How quickly they fall… From 64 beginners, we’re down already to the Sweet Sixteen, aka the third round in Middle-earth March Madness 2024: Magical Moments.

As you know, our theme this year is MAGIC – where and when does it come into play in Middle-earth, and which are the most compelling moments where magic lends a hand? TORn staffers choose the starting 64, from The Hobbit and the three The Lord of the Rings books; but now the decisions are up to you!

Let’s take a look at what happened in Round Two:

The Hobbit Division

The only close contest in this division was the Black Arrow taking on the last light of Durin’s Day. Two significant moments, both with narrow shafts finding their way to a chink – a gap in armour for one, and a key hole for the other. They were neck and neck for a while, but in the end Erebor’s door was victorious -but with only about 70 votes in it. All the rest of the Hobbit pairings had margins of 200 or more – easy wins for moon runes, Smaug, and a certain ring… Here’s what remains in this division (with original seeding):

  • Moon Runes Appear on Thrain’s Map (1)
  • Bilbo’s Ring Turns Him Invisible (2)
  • The Last Light of Durin’s Day Reveals the Keyhole (3)
  • Smaug is a Good Conversationalist (13)
By Anke Katrin Eißmann

The Fellowship of the Ring Division

The closest battle of all of Round Two was in this bracket, with a margin of just 4 votes deciding it! The Mithril shirt put up an heroic fight, but though it may be able to stop a spear which would skewer a wild boar, it could not stop Bilbo’s birthday vanishing. Mr Baggins’ party trick goes through to the Sweet Sixteen.

Galadriel’s magic was entirely overcome in this round; both her mind-probing and her perilous mirror are out of the contest. Her clairvoyance was conquered by Gandalf’s epic Balrog battle – which interestingly won by taking exactly 666 votes… Here’s what remains in The Fellowship of the Ring Sweet Sixteen:

  • Bilbo Vanishes at His Birthday Party (1)
  • Gandalf Adds Wild Water Horses at the Flood of the Bruinen (2)
  • Durin’s Doors Open at the Right Password (5)
  • Gandalf Confronts the Balrog with Glamdring and the Flame of Anor (6)
Elvish mind trick…

The Two Towers Division

Those angry Ents are still marching on – Hithlain rope is no match for them! Seeded 13 originally, they have now knocked out the #4 and #5 seeds. The closest duel in this region was between two magical effects on Halfings – Ent-draught making them grow, or the Palantir overcoming Pippin. The lead went back and forth for a while, and the final margin was just 27 votes – but once again, the power of the Ents prevailed. So now enraged Ents and their drink of choice go up against two acts of Gandalf. Surely the White Wizard will not be overcome in Round 3?

Here’s how this bracket looks:

  • Gandalf the White Returns from the Dead (1)
  • Gandalf Heals Theoden from Saruman’s Curse (3)
  • Growing Hobbits Drink Ent-draught (7)
  • Enraged Ents in battle (13)
Three-eight!

The Return of the King Division

It seems the TORn staff were not correct in their choice of seeding for this division! The 14th and 15th seeds are through to the Sweet Sixteen; could those Riders from Rohan sweep all the way to be the Champions for 2024, or will Sam and his replanting of the Shire defeat them in Round 3?

Two acts of destruction make up the other pair remaining – and facing off against each other – in this bracket. The fall of the Witch-king overcame the fall of the Dark Tower in Round 2, and the destruction of the One Ring easily defeated the White Tree rediscovered in Gondor. Is the power of Mount Doom and the melting of Sauron’s weapon of mass destruction the ultimate magical moment in Middle-earth? YOU decide – Round Three voting is now open!

  • The Witch-king Is Destroyed by “No Man” (1)
  • Turns Out You Can Destroy the One Ring (aka the power of Mount Doom!) (5)
  • Rohan Arrives on the Pelennor Fields as the Rooster Crows (14)
  • Galadriel’s Gift of Soil to Sam Sees the Shire Reborn (15)
Rohirrim Arrival, by Abe Papakhian

Place your votes! If you’re just joining us for this round, here’s how it works: click on one of the orange division buttons below. Then click the ‘Vote Now’ option that appears above the divisional bracket. This year, as with last year, you get to vote in each divisional match-up in one convenient and visual interface. Note – you need to click each division to vote in their respective brackets. So let’s get voting!

