The Rings of Power’s Samwise Replacement Needs to Steal This Lord of the Rings Trick From the Movies to End Fans’ Biggest Complaint

Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power introduced a group of diminutive migrants called Harfoots. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novel, Harfoots were one of three types of hobbit, alongside Stoors and Fallohides. The Rings of Power foreshadowed that its Harfoots will eventually establish the Shire, thus becoming the ancestors of the hobbits from The Lord of the Rings. None of the Harfoots in The Rings of Power came from Tolkien’s lore, but many of them filled the same narrative roles as The Lord of the Rings‘ hobbits. Poppy Proudfellow, for example, was similar in many ways to Samwise “Sam” Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings. Poppy was the best friend of The Rings of Power‘s main Harfoot, Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot, while Sam was the best friend of The Lord of the Rings‘ main hobbit, Frodo Baggins.

Poppy was more cautious around the mysterious Stranger than Nori was, mirroring the way in which Sam was distrusting of Strider at first. Poppy and Sam both followed their friends on their adventures even though they were meant to stay behind, and they also both gave motivational speeches to inspire their companions. Poppy and Sam were even alike in that they had love interests, namely Merimac and Rose “Rosie” Cotton, respectively. Sam became a fan-favorite character, with many even describing him as the true hero of The Lord of the Rings, but Poppy has not earned the same reputation. Aside from her songs, Poppy is rarely discussed online. That is due in part to The Rings of Power being far less popular than Tolkien’s writings or Peter Jackson’s film adaptations, but Poppy is also missing one piece of the Sam formula, and it is something that the upcoming third season of The Rings of Power could potentially add.

Sam Was Much More Than Frodo’s Sidekick in The Lord of the Rings

Both in the novel and in Jackson’s films, Sam was usually a secondary character, providing Frodo with the support that he needed to carry out his quest to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. However, towards the end of the story, this dynamic shifted. While traversing Cirith Ungol, Frodo was attacked by the spiderlike monster Shelob, who paralyzed him with her venom. At this point, Sam temporarily became the protagonist.

Wielding Sting and the Phial of Galadriel, Sam was able to defeat Shelob and free Frodo from her webs, but he mistakenly believed that his petrified friend was dead. With a heavy heart, Sam took the One Ring for himself so that he could finish what Frodo started. Sam resisted the temptation of the One Ring, an especially impressive feat considering his proximity to Mount Doom, which strengthened the One Ring’s corrupting influence.

When Sam overheard some Orcs say that Frodo was still alive, he set out to rescue his friend from the tower of Cirith Ungol. Upon their reunion, Sam willingly returned the One Ring to Frodo, a further sign of his willpower. At that point, Frodo resumed his duty as the Ring-bearer and the main focus of the story, though Sam’s heroism was far from over.

Both in the novel and in Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, when Frodo grew too weary to forge ahead, Sam memorably declared, “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you!” With Frodo over his shoulders, he scaled the treacherous slopes of Mount Doom. Throughout these scenes, Sam demonstrated his physical strength, determination, and most of all, undying loyalty. If not for Sam, Frodo would never have completed his mission.

The Harfoots’ Role in The Rings of Power’s Future Remains Unclear

Poppy has not yet had a defining moment like this. Throughout the first and second seasons of The Rings of Power, she has almost always been at Nori’s side, and she has frequently been accompanied by the Stranger, Stoors or other Harfoots as well. Though she has proven helpful at many points along Nori’s journey, she has never been the driving force of the plot. At the end of the second season, the Stranger — who was confirmed to be Gandalf, as most fans predicted — left the Harfoots behind to learn the ways of magic from Tom Bombadil, and his absence will give Poppy more opportunities to show her agency.

If danger befalls Nori without Gandalf there to help, Poppy will have to take charge. However, it is also possible that the Harfoots will be deemphasized in the coming seasons, as their storyline has always been the least connected to The Rings of Power‘s overarching plot. Still, a moment mirroring Sam’s perilous adventure in Mordor would surely make Poppy more popular among the fanbase.