Do werewolves exist in Middle-earth, and are werewolves in Rings of Power? As a multi-season TV series, Rings of Power has the chance to explore Middle-earth, and all its history, in greater detail than the Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies ever could.
So far, we’ve seen the frozen north of Middle-earth, the island of Númenor, and countless other nuggets of Tolkien lore explored onscreen. We even got the chance to see the creation of Mount Doom.
So, will Rings of Power explore the history of Middle-earth’s various creatures more? We know that Tolkien’s world is filled with the wonderous and weird, from giant spiders, terrifying clouds of bats, trolls, orcs, and goblins, to wargs and wolves. But do werewolves exist in Middle-earth, and are werewolves in Rings of Power?
Are werewolves in Middle-earth?
Though we’ve never knowingly seen them on the screen before, werewolves do exist in Middle-earth. In the book, The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf mentions them directly to Frodo, when discussing the composition of Sauron‘s armies. In fact, like so many of Tolkien’s creations, werewolves in Middle-earth have a long and interesting history.
Like in much other literature and mythology, Tolkien’s werewolves were antagonists who serve evil forces. However, unlike werewolves in other mythologies, Tolkien’s werewolves have no connection to the moon. Similar to orcs, the werewolves of Middle-earth were servants of Sauron and contributed to his huge armies. Physically powerful and possessing a deep intelligence, the werewolves of Middle-earth were formidable foes.
Werewolves were created by Sauron and Morgoth after the pair corrupted the great wolf Draugluin. Werewolves are descendants of Draugluin and fought for Sauron ever since. The greatest of the werewolves was Carcharoth, who defended Morgoth’s northern fortress Angband. Grond, the huge battering ram that is seen in the assault on Minas Tirith in the War of the Ring, was shaped in the likeness of Carcharoth.
Are werewolves in Rings of Power?
So far, there are no confirmed werewolves in Rings of Power. However, don’t be surprised if werewolves do show up in the series as servants of Sauron. Werewolves have never been seen on screen before in an adaptation of Tolkien’s works, and Rings of Power might want to bring showcase them once and for all.
In fact, the fantasy series might have already given us our first Middle-earth werewolves without us knowing. The three white cloaks hunting down The Stranger have raised our suspicions. We know that they are tracking The Stranger, and we later saw three white-furred wolves seeking to attack the Harfoots. Maybe those wolves were the three white cloaks as werewolves, attempting to capture The Stranger and bring him to Sauron.
Or, maybe not. But in the world of Middle-earth, it’s unwise to rule anything out. For more fantasy fun, check out our guide to the best fantasy movies of all time.