You have until the end of the day Friday March 29th to vote in Round Three; on Saturday 30th we’ll announce winners and open voting for the Elite Eight! Join us tonight for TORn Tuesday, to discuss the match-ups we’re considering in the Sweet Sixteen, and how the contest might progress from here. Who is your choice for ultimate Champion in 2024? Vote now!

The battle is underway, and Round One has already drawn to a close. Who or what has already fallen, in Middle-earth March Madness 2024: Magical Moments?

As a reminder: this year our divisions are made up of moments where magic occurs, in The Hobbit and in the three parts of The Lord of the Rings. What exactly constitutes magic in Middle-earth? And what are the best, most thrilling, or perhaps most intriguing moments when magic occurs? YOU decide!

Staffer Madeye Gamgee shared some thoughts on what we’ve seen in Round One:

Many of the Round One matchups are much tighter this year versus years past, an indicator that there’s a broader sense of passion and resonance across the fan base over these magical moments.  We’re not seeing any of those ‘Galadriel versus an Elven Loremaster’ or ‘Elendil versus a Librarian’ matchups with 95%+ victory margins like last year.

Some of the #1 and #2 seeds have not had easy matchups:

  • Disappearing Bilbo, #1 in FotR, only won with 54% against #16 Bombadil’s rescue songs
  • Bruinen Water Horses at #2 took only 60% of the vote versus #15 reforging of Narsil
  • #2 in The Two Towers, the Palantir snaring Pippin, only defeated a very well-aged Aragorn, the #15 seed, with 57% of the vote
  • And in the RotK region the #2, #3, and #4 seeds all went down to their lower-seeded opponents
    • Sam’s Galadriel Gift (#15) overcame the #2 summoning of the Dead
    • #14 Rohan arriving in the nick of time took out #3 Galadriel’s Phial in Shelob’s lair
    • Athelas at #4 lost to #13, the Discovery of a New White Tree

Interestingly, many book-only references, including the restoration of the Shire, finding a new White Tree on the slopes surrounding Minas Tirith, the two Bombadil entries (songs and Ring tricks), disappearing Elvish feasts in Mirkwood, and Beorn’s hospitable animals have all been very competitive. Of course, there are some, like William’s talking purse and Miruvor on the slopes of Caradhras, that got fairly overwhelmed.

So here are the winners who are continuing on to Round Two (with their starting seeding number):

The Hobbit Division

  • Moon Runes Appear on Thrain’s Map (1)
  • Bilbo’s Ring Turns Him Invisible (2)
  • The Last Light of Durin’s Day Reveals the Keyhole (3)
  • The Trolls Turn to Stone at Sunrise (5)
  • The Black Arrow Strikes Home/Takes Down Smaug (6)
  • Beorn Shape Shifts (7)
  • The Arkenstone Shines with a Brilliant Inner Light (9)
  • Smaug is a Good Conversationalist (13)

The only surprise in this division was seed #13, Smaug’s conversation with Bilbo, defeating the ‘orc-warning’ blue glow of Sting and Orcrist, which TORn staffers had voted to the #4 seed position. Now Smaug will have to take on the sun-struck stone trolls; will he talk his way to victory? See how the rest of the moments pair up in the coming round, in the full bracket below.

