The Big Picture
- J.R.R. Tolkien provides valid reasons why the Great Eagles couldn't simply fly the Ring to Mordor.
- The Great Eagles are not mere birds; they are sentient beings with their own society.
- Mordor's dangers and Sauron's forces would have made the eagles' intervention risky and counterproductive.
Peter Jackson's award-winning adaptation of The Lord of the Rings has been a fan favorite for decades, but the trilogy is not exempt from criticism. While certainly no film is perfect, some of the complaints are unjust. Based on J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy takes the characters across Middle-earth in their quest to destroy the One Ring and defeat the evil that threatens their homes. Because of Tolkien's thoroughness, there is little going on that is not fully explained, yet fans have long cited one moment as a plot hole that ruins the entire story. This supposed plot hole is the existence of the Great Eagles, who save Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) from the fires of Mount Doom after they complete their quest. If they can fly over Mount Doom, why didn't the Great Eagles fly the Ring to Mordor, saving the Fellowship a grueling journey?
The most common argument when bringing up the eagles is that they couldn't have intervened because of the plot, which is true enough. Who would pay attention to a brief story of eagles dropping the Ring into Mount Doom uncontested? However, Tolkien wrote multiple excuses to disqualify this from being a plot hole. First, the eagles are a race of intelligent creatures who cannot be forced on a dangerous mission. But even more significant is that, when it is not literally up in flames, Mordor's skies are guarded. As Boromir (Sean Bean) said, "One does not simply walk into Mordor," and that applies to flying, too. The eagles' last-minute rescue does not create a plot hole. Instead, it shows that the threat is defeated.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
PG-13Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.
- Release Date
- December 17, 2003
- Director
- Peter Jackson
- Cast
- Noel Appleby , Alexandra Astin , Sean Astin , David Aston , John Bach , Sean Bean
- Runtime
- 201 minutes
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- J.R.R. Tolkien , Fran Walsh , Philippa Boyens , Peter Jackson
What's the Problem With the Great Eagles in 'Lord of the Rings'?
The Great Eagles play a minor role in the series, appearing in the films only twice, once to save Gandalf (Ian McKellen) from imprisonment at Isengard and a second time at the end as they fly Frodo and Sam to safety. Yet their introduction to the world raises questions. Clearly, they are allies of the Fellowship because they save the heroes rather than fight for Sauron (Alan Howard). Their friendship with Gandalf, specifically, is established in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring when he sends them a message after his confrontation with Saruman (Christopher Lee), and one helps him escape. This suggests they could help by providing transport. The Great Eagles are fast and could potentially cut time off from the journey, saving the heroes their journey.
Their initial introduction does not highlight the issue, as saving Gandalf from Saruman and opposing the Dark Lord are very different. However, at the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, they reappear, entering Mordor to save Frodo and Sam and suggesting that they could have transported the heroes all the way to Mount Doom and saved all of Middle-earth a lot of trouble. The Fellowships quest takes a long time as they journey across the world, and the eagles could have sped the fellowship along, but Tolkien includes several reasons why that wouldn't work.
The Great Eagles Didn't Volunteer
Because they are not around long, much about them is not made clear. To begin, these are not just oversized birds that Gandalf befriended but sentient beings with their own society. While the races of Men, Elves, Dwarves, and Hobbits all join the Fellowship, they are represented by those who volunteered for the mission, and the eagles did not. The heroes are not going to force the danger on anyone who doesn't willingly offer to take the risk. The eagles were not even present at Rivendell when the Fellowship formed, making it impossible for them to offer their help. Certainly, with the Great Eagle's alliance, this is an easy obstacle to overcome. Talk to the eagles and convince them to join the Fellowship, and problem solved!
But nothing is that simple when dealing with such a great evil. The Fellowship consists of uniquely brave individuals willing to undertake the journey and endure the effects of the One Ring. While Frodo, as the ring bearer, is the most affected by the Ring's influence, no one is immune. Being around the One Ring scares many, like Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), who refuses to take it when Frodo offers. The Great Eagles are capable of being tempted as well, even if they are just flying Frodo. Boromir is taken in by the Ring just by being near Frodo. Yes, the hobbit needs protectors, but Frodo barely escaped Boromir when the time came, and an eagle tempted by the One Ring would be harder to run from. Their choice to avoid temptation and the disastrous impact a mistake could have must be respected. Without an eagle offering to take the risk, the idea is irrelevant, but even so, there are bigger obstacles to this plan.
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It's like saying bye to family.Mordor Is Dangerous For the Eagles, Too
The biggest issue with the eagles carrying the One Ring to Mordor is that it is impractical. Sure, it's time efficient, but Mordor is a dangerous place. Frodo and Sam only make it into Mordor with secrecy. Gollum (Andy Serkis) leads them through Shelob's lair. Though they barely survive, they reach Mordor undetected by the infamous Eye of Sauron. Their trek up Mount Doom is assisted by the distraction initiated by the rest of the Fellowship at the gates. Otherwise, they wouldn't have reached their destination. In fact, with Sauron's forces chasing them throughout their quest, the Fellowship didn't get anywhere without subtlety, which is not a talent of the Great Eagles. Because of their size, the Great Eagles are easy to track, meaning that any time spent traveling on their back would alert Sauron to where the Fellowship is, allowing him to send people to stop them, and the closer they got to Mordor, the worse it would be.
Sauron is not without air support. In fact, some of his nastiest beasts can contend with the eagles.If the Great Eagles carried the One Ring into Mordor, the Eye of Sauron would notice them immediately, allowing Sauron to send to Nazgul to stop them. Recently, Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power even shows a fatal confrontation between a Great Eagle and a Nazgul. In the very first episode, during the fight against Morgoth, a Nazgul destroys an eagle, sending it crashing to the ground and proving the flaws of this plan to destroy the Ring. The eagles taking the Ring to Mordor wouldn't only be dangerous for them, it could easily end with the enemy in possession of the One Ring, dooming Middle-earth. Risks must be taken in the quest, but the potential for disaster there is too great.
The eagles are able to fly into Mordor and rescue Sam and Frodo, but only after Mount Doom's destruction begins. Mordor is in shambles, and the war is won. This shows Sauron's defeat, not the eagles' magical ability to solve the Middle-earth's problems. Initially, the Great Eagles flying the Ring into Mordor and dropping it into Mount Doom seems like an easy way to save Middle-earth, but Tolkien made sure to provide ample reasons why that plan is flawed. The Ring is only destroyed because of the persistence of Frodo and Sam, proving that the most unsuspecting individuals can make a difference.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
