Lord of the Rings: Complete History of the Fourth Age

A brief history of the fourth age, from the aftermath of the War of the Ring, to the New Shadow and beyond. Based on the "Lord of the Ring" Series as well as the expanded Universe Writings by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Support Civilization Ex through the following links:
Patreon: / civilizationex
Direct Donations: www.paypal.com...
Merchandise:
civilization-e...
www.youtube.co...
www.civilizati...
Membership:
Click the Join button next to Subscribe
or
Click Here: / @civilizationex
Freefolk - $1.99
Monthly Schedule
Early Access to New Videos
Citizen - $4.99
Monthly Schedule
Early Access to New Videos
Exclusive Members Only Videos
Patrician - $14.99
Monthly Schedule
Early Access to New Videos
Exclusive Members Only Videos
Shout Out in the Outro Credits
All Members
Loyalty Badges next to your name in comments and live chat
Custom Emoji to use in comments and live chat
Related Ebooks, Books and Audiobooks:
The Hobbit: amzn.to/3hpyDxV
Lord of the Rings Trilogy: amzn.to/3hluKtF
The Silmarillion: www.amazon.com...
Unfinished Tales: amzn.to/3k0anCU
Sign up for Audible: www.amazon.com...
Audible Premium Plus: amzn.to/2VWvH3M
Audible Gift Membership: amzn.to/39aXBOo
Kindle Unlimited: amzn.to/396vNdX
Amazon USA Link:
www.amazon.com?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=civilizatione-20
Amazon Canada Link:
www.amazon.ca/...
"The Thrones Effect" Available Now!
Written by: GoT Academy, Civilization Ex, Because Geek, Secrets of the Citadel, Gray Area, Ideas of Ice and Fire, History of Westeros, and Smokescreen
Ebook, Paperback and Audiobook:
www.amazon.com...
Music By Green Forge Studios:
/ @greenforgestudio
"Green Forge Tavern"
• "Green Forge Tavern" -...
Follow on Twitter:
civilizationex
Find all Civilization Ex videos and playlists at:
www.civilizati...

[@CivilizationEx]

Support Civilization Ex through the following links: Patreon: www.patreon.com/civilizationex Direct Donations: www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GN2PGCU4KN2FQ&source=url Merchandise: civilization-ex-store.creator-spring.com kzbin.infostore www.civilizationex.com/store Membership: Click the Join button next to Subscribe or Click Here: kzbin.info/door/LPMbl6z7UiLFTXNvoXShEgjoin Related Ebooks, Books and Audiobooks: The Hobbit: amzn.to/3hpyDxV Lord of the Rings Trilogy: amzn.to/3hluKtF The Silmarillion: www.amazon.com/Silmarillion-J-R-Tolkien-ebook/dp/B004L9MFAY/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=silmarillion&qid=1629060953&sr=8-1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=civilizatione-20 Unfinished Tales: amzn.to/3k0anCU Sign up for Audible: www.amazon.com/hz/audible/mlp/membership/plus?ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1524216631897&_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=pf4&tag=civilizatione-20 Audible Premium Plus: amzn.to/2VWvH3M Audible Gift Membership: amzn.to/39aXBOo Kindle Unlimited: amzn.to/396vNdX Amazon USA Link: www.amazon.com?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=civilizatione-20 Amazon Canada Link: www.amazon.ca/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=civilizatio0b-20 "The Thrones Effect" Available Now! Written by: GoT Academy, Civilization Ex, Because Geek, Secrets of the Citadel, Gray Area, Ideas of Ice and Fire, History of Westeros, and Smokescreen Ebook, Paperback and Audiobook: www.amazon.com/The-Thrones-Effect-Gil-Kidron-audiobook/dp/B07R7BSRQS/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=thrones+effect&qid=1606177382&sr=8-1

[@MrBlinky10101]

Whenever I remember that Legolas and Gimli went together to the Undying lands I cry tears of joy. Truest form of friendship. I love how all of these character's stories end

[@brandonmay3785]

pretty sure in the books he becomes a king in crystal caves and later on him and legolas go to the undying lands but by than gimli is old

[@michaelmarenda3300]

Imagine seeing gimli's reaction upon meeting Aule the Smith for the first time

[@eitantaub5503]

And Lady Galadriel!

[@herwansaputra4080]

And old sam meet still young frodo again 😭

[@GRasputin91]

"So Dwarves really DID spring out of holes in the ground!"

