Decades before Peter Jackson’s live-action The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ralph Bakshi rendered the epic in striking animation. (Rotoscope is cool, eh?) Now, a new project from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. returns J.R.R. Tolkien’s sprawling story to animated form. And this time, they’re going the way of anime. This trip into Middle-earth will be The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, fostered by filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama. And now, we finally have our first-look images which show us what The War of Rohirrim will look like. In addition, the first voice cast for The Lord of the Rings anime has been revealed, alongside more story details, concept art from the film, and the movie’s release date. It has even been announced that the story will be narrated by Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan.

Here Is Our First Look at the Art of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

We finally know what The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will look like. Four first-look images of this anime-style The Lord of the Rings movie have been released. You can also check out our deep dive into the trailer, here.

In the images, we see main character Héra, antagonist Wulf, and the legendary king of Rohan Helm Hammerhand and his family, Héra, Haleth, and Hama.

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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Stars and Synopsis

Miranda Otto reprises her role as Éowyn in The War of the Rohirrim. She serves as the movie’s narrator as she tells the tale of Rohan’s history. Alongside Otto, Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luke Pasqualino have been cast as the leads in the Lord of the Rings anime. Cox will voice the protagonist Helm Hammerhand. Wise will voice his daughter Hera. And Pasqualino will voice Wulf, the presumed antagonist.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Synopsis

A press release describes the new film as an exploration of “the untold story behind the fortress of Helm’s Deep.” The material adds that this feature will “delv[e] into the life and bloodsoaked times of one of Middle-earth’s most legendary figures; the mighty King of Rohan – Helm Hammerhand.” And new synopsis further shares that this Lord of the Rings anime will take place 183 before the events revealed in The Lord of the Rings movies.

The anime movie’s description notes, ” Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.”

More About The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Director Kamiyama shares of this The Lord of the Rings anime movie, “This is the story of the most powerful king in Rohan’s history, someone who defeated his enemies with his bare fists. Why did his lineage have to end with him? I think there is a lesson in hubris there and also for a need for responsibility and awareness in their power. We live in an age where, all over the world, we face the reality of war again. What, then, is power? What is the responsibility of those who possess it? It is something they need to think about by thinking together with those who don’t.” 

Of Helm’s daughter Hèra, producer Philippa Boyens notes, “In the appendices where the story is drawn from, we get these quite interestingly drawn male characters, and then we get this young female character who is never named — and that was really interesting to me. We know Helm has a daughter, and we know that she was central to the conflict that happened. But myself, and especially screenwriter Phoebe Gittins, were drawn to her. We could feel the weight of being that unnamed daughter, which immediately piqued our interest: Who was she? How did she live?”

Finally, who is the antagonist of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Wulf, who is “leading the armies of Dunlendings against Helm’s kingdom.” Boyens shares, “We have an exceptionally great antagonist in this story. He’s been one of my favorite antagonists to have written across all of the films I’ve worked on.”  Wulf is no wizard or powerful being, instead he’s just a human in The Lord of the Rings world. And Boyens reveals, “He speaks so directly to a lot of the crises that we’re facing today. He’s a really fascinating character and exciting too. You don’t know what he’s going to do, and some of the choices that he makes are just breathtaking in a good way.” 

Concept Art From The Lord of the Rings Anime Movie

The below concept art by Weta Workshop certainly hints at those blood-soaked times. That Oliphaunt doesn’t look like it’s there for a good cuddle.

Helm, the ninth king of Rohan, was famously defeated—but not killed—at the Crossings of Isen. However, he would survive for just another year, following a lengthy siege alongside his brother. Despite his defeat, Helm maintained a ferocious reputation; he was even thought to live on in some form following official decree of his death. You can check out the rest of The War of the Rohirrim‘s concept art below.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Director and Other Cast

The War of the Rohirrim‘s director, Kamiyama, has been imbuing the anime world with color and story since the 1980s. Among his most noteworthy credits, we find several Ghost in the Shell series, as well as the 2019 Ultraman show.

