Lord of the Rings vs Harry Potter

I had a giant argument about which was better at my lunch table and I wanted to see what other people's opinions on which one is better.

1. Better book's

2.better movies(so far)

3.better characters

4.better wtf moments

5.overall what is your favorite

That's not even an argument, actually It's blasphemy to compare LOTR to harry potter.

1. Harry Potter. Personal preference, I find the characters more in depth and "human" if that makes sense. I care a lot more about what happens to them than I did the LOTR books. LOTR is a fantastic trilogy none the less
2. Lord of the Rings by far. The Harry Potter movies were poorly adapted in my opinion and changed and cut out too much.
3. Harry Potter, as previously said but I love Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli
4. Harry Potter, it was pretty obvious all the way through LOTR that Frodo would succeed in his goal. The whole thing with Snape and the twist and turns in Harry Potter made it more surprising to me.
5. I think this is a tie. If you're looking at both films and movies combined.

1.Better books -Lord of the Rings. Better writing. It's on a world of its own. Just pure epic. Harry Potter for me was the more "exciting" of the two but Lord of the Rings was just more than that. It was emphatic to say the least. It's a high epic that can be compared great mythologies. It just felt that it was given way more effort and inspiration to conceive. Plus HP books got darker and darker, moving away from its original feel and theme, which for me was what made the series popular.

2.Better movies(so far) -Gotta go with Lord here. HP movies are great but the same with the books, it strayed from its original feel. And the battles were just amazing. Swords and spears and shields and cavalries are just more of an eye candy than light flashing from wands.

3.Better characters -Lord of the Rings, the characters (both good and evil) had deeper motives and convictions. Frodo (though very irritating) was much sympathetic than Harry. Gollum had a deeper character than Dobby, Gandalf and Saruman were way more mystical than Dumbledore and Snape. The Naz'gul (though homogeneous) are just more badass than the dementors and death eaters. I found Voldy more interestng than Sauron though (Trilogy-speaking, Silmarillion not included).

4.Better wtf moments -Harry Potter. I never really felt any WTF moments in LOtR. Every "twist" was not that big a deal. Saruman's evil? Meh! Gandalf's alive? Meh! But in HP, it's like... Dumbldore dead?!? WTF!!! Snape is a villain?!? WTF!!! Snape is not a villain?! WTF??? Hocruxes? WTF??? Harry is a ****** (hidden for spoilers sake) WTF?!?

5.Overall what is your favorite -Narnia! Oh wait, that's not in here. Gotta go with Lord as is obvious with my preferences in the above fields.

LOVE both but LOTR > HP.

I'm a LOTR man, born and raised. I like HP quite a bit, but I think it leans on the ol' deus ex machina a bit heavily.

Lord of the rings for everything bar the WTf moments thats Potters only win.

Both are overrated, but at least LotR isn't insulting and a cause for the death of the literary world.

So LotR in every category.

Both are overrated, but at least LotR isn't insulting and a cause for the death of the literary world. So LotR in every category.

@FadeToBlackBolt said:

Both are overrated, but at least LotR isn't insulting and a cause for the death of the literary world. So LotR in every category.

Surprisingly, no Potter fanboys are flaming on you now.. :D Quick, type a lengthy post about how Narnia trumps Potter! I would do it if only I'm not about to log out right now... :D J/K

@FadeToBlackBolt: 

And Horror kills both sci-fi and fantasy.

That's not even an argument, actually It's blasphemy to compare LOTR to harry potter.

LOTR hands down is the best.

LOTR

                    LOVE both but LOTR > HP.

                   

               

LOTR, no contest....

1. Better book's 
Harry Potter. The characters are so in depth you truly come to care about them. Don't get me wrong I love LoTR and all of the characters I just became more emotionally invested in HPs characters. There were also so many twists in turns in HP it was ridiculous. Like stated above LoTRs twists just weren't that great.

2.Better movies(so far)

 LoTR hands down. There has only been one Harry Potter movie that I've enjoyed the amount of the LoTR movies (Prisoner of Azkaban).
 The Rings movies were epics. The Harry Potters not so much.
3.better characters  
For me this is Harry Potter for the reasons stated above.
4.better wtf moments

Harry Potter for all of the crazy stuff that happens between books 4-7

5.overall what is your favorite 
Harry Freakin' Potter. I am obsessed with it. I currently run 5 different Facebook pages dedicated to it and 2 accounts dedicated to characters.