The Fellowship of the Ring Division

  • Bilbo Vanishes at His Birthday Party (1)
  • Gandalf Adds Wild Water Horses at the Flood of the Bruinen (2)
  • Galadriel Has Psychic Mind-Probing Power (3)
  • Gandalf Puts On a Spectacular Fireworks Show (4)
  • Durin’s Doors Open at the Right Password (5)
  • Gandalf Confronts the Balrog with Glamdring and the Flame of Anor (6)
  • The Mirror of Galadriel Proves Perilous (7)
  • Mithril Mail Stops a Cave Troll Spear (9)

In this bracket, two of Gandalf’s magic moments came up against each other in Round One: his confrontation with the Balrog, and his moth-whispering ability. Perhaps not surprisingly, the mighty deed of a Balrog showdown won, and goes on to face a talent of Galadriel – her mind-probing powers. Tom Bombadil, arguably one of the most magical (and mysterious) characters in all of Tolkien’s legendarium, didn’t make it past this first round, alas; once again, Tom is conspicuous by his absence…

Bombadil responds to his rescue song (Illustration by Henry Neff)

The Two Towers Division

  • Gandalf the White Returns from the Dead (1)
  • The Palantir Snares Pippin (2)
  • Gandalf Heals Theoden from Saruman’s Curse (3)
  • Hithlain Rope Comes When It’s Called (5)
  • Lembas Sustain the Fellowship on Their Quest (6)
  • Growing Hobbits Drink Ent Draught (7)
  • Shadowfax Can Run Really Really Fast (8)
  • Enraged Ents in battle (13)

An upset here was the magical camouflage of Elven cloaks (seeded #4) failing to make it past the power of the Ents. How will the shepherds of the trees fare against Hithlain rope, in Round Two? Seed #9, a surprisingly-attractive-for-an-87-year-old Aragorn, gave Pippin and the Palantir a good run for their money; but in the end, the #2 seed was the victor.

Pretty good for his age…

The Return of the King Division

  • The Witch King Is Destroyed by “No Man” (1)
  • Turns Out You Can Destroy the One Ring (aka the power of Mount Doom!) (5)
  • Elven Ships Leave Middle-earth and the Spheres of the World (6)
  • Gandalf the White Repels the Nazgul During Faramir’s Retreat (7)
  • The Dark Tower Falls (8)
  • It Turns Out a New White Tree of Gondor Has Been Growing for Years (13)
  • Rohan Arrives on the Pelennor Fields as the Rooster Crows (14)
  • Galadriel’s Gift of Soil to Sam Sees the Shire Reborn (15)

The Return of the King bracket saw the most upsets of all in this opening melee. The healing power of Athelas (seeded #4) was not strong enough to see it past this first round, being defeated by another plant – the 13th seed, the new White Tree of Gondor. Perhaps the most surprising result of this entire opening round was more plant power – Sam and his soil regenerating the Shire kicked out the #2 seed, the Army of the Dead. New life conquers death! The defeat of the phial of Galadriel (seeded #3) by the epic arrival of Rohan at dawn was also an upset; but can the Riders of Rohan overcome the Elven ships sailing into the West, next round? YOU decide – place your votes now, in Round Two!

Galadriel’s Gift, by Matěj Čadil

How does it work, you ask? Simple! Click on one of the orange division buttons below. Then click the ‘Vote Now’ option that appears above the divisional bracket. This year, as with last year, you get to vote in each divisional match-up in one convenient and visual interface. Note – you need to click each division to vote in their respective brackets. So let’s get voting!

You have until the end of the day Monday March 25th to vote in Round One; on Tuesday 26th we’ll announce winners and open voting for Round Three! Join us that night for TORn Tuesday, where we’ll have further discussion and debate on March Madness 2024. Rally the troops!

Hear that sound of swords clashing, of cries from the battlefield? It can only mean one thing – March Madness is here! Time to decide where your allegiance lies… This year, TheOneRing.net brings you Middle-earth March Madness 2024: Magical Moments.

Our ‘Regions’ are made up of moments where magic occurs, in The Hobbit and in the three parts of The Lord of the Rings. From the reading of moon runes to the secrets of Galadriel’s mirror; from Gandalf’s return in white, to the resurgence of the White Tree – what exactly constitutes magic in Middle-earth? Which beings have magical abilities, and what are the most compelling moments when they use those powers? YOU decide!

