Harry Potter: 5 Things From JK Rowling’s Adventure-Fantasy World That Were Too Inspired By The Lord of the Rings – How Many Did You Know?

Thanks to J. K. Rowling for giving us the magical creatures and terrifying villains from the wizarding world that we grew up loving. But what if I told you that some of its iconic elements weren’t originally Rowling’s brainchild?

Yes, some of the elements in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter are weirdly similar to J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and once you dive into both, you’ll spot the similarities.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that Rowling has copied everything from Tolkien, but there are many such elements that feel a little too inspired by The Lord of the Rings.

1. There Hardly Any Difference Between Gandalf & Dumbledore

Can you spot the similarities? Long white beard, incredible magical abilities, and a mysterious habit of guiding younger heroes; both characters pretty much check the boxes. Besides, both characters are immensely powerful wizards who can be surprisingly warm and playful too.

Very surprisingly, for both these characters, the greatest strength isn’t always their magic. Both Gandalf and Dumbledore are experts at understanding people and recognizing qualities that others might overlook.

2. Dementors Could Easily Pass For The Wizarding World’s Nazgul

The most frightening creatures, the Dementors and Tolkien’s Nazgul, are very frighteningly similar in both the books. Both creatures appear very mysterious, and in each case, their presence is enough to terrify those around them.

However, I’d say that Rowling’s Dementors are a bit unique in this case, as they drain happiness from their victims instead of simply spreading terror. Their most horrifying ability is the Dementor’s Kiss, which allows them to remove a person’s soul.

3. The Whomping Willow Has An Unexpected Twin From Middle-earth

Even the trees in Harry Potter had something in common with the world of Lord of the Rings. As we already know, Hogwarts’ Whomping Willow is famous for attacking almost anything that gets too close. Its branches prove very dangerous for Harry and his friends, too. But in LOTR, the tree came before Rowling’s.

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Old Man Willow is a dangerous presence in the Old Forest. But unlike Harry Potter, he takes time, uses his enchantment to make the hobbits sleepy, and tries to trap them inside his trunk.

4. The Mirror Of Erised Wasn’t Fantasy’s First Magical Mirror

One of the most emotional moments in Harry Potter comes when we see Harry discover the Mirror of Erised in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Instead of showing his ordinary reflection, the mirror revealed his deepest desire: being reunited with the family he lost.

However, Tolkien had already explored a comparable magical concept through Galadriel’s Mirror in The Lord of the Rings. Remember when Galadriel allows Frodo to look into a mysterious basin of water that can reveal events from the past, present, and possible future.

5. Voldemort’s Horcruxes Have A Lot In Common With Sauron’s One Ring

Perhaps the biggest similarity between Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings lies in the magical objects that sustain their respective Dark Lords. In Tolkien’s story, defeating Sauron requires destroying the One Ring, which contains part of his power. Simply fighting him isn’t enough because the Ring remains connected to his existence.

Rowling uses a remarkably similar idea with Voldemort’s Horcruxes. The Dark Lord divides his soul into fragments and hides them inside magical objects, which makes it impossible to defeat him permanently until they are destroyed.

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