Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power re-introduces us to elves, dwarves, and orcs, but hobbits seem to be conspicuously missing in the prequel series based on JRR Tolkien’s works. This is because the show is set in the Second Age, but the pilot episode soon introduces viewers to Harfoots, who are oddly reminiscent of hobbits. They avoid all sorts of trouble and enjoy feasting and keeping to themselves. 

The Harfoots are introduced as people who are skilled at hiding and have a hunter-gatherer society. They are also a breed of hobbits, the delightful residents of the shire. The mannerisms, including love for food and tendency to avoid dangers, are remarkably similar. However, just as the hobbits had outliers in Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the Harfoots have Nori. 

She’s an extremely curious child, but also takes care of her people. When we first meet Nori, she’s put in charge of a group of kids and they go berry-plucking. However, Nori catches site of a wolf paw print and quickly gets the children home. With her nose in everyone’s business, Nori – or Elanor Brandyfoot – gets one juicy piece of news from a clanmate who observes the skies. She learns that they are acting strangely, and when Nori catches sight of a falling star, she goes to the site and chances upon the Stranger. 

Through their interactions, a different side of Nori shines through. The character shows flashes of courage and resoluteness in deciding to help the Stranger and believing she came across him for a reason. Nori is also quick on her feet and decides that a cart would help them move the Stranger quickly from the crash site. 

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Elsewhere, she’s shown to be kind and compassionate, reaching a mutual agreement with the Stranger that they won’t harm each other. 

Nori also expresses a general sense of adventure and desire to explore, when she talks to a fellow Harfoot about there being a vast world waiting to be discovered – mentioning the new songs sparrows learn from other lands, amid various things. 

Thus far, Nori has shown a degree of innocence that the hobbits brought to the LOTR franchise, sparking fears about her fate if the Stranger does turn out to be Sauron. 

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Tolkien wrote about Harfoots in his work Concerning Hobbits, but since the breed is adept at hiding from humans and other creatures, Nori’s stories are delightfully missing from the history of Middle Earth, allowing Rings of Power to flesh out her tale. 

By the time the Third Age begins, Harfoots live alongside hobbits in the shire, which is why they aren’t mentioned separately.