Additional cast for the movie include Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Laurence Ubong Williams, Shaun Dooley, Michael Wildman, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna, and Janine Duvitski.

Peter Jackson will serve as an executive producer of the film.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Release Date

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will debut in theaters on December 13, 2024. At present, Warner Bros. touts Rohirrim as a stand-alone story; as such, we shouldn’t necessarily expect a trilogy born of this project. But given that The Hobbit was originally only supposed to be one film, we might not wish to count anything out, either.

Originally published June 10, 2021 with reporting from M. Arbeiter.

The post Here Are First-Look Images From THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM appeared first on Nerdist.

On The Rings of Power season one, the orcs, following their mysterious leader Adar, searched for a powerful weapon. We were curious about the weapon, itself, but also wondered, just who is The Rings of Power‘s Adar? In the sixth episode of the show, Adar and his orcs get their wish and found their weapon. But, while Theo’s sword hilt may have given Adar’s children a dark new home on Middle-earth, the episode also revealed more than the creation of Mount Doom. It revealed Adar no longer serves Sauron, as we initially thought the mutilated elf might. Throughout The Rings of Power, we’ve slowly uncovered Adar’s true identity. The show has offered us insight into the one-time elf, his origins, and why the otherwise hateful orcs adore Adar as they do. As we delve into season two of The Rings of Power, here’s what we know about Adar, the Lord-Father of Orcs/Uruk.

Jump to: Who Are the Orcs? // The Orcs’ Tolkien History // Adar as the First Orc Created by Morgoth // The Meaning of the Word Adar // Why Did Adar Turn on Sauron? // Adar and Sauron’s History // Adar Recast on Rings of Power Season 2 // Adar’s Future

Who Are Lord of the Rings’ Orcs?

On The Rings of Power, the orcs follow Adar. And so, first understanding these creatures helps us to understand their leader. Orcs, called goblins in The Hobbit, have loomed large in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world since the beginning. The Lord of the Rings‘ orcs served Morgoth during the Years of the Trees before the First Age. And they continued as soldiers of evil until the end of Middle-earth’s Third Age.

Ugly, violent creatures, orcs hate almost everyone and everything. That includes themselves. This is why it’s so interesting that The Rings of Power‘s orcs do not hate Adar. They also abhor natural beauty and handcrafted works. But that doesn’t prevent them from making things themselves. From weapons and tools, to torture devices and machines of war, Lord of the Rings‘ orcs are crafty.

Orcs live in darkness, most notably deep inside mountains. They are excellent tunnel builders who shun the sun whenever possible because the light burns them. That’s why on The Rings of Power, Adar and the orcs had elves and humans digging for that missing sword hilt. And why the orcs wear robes if forced to go out during the day. They cannot go into the light.

While it’s unclear exactly how long orcs live, one infamous orc was at least 150 years old. And though they lack anything resembling culture, orcs are also much smarter than they look and have great stamina and strength. We know we’ll be seeing nearly 1,500 Orcs in season two of The Rings of Power.

The History and Origins of Middle-earth’s Orcs and The Rings of Power‘s Adar

J.R.R. Tolkien himself changed the origin story of orcs during his lifetime. At one point, he said Morgoth created orcs through sorcery from “the heats and slimes of the earth.” But the author later wrote that only the supreme being Eru Ilúvatar could create life. (Well, minus when the Valar Aulë created dwarves.)

Morgoth’s inability to make life was one of the things that made him jealous of Ilúvatar in the first place. That’s why he needed one of the supreme being’s own “children” to bring orcs to the world. So if Morgoth didn’t create orcs, where did they come from? From Ilúvatar, just not the way he made them. And it is that very The Lord of the Rings tale from which The Rings of Power draws Adar’s origins.