[@c.antoniojohnson7114]

He would be the biggest Stan of Aule,and want to learn everything possible about crafting.

[@maxalvarez5223]

@@eitantaub5503he already met Galadriel! She gave him three strands of her hair

[@CivilizationEx]

Correction: Throughout the video I refer to the Fourth Age as FA, but that means First Age. The Fourth Age should be FoA.

[@bluemym1nd]

Can't belive its over. This series was 2 years in the making and you probably spent hundreds of hours polishing your videos. In the process you became one of my favourite youtubers and I wish you good luck in your future endeavors. One last question tho. Will you combine all the videos into one giant video? It will probably be 5 hours long but i would watch it.

[@CivilizationEx]

Thank you! That was the plan, but the quality of the audio and drawings has improved quite a bit since the first video, so I think it would not go well together. So my new plan is to remake the entire series next year one after another and then make a final full history video. It's going to be a ton of work but I want it to be as good as possible.

[@bluemym1nd]

@@CivilizationEx that's awesome. I didn't think you would have the time and dedication to remake it better than ever. It would have been alright if you just combined your current videos but doing this shows that you care about quality. I hope everything goes well for your future videos.

[@CivilizationEx]

Thanks! :)

[@NRV0]

@@CivilizationEx Best of luck and looking forward to it!

[@RandomVidsforthought]

@@bluemym1nd It's believe not belive

[@GRasputin91]

It's depressing to imagine that, with Sauron gone, the only threats to Men would come from within...yet they are capable of causing just as much pain and heartbreak, even tho they lack the powers of an Ainu. Not until the Dagor Dagorath, the final and most destructive battle of all time, will evil be truly purged from Arda

[@afz3003]

What a sad ending for Arwen

[@mikegallant811]

It would be her fate. She made the choice of Luthien... The sweet and the bitter. Sweet because she would have many happy years with Aragorn and give him several children, bitter because she would face the Doom of Men, which means she would die as a mortal human does.

[@nicbahtin4774]

@@mikegallant811 don't get why she didn't left for the undying lands after Aragon died

[@mikegallant811]

@@nicbahtin4774 she gave up on going to Valinor.

[@nicbahtin4774]

@@mikegallant811 What stoping her from leaving after ? I mean she's an elf she has all the time in middle earth

[@mikegallant811]

@@nicbahtin4774 gave her place on the ship to Frodo!

[@wertyklom]

It's sad that Merri and Pippin didn't get to join everyone else in the undying lands

[@robertbarrows6687]

They didn't want or need to though.

[@TheTerranscout]

While it is sad, the God of the Tolkien universe states in the Silmarillion that he has an even greater reward/ending in mind for "his children", good mortals of middle earth (its left unclear if the abominations that morgoth enslaved as mortals, against their will, can be redeemed)

[@pemo2676]

There was no reason to. Mortals who go to the west still die, and go to the lands under specific circumstances where they can't peacefully live and die on middle earth, or are being rewarded (gimli was allowed to take arwens place on the boats.) Frodo and Sam were ring bearers and were allowed to go to peacefully pass away (frodo in particular, deeply effected by the ring and being stabbed by a morgul blade). Pippin and Merry were fine, they could die in peace and the shire is such a nice place they loved there was no need for them to leave

[@efaristi9737]

Oh, they are going to enjoy eachother again, even in the Undying Lands, mortals remains mortals and nothing can be done to prevent that (except for Tuor who became a elf ), Gimli, Frodo, Sam and Bilbo are going to die there and leave for the caves of Mandos. Gimli is going to stay there since it's where Dwarfs goes, i don't know if the Hobbits have their own caves or if they follow the path of men and go to Eru. So really only Gandalf and Legolas are going to remain on Aman and never see the others again until Arda is broken and remade anew.

[@pemo2676]

@@efaristi9737 we can assume hobbits go the same way as man, as it's pretty likely hobbits are just an offshoot of men

[@elvinarcher]

now i wonder how samwise got to the undying lands in old age, like he would have to travel with some elves or something, i doubt he sailed alone

[@efaristi9737]

he didn't, there was still elves in Mithlond to prepares the ships.

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

There were times I wish the stories of the Fourth Age was expanded.

[@rc59191]

Me too that new shadow story Tolkien scrapped sounded like it would of been really good. Wish he went through with it even if he didn't want to make it canon.