TORn’s volunteer staffers have voted and come up with a ‘long list’ of 64 events (16 from each book), which have been seeded based on staff votes. These moments have abbreviated titles on our bracket graphic, due to space limitations; but here’s the complete list in full (listed in their seeding order):

The Hobbit Division

  1. Moon Runes Appear on Thrain’s Map
  2. Bilbo’s Ring Turns Him Invisible
  3. The Last Light of Durin’s Day Reveals the Keyhole
  4. Orcrist and Sting Glow Blue
  5. The Trolls Turn to Stone at Sunrise
  6. The Black Arrow Strikes Home/Takes Down Smaug
  7. Beorn Shape Shifts
  8. Mirkwood Elven Feasts Disappear and Leave Intruders Stunned
  9. The Arkenstone Shines with a Brilliant Inner Light
  10. Beorn Has Highly Hospitable Animals
  11. Mirkwood’s Enchanted River Leads to Bombur’s Long Nap
  12. The Eagles Arrive at the Battle of Five Armies
  13. Smaug is a Good Conversationalist
  14. The White Council Dislodges the Necromancer
  15. Troll William’s Purse Talks
  16. Sentient Spiders React Poorly to Name-Calling

The Fellowship of the Ring Division

  1. Bilbo Vanishes at His Birthday Party
  2. Gandalf Adds Wild Water Horses at the Flood of the Bruinen
  3. Galadriel Has Psychic Mind-Probing Power
  4. Gandalf Puts On a Spectacular Fireworks Show
  5. Durin’s Doors Open at the Right Password
  6. Gandalf Confronts the Balrog with Glamdring and the Flame of Anor
  7. The Mirror of Galadriel Proves Perilous
  8. Boromir’s Horn Echoes Throughout Gondor
  9. Mithril Mail Stops a Cave Troll Spear
  10. Lorien’s Time Flows Differently
  11. Gandalf Is a Moth-Whisperer
  12. The Elven Tonic Miruvor Cures the Cold
  13. Frodo Can See All the Way to Mordor from Amon Hen
  14. Tom Bombadil Does a Parlor Trick with the One Ring
  15. Narsil Is Reforged to Become Anduril
  16. Tom Bombadil Responds to His Rescue Song
Enjoying a glass of Miruvor…

The Two Towers Division

  1. Gandalf the White Returns from the Dead
  2. The Palantir Snares Pippin
  3. Gandalf Heals Theoden from Saruman’s Curse
  4. Elven Cloaks Hide Their Wearers Very Well
  5. Hithlain Rope Comes When It’s Called
  6. Lembas Sustain the Fellowship on Their Quest
  7. Growing Hobbits Drink Ent Draught
  8. Shadowfax Can Run Really Really Fast
  9. Elven Boats Are Unsinkable Even After Rauros
  10. Saruman Upgrades Regular Orcs to Uruk-Hai
  11. Faramir Dreams of Boromir’s Death
  12. The Tower of Orthanc Is Indestructible Even for Ents
  13. Enraged Ents in battle
  14. Don’t Mess with the Huorns
  15. Aragorn Ages Well
  16. The Dead Marshes Have Party Lights

The Return of the King Division

  1. The Witch King Is Destroyed by “No Man”
  2. The Army of the Dead Is Summoned at the Stone of Erech
  3. The Phial of Galadriel Stops Shelob
  4. Athelas Will Cure Whatever Ails You
  5. Turns Out You Can Destroy the One Ring (aka the power of Mount Doom!)
  6. Elven Ships Leave Middle-earth and the Spheres of the World
  7. Gandalf the White Repels the Nazgul During Faramir’s Retreat
  8. The Dark Tower Falls
  9. The Smoke from Orodruin Covers Vast Territory for Days
  10. Aragorn Wields the Palantir to Confront Sauron
  11. The Watchers at Cirith Ungol Warn of Spies in Mordor
  12. Shelob’s Webs Are No Match for Sting
  13. It Turns Out a New White Tree of Gondor Has Been Growing for Years
  14. Rohan Arrives on the Pelennor Fields as the Rooster Crows
  15. Galadriel’s Gift of Soil to Sam Sees the Shire Reborn
  16. The Witch King’s Sword Is on Fire!

