The common debate: Lord of the Rings vs Harry Potter

[Infected Elite]

I've seen numerous debates over the years, between LOTR vs HP or LOTR vs Star Wars. But i am more interested in a LOTR vs Harry Potter battle. So tell us which you like more and if you wish, explain why. 

 

This is only counting Lord of the Rings Trilogy, not The Hobbit trilogy. Plus all 8 Harry Potter films, not the Fantastic Beast films.

 

 

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I vote LOTR, as while i am a fan of HP, i much prefer the stronger form of LOTR, the world, and just prefer that type of fantasy world. Elves, Dwarves etc. Just something so captivating that i would say i marathon the original trilogy extended edition at least twice a year. 

 

I grew up with both but fell out with HP around the time of the Order of the Pheonix. While LOTR had ended by then, and i got older, i found HP less captivating until the final film. 

 

I am curious to see the results with enough.

It is anonymous voting as well. 

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by Infected Elite

[You]

I like both, and they are quite similar.

 

LOTR is more towards actual fantasy land, whereas HP is fantasy in a more modern setting and on actual planet earth.

 

Only think I've never liked about HP is "wands", like I dunno. Magic wands just seem a lame way of casting spells. lol

I much prefer a "wizard" that can just make magic with his bare hands, or a heroic looking staff. I mean the magic wands in Harry Potter, they're basically just pencils, or sticks.

 

Small gripe perhaps, but there ya go.

 

Therefore I'd have to go with LOTR.

 

(The original and actual LOTR, and not the new made up lame one)

[Copanele]

I will go with Lord of the Rings, mainly because to me Harry Potter movies/books devolve into "shut up it's magic" and most of the issues would be solved with "apply stick to face" instead of convoluted spells.

Lord of the Rings might have its issues too, but it's way more consistent and well written (speaking about the movies only). 

Also the fantasy world appeals to me more  

[IzunaGaiden]

Lord of the rings cause sauron have nose...

[DrBloodmoney]

The answer is obvious- the two IPs are not even in the same league.

 

The Lord of the Rings has been influential and important to a great swathe of people in every generation since its publication the 50s, and is arguably more responsible for “defining” modern High Fantasy tropes than any other single IP, setting up the “baseline mythology” from which thousands of other IPs could draw.

 

Harry Potter was influential and important to a single generation who happened to be in the 8-12 age bracket during one specific zeitgeist in the early 00’s, and was entirely derivative of other existing IP (The Worst Witch / Nancy Stouffer’s work etc.)

[Bloke]

They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard.

 

Who doesn't love Lord of the Rings?

Edited February 11, 2023 by Bloke

[JAK-KRIEG]

Harry Potter seems more geared towards the younger population, and maybe that's why I never could get into it. Yeah definitely not a fan. Lord of the Rings on the other hand incapsulates everything I enjoy especially in video games. There's just no competition it's like comparing a 5$ bottle of wine to a 200$ bottle imo.

[Infected Elite]

20 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

The answer is obvious- the two IPs are not even in the same league.

 

The Lord of the Rings has been influential and important to a great swathe of people in every generation since its publication the 50s, and is arguably more responsible for “defining” modern High Fantasy tropes than any other single IP, setting up the “baseline mythology” from which thousands of other IPs could draw.

 

Harry Potter was influential and important to a single generation who happened to be in the 8-12 age bracket during one specific zeitgeist in the early 00’s, and was entirely derivative of other existing IP (The Worst Witch / Nancy Stouffer’s work etc.)

 

True. I didn't really factor in the generational aspect as i kind of attributed that to The Hobbit. I guess i drew the comparison also based off the fact Harry Potter 1 came out Nov 16 2001, while LOTR 1 came out Dec 21 2001. So they were neck and neck in that aspect. I grew up reading the LOTR books as well and that partly put them in my mind as "family friendly".

 

Good Points though Dr.

 

 

[You]

Yeah, I think the main issue with HP is the main 3 protagonists are really quite boring, it's the world they are in and the supporting characters that make it. Who doesn't like Hagrid? Or Alan Rickman?

 

With all the teachers and non humans being the best characters, the children just seem bland. But yeah unless you grew up with HP and you're a kid yourself.

As an adult, children saving the world feels a bit children's entertainment.

 

Children wielding magic wands is also pretty cheesy.

 

I watched all the films at the cinema, and enjoyed them, well maybe not the final film so much (felt like the entire series ended with a whimper and why 2 parts?)

I remember that film where they are playing a real life version of Chess, playing Chess for some reason, I forget why, and I'm thinking. Jesus, what is this? Feels like an episode of Dr Who.

 

Anyway, the more I think about it LOTR just blows away Harry Potter.

 

Kinda like comparing Out Run to Gran Turismo, both are great, but one is just so much better than the other.

Edited February 11, 2023 by enaysoft

[Infected Elite]

i like both but LOTR for me is just on another level. Like @enaysoft had said, the 3 kids are the "main attraction" but really I was always more invested in characters like Snape, Malfoy, Hagrid. But the humor also wasnt there for me as much. Remember, fun scenes don't always = humor.

