Amazon’s Lord of the Rings show could bring back Tolkien’s scariest villain

There are many fascinating stories Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV show could tell. The series is set in the Second Age of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, which means it’s going to get to delve much further into that period of time than either the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit films did. The Second Age is a sprawling period though, and there’s plenty of different points in time that the series could choose to focus on.

But depending on what story the show chooses to tell, there is the potential for the Lord of the Rings TV show to feature one of the most memorable and terrifying villains that Tolkien ever created.

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The Theory — While it has yet to officially be confirmed, many Tolkien fans suspect that Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series will focus on the forging of the Rings of Power. That means a number of characters from the Lord of the Rings films could feature in the series in prominent ways — including Sauron himself. Fan-favorite characters like Galadriel and Elrond have been highly-rumored to be appearing in the series as well.

Some Lord of the Rings fans theorize that they won’t be the only recognizable characters appearing in the Amazon series. In fact, speculation has begun to stir that the Lord of the Rings show could feature a surprise appearance from the terrifying spider, Shelob.

An Old Foe — Not much is known about Shelob’s early history, aside from her being a child of the primordial spider, Ungoliant. But it is said that Shelob took up residence in the mountains near Mordor long before even Sauron claimed that land for himself. She went on to live in the mountains for centuries, spinning her webs through the mountain’s cave systems and creating the labyrinthine lair that Sam and Frodo, unfortunately, came upon in Return of the King. She used the lair to trap and eat any creatures that wandered into it.

It’s also said that Sauron was aware of Shelob’s presence in the mountains, and considered her to be a strong — if incidental — obstacle for anyone who tried to pass through her mountains into Mordor. He’d even apparently send prisoners he no longer had any use for to be devoured by Shelob.

So with all that in mind, even though it’s not clear how the show writers could give her an active role in the series, it’s certainly possible that Shelob could make an appearance in the Lord of the Rings show. Mordor will undoubtedly play a big role in the show’s story — especially if it’s really about the forging of the Rings of Power — and Shelob could serve as a powerful antagonist for any heroes who might try and infiltrate Mordor via her mountain pass.

The Inverse Analysis — Most die-hard Lord of the Rings fans are in agreement that the Amazon series will feature well-known characters like Galadriel, Elrond, and Sauron in prominent roles. As of now, there’s less reason to believe that Shelob will be in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series. But that certainly doesn’t mean she won’t make an appearance — especially considering her presence in Middle-earth during the Second Age.

However, if she is in the show, hopefully, it’ll be as a spider and not as an attractive woman in a dress like the Middle-earth: Shadow of War video game turned her into.