Peter Jackson single-handedly saved every Lord of the Rings fan from tears.

After more than 20 years, Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings franchise is still beloved by the fans. The beautiful trilogy immerses the audience into Middle-earth, rightfully claiming a place as the standard for fantasy films. Based on the trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien, Jackson’s films take a classic story and translate it into a new format without alienating the fans of the original. It’s not that the films are identical to the books. They cut entire characters and make drastic changes in places. However, Jackson kept the main story the same, and more crucially, he managed to judge when he needed to stay true to the original story and when it was best to diverge from Tolkien’s path. This ability allowed Jackson to make movies that satisfied the fans of the books, earning the franchise a reputation as a good adaptation.

The result speaks for itself. However, not everyone agreed with Jackson’s choices in the process of making the films. Cast members Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd revealed that Jackson faced pressure to make a major change to the text, yet he resisted, giving the audience the films they know and love. Jackson’s choice to stick to Tolkien’s story rather than making an unnecessary change at the urging of the studio was best for the films, demonstrating that Jackson was the right man for this job. Fans may complain about one difference or another, but as a whole, Lord of the Rings is an accurate adaptation, largely because Jackson respected Tolkien’s story.

Peter Jackson Saved Lord of the Rings from Killing off a Main Character

Lord of the Rings is a bloody story at times, with battles and several memorable character deaths, but all the Hobbits make it to the end of the story, despite the pressure put on Jackson to kill one off in the final film. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King wraps up the story with a happy ending as the One Ring is destroyed, yet the studio wanted more tragedy by killing off one of the beloved characters. The Hobbits are central to the story, with Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) being the only characters to complete their quest to Mordor. Meanwhile, Merry (Monaghan) and Pippin (Boyd) are involved in the wider conflict of the world. However, at the start, none of them are prepared for their dangerous journey.

Most of the Fellowship is elite, consisting of accomplished warriors, the best ranger, and a brilliant wizard, but the Hobbits have no such distinction. They go out of loyalty and goodness, having never left their home in the Shire or fought a day in their lives. Admittedly, this should make them easy targets for the evils of Middle-earth. A Hobbit’s death would have created an unexpected and emotional conclusion for the trilogy, but it would be a major change from the original story, which Jackson could not abide.

Monaghan, in particular, expressed gratitude that Jackson stuck to his guns, fearing that his Merry was in the most danger. The actor told IGN, “It’s a good job that didn’t happen because it would have been me…There’s no way they are killing Frodo and Sam, and the only ones that would be left would be Merry and Pippin. They wouldn’t kill Pippin because Pippin has a really strong story with Gandalf. It would have definitely been me.”

Peter Jackson Was Right To Refuse This Unnecessary Change to Lord of the Rings

Monaghan isn’t the only one who should be grateful for Jackson’s refusal, as it would have needlessly changed the story. The Hobbits are the heart of the story, with the constant humor and beautiful friendships being a highlight of the franchise. They each undergo significant development throughout the series, and their arcs reach a conclusion without their deaths. Though Tolkien’s intended ending for Merry and Pippin, in particular, was cut, the films show them gaining courage as they see firsthand the darkness in the world. Adding the death of any of these characters wouldn’t add to their stories but would only serve as shock value, making it a pointless change.

It’s not that Jackson was afraid of death. He readily allowed Boromir (Sean Bean), Théoden (Bernard Hill), and many others to die, just as Tolkien wrote. But these deaths served a narrative purpose. Boromir’s death escalates the quest, shows the corruptive power of the Ring, and redeems the character. The fact is, Boromir, like several others, needed to die for the story to work, but the Hobbits don’t. Killing off a character to make the conclusion more emotional is lazy. Jackson was right to refuse this change because Return of the King didn’t need it, and he revered Tolkien’s work enough not to make such a significant change with no purpose to the story.

Peter Jackson’s Reverence for Tolkien Shines Through the Films

Jackson’s insistence on keeping all the Hobbits alive is only one example of how the trilogy benefits from his respect for the books, though it is perhaps the most obvious. Though the films are not exactly like Tolkien’s books, they could have been less like the text if it were not for the director’s determination to stay true to the written version. It is Jackson’s dedication to the original story that makes the trilogy such a well-loved adaptation. No, it is not an exact recreation, but some of his changes even improve on Tolkien’s writings because of Jackson’s understanding of the story. When the story deviates, there is a purpose, like expanding Arwen’s (Liv Tyler) role, even at the expense of others, to better explore the love story between her and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen).

Peter Jackson saving one of the Hobbits from death spared many tears, but more importantly, it kept the film trilogy on course with Tolkien’s books. Changing this ending would not only have angered fans, but it would have gotten a reaction from the actors involved (and not just Monaghan) because the love of Tolkien runs that deep. Fortunately, Jackson handled the situation before it became a problem, letting Merry and all the Hobbits reach the end of the story.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is available to stream on Max in the U.S.