[@GOLDshred]

Agreed. I had a dream about the follow up book many years back. With strife amongst men being played out in the far south…

[@yurikendal4868]

Literally nothing wrong if we took up that task

[@MrDael01]

Gimli and Legolas talk briefly about men in book 5. Their views are I think a hint at how the fourth age would go. Essentially they say, "It's typical for men that their beginnings are great but somehow along the way [meaning, after a few generations] they lose their way and the outcomes are disappointing." Which would indicate that the history of middle earth after the passing or dwindling of the older races, will not be as serene and high minded as the the beginning under Elessar and his heirs but will resemble more the actual history of our world: great houses rise and fall, kings fight with other kings, gods are forsaken as often as they are revered, and people live again from day to day without much heed for higher purposes.

[@AlexSolaire]

Nowadays I wish they wouldn't expand on anything

[@WickerSticksSinema]

I would love to see a film that took place in Peter Jackson’s Universal Lord of the rings that serve as an epilogue the series in the fourth age. Discussing topics of lesser men, the final wars with the Easterlings in the sea of Rhun, The gondori and youth turning into Orc cults as a way to rebel, and the gray elves stayed in middle earth.

[@natemagers1550]

Agreed would be a great way to close it out. After all the times watching it. It's like dang I wonder how the fellowship went their separate ways.

[@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115]

Thank you for this video. It brought tears of joy knowing again from the heroes who molded my childhood-born ideals.

[@TheSaneHatter]

One thing that might have been added, is that the Red Book was given over to the King's Writer in Gondor at one point, leading to the Appendices in the back of LotR, and that at the time of those writings, the Dwarves did not seem to have retreated into Moria yet, and it was still not known of the last of the Elves had left the Grey Havens. If those writings could be even approximately dated, it would clarify much of the time frame quite a bit. It also might have been a nice touch to mention Sam's two descendants at Bag End, whose names are mentioned: Hamfast Gardner and Harding of the Hill.

[@uhh345]

It warms my heart that Frodo and Sam reunite.

[@planetkc]

Damn, its over now? I remember watching the 1st Age video when it came out. Thank you, man.

[@joknul1]

Thank you very much for al the effort. It has been an honor watching you for all these years.

[@Michael-yo3vu]

I didn't notice that you have a new logo! It looks amazing!

[@CivilizationEx]

Thank you :)

[@gandalfgaming4575]

Awesome! the fourth age has been so vague for me. thank you!

[@bomburthefat6621]

Now this, is a channel I havnt seen in a long time

[@minatodroger7890]

Man arwen end always gets me hope like luthien and beren the valar and eru let's her reunite with elessar

[@Usapyon_0719]

your videos are so amazing. I am so glad I found your channel. thank you for all the hard work you do making these videos :) :)

[@waldorf2007]

Can you imagine to face of Rosie when she got to Gondor and saw the reverence shown to Sam?

[@DavidZBrown]

Not to be a party pooper but there is no guarantee that Sam and Frodo reunited in the undying lands. Especially considering that any mortal being is still mortal in the undying lands.

[@zachpower2192]

Yeah, Frodo almost certainly would have been dead by the time Sam got there unless his time with the ring lengthened his life and that effect lasted post-destruction. Sam would also certainly have been dead by the time Legolas and Gimli arrived, sadly.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@zachpower2192 😔😔😔

[@celinechamoun7350]

Good reading. I wish the Lord of the Rings Fourth Age would be in Movies Trilogy

[@pikatheminecrafter]

FA is First Age. The Fourth Age is usually denoted FoA.

[@CivilizationEx]

Shoot you're right, what a silly mistake. I will leave a correction in the comments. Thanks for letting me know.

[@punkreizwan918]

Imagine there's a sequel to the LOTR trilogies, maybe the fifth age can be a steampunk kinda Middle earth

[@kine1401]

Hey can you add this video to the LOTR Timeline playlist please? I just realised you realised this video since on the other playlist is only a short 2 min version

[@CivilizationEx]

I added it, thanks for letting me know. :)

[@rufusmcgee4383]

Elrond should have stuck around until after Arwen died

[@shumprt]

i would love to see a movie about the 4th age of Middle Earth

[@user-ix1rp9ff3p]

first thing's first though...is there even enough source material from either Tolkien himself or the estate???

[@TheForcesWrath]

This is a great video with great detail.

[@sageofcaledor8188]

Wonderful video!

