How To Watch the Lord of The Rings Movies in Order
From riddle games to Mount Doom, here's how to follow the full story of the One Ring.
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J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic, The Lord of the Rings, has, for decades, been a beloved favorite of millions of people around the world. With a new prequel story set in the same universe poised to debut on Amazon Prime (the hotly-anticipated, and wildly expensive, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), there's plenty of excitement for fans old and new alike—and plenty of inspiration to revisit the stories that started it all. Whether you're planning a marathon to celebrate The Rings of Power or you're exploring Middle-earth for the first time, here's how to watch all of the One Ring action in timeline order.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Before the The Lord of the Rings, there was The Hobbit. Though the film adaptation didn't come until almost a decade after Peter Jackson's hugely successful LOTR movies, the story, like its celluloid predecessor, was split into three installments.
In this one, we meet Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman)—the titular, mild-mannered hobbit, who finds himself on (you guessed it) an unexpected journey when the wizard Gandalf and a group of dwarves recruit him to help steal back a storied treasure trove from a dragon. Importantly for Tolkien fans, this film also introduces the One Ring and kicks off the events that will eventually lead to the LOTR trilogy.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
In the second part of The Hobbit trilogy, Thorin Oakenshield and Company (including the hobbit, Bilbo) make their way through Mirkwood—home to a kingdom of wood elves, including LOTR fan-favorite Legolas—and to the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves' ancestral home, to face off against the dragon, Smaug.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The epic conclusion to The Hobbit trilogy sees the fallout of rousting a dragon and the dangers of greed. In case the title wasn't a giveaway, expect some epic battle scenes to commence before the not-so-homebody hobbit, Bilbo, finally concludes his adventure—with a certain ring in tow.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Peter Jackson's Academy Award-winning trilogy begins more than half a century after Bilbo's unexpected journey. The aging hobbit leaves behind his most treasure possession, his ring of invisibility, with his nephew, Frodo, but the ring carries a powerful secret—one that will send Frodo (and his band of friends and brave companions) on his own great adventure, and leaves the fate of all of Middle-earth hanging in the balance.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The second film in the LOTR trilogy finds the fellowship scattered and many battles ahead as the noble Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli struggle to reclaim their kidnapped hobbit friends, while the ringbearer Frodo and his trusty righthand man Sam walk a dangerous path to try and destroy the One Ring—and find a questionable ally in the tricksy Gollum, who's returned to claim his "precious."
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The conclusion of such a dramatic tale couldn't be anything less than epic. Expect sweeping battle scenes, spine-tingling danger, and edge-of-your-seat anticipation as the fellowship face off with the forces of the evil Sauron, tries to reclaim Aragorn's lost throne, and maybe, just maybe, to destroy the Ring to Rule Them All once and for all.
Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.
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