Can you watch The Rings of Power without having seen the Lord of the Rings movies?

No. Of course you don’t, and we’re not just saying that because of The Rings of Power. You can’t watch absolutely anything without having seen the Lord of the Rings movies first. Without these films, you shouldn’t even be able to live. Peter Jackson’s trilogy is part of the collective imagination and popular folklore. If you don’t know that orc is synonymous with ugly, if you have never shouted “You shall not pass” and if you don’t understand the humor in the phrase “the Eagles are not taxis”, you are simply not ready for the real world.

Take a couple of weeks off work (if anyone has hired you knowing you haven’t seen LOTR) and catch up. And yes, we said weeks because you must watch the endless extended versions. A couple of times too, to appreciate the nuances.

Is it necessary to watch the Lord of the Rings movies or read the Lord of the Rings books to understand The Rings of Power series?

Joking aside, no, it’s clear that you don’t need to have seen the Lord of the Rings movies (or read the books) to watch The Rings of Power. The Amazon Prime Video series is a prequel set in the Second Age, a previous era that took place about three thousand years before Frodo, Aragorn and the fellowship, all of which occurs in the Third Age.

In any case, there are plenty of reasons to read Tolkien’s work or watch Jackson’s films. Not only because of what we mentioned above, Middle-earth, its creatures and expressions are already part of popular culture, but also because having some background will help you enjoy The Rings of Power even more.

You will understand topics that are talked about above, you will catch references and recognize characters that appear in the different works, such as Galadriel, Elrond, Elendil or Sauron himself. Moreover, it is advisable to have read The Silmarillion as well as LOTR. Patience and let’s get down to business.