The accepted origin of The Lord of the Rings orcs is the one found in The Silmarillion. It says Morgoth kidnapped some elves when they first awoke in Middle-earth, before the Valar could find the first “children” of Ilúvatar. He then used dark magic to transform them into horrible creatures who served him, just as they would eventually serve the next Dark Lord, Sauron.

The Rings of Power confirms that this history is actually Adar’s own. The truth comes out in a scene between Galadriel and Adar in The Rings of Power season one.

Adar as the Elf Who Became the First Orc, Created by Morgoth

Galadriel more or less reveals exactly who Adar is in The Rings of Power‘s sixth episode. She tells us that she heard stories about elves like Adar. He is one of the elves Morgoth “tortured” and “twisted” into “a new and ruined form of life.” She called those elves, the first orcs, “the Moriondor, the Sons of the Dark.” In The Rings of Power season two, we get a bit more information about this. Adar shares, “Thirteen of us were chosen to be blessed of Morgoth’s hand with the promise of power, a new birth.” That leaves us curious to know the fate of the other 12 Moriondor. Did they go on to create orcs as well?

Regardless of what happened to the other elves, in season one, Adar says his children prefer another name: Uruk. And he defends his children’s right to live and have a home by saying orcs are creations of “The One, Master of the secret fire.” According to Adar, orcs have names and hearts, just the same as Galadriel, and by extension, Adar, who links them all together. In one scene, The Rings of Power confirms both Adar’s identity, an elf turned to evil by Morgoth, and the origins of orcs, once and for all.

Why The Rings of Power‘s Orcs Call Their Leader Adar, The Elvish Word for Father?

Now we know that Adar is literally the orcs’ father on The Rings of Power. So, it thus makes sense that the elves call him “Adar.” In Sindarin Elvish, “Adar” is the word for “father.” (The Sindar spoke their own version of Elvish because they never made it to the land of the Valar like other elves. After awakening in Middle-earth, they never left, same as the kidnapped Moriondor.) Pretty obvious if you think about it.

But as strange as it sounds for orcs, the love Adar shows for them is reciprocated. The orcs are all Adar’s offspring, and he cares for them, just as he is the only figure orcs truly care for in all of Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The use of the word “Father” when it comes to Adar thus feels more emotional than just a factual title. Through Adar, we get a whole new look at orcs on The Rings of Power.

Are There Female Orcs on Middle-Earth?

If orcs are made from elves, do they replicate like elves, too? Some believe that Morgoth’s creatures (which include orcs, werewolves, trolls, dragons, and more) self-reproduce. However, we actually get to meet some female orcs on The Rings of Power. Adar confirmed this idea when he spoke of “brothers and sisters” among his orcs in season one. And in season two of The Rings of Power, we actually get to see an orc family, complete with father, mother, and baby. D’awww!

For now, though, the specifics of orc reproduction is unknown. (Which is almost certainly for the best.) But it’s not unreasonable to think it is a slow one since Sauron sometimes hid for thousands of years while gathering and reinforcing his army. The forces of evil always needed more orcs because, unlike elves, they don’t live forever. And the further removed from their father, Adar, the less like him they become.

Why Are Orcs So Different From Adar on The Rings of Power?

Adar has lived for thousands of years and remembers Beleriand (a land that went under at the end of the First Age) because he’s an ageless elf. That’s also why, unlike his children, the sun does not burn him. Adar can still feel the warmth from the sun of the Valar, which he says he will miss when it’s gone. But despite Adar and his past, The Rings of Power‘s orcs are not elves.

The orcs get uglier and more twisted the further removed they are from their elf ancestors and Ilúvatar. That’s also why the orcs of the show’s Second Age don’t even look as hideous as their ancestors of the Third Age. Those differences and vulnerabilities are a big reason why Adar turned on Sauron, who saw his children as disposable.

Why Did Adar Turn Against Sauron?