Better everything:LOTR, the movies were epic but they did leave some things out that the books explain.  

1. Books: LOTR- Harry Potter books are awesome but LOTR is in a league of its own. Its an epic, a classic, a masterpiece.
2. Movies:  LOTR- Lord of the Rings had the best movies by far if anyone says otherwise I don't know what I will do with them. The only Harry Potter movie that I really thought was amazing were the Prisoner of Azkaban and the Deathly Hallows part .
3. Characters: Harry Potter- They have much more engaging and personable characters than LOTR. IT is a book meant for deeper characterization and for modern audiences to relate to.
4: WTF???: Harry Potter- This is something I think we can all agree on. There are definitely more of those momentst especially in the last books. LOTR is a more serious book and was never intended to have those moments
5: Overall: Well normally in this category I would say Narnia or Percy Jackson (both of which are grossly underrated btw) but in this case I gotta say that I think LOTR is better but I myself like Harry Potter more.

@deranged_midget:

they were around at different times, lotr was the 1st of its kind there for is wasn't a huge as potter which came out when fantasy was big

Books: Harry Potter. Lord of the Rings is boring

Movies: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings dragons on

Characters: HP

Overall: HP.

Id say the Lotr books is alot better, they have so much depth and lore behind them that is lacking in HP.

The Harry Potter Movies are better, maybe in part due to there being more of them, they are also more unique. Lotr is a bit generic fantasy even though they are great.

The characters is very individual, I think I like the Lotr ones more due to being more mature. But Dumledore and Snape is amazing.

Ill go with harry potter on this one.

Overall ill go with HP for movies and Lotr for books, cant pick one.

Without LOTR, there would be no Harry Potter.

Doesn't make it better

I prefer Harry Potter overall, it's my generation's sensation.

LOTR stomps

King aragorn solos the coolness over Harry potter series

@jnr6lil: It's one of the most-read books of all time. It's cultural influence compared to Harry Potter is staggering. It's use of metaphors that are still valid today makes it often considered a work of art. It's staggering how often people underestimate LOTO's influence on literary history.

I personally prefer LOTR (I guess) but your point is not a valid one (Its not because its true means LOTR is above HP ).

@rouflex: As mentioned above, it wins hands-down with cultural influence, which is what that point was meant to prove.

Influence that has been surpassed by HP.

Either way it's boring to me.

I don't care how "legendary" LOTR is...it bores me, Harry Potter easily is more entertaining to me.

This

I love LOTR, its one of our greatest modern mythologies of a world which feels like our own but isn't and of course help inspired Harry Potter more or less. Harry Potter is a modern age classic and still feels new exciting as it did when I was a nine-year-old. But I really can't decide, both have made their stakes in popular culture and imagination. So really they shouldn't be placed in a battle against each other but applauded side by side.

1. Never read LOTR

2. LOTR, Some of the greatest movies ever made vs an overhyped teenage fangirl ride

3. LOTR, Legolas is in Lord of the Rings. Thats enough to say LOTR has better characters

4. Tie

5. Lord of the Rings is up there with the greatest movies ever made. Lord of the Rings by a landslide.

LOTR.

1. Better book's
I dunno.

2.better movies(so far)
I haven't watched that many Harry Potter movies. I have seen most of the LOTR's though

3.bettercharacters

I prefer the LOTR's

4.better wtf moments

I guess Harry can take this one.

5.overall what is your favorite

Lord of the Rings, hands down, I'm not a huge fan of magic. And yes I know, LOTR's had some magic. But, they also had knights, archers, and warriors.

(+)

Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Tie Harry Potter. LOTR is obviously a classic but i never really got into it/enjoyed it after seeing the movies

Lord of the Rings for me personally. HP is cool and all I just feel LOTR is on a whole other level of epic...

Lotr for everything. Harry Potter never interested me.

The one that got Emma Watson's career started.

LOTR had waaaaay better movies. It's heretical to say that crap did better than one of the best movie and book trilogies of recorded time.

Lord of the Rings in a horrible curbstomp for all categories. I love Harry Potter, but there's really no comparison for me.

I'm probably a freak but I think HP sweeps. I just was on a different wavelength to Lotr.

1. Lord of the rings.

2. Harry Potter.

3. Harry Potter.

4. Neither had any real wtf moments.

5. Lotr books, Potter movies.