IN ORDER · FILMS, SERIES, ANIME AND BOOKS
The Lord of the Rings in order
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit in release order and story order, plus Tolkien's books and the newer series, with what each one adds.
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit as a children's book in 1937 and The Lord of the Rings as its much larger, darker sequel. Peter Jackson adapted them in the opposite order: The Lord of the Rings trilogy first, then three Hobbit films a decade later. So whether you are reading or watching, "in order" depends on what you mean.
Below are Tolkien's main books and Jackson's six films, followed by the newer series and the animated film. Our advice for most people is to watch the films in release order, then read the books.
TRACK IT
Keep your place in The Lord of the Rings
Save the 10 main entries to a list now, no account needed. Create a free OmniTrackr account and they move into your library, where this page shows how far through you are and what comes next.
THE ORDERS
4 ways through The Lord of the Rings
The first order is the one we recommend for most people. Entries marked optional are side stories you can skip without missing the main story.
Watch, then readOur pick
Jackson's films in release order, then Tolkien's books, which fill in everything the films had to leave out. The whole saga in both formats.
- 1The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingMovie · 2001
- 2The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersMovie · 2002
- 3The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingMovie · 2003
- 4The Hobbit: An Unexpected JourneyMovie · 2012
- 5The Hobbit: The Desolation of SmaugMovie · 2013
- 6The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five ArmiesMovie · 2014
- 7The HobbitBook · 1937
- 8The Fellowship of the RingBook · 1954
- 9The Two TowersBook · 1954
- 10The Return of the KingBook · 1955
- 11The SilmarillionBook · 1977Optional
- 12The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerTV show · 2022Optional
- 13The Lord of the Rings: The War of the RohirrimAnime · 2024Optional
The films in release order
The Lord of the Rings trilogy, then The Hobbit. The trilogy is better filmmaking and makes the Hobbit films' callbacks work.
- 1The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingMovie · 2001
- 2The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersMovie · 2002
- 3The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingMovie · 2003
- 4The Hobbit: An Unexpected JourneyMovie · 2012
- 5The Hobbit: The Desolation of SmaugMovie · 2013
- 6The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five ArmiesMovie · 2014
- 7The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerTV show · 2022Optional
- 8The Lord of the Rings: The War of the RohirrimAnime · 2024Optional
The films in story order
Middle-earth's own history, from the forging of the rings to the end of the Third Age. Best for a rewatch.
- 1The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerTV show · 2022Optional
- 2The Lord of the Rings: The War of the RohirrimAnime · 2024Optional
- 3The Hobbit: An Unexpected JourneyMovie · 2012
- 4The Hobbit: The Desolation of SmaugMovie · 2013
- 5The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five ArmiesMovie · 2014
- 6The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingMovie · 2001
- 7The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersMovie · 2002
- 8The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingMovie · 2003
The books
Tolkien's own order: The Hobbit, the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings, then The Silmarillion if you want the deep history.
- 1The HobbitBook · 1937
- 2The Fellowship of the RingBook · 1954
- 3The Two TowersBook · 1954
- 4The Return of the KingBook · 1955
- 5The SilmarillionBook · 1977Optional
EVERY ENTRY
All 13 entries, in our recommended order
What each one is, why it sits where it does, and where it falls in each order. Save any of them to a list, no account needed.
Movie · 2001 · Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Watch, then read: #1 · The films in release order: #1 · The films in story order: #6
The best place to start on screen. The extended edition adds about half an hour that most fans prefer, especially in the Shire and Lothlórien.
Movie · 2002 · Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Watch, then read: #2 · The films in release order: #2 · The films in story order: #7
The battle of Helm's Deep and the arrival of Gollum, one of the great performance-capture characters.
Movie · 2003 · Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Watch, then read: #3 · The films in release order: #3 · The films in story order: #8
The conclusion, winner of all eleven Academy Awards it was nominated for. Famous for its several endings, every one of them earned.
Movie · 2012 · Peter Jackson
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Watch, then read: #4 · The films in release order: #4 · The films in story order: #3
The first of three films made from one short book, so it moves slowly. The best scene is the riddle game with Gollum in the dark.
Movie · 2013 · Peter Jackson
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Watch, then read: #5 · The films in release order: #5 · The films in story order: #4
The best Hobbit film, mostly thanks to Smaug himself. Adds characters and subplots that are not in the book.
Movie · 2014 · Peter Jackson
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Watch, then read: #6 · The films in release order: #6 · The films in story order: #5
Almost entirely the battle of the title, and the bridge back to the start of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Book · 1937 · J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit
Watch, then read: #7 · The books: #1
Bilbo Baggins is talked into helping thirteen dwarves reclaim their mountain from a dragon. Lighter and shorter than what follows, and still the friendliest way into Middle-earth.
Book · 1954 · J.R.R. Tolkien
The Fellowship of the Ring
Watch, then read: #8 · The books: #2
Volume one of The Lord of the Rings. Its opening chapters in the Shire are slow on purpose; the pace changes for good once the hobbits leave home.
Book · 1954 · J.R.R. Tolkien
The Two Towers
Watch, then read: #9 · The books: #3
The fellowship splits, and the book follows the two halves in long separate stretches. The film cuts back and forth between them instead.
Book · 1955 · J.R.R. Tolkien
The Return of the King
Watch, then read: #10 · The books: #4
The war for Middle-earth and Frodo's last steps to Mount Doom. The final chapters include a homecoming the films left out.
Book · 1977 · J.R.R. Tolkien
The SilmarillionOptional
Watch, then read: #11 · The books: #5
The mythology of Middle-earth from its creation, edited by Christopher Tolkien after his father's death. Closer to scripture than a novel; read it once you want more.
TV show · 2022
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerOptional
Watch, then read: #12 · The films in release order: #7 · The films in story order: #1
Set thousands of years earlier, in the Second Age, when the rings were forged. It tells its own story, and you do not need it to follow the films.
Anime · 2024
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the RohirrimOptional
Watch, then read: #13 · The films in release order: #8 · The films in story order: #2
An anime film about Helm Hammerhand, the king Helm's Deep is named after, set about two centuries before The Hobbit.
Where to start
On screen, start with The Fellowship of the Ring. If you love the trilogy, the Hobbit films are a lighter return trip. On the page, start with The Hobbit. It is short and funny, and a quick way to learn whether Tolkien is for you.
Many people do both: watch the trilogy, then read The Lord of the Rings and discover how much the films had to leave out.
Questions
Should I watch the extended editions?
For The Lord of the Rings, yes, if you have the time: most of the added scenes are character moments, with more time in the Shire and Lothlórien. The Hobbit's extended editions mostly add more of the same.
Do I need to read The Hobbit before The Lord of the Rings?
It helps but is not required. The Fellowship of the Ring opens with a summary of what you need to know about Bilbo and the ring.
Is The Rings of Power connected to Jackson's films?
It shares Tolkien's world and some designs, but it is a separate production set thousands of years earlier.
How we chose
Prepared by OmniTrackr and reviewed by the site owner before publishing. We listed the entries most people mean by "The Lord of the Rings", checked release years and story placement against public sources, and marked as optional the side stories that are not needed to follow the main story. The recommended order is editorial opinion: it is the order we would hand a friend starting from nothing.
Release years are for the first release in the original language. Running times, editions and availability vary by region. Links go to OmniTrackr title pages, not shops. Your progress is worked out from your own library each time you open the page; nothing about it is shared.
First published October 17, 2026. Checked October 17, 2026. Suggest a franchise or send a correction · Editorial standards · If you liked guides