Adar had his orcs digging for the sword hilt Theo possesses, but he wasn’t doing it for Sauron. In fact, Adar believes he killed Sauron. The one-time elf was doing it for his orc children whom he loves, many of whom Sauron had sacrificed in his quest to rule Middle-earth. Adar wanted to give The Rings of Power‘s orcs a new home, one where they would not only be safe from light but safe from Dark Lords who treat them as disposable. Neither Morgoth nor Sauron ever loved orcs. They were slaves in service of evil.

Adar thinks he not only stopped serving Sauron, but that he also stopped the Dark Lord forever. Adar tells Galadriel that he killed Sauron himself. In a flashback revealed during The Rings of Power season one, episode one, we actually see Adar and the orcs attack Sauron until he appears to disintegrate. But alas, it’s not that easy to kill a Dark Lord.

The history of orcs says his desire to take care of his children guaranteed them another age of servitude. Adar brought Mount Doom from the depths of the earth. It will be orcs’ new home, free from the sunlight that plagues them, as he desires, but Sauron will be the one to rule over it. Sauron needs the fires of Mount Doom to forge the Rings of Power, a fact that Adar could not have known. But in seeking solace, Adar has given Sauron everything he needs to bring his evil down on Middle-earth.

The Rings of Power Season 2 Reveals More About Adar’s Backstory and His History with Sauron

In season two of The Rings of Power, we find out that Adar’s betrayal of Sauron is a bit more intimate than we once thought. In fact, the pair have a deep history that stretches back into the ages of Middle-earth. And this history goes beyond just a bad leader and his angry general.

In the first episodes of The Rings of Power season two, Adar takes Sauron, who is posing as Halbrand, captive. Sauron is, of course, deceiving him, telling him that it’s the elves who are working with Sauron and that Halbrand can help him. Adar eventually agrees to make a deal with Halbrand in order to “stop Sauron,” but not before imprisoning and torturing him.

When Adar eventually comes to release Sauron from this fate in The Rings of Power season two, episode one, he tells Halbrand a little bit more about his backstory and history with Sauron. He offers, “I was in your place once, in the eldest of the elder days. Thirteen of us were chosen to be blessed of Morgoth’s hand with the promise of power, a new birth. I was led up to a dark and nameless peak, chained and left. And after what seemed endless thirst and hunger, I saw it. His servant’s face, Sauron’s face. And it was beautiful. He offered me wine, red as a blood moon. He offered me wine and on that dark and nameless peak. I drank it, I drank it all.”

Without a doubt, this “rescue” deeply resonated with Adar, enough that he still thinks of it now. We’ll have to see if The Rings of Power season two shines a light on how that seeming gratitude turns into resentment and hate enough to attempt to kill Sauron.

Adar and Galadriel Could Team Up Against Sauron

Of course, Sauron isn’t dead. Adar can’t be certain if that’s true, but he is marching on Eregion now to make try and find out. On the way, he encounters Galadriel in the woods and seems to successfully trap her. The pair have had a stormy relationship so far on The Rings of Power, but it’s possible the threat of Sauron will trump all. Teasers from the series seem to hint that the pair might team up against their mutual foe as The Rings of Power season two progresses. We’re certainly hoping for that.

In the latest episode of The Rings of Power, Adar suggests to Galadriel that they could be allies, but though Galadriel seems to come to an agreement with him on this point. Adar turns away from her in the end, noting that she’s given him everything he needs. He intends to march against Sauron and Eregion, hoping to destroy Sauron with his very own iron crown, which has pieces of Morgoth’s helm in it. To us, it seems like the wiser play would have been to join with the elves. But we’ll have to wait and see what befalls Adar and his children as The Rings of Power draws to an end.

Adar Recast on The Rings of Power Season 2—Sam Hazeldine Replaces Joseph Mawle

In bittersweet news, in 2023, we learned that Sam Hazeldine would replace Joseph Mawle as Adar in season two of The Rings of Power. Recasts can be tricky, but we hope that the character will continue his journey and evolution into this next season of the show. It certainly sounds like there will be a lot in store for Adar. In June 2024, we got our first look at the newly recast Adar, and we felt pretty good about what we saw.