How you decide, of course, is up to you. We expect there may be some debate, out of the moments we have chosen, about which are actually ‘magic’. How/what defines such power, and how does it operate in Middle-earth? And for the moments you believe ARE magical – how do you choose your favourite? Will your votes be based on how these moment are described in Tolkien’s writing? Perhaps you have preferences based on childhood memories of Rankin Bass cartoons… Or maybe you’ll just toss a coin! It’s up to you; but however you decide, now is the time to place your votes!

How does it work, you ask? Simple! Click on one of the orange division buttons below. Then click the ‘Vote Now’ option that appears above the divisional bracket. This year, as with last year, you get to vote in each divisional match-up in one convenient and visual interface. Note – you need to click each division to vote in their respective brackets. So let’s get voting!

You have until the end of the day Thursday March 21st to vote in Round One; on Friday 22nd we’ll announce winners and open voting for Round Two! Join us for TORn Tuesday, where we’ll discuss and debate March Madness 2024; let the games begin!

From sixty-four to just four: Middle-earth March Madness 2023, Rings of Power Edition has reached the Semi Final stage. Which are the characters who make up our Final Four? Let’s take a look at how each bracket closed out.

Elves, Dwarves and Monsters

Only Elves remained from the trio of beings which started out in this bracket! Galadriel and Elrond, long time friends and supporters in The Rings of Power, came up against each other in the final round within the group, having conquered Durin and Disa in the Sweet Sixteen round.

Galadriel took the lead fairly early on in this dual, and she held her future son-in-law at bay throughout, claiming victory with 55% of votes.

Continue reading “March Madness Round 4 Results; now for the Final Four!”

Already we are at the Elite Eight stage of Middle-earth March Madness 2023, Rings of Power Edition – just eight characters from the original 64 remain. Who is still in with a chance of becoming 2023’s Champion?

Elves, Dwarves and Monsters

It was Elves versus Dwarves in the Sweet Sixteen round in this bracket, with the monsters already defeated. Galadriel faced Durin IV, while his wife Disa took on Elrond. We were expecting these battles to be real nail-biters; but in fact, the Elves had a reasonably easy time of it. Galadriel defeated Durin by taking 57% of the votes, and Elrond claimed almost two thirds of the votes in his dual with Disa. Sorry, Dwarf fans; Aulë’s children are out of Middle-earth March Madness for this year.

Now the Elven friends face each other, in the final match within the bracket. Does the Halfelven have any chance against the daughter of Finarfin? Which of them will continue on to a potential battle against Sauron himself, in the Semi Finals? You decide – place your votes now!

Farewell to Durin and Disa
Continue reading “March Madness Round 3 Results; Elite Eight need your votes!”

Middle-earth March Madness 2023, Rings of Power Edition moves into the Sweet Sixteen stage! Who is still standing, after two hotly contested rounds? Let’s take a look…

Elves, Dwarves and Monsters

Right out of the starting blocks, we’re kicking off with an epic dual – Galadriel took on the Balrog! We were expecting to see this one be pretty tight, but in fact the Elven warrior defeated our winged (or not…) demon quite easily, with just over three quarters of the vote. Elrond had an even easier time of it, defeating Finrod Felagund with 82% of votes. The widest margin of victory in this bracket, however, was claimed by Durin IV, who raced home with 87% of the vote, conquering his father, Durin III.

The only close contest amongst these four was between Disa and Gil-galad; just over one hundred votes divided them, but the Dwarf was victorious in the end. She now faces her husband’s good friend Elrond in the next round; whilst Durin himself comes up against Galadriel. Two Dwarf vs Elf match ups; which race will dominate?

Sophia Nomvete as Disa
Continue reading “Middle-earth March Madness Round 2 Results; Round 3 voting now open!”