Who Is Tom Bombadil? ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2’s Surprise Addition, Explained

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has given fans a look further back at Middle-earth’s storied history. Featuring a dangerous time in the fictional world as Sauron comes to power, Men, Elves, and Dwarves must work together to protect Middle-earth. Already, familiar characters like Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo) have taken center stage as the world is thrust into conflict. The Season 2 trailer sets up lots of conflict for the existing characters, but they are not the only ones included. There are many characters fans will be familiar with, especially if they’ve read J. R. R. Tolkien’s writings, which the series is based on. Yet The Rings of Power released images proving they added another name to the list – Tom Bombadil. Played by Rory Kinnear, the new character will take The Rings of Power into one of Middle-earth’s greatest mysteries.

Coming to live-action for the first time, this Tolkien character is the subject of much discussion because little is known about him. An ancient being of unknown origin, Tom Bombadil’s powers are undefined, besides his unique ability to resist the effects of the One Ring. With so little known about Tom Bombadil, some fans have suggested he may be evil. With Tom Bombadil’s introduction, The Rings of Power has the chance to explore these longstanding mysteries, establishing how he fits into Middle-earth. Yet, some things are known from his appearance in The Fellowship of the Rings novel.

Who Is the Enigmatic Tom Bombadil?

After being cut from Peter Jackson’s films and the 1978 animated film before that, Tom Bombadil has not been explored much on screens, yet he is very forthcoming about himself in the books. The brightly clad Tom Bombadil often speaks in rhymes, describing himself as “a merry fellow! Bright Blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow!” He tends to speak in the third person, often rhyming about himself. Tom Bombadil is whimsical for Tolkien, but his appearance is based on a toy that belonged to his son. Tom Bombadil also refers to himself as “Eldest,” claiming to have witnessed the first raindrop and acorn, making him the oldest living being in Arda, predating even the Valar who created the inhabitants of Middle-earth. He is definitely old enough to appear in The Rings of Power, but it only creates more mystery.

Tom Bombadil is known by all creatures in Middle-earth but by different names. The Elves call him Iarwain Ben-adar, Men use Orald, and Dwarves refer to him as Forn. But the hobbits call him Bombadil. Though he spent many years wandering, the immortal being is known to dwell in the Old Forest, at least during the Third Age, where he lives with his River-spirit wife, Goldberry. He also comes into conflict with the evil tree-spirit, Old Man Willow. Besides immortality, Tom Bombadil displays abilities over his surroundings. His wife calls him the “Master of wood, water and hill.” But his greatest power is his singing, which controls Old Man Willow and the Barrow-wights. There is a great debate about what, exactly, Tom Bombadil is. Some believe he is of the god-like Valar, others say he is one of the Maia (the god-like spirits, five of whom became the Istari aka the wizards), and still others describe him as the living embodiment of the earth or time. Whatever the case, he is something unique in Middle-earth.

What Does Tom Bombadil Do in Lord of the Rings?

The mysterious being is best known for his encounter with Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin in Tolkin’s The Fellowship of the Ring. As the four hobbits make their way to Bree, they attempt to lose the ringwraiths by cutting through the Old Forrest. Though they are not followed, they fall victim to Old Man Willow. Merry and Pippen are trapped, but luckily, Tom Bombadil saves them with his voice. He hosts them, even teaching Frodo a magic song to defeat the Barrow-wights.

But, perhaps the biggest mystery this interaction reveals is Tom Bombadil’s resistance to the One Ring. He can see Frodo when he wears the Ring, despite the hobbit being invisible to everyone else, and when Tom Bomabdil tries the Ring on, he doesn’t disappear. Not even Gandalf is immune to the Ring in this way, making Tom Bombadil one of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth. This ability made him a topic of conversation as the Council of Elrond discussed what to do with the Ring, which revealed that both Elrond and Gandalf knew Tom Bombadil personally. However, convinced Tom Bombadil would forget its importance, Gandalf dismissed the idea.

Of course, the character appears in other works of Tolkien’s, specifically The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, a book of verse that includes hobbit poems. These stories feature Tom Bombadil meeting his wife and going boating. Though fun, these don’t reveal much about the character himself.

What Will Tom Bombadil Do in ‘The Rings of Power’?

With only a few images to go by, Tom Bombadil’s role is unknown, but his appearance suggests that the series will delve into at least some of these mysteries. Especially considering the One Ring has yet to be forged in the show, it could be the perfect opportunity to explain his power to resist that artifact. The series could also explore his connection to Elrond. There is more than enough to establish about the character, who is a compilation of mysteries.

However, the images of Tom Bombadil do reveal one thing. Pictured in his brightly-dressed glory, Tom Bombadil appears to be talking to Daniel Weyman’s Stranger (Daniel Weyman), who is very likely Gandalf in the Season 1 finale. The Stranger and his Harfoot companion, Nori (Markella Kavenagh), were off to explore the Lands of Rhûn when we last saw them, which are another great Tolkien mystery. Perhaps that is where they meet the merry fellow. As this will become his first live-action appearance, The Rings of Power has a lot of freedom when it comes to Tom Bombadil. The show can choose what kind of being he is and how he fits into the events of Middle-earth. But it will have to answer a few long-held questions about him, hopefully, while giving us some good rhymes.