[@vivekmaharaj8672]

For some reason the music doesn’t fit

[@ChaserYohmoi]

any chance of short video covering 5th 6th & 7th ages? i mean 6th and 7th can just be said and hear you are now watching this , at least a shaping of the world through those ages

[@CivilizationEx]

There just isn't enough info about those ages for a video unfortunately.

[@aidtry182]

I remember reading this online that if you are to compare our world with Tolkien's world, we should be in the 7th age of Middle-Earth.

[@user-ix1rp9ff3p]

@@aidtry182 with the way things are, wouldn't be surprised if we're in the 10th or 15th Age by now...

[@SHARKVADERS]

CivEx!!!

[@Al_the_Phantom]

I was waiting for this

[@scr3aming3agle83]

This video made me happier than a dwarf at a feast

[@phoenix21studios]

Thanks! Love these

[@cmdrshprd4219]

I'll miss this series

[@gregnulik1975]

Considering the way the lord of the rings films ended, I was led to believe it would change to a modern like, 21st century at some point. Surprised it's an extended medieval era.

[@KingOfSciliy]

According to one source by Tolkien; the fourth age lasts for around 3000 years, and the fifth age is also 3000 and ends in what we know as AD 1. Speaking in 1958, he said that it was now the end of the sixth age and the beginning of the seventh. So, roughly speaking, the Fourth Age leads up until the beginning of what we consider the Bronze Age, which makes the Fifth Age the Bronze and Iron Ages, the the Sixth age is the Age of Rome until the pre-modern period, and the Seventh age the modern era.

[@gregnulik1975]

@@KingOfSciliy Thank you.

[@Georgios1821]

The end of Arwen made me sad?Dis she chose mortality when she married Aragorn?

[@CivilizationEx]

Yes, she chose mortality so her death was inevitable. But even so she could have lived longer if she wanted but instead chose to die soon after Aragorn.

[@danielstarr8957]

@@CivilizationEx aren't elves just reincarnated in the undying lands when they die in middle earth? If so she's alright.

[@CivilizationEx]

@@danielstarr8957 Elves yes, but Arwen gave up being an Elf and now shared the fate of men. So she was not reincarnated, she died and then left the world forever.

[@scarychannel792]

Wow!

[@yurikendal4868]

No. The fourth age remains incomplete. Tolkien didn't have the heart to finish a story about a burgeoning evil after the third age. I think that is up to us to finish. Morgoth is still out there, waiting for his final Story to be told

[@hannibalburgers477]

The evil is always there, but they do not openly worship Satan anymore. I do not believe there needs to be a new evil existing for the sole purpose of being evil and have amusement anymore. Not to mention, it has been only few centuries. Nothing compared to the large timeline of the civilisation in middle earth. They just survived from a borderline apocalyptic war(s), World Wars combined are nothing compared to those.They will not recover easily and wage another giant scale war anymore.

[@captainvalourous6668]

Not gonna lie but I imagine in the 5th Age where Men making a contact with the Silvan and the Avari and their relationship would be mixed with some would grew resenting the other race while there are Humans and Avari would mingle and intemix with them that would give birth to a new race of half breed Humans and Elves.

[@ForbiddenFollyFollower]

lol "The Long Cleeve" I wonder what that means for Pippin's wife.

[@guilherme5094]

Great!

[@FredThePhoenix]

I hate the Fourth Age... it's so depressing.

[@rodrigovaccari7547]

Sounded like a lot of peace and prosperity to me.

[@abnercliff9624]

I mean everyone gets a happy, or at least bittersweet ending. It is a little bit sad to see them all die though

[@user-ix1rp9ff3p]

@@rodrigovaccari7547 until "The New Shadow"; Tolkien abandoned the sequel because as OP said "[...] it's so depressing"

[@markmicco1005]

Why wouldn't you put a crown on King Eomer?

[@CivilizationEx]

Guess it didn't seem necessary, I never put one on Theoden or Elfwine either. Maybe I will in the future.

[@davepowder4020]

I hope the renewed kingdom of Gondor and Arnor support their wounded warriors better than the the U.S. does, instead of abandoning them.

[@davew6949]

Hopefully better. But going back to the main topic of the video, I wish that the movies had done a better job of showing Sam's interaction with the Ring, and his later journey to the West. It could even have been a part of the extended edition.

[@trinstonmichaels7062]

Trinston was here. .