Sam Hazeldine previously acted in Peaky Blinders and appears on The Sandman. While we have no doubt he will do a great job in the role, we will miss Mawle’s version of Adar. We’re glad that Hazeldine appears to capture the same balance of tragic and antagonistic that Mawle did so far into season two of The Rings of Power.

The Rings of Power season two will likely continue to delve into this duality in Adar. Showrunner JD Payne recently noted to Vanity Fair, “You’ve got Sauron, who is not cloaked behind the guise of [the human refugee] Halbrand anymore. The audience knows he’s Sauron, so now we’re watching him maneuver as he’s manipulating [the burn-scar covered dark elf] Adar, who’s another big villain of the season.”

You can see Sam Hazeldine in action as Adar in some of The Rings of Power season two’s sneak peek clips.

Adar’s Future on Season Two of The Rings of Power

It would seem that on The Rings of Power Adar even christened the new land with the name Sauron will use, Mordor. But there’s unlikely to be a place in Mordor for an Adar that orcs will love more than they fear Sauron. In the final episode of The Rings of Power season one, Halbrand, who we now know to be Sauron, seems to refer to Adar as his enemy. And with Sauron already manipulating Adar to his ends, it feels like trouble ahead.

Charlie Vickers who plays Sauron, has given us some insight into what will transpire between Adar and Sauron in season two of The Rings of Power. In an interview Vickers offers more about the interaction between himself and Joseph Mawle, who originally played Adar:

Joseph and I worked really hard in creating that story and it’s something we see more of in the second season. We see Adar and Sauron’s time and how they first connected. Adar’s going to have to do some saying sorry at some point though [for what he did in season one].

It sounds like Vickers is already alluding to Sauron threatening Adar’s existence. A newly released description of Adar’s journey this season on The Rings of Power season two seems to echo this, noting:

Having secured a home in Mordor for the orcs, in Season 2, Adar faces an unexpected threat when he learns that Sauron, the former master he betrayed and murdered, is alive and well – and scheming to take back everything Adar has taken from him.

Well, we know who Adar is now, but he also may have just sealed his fate on The Rings of Power. We’ll have to continue to tune into The Rings of Power season two as it airs this fall.

Originally published on September 12, 2022.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Adar told Galadriel his plan for defeating Sauron forever during episode six of The Rings of Power season two. The Uruk leader wants to combine the strength of the three elven rings with something just as powerful. He has the Dark Lord’s own crown. Only, Adar said that crown once belonged to someone else. He claims it was reforged from the Iron Crown Morgoth used to carry the famed Silmarils. Is Adar telling the truth? Or does he only think he’s telling the truth because “the deceiver” lied? To find out we must dig into J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore to see how The Rings of Power is connecting Sauron’s to Morgoth’s, either in truth or deception.

Morgoth was the most powerful of the Valar who brought evil to the world. (You can read more about him with our primer Who is Morgoth?) He was also the Dark Lord of the First Age, the era before The Rings of Power‘s time period. Sauron was Morgoth’s most loyal servant and hand-picked heir, but while more famous than his master, Morgoth was even more powerful.

Morgoth crafted his own Iron Crown in the volcanic mountains of Thangorodrim. He made it to hold the three famed Silmarils he’d stolen. Those were the jewels that contained the light from the Two Trees of Valinor. Celebrimbor’s grandfather Fëanor, the greatest elf craftsman whom Celebrimbor has been desperate to live up to throughout season two, made the Silmarils.

The Iron Crown was not easy to wear, but Morgoth refused to take it off. Ultimately he would be forced to wear it for eternity. When Morgoth finally fell in the War of Wrath the Valar beat the Dark Lord’s Iron Crown into a collar for his neck. They then threw the bound Morgoth into the Timeless Void outside of space and time. According to The Silmarillion that’s where the remnants of Morgoth’s crown remain. That’s likely the story Galadriel was told, the one she was about to reference when Adar cut her off during their conversation at dinner.