 

I still to this day laugh at the Helms Deep battle when Legolas and Gimli have a little kill count challenge going, and Gimli is stuck waiting to tip a ladder for some kills.

 

This thread also just reminded me of south park when the kids played LOTR. Amazing 

[Komrade_Dusty]

There is a big distinction here between the books and the movies. The LOTR movies were incredibly well done. The books...the books read like books written 70 years ago. At the time I'm sure they were thrilling but by today's standards the books are pretty dry. Harry Potter, amazingly written books and movies that are not great.

[majob]

Lord of the Rings is the OG, the father of all modern fantasy. Harry Potter wouldn't exist without the way Lord of the Rings paved for it and other fantasy fiction that came after. As for the films, they're honestly apples and oranges. They tell different stories and stress different themes.

[majob]

34 minutes ago, Komrade_Dusty said:

There is a big distinction here between the books and the movies. The LOTR movies were incredibly well done. The books...the books read like books written 70 years ago. At the time I'm sure they were thrilling but by today's standards the books are pretty dry. Harry Potter, amazingly written books and movies that are not great.

Lotr is fantastically written, Tolkein was a language and history scholar and created a whole language and wrote the setting of his world down to the fine details. Harry Potter borrows much of its prose from Stephen King and is filled with plotholes leading up to the Elder Wand X Machina

[ollo99]

LOTR is all around better. You have the hobbit(1977) and return of the king (1981) films

 

You have the trilogy of the hobbit, and LOTR live action films. You have the holy grail of a book to read. JRR writes very throughly. He wrote an entire page on what the trees looked like, and gives you several pages of songs. He's truly a writing genius. 

 

Then you have Rowling ???

Edited February 11, 2023 by ollo99

[Deadly_Ha_Ha]

This is a common debate?

[Cleggworth]

Lord Of the Rings for me. Both the books and any associated media.

 

I was the right age for Harry Potter and grew up reading them. I liked them at the time but it was a case of right time right place I think. I doubt I'd get anything from them reading them now. The books are vastly better than the films though. I watched them once but feel no need to watch them again. I saw the first fantastic beasts but have no desire to watch more. Did they make others?

 

Its been a while, having a young un put a stop to it but the viewing of LOTR/Hobbit trilogies was an annual event and it will be again once she's old enough. 

[zulqarmessi]

Definitely both,

btw where is the option for both ??????

[AK-1138]

Even if TLOTR was not the unsurpassable masterwork of high fantasy--and indeed, one of the greatest stories ever told--you cannot possibly ask me to entertain the notion of comparison with a franchise that has been slipping for some fifteen years now... even before its creator had revealed herself to be an uncommonly poor excuse for a human being. I'm not going to go full-on ostrich and pretend HP was not a great reading experience in its own right... but the message of the books and the values, socalled, of the person who wrote them are no longer possible to reconcile; a hindrance to the very escapism they were, presumably, made to provide. Is there a greater sin for an artist to commit?

 

A wholly (ent)moot conversation where I'm concerned.

[Slava]

Almost went with an edgelord option and picked "don't like either", but ultimately decided to choose LOTR.

 

I've read all HP books as a kid, liked them. That said, I can't and won't be bothered to re-read them. On the opposite side, I've read The Hobbit multiple times, but never once sat down to read the LOTR trilogy. Even though they're comfortably sitting on one of the bookshelves at home. 

 

The topic suggests it's more about the movies. I've seen all Harry Potter films as well as The Lord of the Rings trilogy a long time ago. Similarly to the books, I've never felt like I want to rewatch any of them. I don't want to compare the themes, or depth, or influence. Each one does its own things, and is aimed at a different audience, as mentioned above. So the deciding factor for me was the quality. LOTR is strong as a trilogy from beginning to end, whereas Potter movies go down in quality after the third one, imo. Based on that, LOTR wins.

Edited February 11, 2023 by Slava

[mega-tallica]

I was part of the "Harry Potter generation", I grew up with it at its peak and I'm highly nostalgic for it even to this day for that reason.

 

Lord of the Rings/Hobbit, on the other hand, I never saw the appeal. I've read the books and watched the movies as everybody has just to say I did but the world, the story, the lore, the characters, it just never clicked with me and I just couldn't get engrossed in it like I could with other books and films. I'm really hit or miss when it comes to the fantasy genre and Lord of the Rings is a big ol' swing and a miss for me. Still highly respect Tolkien for what he's done for literature and specifically the fantasy genre as a whole. That can never be taken away or dismissed. The man was a brilliant writer and a brilliant mind, a pioneer. There would be no Harry Potter if it weren't for Tolkien paving the way for the genre. 

 

As unpopular as it clearly is though, I'd take Harry Potter easily. The books that is, which are great. The movies? Eh, not so much and you can't just watch those movies and make a true judgment of Harry Potter. You really need to read the books to get the full grasp of the story as the movies serve as just a synopsis of the books and hits all the bullet points of the plot but misses and cuts all the finer details of the story that make Harry Potter so alluring. 

