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Who wins?
House of Dragon vs. Rings of Power: Which Fantasy TV Show Reigns Supreme? Read Our Head-to-Head Breakdown and Vote for Your Favorite!
By Dave Nemetz / October 13 2022, 8:00 AM PDT
House of the Dragon Rings of Power Compared List Poll
Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Two big-budget fantasy blockbusters are currently locked in a fierce battle for our attention: HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon and Amazon’s Lord of the Rings adaptation The Rings of Power. But if we stacked them up head-to-head, which one would claim the ultimate throne?
To be clear, we here at TVLine are greatly enjoying both shows each week — what an embarrassment of riches! — but we still thought it’d be fun to pit them against each other in a clash of the TV titans. With Rings wrapping up its freshman season this week, we’re taking a closer look at the two shows and judging them in a number of key categories (cast, dialogue, visual effects) and deciding which one is best in each. Then we add them all up and declare a winner, once and for all. Oh, and of course, we’re giving you a chance to weigh in and tell us which one gets your vote.
So read on to see how House of the Dragon compares to The Rings of Power and vice versa, vote for your favorite in our poll and then scroll down to the comments to share your own hot take on which show is best.
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Game of Thrones had one of the best opening credit sequences in TV history, and House of the Dragon… just kind of did it over again? It’s disappointing, if understandable, to see the Dragon producers use the same theme song and a very similar pop-up puzzle visual. (Though the blood trickling through the castle is kinda cool.) Yes, the Rings opening credits owe quite a bit to Game of Thrones, too, but watching the grains of sand form various shapes and then dissipate is mesmerizing — and that song! Howard Shore’s theme is absolutely transporting, matching the gorgeous imagery and setting us up for the epic journey to come. We never “Skip Intro” on that one.
Winner: The Rings of Power
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Here, we’re not judging the books themselves; the written works of J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin are unassailable in fantasy circles. But not every great book translates to great TV, so which source material lends itself the best to a small-screen adaptation? Both are vividly realized, densely populated universes, and Tolkien has certainly given the Rings writers plenty to work with, but we have to give the edge to Dragon here. Martin’s prose has always felt readymade for TV — after all, he was a TV writer for years before penning the Game of Thrones books — and the political maneuvering and shocking twists make it ideal for weekly consumption. We’re already seeing that pay dividends on Dragon.
Winner: House of the Dragon
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
This is a tough one: Both shows boast sprawling casts loaded with knockout performances. Dragon has more notable names on its call sheet, with Doctor Who‘s Matt Smith as Daemon and Bates Motel‘s Olivia Cooke as adult Alicent, but it also introduced us to breakout stars like Milly Alcock as a young Rhaenyra. Rings opted for a cast full of newcomers, and a number of them have dazzled, from Morfydd Clark as elven warrior Galadriel to Markella Kavenagh as curious Harfoot girl Nori. We’ve already fallen in love with several actors in both casts, but in terms of Emmy-worthy performances, Dragon delivers just slightly more acting oomph.
Winner: House of the Dragon (by a white-blonde hair)
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
The armies of Dragon and Rings battle not only with swords, but with words, and the dialogue on both shows has been eminently quotable thus far. We can really see a distinct difference between the two shows here, though: On Dragon, words cut as deeply as daggers, with vicious insults and devious plotting dominating the talk, while Rings is more uplifting, with the characters’ conversations peppered with clever proverbs and inspiring pep talks. We must be meanies at heart, though, because we’re partial to Dragon‘s more edgy — and more gut-level realistic — writing.
Winner: House of the Dragon
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Here, we run into Dragon‘s biggest stumbling block so far. The pacing of the freshman season has been haphazard to say the least, with all the time jumps — a few years one week, a decade the next — making it tough to get emotionally invested in the characters and their conflicts. (Key relationships, like Daemon and Rhaenyra’s, have been rushed through, too.) Rings has almost the opposite issue: It has dragged in places, with certain storylines like Nori and The Stranger getting stuck in narrative quicksand for weeks at a time. But nearly all the plot threads are working so far, and it feels like it’s building significant momentum as we approach this week’s season finale.
