If you’ve been watching The Rings of Power, you’ll know the Orcs look and feel different from the snarling hordes of Peter Jackson’s trilogy. They are dirt-caked, feral, and far more human in design. But behind the aesthetics lies a much bigger question: where did these creatures actually come from, and how does the show line up with Tolkien’s original lore?
Tolkien’s Version of Orc Origins
In Tolkien’s writings, Orcs were not born as an independent race but were corrupted beings. The most common theory, and the one Tolkien leaned into later in his life, is that Morgoth twisted Elves into the first Orcs through torture and dark sorcery. They became mockeries of Elves, robbed of their light and condemned to lives of servitude under evil powers.
There are competing interpretations in the lore too. Some notes suggest Men might have been involved in their corruption, or that Orcs were spawned from nothing but the malice of Morgoth. Tolkien himself seemed unsettled by the idea of giving Orcs souls in the same sense as Elves or Men, which is why the debate has never fully closed among scholars and fans.
How The Rings of Power Handles It
The show leans heavily on the Elf-origin theory. Adar, the scarred and unsettling leader of the Orcs, even claims to be one of the first twisted Elves. This makes him a kind of “Ur-orc,” a father figure who sees his creations as his children rather than mere foot soldiers. It is a bold choice because it humanises the Orcs more than Tolkien often did, suggesting they are not just monsters but victims of corruption seeking identity.
Visually, the series takes a different approach from the Jackson films. Instead of endless CGI armies, Orcs are shown up close, with grimy prosthetics and brutal survival instincts. They move through tunnels, fear the sun, and wear makeshift armour that looks scavenged rather than forged in the dark forges of Mordor.
The Look of Orcs: Show vs Films
One of the biggest talking points among fans has been the physical design of the Orcs. Jackson’s films leaned on CGI to create massive armies of indistinguishable Orcs, especially in The Two Towers and Return of the King. They were terrifying in scale but often felt more like video game enemies than individuals.
The Rings of Power deliberately flips that. Almost all of its Orcs are brought to life with practical effects, make-up, and prosthetics. Their skin is cracked, their armour pieced together from scavenged scraps, and their movements far more animalistic. The close-up detail makes them feel raw and grounded. You can almost smell the dirt, sweat, and rot clinging to them.
For many fans who grew up with Jackson’s films, this design feels more intimate. It makes the Orcs feel alive rather than computer-generated, which fits the show’s tone of exploring personal stories alongside sweeping lore.
Why It Matters
The Orcs’ origin story is not just trivia. It changes how you see the entire struggle in Middle-earth. If they were once Elves, then they are not simply cannon fodder but tragic beings, twisted against their will. That perspective adds depth to battles, especially in a show that tries to explore morality in shades of grey rather than pure good versus evil.
For younger fans, this shift feels fresh. It is less about “big bad monsters” and more about the cost of corruption, trauma, and power. The Orcs are still terrifying, but you might catch yourself feeling something for them when Adar speaks about his “children.”
The Seven Swords Takeaway
The Rings of Power is not just resurrecting Orcs for nostalgia; it is reimagining their beginnings. By grounding them in the Elf-origin theory and giving them a tragic father figure, the series makes them more than background villains. They are corrupted beings with history, pain, and a strange kind of culture.
And when you put their design side by side with Jackson’s Orcs, you can see the difference in intent. One went for spectacle, the other for intimacy. Both work, but The Rings of Power makes sure you never forget there is something broken and tragic beneath the snarls.