Adar tells a different tale of the crown’s fate. For while he says “there are many stories of what happened after the Silmarils were pried from (the Iron Crown’s) settings,” he was “there when Sauron re-fired it to to fit himself.” Adar says he was present when Sauron “kneeled to be crowned,” just as he was the one who used the crown to slay Sauron.

We saw Adar try—but ultimately fail—to kill Sauron in a flashback at the start of season two, so at least part of his story is true. What we didn’t see was Sauron actually finding and taking Morgoth’s crown. In fairness, we did not see the Valar turn it into a collar, either. So could Adar’s story be true? Yes, we just don’t know how yet.

The Silmarillion is a definitive text, but The Rings of Power is an adaptation that has not been bound by Middle-earth canon. The show does more than just fill in gaps or use a lack of lore to tell its story. (Like how it gave a backstory for the creation of mithril.) The series sometimes makes major change to Tolkien’s writings, like how it has reversed the order Celebrimbor forged the rings of power. (He made the elves’ rings last and without Sauron, not first with him like on the Prime video series.) Adar might have told Galadriel a totally true story within in the reality of the show.

Adar could also be telling the complete truth without breaking any Tolkienian lore considering what else we know about Morgoth’s Iron Crown. It had to be huge. Morgoth was gigantic, anywhere from two to three times bigger than the seven-foot elves he fought with during the First Age. His presence, as briefly seen during the Prime Video series’ first episode, was easily that large. The Silmarillion itself says Morgoth stood over an elven king “as a tower” and “cast a shadow over him like a storm cloud.” That’s how he’s always depicted.

Did the Valar need all of Morgoth’s humongous, lengthy spiked crown to make a single collar? What if they only needed some of its iron and left the rest behind? That would have been plenty for Sauron, who was around a third the size of his master, to make his own crown out of Morgoth’s.

For sticklers that might seem like a convenient way to technically not break lore while still being too loose with it, but it actually fits in seamlessly with other Middle-earth adaptations. Sauron’s crown, including in Peter Jackson’s films, is based on Tolkien’s description of Morgoth’s. Since Sauron was his chosen successor, that has always made sense. The Rings of Power is now building on that tradition in a meaningful way. This season has seen Annatar manipulate Celebrimbor into creating the rings of power. He’s been able to do that because the elven craftsman is desperate to best his grandfather and the Silmarils, the very thing Morgoth’s crown was made to hold. The history of Middle-earth, the elves, and evil are all connected.

This is Sauron we’re talking about, so it’s possible the story Adar “knows” is nothing but a lie. Sauron would have many reasons to claim his crown came from Morgoth’s. It would give him legitimacy and authority as Morgoth’s rightful heir. It would also serve as an imposing symbol and a feared source of actual power, one imbued with both Morgoth’s strength and that of the Silmarils, just as mithril is on the show.

If Sauron was lying that might explain why Adar couldn’t kill him with just the crown. That deception could now also be leading Adar down a faulty path. He hopes to combine Sauron’s helm with the elves’ rings Sauron himself helped make. Or it might be even simpler. It might be that Morgoth’s crown could never truly harm the original Dark Lord’s chosen one.

Whatever the truth is—as interesting and meaningful as it might be—it won’t change one thing. Sauron is coming back for his crown and he’s going to get it.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He never trusts Sauron, but this time? This time it might be different. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post How THE RINGS OF POWER Connects Sauron’s Crown to Morgoth’s appeared first on Nerdist.

As The Rings of Power moves through its second season on Prime Video, the show continues to expand on the lore of Middle-earth in its Second Age, with the threat of Sauron coming ever closer to everyone. This season began with Sauron’s deception as Halbrand is revealed to the elves of Lingon after the creation of the first three Rings of Power. Gil-Galad, Círdan, and Galadriel have now become the first ringbearers. 

