The Epic Rap Battle series pits J.R.R. Tolkien and G.R.R. Martin against each other in a fantastic rap battle.
We’re pretty much obsessed with fictional character rap battles, whether it’s Hermione vs Katniss or Deadpool vs Boba Fett. But this one might just be our new favorite!
Fictionalized versions of Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien, and his fanboy George R.R. Martin (who wrote this tiny thing called A Song of Ice and Fire, you may have heard of it) duke it out, and it’s glorious.
Check out the video below:
George R.R. Martin starts out strong… but then it’s Tolkien’s turn, and his retaliation is epic.
Not only did Martin totally steal Tolkien’s “R.R.,” but the whole character death thing? Tolkien is just not impressed. It’s fantasy, George, it’s supposed to be unrealistic!
And Tolkien gets the micdrop moment: “Every time I battle it’s Return of the King.”
Related: Honest Trailer: Game of Thrones tricks non-nerds into liking fantasy, and other nonsense
But is he really the winner?! On one hand, J.R.R. Tolkien is the undisputed grandfather of the fantasy genre, and George R.R. Martin undeniably took a lot of — let’s call it inspiration — from the Middle-Earth saga.
On the other, some would argue that ASOIAF, in all its intricate glory, far transcends Tolkien’s LotR saga, exactly because the good guys don’t always win, and horrible things keep happening.
So we’ll leave it for you to decide: Who won this Epic Rap Battle — J.R.R. Tolkien, or George R.R. Martin?