On September 22nd, the very date of Bilbo’s and Frodo’s birthdays, a large group of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Men, Wizards, and well-behaved Wargs, gathered for a day of merriment, feasting, and activities.
The Party took place under the sheltering trees of Griffith Park, in the Mineral Wells picnic area, close by a meandering river. The day was warm, but not too warm. The sun high and bright. The leaves sparkled green and gold in a fair breeze which ruffled the Baggins’ Birthday banner and the feathers adorning Hobbit hats. Tents dotted the landscape: an Elven enclave here, a Dwarven fortress there, a Hobbit hole beneath a tree.
The banqueting table was laden with dishes–pulled pork, barbecue chicken salad, spicy sausages, cheese samplings, Lembas, watermelon, pasta salad (I could go on and on, but it’s making my mouth water all over again.) There were even two big jugs of delicious homemade apple brew crafted from a long list of enticing ingredients.
On March 18 this year we began Middle-earth March Madness 2024: Magical Moments. TORn staffers had been working behind the scenes to choose and then vote on a plethora of happenings from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which could be considered magical events. We whittled that number down to 64, and created seeding based on the staffer votes, and back in March we opened the contest to YOUR votes.
Now, after six rounds and thousands of votes cast, we have a winner. Of all the moments when magical powers are used in Middle-earth, one has been chosen as the ‘most magical’. If you watched TORn Tuesday last night, you saw the winner revealed there. But if you’ve stayed ‘spoiler free’, we can now reveal the Middle-earth March Madness Champion for 2024 is…
We come to it at last – the great battle of our time… Well, at least of this year’s Middle-earth March Madness 2024: Magical Moments. TORn staffers picked 64 happenings from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which could be considered magical events. (Though what exactly counts as ‘magic’ in Middle-earth is, of course, up for debate!) These moments were seeded based on staffer’s votes, divided into four bracket (one for each book), and so it began. Now, three weeks later and with thousands of votes cast, we are down to the final two. Let’s see how the Semi-finals played out:
The Hobbit Division vs The Two Towers Division
The first time Bilbo experiences the power of the Ring, becoming invisible when seeking to escape Gollum, deep under the Misty Mountains, was the winning moment of The Hobbit bracket. It faced the victor from The Two Towers region, no less a moment than the return from the dead of Mithrandir, coming back to Middle-earth as Gandalf the White. Two absolutely iconic moments – and you might have expected a tight battle. In fact, the power of the Ring was no match for the wizard; The Two Towers contestant took 70% more votes than its opponent. So Gandalf the White strides into the final. Who or what will be his adversary?
The Fellowship of the Ring Division vs The Return of the King Division
This showdown was a much tighter contest then the other Semi-final. Just SIX votes made the difference between the contenders during much of this round – even as the numbers rose, that margin stayed more or less the same. It’s a duel between the defeat of the Witch-king by ‘No Man’ and Gandalf’s overthrowing of the Balrog. Will we have an all Gandalf championship battle?
The answer is … yes! At the last moment, coming in just under the wire, and having been trailing for most of this round, the wizard won by ONE VOTE. Eowyn overcame the Lord of the Nazgul, but could not defeat the Maiar. And so an event which started off seeded all the way down at #6 in its bracket confronts a #1 seeded event in the Final. It’s The Fellowship of the Ring vs The Two Towers, a kind of ‘before and after’ – the battle against the Balrog, and the return thereafter:
Gandalf Confronts the Balrog with Glamdring and the Flame of Anor (6)
VS
Gandalf the White Returns from the Dead (1)
Staffer Madeye Gamgee was excited by this nail-biting thriller of a Semi-final:
What a magical finish for our penultimate round! I cannot recall ever having such a tight matchup in the history of Middle-earth March Madness. The Witch-king’s Fall to “No Man” had led during the entirety of its Final Four Round, but the lead was always “walking on the edge of a knife”, hardly ever more than 10 votes. And in perhaps the upset of the tournament, the FotR champion, only the number six seed in its own region, pulls off the last second victory, squeaking by the iconic moment on the Pelennor Field by a single vote. Sadly perhaps for Éowyn and Merry fans (and possibly a ‘crushing blow’ for Witch-king fans…), our March Madness tournament officials have yet to figure out instant replay technology. What a Balrog Burner of a match!
The return of Gandalf the White from his journeys beyond thought and time easily handled the contest with Bilbo’s Ring of Invisibility, despite its darker Power lurking in the background. At least for this tournament, the One Ring will not rule them all.
Which leads us to a dream matchup between two versions of possibly the most magical icon of the Third Age: Gandalf. Can Gandalf the Grey keep his momentum going? Slaying a Balrog is no small thing. Or will Gandalf’s resurrection as an Istari more evenly matched against Sauron prove that he has brought more than just a fool’s hope to this magical tournament?
