Isn’t it a curious twist of fate when the esteemed George R.R. Martin dishes out some spicy critiques on The Lord of the Rings? G.R.R.M. has thrown a literary wrench into one of the most talked-about scenes in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic high fantasy novel. The former has beefed with Gandalf’s big comeback from the great beyond, arguing that this miraculous return is a bit like having your cake and eating it too.
Instead of remaining dead, which would have added depth and gravity to the story, Gandalf comes back in a new, improved form, which Martin finds less compelling. Ironically, Martin’s own books are no stranger to character resurrections, but he tackles these moments differently.
In his universe, when characters come back from the dead, they don’t just dust themselves off and pick up where they left off. For example, Catelyn Stark returns as Lady Stoneheart—a character who’s been through the wringer and comes back fundamentally altered, like a butterfly from a particularly nasty cocoon.
Why Did George R.R. Martin Criticize Gandalf’s Death in LOTR?
George R.R. Martin, the mastermind behind Game of Thrones, is a self-confessed fantasy aficionado, but his critique of Gandalf’s death in The Lord of the Rings might be missing the mark. Known for his penchant for offing major characters, Martin has firm opinions about how death should shake things up in a story.
In his view, when a character meets their end, it should hit like a ton of bricks. That’s why, despite his admiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, Martin isn’t too thrilled about how Gandalf’s death and resurrection were handled. Gandalf’s dramatic fall in The Fellowship of the Ring, was, for Martin, a masterstroke of emotional intensity.
Martin reflected:
I do think that if you’re bringing a character back, that a character has gone through death, that’s a transformative experience. Even back in those days of Wonder Man and all that, I loved the fact that he died, and although I liked the character in later years, I wasn’t so thrilled when he came back because that sort of undid the power of it.
He believes that when a character returns from the grave, they should come back as a changed individual, carrying the weight of their experience. He finds that Gandalf’s resurrection as Gandalf the White not only softens the emotional blow of his death but also seems to improve him in a way that feels less impactful. He lamented:
I never liked Gandalf the White as much as Gandalf the Grey, and I never liked him coming back. I think it would have been an even stronger story if Tolkien had left him dead.
In contrast to Tolkien’s approach, Martin’s own storytelling philosophy treats death with a heavier hand.
George R.R. Martin Rains on the Parade of Gandalf’s Return While Playing the Same Trick in GoT?
George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien both grapple with the concept of resurrection, but they put their own unique spins on it. In Game of Thrones, the former delivers a resurrection twist that’s equally dark and twisted. Take Catelyn Stark, for example. Her resurrection is a stark contrast to the rebirths seen elsewhere in fantasy literature.
After her brutal end at the Red Wedding, she returns not with a spring in her step but with a vengeance in her heart. Unlike Gandalf’s fresh new look as Gandalf the White—Catelyn’s transformation comes with a heavy toll. As Martin puts it (via Maximum Fun):
My characters who come back from death are worse for wear. In some ways, they’re not even the same characters anymore. The body may be moving, but some aspect of the spirit is changed or transformed, and they’ve lost something.
Well, while both resurrections involve a return from the dead, Martin’s portrayal of Lady Stoneheart is a far cry from Gandalf the White.
Game of Thrones is available to stream on Max.
