Galadriel dreamed of claiming the One Ring and replacing Sauron as Lord of Middle-earth, but she resisted the temptation. What if she hadn’t in LOTR?
Galadriel overcame the temptation to claim the One Ring from Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, but what might have happened if she hadn’t? By its nature, the One Ring made all those it came in contact with desire to wield its power, making Frodo’s journey to destroy it all the more complicated. Ultimately, the Hobbits were the most resistant to its power, and though Men were the most susceptible, Elves were far from immune. This is seen during the scene at Lothlórien in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring when Frodo offered the One Ring to Galadriel, and it took all her strength to decline.
As seen in The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, Galadriel is one of the oldest Elves in Middle-earth, having been born in Valinor thousands of years before the start of The Lord of the Rings. Even before she became the lady of Lothlórien, she was known as among the most powerful in Middle-earth. When she obtained one of the Three Elven Rings of Power, Nenya, she gained more power still. It was likely thanks to Nenya that Galadriel was able to resist the Ring’s temptation since its power is perseverance, protection, and concealment from evil. Still, had Galadriel failed her “test” and claimed the One Ring as her own in The Lord of the Rings, it’s interesting to consider what might have happened.
The One Ring Would Make Galadriel Incredibly Powerful
When Frodo offered Galadriel Sauron’s One Ring, she dived into a monologue explaining what she believed—or hoped—would happen if she accepted it. She said, “In place of the Dark Lord, you will set up a Queen,” going on to describe the version of herself that possessed the One Ring as not dark but “beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night.” Of course, as her speech continued, she segued into the line, “All shall love me and despair!” Ultimately, this perfectly sums up what would have happened. Galadriel would have intended to do great good with the One Ring, but the desire to be adored would have turned her into a powerful evil force.
Still, the One Ring has the ability in Lord of the Rings to make its victims believe that they could hold out against such evil, and Galadriel seemed to momentarily think that she could as well. She said to Frodo, “And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely!” Since the torment of the Ring begins with the crimes committed to obtain it (i.e., Smeagol murdering Deagol and Bilbo cheating Gollum), Frodo willingly handing over the Ring could, in her mind, have exempted Galadriel from being corrupted. This was, of course, folly, and Galadriel knew it. Though she had obviously considered its power countless times before, Galadriel understood that the One Ring would turn her into an evil queen.
Not Even The One Ring Could Make Galadriel As Powerful As Sauron
Galadriel would have become a terrible force in The Lord of the Rings had she claimed the One Ring, and perhaps her dream of replacing Sauron as ruler would have come true for a moment. However, made from Sauron’s own evil will, no one (aside from maybe Gandalf) could have wielded the Ring as the Dark Lord could. The weapon would do whatever it could to get back to its master, and in the hands of Galadriel, this process would have only been expedited.
If Galadriel hoped to be the queen of Middle-earth, she would have needed to get rid of her predecessor once and for all. Sauron’s goal in The Lord of the Rings was likely to bring back the Dark Lord Morgoth, and this is something Galadriel could never allow. She would have taken the One Ring directly to Sauron, planning to destroy him with it. However, as a Maia, a being far more powerful than even an Elf like Galadriel, she would have been no match. The One Ring would have turned on her, Sauron would have claimed it, and Middle-earth would have been lost.
Why Galadriel Couldn’t Carry The One Ring In LOTR
It was clear from The Lord of the Rings that, had Galadriel taken the One Ring from Frodo, she would have tried to wield it. However, since she managed to fight away this temptation, she might have been able to at least carry the thing to Mordor to be destroyed. As the bearer of Nenya, Galadriel might have even been able to effectively conceal the One Ring from Sauron. However, it’s also possible that these two Rings would be wholly incompatible (one being a force against evil and the other made from evil). Therefore, Galadriel might have needed to choose one or the other.
Therefore, especially if Galadriel had to pass Nenya to another, carrying the One Ring would have led to Galadriel’s corruption. She was far too ambitious and far too powerful to continue to avoid temptation forever. Hobbits, on the other hand, were far less ambitious and power-seeking than the other beings of Middle-earth, which is why Frodo was perfect for destroying the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings. Galadriel’s intentions surely would have been good, but it was never her destiny to deal with Sauron’s horrible weapon herself.