It should be very clear by now that the ultimate tournament outcome lies in the hands of the fans. And even the smallest single vote can change the course of the future.
Place your votes! As with the Semi-final, we just have one bracket to vote. Use the embedded experience below, or click here. Then click the ‘Vote Now’ option that appears at the top left of the page. Let’s get voting!
Which Magical Moment will be the Champion for Middle-earth March Madness 2024? You decide! Would you like to see the wielding of Glamdring and the flame of Anor sweep to victory? Or is Gandalf’s return from the dead unbeatable magic? Rally the troops and place your votes! Voting will be open until the start of TORn Tuesday on Tuesday April 9th; we’ll take a look back over the contest and reveal this year’s Grand Winner during the show. But which moment will it be? That’s up to YOU – vote now!
And then there were four… It is semi-final time in Middle-earth March Madness 2024: Magical Moments – from 64 starters, we’re down to just our bracket winners remaining. Which magical happening has emerged triumphant from each division? Let’s take a look:
The Hobbit Division
Alas! Speaking personally, I (staffer greendragon) was really hoping the Moon Runes would win this bracket. TORn staffers had voted those glowing, secret runes the #1 seed in this group; but the power of the Ring is of course not easily overcome, and the #2 seed took the lead and held on to it. The margin wasn’t huge – this was the closest contest across all the brackets this round, and only a little over 50 votes came between them – but Bilbo’s disappearing act is the winner here.
Bilbo’s Ring Turns Him Invisible (2)
The Fellowship of the Ring Division
We saw the widest margin of the Elite Eight in this bracket; no amount of saying ‘Mellon’ could overcome Gandalf’s epic conquest of the Balrog. The last act of Gandalf the Grey (seeded #6) garnered twice as many votes as Durin’s magical doors (which were actually seeded higher, at #5), so the wizard goes through to the Final Four.
Gandalf Confronts the Balrog with Glamdring and the Flame of Anor (6)
The Two Towers Division
Gandalf on Gandalf action was the order of the day in this regional final! These moments are two kinds of resurrections – Mithrandir’s own, returning as Gandalf the White; and the rediscovery of his strength by Theoden, as Gandalf releases him from Saruman’s spell. The choice was pretty clear right from the start of voting, with the wizard’s return from the dead taking the lead and keeping it. Gandalf the White goes through to face an invisible Bilbo.
Gandalf the White Returns from the Dead (1)
The Return of the King Division
It looked like those Riders of Rohan might sweep all the way to ultimate victory, repeating their 2020 glory, when they were Champions in the battle amongst scenes from Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth movies. But it was not to be. By a larger margin than might have been expected, taking 1.5 times as many votes, the triumph of ‘No man’ over the Witch-king won this regional final.
The Witch-king Is Destroyed by “No Man” (1)
Eowyn slays the Witch-king, by Stephen Walsh
Staffer Madeye Gamgee had these thoughts on what we’ve seen so far – and what is to come!
Other than the FotR region, the OneRing staff ended up forecasting our final seeds fairly well, with two # 1 seeds (the Resurrection of Gandalf the White and the Death of the Witch King), and one #2 (Bilbo’s Discovery of the One Ring). The lowest seed left in the tournament comes from the FotR Region, the epic battle between the Flame of Udûn and the Flame of Anor wielded by Gandalf.
We’re left with some truly epic magic in the Final Four, and it’s really anybody’s tournament to win:
The first appearance of the One Ring, its true power still largely veiled
One of the most epic Maiar battles in the entire legendarium, as Gandalf and the Balrog face off on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm
The return from death by the super-charged Gandalf the White as he replaces Saruman as the true leader of powerful resistance against the reign of Sauron
The fulfillment of long prophecy of the fall of the Witch King of Angmar, a combination of a humble hobbit wielding a spell-lace Númenórean blade, and desperate Dernhelm revealed to deliver her final coup de grâce to destroy Sauron’s chief lieutenant
Will it be a Gandalf vs. Gandalf finale? Only if his White-robed persona can overcome the Power of the Ring, and his Balrog-battered bridge match can move past the crowd favorite, a climactic contest between Éowyn and the Lord of the Nazgûl. Could we see Gandalf the White versus Gandalf the Grey in the championship match?
Will the One Ring prove its Power at last, with the Black Speech echoing across Middle-earth? Ash nazg durbatulûk indeed!
Will we see one of Tolkien’s most beloved scenes and themes, the triumph of the weak over seemingly insurmountable strength, embodied by a Shieldmaiden of Rohan, resound in victory even as her opponent wails and fades, powerless before her?
Only the magical Tolkien fandom can tell.
