BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE: WEAPONCRAFT
Intricate, ornate sidearms that are far more than just tools for combat
I n Middle-earth, you won’t get far without a weapon. Every hero who traverses Tolkien’s rich fantasy landscape needs a sidearm that reflects their character, class, and culture. “Tolkien put so much weight on the weaponry of the world,” explains Weapons Master Joe Dunckley, whose relationship with Middle- earth dates back over two decades to his days as a props technician at the legendary special effects and prop studio, Wētā Workshop. “Tolkien used them as a plot device—he even gave them names. That adds a layer of importance that we’ve got to put into it.” Working in collaboration with Property Master Matt Cornelius, Production Designer Ramsey Avery, and Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, Dunckley and a team of art directors would use Tolkien’s writing as a baseline for developing the design of the weapons in
For the weapons of Númenor, Dunckley and the team had their work cut out for them. “We produced the most amount of artwork for our discovery journey in Númenor,” he explains, “which was necessary, because there was no precedent.” The finished designs and motifs recalled the kingdom’s prosperity (“a culture at the peak of its powers”) and its pursuit of a unique identity for itself outside of the influence of their former patrons, the Elves. “On Elendil’s sword, you have the icon of the sun rising over the sea, representing the rise of man. And on the cavalry scabbards you’ve got the infinity symbol, which we repeated throughout the weaponry as the Númenóreans struggle with the concept of mortality.”
The Rings of Power , exploring the materials, colors, motifs, and shapes that would best fit each species. “Each one has to have its own little design parameters that are true to their physicality,” describes Cornelius. “A Dwarf has huge forearms and they’re stocky, therefore the axe that they carry is a far heavier and more solid weapon than something that an Elf would want. It’s a design detail. You’re always trying to make it very clear that you’ve designed something that fits a certain culture.” To tackle this design challenge, the crew worked with the Wētā Workshop, with their expertise and uniquely inspiring brainstorming environment. “In Wētā there’s what’s called the weapons wall,” Dunckley explains, “which is like a museum of every possible shape and type of weapon you can imagine, and often our meetings would start in there.”
secrets so easily, at least initially. The mysterious broken artifact discovered buried under a barn by the young Southlander, Theo, bears Sauron’s sigil, and foreshadows the evil that is to come. “Originally, we went towards a classic sword shape,” recalls Dunckley, “but Ramsey pushed us to make it far more unique, and to think of it more as a key, rather than as a sword.” In stark contrast to the poetic, natural, light design of Galadriel’s Elven blade, this object is dark, twisted, and a representation of pure evil. “It’s designed to draw blood, even from the person who’s carrying it,” Dunckley continues. “It’s covered in barbs and spikes. Every part of it is designed to inflict a wound, and then channel that blood towards the sigil. Then the sword becomes whole, and we realise it’s not a sword at all.”
Galadriel’s trusty blade, inherited from her brother Finrod and by her side during her many years hunting for Sauron across the far-flung corners of Middle-earth, boasts an intricate design that is rich in Elven folklore. Growing out of the pommel and intertwining down the hilt towards the blade are depictions of the Two Trees of Valinor which brought light to the Undying Lands, embellished with pearls and representations of the trees’ fruits and flowers. “The blade itself,” describes Dunckley, “is stiletto-style, representing a shaft of light.” To forge such an integral prop, the team used 3D printers, and a nickel- chromium-based superalloy called Inconel® that is resistant to corrosion, stronger than steel, and well-suited for extreme environments—be they nuclear reactors, rocket engines, or the unforgiving, frost-bitten terrain of Forodwaith.
“In Wētā there’s what’s called the weapons wall, which is like a museum of every possible shape and type of weapon you can imagine, and often our meetings would start in there.”
But there’s one distinctive weapon in The Rings of Power that refuses to give up its
— Joe Dunckley, Weapons Master
Above: Finrod’s ornate Elven dagger, which Galadriel carries with her always. Above Right: The broken hilt found by Theo that becomes the key to evil finding a home in Middle-earth.
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EPISODE 1 — A SHADOW OF THE PAST
EPISODE 1 — A SHADOW OF THE PAST
Above: A Dwarven axe with engraved inscription in Khuzdul, the Dwarvish language.
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