Winner: The Rings of Power
Production Design and Visual Effects
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Up against nearly any other show on television, Dragon would win this category in a landslide. HBO clearly sunk tens of millions into the prequel’s look, and it pays off, with lavish costumes and lots of cool fire-breathing dragons swooping through the skies of Westeros. But Amazon sunk tens of millions into Rings, too, and the result is one of the best-looking TV shows we’ve ever seen, with impossibly colorful landscapes and gorgeously detailed visual design. Dragon‘s effects are impressive, but Rings‘ are immersive, bringing Middle-earth to such vivid life that even Peter Jackson’s films can’t compare to it.
Winner: The Rings of Power
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Big, brawny fight scenes are the bread and butter of the fantasy genre, and both series have delivered so far with massive clashes that left us exhausted just watching them. Dragon gave us Daemon’s fiery defeat of the Crab Feeder in Episode 3, but besides that, this season has featured more psychological battles than physical ones, with most episodes safely confined within castle walls. Rings has surprisingly been the more feisty of the two so far, with a number of smaller orc skirmishes leading up to Episode 6’s bloody battle for the Southlands — a spectacularly intense hour of combat that brought to mind the classic Game of Thrones episode “Hardhome.” Now Rings isn’t quite on Thrones‘ level just yet… but it’s closer than Thrones‘ own prequel is.
Winner: The Rings of Power
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
No, we don’t need romance to watch a TV show — but it helps! Not only are there very few love stories on Dragon, we’re not even sure any of the characters even like each other all that much. (When your most well-developed romance is between an uncle and a niece, well, that’s not great.) Rings, meanwhile, has nurtured a number of intriguing pairs this season, including the forbidden bond between human Bronwyn and elf Arondir and the sparks we’re sensing between Galadriel and Halbrand. (Plus, Durin and Disa are totally #CoupleGoals.) We get it: Dragon isn’t trying to pluck our heartstrings. But that means Rings wins this one, almost by default.
Winner: The Rings of Power
House of the Dragon Rings of Power Compared
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
It’s been a hard-fought contest, to be sure, but going strictly by the numbers, we have Rings edging out Dragon, five categories to three. That mostly matches our own personal tally — two out of two TVLine staffers who watch both shows prefer Rings — but we’re truly enjoying both series, and we can’t wait to see more of them. (Good thing both are already renewed for second seasons, then.) When we have two gloriously grand fantasy series like this duking it out each week, we’re all winners, right?
But now we want to know what you think: Vote in our poll to tell us which series you prefer so far — House of the Dragon or The Rings of Power — and then hit the comments to back up your choice.
Take Our Poll
House of Dragon vs. Rings of Power: Which Fantasy TV Show Reigns Supreme? Read Our Head-to-Head Breakdown and Vote for Your Favorite!
By Dave Nemetz / October 13 2022, 8:00 AM PDT
House of the Dragon Rings of Power Compared List Poll
Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Two big-budget fantasy blockbusters are currently locked in a fierce battle for our attention: HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon and Amazon’s Lord of the Rings adaptation The Rings of Power. But if we stacked them up head-to-head, which one would claim the ultimate throne?
To be clear, we here at TVLine are greatly enjoying both shows each week — what an embarrassment of riches! — but we still thought it’d be fun to pit them against each other in a clash of the TV titans. With Rings wrapping up its freshman season this week, we’re taking a closer look at the two shows and judging them in a number of key categories (cast, dialogue, visual effects) and deciding which one is best in each. Then we add them all up and declare a winner, once and for all. Oh, and of course, we’re giving you a chance to weigh in and tell us which one gets your vote.