 

[ShadowSigmaX]

LOTR easily. I like Harry Potter too, but I have more nostalgia for LOTR. The first Harry Potter book came out when I was in 6th grade while LOTR was always there waiting for me to open the pages and explore the world of Arda. I just wish LOTR had more things in its world to explore as I have read all the books outside of the original Trilogy and The Hobbit. 

[da-Noob123]

Lord of the Rings is G.O.A.T.

 

While I love both series deeply, Tolkien just took things to a whole other level. His world building is so much deeper and richer, that said, I have read the HP books far more than I have read the trilogy. The HP books have a faster pace and I remember many occasions putting LotR down because I was falling asleep reading it after just a few minutes. When I have kids though, I definitely plan to read both to them before bed.

 

Movie-wise, LotR is still king. I only watch the extended editions and still laugh at Pippin at the end of the Council of Elrond or at Gimli's reactions in the Path of the Dead. The first 2 HP films were by far the most magical, 3 onwards,  them always being in muggle clothes breaks the spell of being at Hogwarts. I still laugh at Rupert Grint's faces and whatnot but other scenes don't land as funny as before. (Kind of like the new Star Wars trilogy, I loved the quipiness of The Force Awakens but subsequent watches it gets old.) 

 

If anyone would like a more adult oriented Harry Potter book, I highly recommend The Name of the Wind and it's sequel Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. Be forewarned, the 3rd book has been "coming" for 10+ years now, however they are phenomenal books in my opinion. 

 

[You]

1 hour ago, AK-1138 said:

Even if TLOTR was not the unsurpassable masterwork of high fantasy--and indeed, one of the greatest stories ever told--you cannot possibly ask me to entertain the notion of comparison with a franchise that has been slipping for some fifteen years now... even before its creator had revealed herself to be an uncommonly poor excuse for a human being. I'm not going to go full-on ostrich and pretend HP was not a great reading experience in its own right... but the message of the books and the values, socalled, of the person who wrote them are no longer possible to reconcile; a hindrance to the very escapism they were, presumably, made to provide. Is there a greater sin for an artist to commit?

 

A wholly (ent)moot conversation where I'm concerned.

 

Wut lol. How has it been slipping for the past fifteen years? I think the franchise made about 8 billion dollars just from movie sales alone.

How many Harry Potter games has there been, including all the lego ones.

 

Harry Potter as far as I can, it's as popular as ever which is amazing since there hasn't been a new film or book for over a decade.

It's been so successful that J.K.Rowling would be probably the first billionaire from being an author if she wasn't donating literally hundreds of millions of it away to various charities.

 

And recently, the new Harry Potter game has been well received, it's the most popular game on this site at the moment (for context no LOTR rings as far as I am aware has ever had close to 15000 users on release)

 

They're building an entire Disney Land sized Harry Potter theme park here in Tokyo that I think opens this year in the summer.

I MUCH prefer LOTR, I can't see the appeal, but arguably Harry Potter is the bigger franchise at the moment as much as I think it's decent but quite average.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by enaysoft

[mega-tallica]

53 minutes ago, enaysoft said:

 

Wut lol. How has it been slipping for the past fifteen years? I think the franchise made about 8 billion dollars just from movie sales alone.

How many Harry Potter games has there been, including all the lego ones.

 

Harry Potter as far as I can, it's as popular as ever which is amazing since there hasn't been a new film or book for over a decade.

It's been so successful that J.K.Rowling would be probably the first billionaire from being an author if she wasn't donating literally hundreds of millions of it away to various charities.

 

And recently, the new Harry Potter game has been well received, it's the most popular game on this site at the moment (for context no LOTR rings as far as I am aware has ever had close to 15000 users on release)

 

They're building an entire Disney Land sized Harry Potter theme park here in Tokyo that I think opens this year in the summer.

I MUCH prefer LOTR, I can't see the appeal, but arguably Harry Potter is the bigger franchise at the moment as much as I think it's decent but quite average.

 

 

 

It's clear he's referring mostly to the controversies surrounding Rowling. Because people don't like her opinions on certain matters and think there's subliminal messaging in the books and whatnot, we now have a campaign of people that are actively against anything to do with Rowling and Harry Potter. Reviewers being bullied not to review Hogwarts Legacy or give it a subpar score because of Rowling, streamers being bullied into not streaming the game or promoting it in any way for the same reason, yeah, this is all happening. 

 

Despite all that, you are correct and Harry Potter is as popular as ever and has never 'slipped', the sales and success of Hogwarts Legacy speaks for itself. This weeks target for internet boycotting has proven unsuccessful as it usually does but it won't stop people from bringing it up at every opportunity anyway, even if it's not even relevant to the topic at hand. 

[the1andonly654]

I'm one of those bad people who doesn't like either. Granted, I don't know much about either their universes or movies set in them but I'm not really into that type of fantasy so I have zero interest in learning more about them. If I had to choose, as in a gun to my head, I'd probably pick LOTR to watch, as (and this is my ignorance speaking) Harry Potter seems like just a kids story about wizards with wands to me. 

 

I'll play a game from either franchise if it's good or I'm curious about it for whatever reason but for me it's about the game part, not the franchise part.