The Rings of Power: What Is an Entwife (& Why Do They Matter)?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 4, “Eldest.”

The Entwives just made their Rings of Power debut, and it’s all Middle-earth devotees can talk about. But if you’re a casual fan, you’re probably wondering what an Entwife is and why it matters that one appears in Season 2 – so, read on to find out!

The Rings of Power Season 2’s Entwife, Explained

Two Ents appear in The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 4: Snaggleroot and Winterblossom. It turns out they’re the unseen creatures that snatched up Theo in Episode 3. Why? Because the legendarily even-tempered tree shepherds finally got sick of everyone in Middle-earth lopping down forests and decided to take action. It’s all very dramatic, but what really matters is that Winterblossom isn’t just an Ent: she’s an Entwife. Why is that such a big deal? Because Entwives (as female Ents are known) aren’t around any more in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Related: The Rings of Power: What Happens With Isildur and Estrid in the Book?

Don’t worry, they’re (probably) not dead. Instead, they’re missing – and have been for centuries. By the Second Age (the era when The Rings of Power is set), the Ents and Entwives lived apart. They weren’t estranged, exactly; the Entwives liked to tend their gardens, while the Ents were bigger on roaming than staying put. So, when Sauron started torching the countryside, the Entwives were forced to flee with no way of letting the Ents know where they were headed. And if that’s not tragic enough, it also means there aren’t anymore l’il Ents (or Entings), so the Ents are slowly dying out.

Have the Entwives Appeared in Any Other Lord of the Rings Media?

Nope. Depending on your definition of “appeared,” the Entwives don’t even show up in the books! J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth tomes reference the Entwives’ history and traits, however, female Ents don’t have an in-person role in any of Tolkien’s narrative writing. This includes the Lord of the Rings itself, as by this point in the in-universe timeline, the Entwives are well and truly lost.

Related: What’s the Deal With the Rings of Power Season 2’s Tom Bombadil?

The knock-on effect of this is that no Lord of the Rings adaptation (with the exception of Rings of Power) features Entwives, either. The closest we get is in The Two Towers Extended Edition, which restores dialogue trimmed from the theatrical cut about the Ents’ missing other halves. We even get a poetry recital about the Entwives – but no sign of the female tree shepherds themselves.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping Thursdays.