So read on to see how House of the Dragon compares to The Rings of Power and vice versa, vote for your favorite in our poll and then scroll down to the comments to share your own hot take on which show is best.
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Game of Thrones had one of the best opening credit sequences in TV history, and House of the Dragon… just kind of did it over again? It’s disappointing, if understandable, to see the Dragon producers use the same theme song and a very similar pop-up puzzle visual. (Though the blood trickling through the castle is kinda cool.) Yes, the Rings opening credits owe quite a bit to Game of Thrones, too, but watching the grains of sand form various shapes and then dissipate is mesmerizing — and that song! Howard Shore’s theme is absolutely transporting, matching the gorgeous imagery and setting us up for the epic journey to come. We never “Skip Intro” on that one.
Winner: The Rings of Power
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Here, we’re not judging the books themselves; the written works of J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin are unassailable in fantasy circles. But not every great book translates to great TV, so which source material lends itself the best to a small-screen adaptation? Both are vividly realized, densely populated universes, and Tolkien has certainly given the Rings writers plenty to work with, but we have to give the edge to Dragon here. Martin’s prose has always felt readymade for TV — after all, he was a TV writer for years before penning the Game of Thrones books — and the political maneuvering and shocking twists make it ideal for weekly consumption. We’re already seeing that pay dividends on Dragon.
Winner: House of the Dragon
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
This is a tough one: Both shows boast sprawling casts loaded with knockout performances. Dragon has more notable names on its call sheet, with Doctor Who‘s Matt Smith as Daemon and Bates Motel‘s Olivia Cooke as adult Alicent, but it also introduced us to breakout stars like Milly Alcock as a young Rhaenyra. Rings opted for a cast full of newcomers, and a number of them have dazzled, from Morfydd Clark as elven warrior Galadriel to Markella Kavenagh as curious Harfoot girl Nori. We’ve already fallen in love with several actors in both casts, but in terms of Emmy-worthy performances, Dragon delivers just slightly more acting oomph.
Winner: House of the Dragon (by a white-blonde hair)
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
The armies of Dragon and Rings battle not only with swords, but with words, and the dialogue on both shows has been eminently quotable thus far. We can really see a distinct difference between the two shows here, though: On Dragon, words cut as deeply as daggers, with vicious insults and devious plotting dominating the talk, while Rings is more uplifting, with the characters’ conversations peppered with clever proverbs and inspiring pep talks. We must be meanies at heart, though, because we’re partial to Dragon‘s more edgy — and more gut-level realistic — writing.
Winner: House of the Dragon
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Here, we run into Dragon‘s biggest stumbling block so far. The pacing of the freshman season has been haphazard to say the least, with all the time jumps — a few years one week, a decade the next — making it tough to get emotionally invested in the characters and their conflicts. (Key relationships, like Daemon and Rhaenyra’s, have been rushed through, too.) Rings has almost the opposite issue: It has dragged in places, with certain storylines like Nori and The Stranger getting stuck in narrative quicksand for weeks at a time. But nearly all the plot threads are working so far, and it feels like it’s building significant momentum as we approach this week’s season finale.
Winner: The Rings of Power
Production Design and Visual Effects
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Up against nearly any other show on television, Dragon would win this category in a landslide. HBO clearly sunk tens of millions into the prequel’s look, and it pays off, with lavish costumes and lots of cool fire-breathing dragons swooping through the skies of Westeros. But Amazon sunk tens of millions into Rings, too, and the result is one of the best-looking TV shows we’ve ever seen, with impossibly colorful landscapes and gorgeously detailed visual design. Dragon‘s effects are impressive, but Rings‘ are immersive, bringing Middle-earth to such vivid life that even Peter Jackson’s films can’t compare to it.