[@amielgarcia3784]

Hail orc sauron

[@efaristi9737]

Tolkien was really trusting that the word of Aragorn about Druadan and the Shire will be respected through the generations of humans who had to come XD. were the elves of Ithillien and the Dwarfs of the Glitering Caves living under the autorities of the humans to whom thoses countries belonged? Didin't know Faramir and Eowyn had a son, i keep learning new things XD How Gimli get a pass to Valinor sound a little... light. How are Bilbon and Frodo still alive? wasn't it precised in Silmarillion that Aman does not prevent aging and could even accelarate it "like moths caught in too bright a light"? That's what happens to all the non-humans creatures, wasn't it? becoming kind of smaller and invisible and avoiding all contact with humans.

[@RandomYT05_01]

That was short.

[@christopherf8912]

Ayyyyy

[@BugBorAT]

What happanef to the prime series ? Cancelled ?

[@CivilizationEx]

Production was delayed but it will start next year.

[@BugBorAT]

@@CivilizationEx uh nice :D

[@mikegallant811]

@@CivilizationEx yes because much like the Great Plague, the Covid 19 coronavirus swept in from the east, and everything got fouled up.

[@gavinsmith9871]

You gonna do some non LOTR stuff soon?

[@CivilizationEx]

This was the last LOTR for awhile, next week is one more ASOIAF then after that Wheel of Time and the Witcher.

[@waterboi4846]

aragorn have a kissable lips

[@Ali_p20]

this is canon ?

[@CivilizationEx]

For my channel, yes, for others, kind of, lol. Tolkien wrote all this, but he never published it and didn't want to because he changed his mind about continuing the story. However for my channel I tend to include everything Tolkien and his son wrote as canon, while making my own judgement call when conflicts arise.

[@TheMorgalion]

I don’t like the ending for Arwen…

[@jointhefist1016]

Kinda boring...

[@robertbarrows6687]

Really hate how Arwen got the short end of the stick. Tolkien was really progressive for his time (Eowyn being the one to fucking slay Sauron's second in command the Witch-King after all) but he still had that 'women are nothing without men' mentality when it came to Arwen.

[@user-ix1rp9ff3p]

I think I read somewhere that unlike the PLJ trilogy, Arwen had quite a diminished almost wallpaper-ish role in the books

[@knightofkorbin888]

Because that's how reality is. Not every woman is a "strong female character" even if you want them to be. It may be "progressive" but it's not believable to have two women with different life circumstances being the same.

[@robertbarrows6687]

@@knightofkorbin888 ...man that is utterly sexist. When I point out how Arwen got the short end of the stick not even being a character in the LOTR books who wasn't allowed to move on with her life after Aragon passed away of old age, you defend it.

[@knightofkorbin888]

@@robertbarrows6687 Because it's frustrating that you're acting like there's no women exactly like her in the world when there still are and always were. The writer was writing off of reality but you can't see that in your ignorance. There are fragile women. Who can and do break and suffer. Who feel pain and can be overcome with misery, despair, regret, and grief. Who experience loneliness and struggle with loss in their life. There are weak women. There are women who are not strong enough to always face and power through whatever life throws at them; certainly not alone like Arwen was. I'm being a realist; you're being delusional. Clinging to ideologies and standards reality could never fully support. Believe it or don't women have and are strongly affected by grief of those they love, even a man. Especially the man they love. Marriage is perverted in this modern age but it used to be an an absolute union between two people. Two flesh becoming one. It's not a friendship, or a trade deal, or a collaboration, or a professional partnership built on a mutual pursuit of growth and/or pleasure. It's not some primal, animalistic relationship either where the animals are too simple and unintelligent to make the most out of a relationship than humans. They are now a part of you as you a part of them. You pitiful, compassionless soul, how can you expect her to move on from losing what is likely the most vital, meaningful, and wonderful person in her life? From losing her other half. A part of her identity. I know marriage has been deformed and twisted at this point beyond it's true self and you probably don't understand how intertwined and dependent two people will become in a strong marriage. I don't care if dependent is a dirty word now and a woman isn't supposed to depend on a man. Your ideology blinds you to reality. Arwen isn't an underdeveloped, poorly written female character and a victim of sexist writers. Your idealogy is preventing you from seeing the humanity in this elf woman. You have some nerve calling me a sexist for speaking the truth.

[@robertbarrows6687]

@@knightofkorbin888 You're not just sexist but you're a homophobic bigot from that entire spiel you just put down. Something tells me you don't even know who J. R. R. Tolkien is or ever read the Lord of the Rings.