Galadriel in particular, as the story’s primary focus, has made a compelling case for The Rings of Power as a worthy adaptation which expands her as a character. We saw her become very close to Halbrand (a.k.a. Sauron) in the first season. Now, we are witnessing her deal with the ramifications of that this season. This character arc adds complexity to Galadriel, a figure who has only really been seen as the beautiful and graceful Lady of Lothlorien.

In the series, she transforms into a headstrong, ambitious warrior who will fight to protect her people from harm at any cost. This is especially intriguing considering what she becomes in the Third Age and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sadly, The Rings of Power continues to receive unnecessarily vitriolic backlash from racist and misogynistic “fans” online. Middle-earth reflects our world and they don’t like it. Along with adding more diversity, the show also adds more to existing characters in the Tolkien canon. Although Tolkien’s work has several mentions of Galadriel’s power and beauty, The Rings of Power lets us see her battle prowess in action. It helps us understand why she poses such a threat to the likes of Sauron.

The corruption resulting from the desire for power is a theme that has always been core to Tolkien’s work. Quite a few figures in Tolkien’s world deal with this temptation towards darkness. However, it is almost always male figures who become corrupt in pursuit of power. Meanwhile, the female figures are either easily manipulated or captured and often reduced to damsels in distress. In The Rings of Power, we see Galadriel’s single-minded desire for power motivated by her concern for the preservation of her people. After Sauron’s deception, she succumbs to her temptation by wearing her ring Nenya. This brings her into focus at the center of major conflicts within Middle-earth in a novel way. The audience gets to experience the previously mentioned challenges through fresh eyes, thanks to Galadriel.

Galadriel receives one of the Rings because she is one of the greatest of the elves. This statement is according to the appendices of The Return of the King, from which The Rings of Power draws much of its inspiration. Aside from mentions of her cunning and wisdom in the books, we don’t get much exploration of her power in live-action depictions. The exception is when Frodo offers her the One Ring as he and his fellowship seek refuge in Lothloríen.

In this pivotal scene for her character, she says, “You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!” 

Aside from this one instance, Galadriel, like many other women (elven or otherwise) in Tolkien’s stories, is rarely seen as a leader in the major battles against Morgoth or Sauron, whether in the Silmarillion, or in the main The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Let’s be honest. Tolkien did not write women—whether human, elven, or dwarven (of which there were none originally)—to be warriors or leaders.

An illuminating example is that of Lúthien in the Silmarillion, the daughter of the great elven king Thingol who, along with her eventual husband Beren, subdued the great enemy Morgoth with nothing more than her voice. Despite her power and dedication to her husband’s quest to retrieve the precious Silmarils from Morgoth’s lair, Beren was concerned that he could not provide her with “home or honour or the fair things that are the delight of the queens of the Eldalië.”

There are few elven women more powerful than Lúthien in Tolkien’s canon. But even she fought reluctantly, rather than as someone who wanted to take part in battle against the evil Morgoth for the good of their world. However, in The Rings of Power, we not only see Galadriel fight bravely alongside her male counterparts, but we also see several other women become pivotal in the battles fought against Sauron, like Queen Miriel. 

Tolkien wrote these books in the 1930s and ‘40s, depicting a fantasy land in which he likely never imagined there to be characters like those in The Rings of Power. And that’s understandable, considering the world at that time. As much as his writing, beautiful and lyrical, has stood the test of time, so should adaptations be allowed to update his work in a way that reflects the world we live in. The show certainly does take some liberties with the canon. In the case of Galadriel, that includes the questionable lack of her husband Celeborn and her daughter Celebrian. I am willing to wait to see that story in return for a character who is so much more interesting than the fair Lady of Lothloríen. 