Place your votes! Now that we are down to the Final Four, we’ll just have one bracket to vote. Use the embedded experience below, or click here. Then click the ‘Vote Now’ option that appears at the top left of the page. Let’s get voting!
You have until the end of the day Saturday April 6th to vote in Round Five; Sunday 7th we’ll open voting for the Championship round. And then join us for TORn Tuesday on April 9th, when we’ll reveal this year’s Grand Winner! But which moment will it be? That’s up to YOU – vote now!
We’re already half way through Middle-earth March Madness 2024: Magical Moments – and now just eight contenders remain, as we reach the final round in each division. So how did the third round play out? Let’s take a look:
The Hobbit Division
We could have seen the final in this bracket being between the Moon Runes and the setting sun, both indicating the way into the Lonely Mountain. It was not to be; though the Moon Runes did beat the conversation with Smaug, the power of the One Ring could not be undone – by a very narrow margin of just over 40 votes, Bilbo’s disappearing act defeated the revealing of the secret door on Durin’s Day. So we have the first and second seeds in this division up against each other for the ‘regional final’:
Moon Runes Appear on Thrain’s Map (1)
Bilbo’s Ring Turns Him Invisible (2)
The Fellowship of the Ring Division
Last round we saw the closest battle in this bracket; but here in the Sweet Sixteen, both contests had pretty wide margins, with around 300 votes difference between the winners and the losers. This time, the Ring turning Bilbo invisible did NOT beat an entryway associated with Durin; the door to Moria is through to the regional final. Meanwhile water and fire had a show down – Gandalf’s river horses vs his confrontation with the Balrog. It’s the battle with the ancient demon which is still in the contest:
Durin’s Doors Open at the Right Password (5)
Gandalf Confronts the Balrog with Glamdring and the Flame of Anor (6)
Password into Moria, by Ted Nasmith
The Two Towers Division
The march of the Ents has come to an end! As we expected might happen, Gandalf’s return to life defeated them, with two thirds of the vote. More wizardly skill won the other Sweet Sixteen duel in this region, with Gandalf’s healing of Theoden taking three quarters of the vote against the Ent-draught.
Gandalf the White Returns from the Dead (1)
Gandalf Heals Theoden from Saruman’s Curse (3)
The Return of the King Division
Two massive battles in this bracket: two acts of destruction (the Fall of the Witch-king vs the final destruction of the One Ring) in one duel, with far lower seeded events (Rohan arriving to battle vs the regeneration of the Shire) making up the other.
Both contests were fairly close. For a while it looked as though Sam and his work in the Shire might be victorious, but those Riders from Rohan once again swept to victory, with about 100 votes between them in the end. The Witch-king and the Ring had half that number of votes between them – and this time the power of the Ring WAS undone! Ultimately voters felt that the wraith’s defeat by ‘No Man’ was a more powerfully magical moment than Mount Doom’s melting powers. So our final match-up in this division is:
The Witch-king Is Destroyed by “No Man” (1)
Rohan Arrives on the Pelennor Fields as the Rooster Crows (14)
Eowyn slays the Witch-king, by Stephen Walsh
Staffer Madeye Gamgee shared some of his thoughts on what lies ahead:
Moving on to the Elite (or Einior — Sindarin for Elder) Eight:
Gandalf continues to be the big dog of this Magical Moments tournament, with a direct contribution to three of our final eight magical moments, plus a strong assist at the Doors of Durin
The power of the One Ring proved more feeble than some could have guessed, with only Bilbo’s original discovery of the Ring of Power in the Hobbit making it to the final eight.
Three of the four #1 seeds as ranked by the OneRing staff have made it to the final eight: Moon Runes, Gandalf the White, and the Witch King Goes Down. The staff also successfully called a number 2 and 3 seed which are still alive in the tournament (Bilbo’s Invisibility Ring and Theoden’s Healing).
The FotR region seemed to befuddle our staff, though, with all four top seeds already out of the tournament. That leaves a #5 seed (Durin’s Doors) and #6 (a Balrog Battle) to fight it out for the Final Four spot.
The “Cinderella” of the tournament, the #15 seed Rohan arriving on the Pelennor Fields, may be simply a sleeper. A perpetual fan favorite (and one of JRR Tolkien’s as well), those stirring horns of the Rohirrim as the rooster crows still resonate. But can they overcome Eowyn’s “I am no man” moment?
There’s still some mighty magic yet to come!
Place your votes! In case you need a reminder, 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 Tuesday April 2nd to vote in Round Four; on TORn Tuesday that evening we’ll discuss the likely results and the story so far! Wednesday 3rd we’ll open voting for the Final Four. Will Rohan ride their way to victory? YOU decide – vote now!
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!
