Poppy Proudfellow is one of the main characters of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Poppy is Nori Brandyfoot's best friend. Poppy is portrayed by Megan Richards, first appearing in the episode "A Shadow of the Past".
Official Description[]
Poppy is an orphan who has suffered a great loss and had to grow up fast. Poppy is Nori’s curious and loyal best friend who will stick with her through thick and thin – and all the mischief in between.
Biography[]
Poppy is a member of the Harfoot community led by Sadoc Burrows.[2] She was orphaned in a single year when her family was killed in a mudslide.[1] She is more cautious in nature compared to her best friend, Nori, but still follows her on adventures. Poppy joined Nori and some of the community's children in visiting an abandoned farm near their encampment. When evidence of wolves in the area is found, Poppy helps Nori is getting the children back to the safety of the camp.[2]
Poppy finds Nori standing over the impact point of a comet, and tries to convince her friend to abandon the Stranger who came inside the comet. Nori instead talks Poppy into helping her move the Stranger to safety, despite Poppy's many protests and best efforts to leave the "giant" behind. Nori admits she feels she has to help the Stranger as he landed near them of all places. She can't explain her feeling, but knows he's important. Poppy finally agrees to keep their latest rendezvous a secret.[3]
In the morning, Nori's father has an accident while erecting a tent and breaks his ankle. Poppy finds Nori with the Stranger and narrowly avoids an attack from his powers. Nori explains to the Stranger that Poppy is a friend who can be trusted.[3]
Nori and Poppy find the Stranger that evening using firefly lanterns. Nori is emotional as she feels she can't help him even though she wants too very badly. He communicates with the fireflies to make them form a constellation, to the Harfoots amazement. Nori realizes he wants their help in finding those stars, and has an idea of where to look.[3]
That night of the Harvest Festival, Nori tries to steal the Star-book when Poppy yanks her back. Sadoc will kill her if she touches it. Poppy doesn't want to help the Stranger. The sensible thing to do is give him food and send him to the humans. Nori's trying to figure out where he belongs, and her dedication to the Stranger confuses Poppy. Nori blackmails Poppy by leveraging her prank against Malva. Poppy keeps watch while Nori flips through the pages of the book in search of the star chart. She finally finds it just as Poppy bellows to Sadoc who is approaching. He enters the hut and sits to work on his speech while Nori hides under the desk. She tries to grab the papers from under the desk. Poppy runs up and disguises her directions for Nori as a conversation about Sadoc's speech. She flees once Nori has the papers.[1]
The community dances while eating, and plays music until Sadoc takes the podium to begin his speech. They remember those who were left behind. They couldn't wait for them in life but welcome them to their circle now. Sadoc pauses in sorrow before reading several members of the Proudfellow family as Poppy listens in tears. The Stranger comes crashing into the camp, scaring the Harfoots into a feeble attempt at hiding. The Stranger calls out for Nori, with the entire community turning to face the girl. Nori is reprimanded for helping a stranger, and she lies that it was just her involved to protect her friend.[1]
The Harfoots begin migrating, with the Brandyfoots falling behind because of Largo's injury. Poppy, who's one cart ahead of the Brandyfoots, stops to let them catch up to her, though they fear being left behind as they can't keep up. The Stranger emerges from under the cart and calls her “friend.” Nori realizes he is the answer to their problem - they will help each other.[1]
The migration begins and Poppy is eager to be with her people, though she keeps the Brandyfoots company by singing her mam's walkin' song. They arrive in a barren forest that unnerves her. Poppy and Nori find wolf prints and warn Malva, who is picking fungi off a tree. The wolves attack the girls who are saved by the Stranger's magic.[4]
The Brandyfoot's and Poppy arrive late to the Grove and are dismayed to see it ruined from a southern fire mountain eruption. Sadoc hopes Nori will ask the Stranger to fix it the way he fixed the wolf, but Poppy believes it would be rude to ask more of him. Sadoc asks him personally instead. The Stranger tries, but breaks an apple tree branch that nearly harms Dilly and Nori. As a result, the Harfoots ask the Stranger to leave, sending him toward Greenwood to find other big folk. He pauses to look at the Brandyfoots and Poppy one final time before leaving.[5]
Nori wakes up to the sound of Poppy singing and eating apples. With Poppy's insistence, Nori looks outside to find the Grove alive with a fresh harvest and a healed tree. The Stranger's magic worked in fixing the Grove. The Harfoots pick the fruits and vegetables, packing them away in huts for later. Poppy heads to the river to collect fish where she finds a a large footprint. The community hides from the impending threat, which are the Mystics hunting the Stranger. Nori tries to send the Mystics in the wrong direction and they retaliate by destroying their carts.[5]
After a rousing speech by Largo, Nori decides to follow the Stranger and help him. Poppy volunteers to go with her friend - they've left enough folk behind, she won't leave him too. Goldie and Sadoc join them as well.[5]
The find him in the depths of the Greenwood already captured by the Mystics. They devise a plan to save him but are caught by the Mystics, who use their powers to trap the small creatures. Poppy tries to flee with her friends but is momentarily pinned to a tree. Sadoc saves her by stabbing the Nomad's foot, despite his injury. Their quickly overwhelmed again and Nori convinces the Stranger that he's good and there to help. He saves them by casting the Mystics into the shadows. Poppy celebrates with Goldie and Nori until they see Sadoc alone, his wound worsening. He's going to wander off-trail now. His missus will be waiting for him. He would like to sit a while and watch the sun come up. They sit next to him as he watches the sun peak over the ridge before dying.[6]
Back at the Grove, Malva, having taken up the role as Trail-Finder, calls announcements to the Harfoots who prepare to migrate again. Poppy tells her she's holding the map upside down, which means things aren't going to be as easy as Malva thought. Malva snaps at Poppy that, if she's so smart, she should be the trail-finder instead. Meanwhile, Nori's family believes she's meant to be out in the world, so they send her with the Stranger. Nori tearfully says goodbye to everyone, including Poppy, who double-checks that her friend has everything packed. She gives Nori a quick goodbye. As Nori is leaving for good, Poppy runs over and stops her with a big hug. Poppy questions why everyone she loves leaves her. Nori thinks they have to or they'll never learn anything new. She promises to come back one day, and Poppy promises to look after everyone. They are each other's best friends. The Harfoots continue the next stage of their migration while the Stranger and Nori begin their adventure in the opposite direction.[6]
Travelling East[]
Poppy settled into life again with the departure of Nori and the Stranger. Marigold attempted to give her Nori's chores, but Largo told her that she didn't need to do them. Poppy consulted Sadoc's Star-book, and found that Harfoots had wandered the same way that Nori was heading a long time ago. They had also left a warning: "Not to forget the words to the song, or you’ll just go round in circles." Realizing that it was referring to the walkin' song, Poppy set out to catch up with Nori and the Stranger, which didn't prove too hard as they had gotten lost and not got very far.[7]
Nevertheless, Poppy was caught in a makeshift trap set up Nori and the Stranger, who knew they were being followed. After their reunion, Poppy revealed what she had learned and joined Nori and the Stranger as they headed east and crossed into the lands of Rhûn.[7]