Winner: The Rings of Power
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
Big, brawny fight scenes are the bread and butter of the fantasy genre, and both series have delivered so far with massive clashes that left us exhausted just watching them. Dragon gave us Daemon’s fiery defeat of the Crab Feeder in Episode 3, but besides that, this season has featured more psychological battles than physical ones, with most episodes safely confined within castle walls. Rings has surprisingly been the more feisty of the two so far, with a number of smaller orc skirmishes leading up to Episode 6’s bloody battle for the Southlands — a spectacularly intense hour of combat that brought to mind the classic Game of Thrones episode “Hardhome.” Now Rings isn’t quite on Thrones‘ level just yet… but it’s closer than Thrones‘ own prequel is.
Winner: The Rings of Power
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
No, we don’t need romance to watch a TV show — but it helps! Not only are there very few love stories on Dragon, we’re not even sure any of the characters even like each other all that much. (When your most well-developed romance is between an uncle and a niece, well, that’s not great.) Rings, meanwhile, has nurtured a number of intriguing pairs this season, including the forbidden bond between human Bronwyn and elf Arondir and the sparks we’re sensing between Galadriel and Halbrand. (Plus, Durin and Disa are totally #CoupleGoals.) We get it: Dragon isn’t trying to pluck our heartstrings. But that means Rings wins this one, almost by default.
Winner: The Rings of Power
House of the Dragon Rings of Power Compared
Photo : Courtesy of HBO; Courtesy of Prime Video
It’s been a hard-fought contest, to be sure, but going strictly by the numbers, we have Rings edging out Dragon, five categories to three. That mostly matches our own personal tally — two out of two TVLine staffers who watch both shows prefer Rings — but we’re truly enjoying both series, and we can’t wait to see more of them. (Good thing both are already renewed for second seasons, then.) When we have two gloriously grand fantasy series like this duking it out each week, we’re all winners, right?
But now we want to know what you think: Vote in our poll to tell us which series you prefer so far — House of the Dragon or The Rings of Power — and then hit the comments to back up your choice.
Take Our Poll
Centurions
Well-Known Member
There's no nudity in Rings of Power, that's an easy pick :)
Centurions
Well-Known Member
I'd be in the "I like them both" camp myself.Power wins but if you look at the voting >>
tolmie's hairdoo
Well-Known Member
The Bear.
Outrageously good. Jeremy Allen White, such a great actor.
A very long time since I watched a series and felt a sense of loss the next one wasn't immediately available.
Outrageously good. Jeremy Allen White, such a great actor.
A very long time since I watched a series and felt a sense of loss the next one wasn't immediately available.
The only reason Rings of Power has good reviews by organisations is they are in Bezos pay roll.
I loved GoT and everything Asoiaf related but after the shit show finale I expected to to hate Dragon. Yet I love it, an amazing programme, well acted and scripted.
I wanted to like Rings of Power but it’s dreadful, absolute pile of steaming crap. Flowery meaningless dialogue and piss poor story.
Don’t see how anyone can enjoy it. Only one winner is House of the Dragon, by a country mile.
I loved GoT and everything Asoiaf related but after the shit show finale I expected to to hate Dragon. Yet I love it, an amazing programme, well acted and scripted.
I wanted to like Rings of Power but it’s dreadful, absolute pile of steaming crap. Flowery meaningless dialogue and piss poor story.
Don’t see how anyone can enjoy it. Only one winner is House of the Dragon, by a country mile.
Stoned Rose
Well-Known Member
What’s it about mate?
urban genie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 11 May 2008
- Messages
- 32,428
Why compare them, they may both be high fantasy but are completely different shows in story and style.
I watch RoP for a tolkienesque experience, I watch HoD for a game of thrones style fantasy show neither are the same and it's daft to measure one by the other.
On a GoT level house of dragon is pretty dull imho compared to the original on a Tolkien level Rings of power is fairly like true tolkien and more true to his works than the films that cut lot of the lore.
Personally I wouldn't compare them to each other though, Its like comparing babylon 5 to deep space 9 same genres space station, ancient beings and internal politics but diferent astetics
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