Whether you're catching up on The Rings of Power, or whether you'd like to go back and watch the original The Lord of the Rings movies, you’ll conveniently find them all on Prime Video.
Which 'The Lord of the Rings' movies and shows can I watch on Prime Video?
New to The Lord of the Rings in general, and want to know more about each movie and series? Below are all the The Lord of the Rings offerings you can watch on Prime Video.
The Rings of Power marks the first The Lord of the Rings on-screen content in years, and instead of a movie, it's a TV show with hours of adventure to enjoy. The series is set in the Second Age, thousands of years before the events depicted in the previous movie trilogies, and at its core, tells the story of how the inhabitants of Middle-earth must confront the long-feared reemergence of evil and how the great rings of power came to be.
Now is actually a perfect time to get into The Rings of Power, as the series' highly anticipated second season is now streaming on Prime Video. The complete first season is also available to binge on Prime Video.
This is where it all started in the modern film iterations of The Lord of the Rings. Released in 2001 and directed by Peter Jackson, the first movie tells the story of Frodo Baggins and his band of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and men, as they first set out on a quest to destroy the One Ring, with the fate of Middle-earth hanging in the balance.
Picking up where the first movie left off, the second movie in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy sees Frodo and his companions continuing on their quest. As Frodo and Sam discover they're being followed by the mysterious Gollum, they also have to contend with the evil power of Sauron and his forces.
The culmination of the original trilogy, the third installment answers once and for all whether Frodo and his companions can destroy the evil forces wrapped up in the One Ring.
Released in 2012 and set before the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the first Hobbit movie tells the story of Bilbo Baggins and his adventures with Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, and a company of dwarves, as they set out to reclaim the lost kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.
Second in the Hobbit trilogy, this movie continues the journey of Bilbo and his friends as they come face to face with Smaug and finally determine whether or not they can reclaim Erebor for its rightful owners.
The third and final installment in the Hobbit trilogy, The Battle of the Five Armies tells the story of Bilbo and his friends as they're forced into battle to prevent Erebor from falling into the hands of a rising evil in Middle-earth.
Best order to watch 'The Lord of the Rings' in
Of course, given the different timelines, you might be wondering what the best order to watch all of these movies and shows is. There are two main orders you should consider.
Watching in order of release: The first way to watch everything is in order of release. This starts with The Fellowship of the Ring, followed by The Two Towers and TheReturn of the King. Next comes The Hobbit movies; An Unexpected Journey, then The Desolation of Smaug, culminating in The Battle of the Five Armies. Finally, you can round out your experience with the The Rings of Power TV show.
Watching in order of release will allow you to discover the story as much of the world did—but it means you might not be caught up on all the lore.
Watching in chronological order: The second way to watch Lord of the Rings is in chronological order. This means starting with The Rings of Power, as it serves as an introduction to the world and its characters. Then you can watch The Hobbit trilogy to discover more about Middle-earth before setting out on your final journey with The Fellowship of the Ring. Follow that up with The Two Towers and TheReturn of the King.
