—Mount Doom.

Sauron lost the Ring a long time ago, but he is now attempting to retrieve it. If he retrieves it, he will be supremely powerful and make the people of Middle-earth slaves.

He dispatches his dreadful servants, the Ringwraiths, to locate the Ring. Frodo and his companions are subject to a lot of danger while on their journey. They are beset by orcs and monsters.

The Ring itself is also extremely dangerous. It has the power to corrupt the hearts of even good and virtuous individuals by luring them with its might.

The Lord of the Rings is more than an adventure. It is also a demonstration of the strength of friendship and courage. It speaks of the price of doing the right thing and how power corrupts people.

But despite all the detail Tolkien provided, some things in the tale remain a mystery. Some questions were never fully answered—either in the books or the movies based on them.

Those unanswered sections have left people questioning and debating the story for decades. Let's discuss some of the most talked-about puzzles from the trilogy.

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What can the One Ring really do?

The One Ring is the most significant and strongest item in Tolkien's universe. We are aware that it makes individuals invisible, that it can enslave their minds, and can "speak" to Sauron, its original creator.

However, we do not entirely know all the things the Ring can accomplish, particularly if someone extremely powerful wielded it.

Gandalf and Galadriel, both extremely powerful, decline to take the Ring when it is presented to them. They fear what it would make them. Galadriel states that if she were to take the Ring, she would be a queen, not evil like Sauron, but just as frightening and deadly.

This indicates that the Ring can make someone incredibly powerful, but it also indicates that it could turn them into something horrible.

We don't know if the Ring's darkness can ever be mastered or harnessed for good. Perhaps it's just always bad, no matter who holds it. Tolkien never elaborated on this. He might have done that on purpose, to demonstrate that power is too risky for any individual to wield.

Some argue that Tolkien left the Ring’s powers vague to make us think more deeply. The Ring becomes a symbol of temptation and how power can change people. In the movies, this mystery continues—we never really see what would happen if someone like Gandalf used the Ring.

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What happened to the Entwives, the female Ents?

Ents are the old tree creatures that guard the forests. However, they have a sad story. Their feminine companions, the Entwives, vanished ages ago. Nobody is aware of where they went.

Treebeard, a very old Ent, reports that the Entwives departed from the forest because they enjoyed cultivating gardens and farms. They desired order and beauty, whereas the Ents preferred the quiet woods. Subsequently, wars could have ruined the lands of the Entwives. But the Ents never rediscovered them, and their destiny remains unknown.

The story of the Entwives could symbolize loss, the passage of time, and transformation. It also indicates how ancient races such as the Ents gradually disappear from Middle-earth.

Some people believe that the Entwives are not dead at all, but are hiding in distant lands. Others think that they perished in the wars. Tolkien himself stated that he did not know what became of them, so the question remains open.

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How does Elven immortality work, and what exactly does Arwen give up to be with Aragorn?

Elves live forever, but immortality is not easy for them. Arwen, in the films, offers Aragorn a special necklace (Evenstar), indicating she decides to relinquish her immortal life for him. But it's not understood how this will work. Is the necklace magical? Does Arwen actually become mortal?

In the books, Elves have the option of becoming mortal by surrendering their Elven spirit. This is a magical and spiritual transformation. Thus, Arwen's decision is more than love—it transforms her very existence. The films don't clarify this, so people are confused about what actually happens.

How Arwen relinquishes immortality indicates Tolkien's concept of choice, destiny, and self-denial. He never drafted the rules explicitly since he needed the reader to grasp the emotion underlying Arwen's decision rather than pay attention to the specifics.

Arwen's gift to Aragorn of the Evenstar (her necklace) only occurs in the movies. In the books, there is no such necklace, and fans are that much more puzzled.

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What are the Dead Marshes, and are the ghosts Frodo sees real?

As Frodo, Sam, and Gollum move towards Mordor, they cross through the Dead Marshes. The Dead Marshes are abundant with remains of old battles, and dead soldiers float underneath the water. Frodo finds ghostly faces and nearly gets sucked in.

Gollum tells him not to stare into the lights. But one never knows if the ghosts are actual, or if Frodo is merely fantasizing due to the Ring. The story never tells us definitively whether dead people can harm the living.

Some believe that the Dead Marshes are a representation of war trauma and memory. They consider the ghosts to represent how past violence continues to haunt the earth. Frodo's visions could represent how the Ring is getting into his head.

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What happened to the seven magic rings given to the Dwarf Lords?

At the start of The Fellowship of the Ring, we are told that seven rings were bestowed upon Dwarves. But although much is revealed of the rings of Men and Elves later on, the Dwarven rings are not mentioned at all.

Tolkien explained that the Dwarves did not turn into ghosts like Men did. Rather, the rings caused them to become greedy and resulted in the downfall of their kingdoms.

Sauron reclaimed three of the rings, and dragons burned up the rest. But Tolkien never provided information on which Dwarves possessed the rings or precisely how they were lost.

This could be because Tolkien emphasized more on Men and Elves in his primary narrative. The Dwarves are significant, but they remain in the background throughout.

There are numerous stories and theories among fans about what happened to the Dwarven rings. However, in the original narrative, many gaps remain.

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What exactly is Shelob, and can she truly be killed?

Shelob is the enormous spider that attacks Frodo and Sam outside of Mordor. She is frightening, but we don't know much about her. In the books, we find out she is the last offspring of Ungoliant, a dark being older than Sauron. This makes Shelob old and not a servant of Sauron—she serves herself.

Sam injures her severely, but the story states that we don't know what becomes of her afterward. She could have survived and returned to hiding.

Shelob's account is linked to earlier myths. She illustrates the concept of evil that is extremely old and profound. She is also a representation of a frightening female monster present in most legends.

Some people think that Shelob can never actually die and will come back. Others believe she is only a representation of the type of evil that never actually goes away.

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Who or what is Tom Bombadil?

Tom Bombadil is perhaps the oddest character in Tolkien's world. He comes into The Fellowship of the Ring briefly. The Ring doesn't affect him—neither does he become invisible, nor does he appear to care about the power of the Ring. He is cheerful, strong, and enigmatic.

Tolkien never tells us who Tom actually is. Some believe he is a Maia (a spirit), a Vala (like a god), or the nature spirit itself. Tolkien once stated that Tom is something very significant, but he didn't want to clarify it.

Some think Tom Bombadil shows that some things are beyond power and control. He is untouched by greed and ambition. Others believe Tolkien made him mysterious on purpose, to show that not everything in the world can be understood.

Tom wasn’t included in the movies, which makes people even more curious about him.