Galadriel plays an undeniably important role in the main trilogy of The Lord of the Rings. But, beyond some sage advice, gifts to the fellowship that are used in their battles, and one aforementioned scene in which the terrifying potential of her power is demonstrated, we don’t get much else. In The Silmarillion, most of what is written that drives the main plot is focused on her brother Finrod and the male members of her family. All that is said about Galadriel when the Noldor elves are deciding to leave Valinor, the heaven-like land of the Valar, is that she wants to rule a land of her own. She never actually speaks in those pivotal moments. 

There is a portion of Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth that focuses on Galadriel and Celeborn specifically, but even that does not expand on Galadriel’s involvement in the battles against Morgoth and Sauron. It mostly focuses on their eventual settlement in Lothloríen. The Rings of Power shows a Galadriel who is wise and beautiful. But we also get a fierce warrior who believes that she can make her people safe, no matter how great the sacrifice. Once Sauron reveals himself at the end of season one, we see Galadriel face a true test of her dedication to fighting the darkness.

Sauron conjures a vision of her brother to gain her as an ally. He manipulates her ambition and desire to save her people, offering her a position at her side as his queen, with a line in reference to The Fellowship of the Ring. She rejects him, a moment which shows us just how much of a threat to Sauron. She is the greatest ally and enemy he could have. But she still allows the forging of the rings. This shows that she (and others like her) can still face temptation towards the darkness, despite her best intentions. 

In making an adaptation that reflects our world, The Rings of Power has breathed in new life into Tolkien’s work. A new approach to some characters can actually make for a very compelling story. The Rings of Power gives Galadriel a chance to do and be more than she was in the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Silmarillion. She finally gets the respect that one of the most powerful elves in Middle-Earth deserves. Her journey as a fierce warrior who wrestles with the corruption that great power can incur is compelling.

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Lord Celembrimbor is going to do something he swore he wouldn’t. He’s going to help craft nine rings for men. In The Rings of Power‘s “Halls of Stone,” Annatar used the elven smith’s ego, vanity, and guilt to manipulate Eregion’s leader into doing the Dark Lord’s bidding. Before he did, Sauron saw firsthand what it takes to make a ring that will bring its wearer into the Unseen world. With that knowledge, and his time as Annatar coming to an end, the question must now be asked: Will we see Sauron forge the One Ring during the show’s second season?

Celebrimbor’s refusal to make rings for “easily corruptible” men led Annatar to try making them himself with the other smiths of Eregion. That ploy did more than tempt Celebrimbor. It also allowed Sauron to learn from trial-and-error. Mirdania was working with a ring that featured more mithral than previous ones.

When she put it on she vanished from sight and ended up in a place Frodo will one day know all too well. Mirdania went into the Unseen world, “a place, like this, but shrouded in mist and darkness.” There she saw a tall being of flames with eyes “pitiless and eternal” that reeked of “death.”

Lord of the Rings fans also know that realm as the wraith-world, because Sauron’s One Ring will draw the Nazgul into that dimension. That flawed ring might be the most important failure in all of Middle-earth, because it might have taught Sauron what he needed to know when he forges his ultimate ring alone in Mordor.

This episode also saw Sauron learn something important about how to bend the rings to his will. King Durin’s ring has made him different. His son says he is “colder, quicker to anger” and suddenly greedy. Sauron said that’s because they made the dwarf rings under a pall of deception. Celebrimbor lied to his High King about what was happening in Eregion. Sauron might be lying about that cause and effect, but he loves to deceive by bending the truth. And he certainly was honest when he told Celebrimbor “these are matters of spirit, as much as craft.”

The Dark Lord’s time in Eregion is proving tremendously fruitful. Each iteration of rings make its wearers more and more corruptible. This is reversed from official lore, yet will still work in the same way. We know from The Lord of the Rings how each generation of rings will work (or not) on Sauron’s behalf. And on The Rings of Power nine mortal men doomed to die will soon wear rings Celebrimbor swore never to make. Those rings will connect those men to the Unseen world Mirandia visited.

Once the rings of men are made the only thing left for Sauron to do is make the One Ring to rule them all, to find them to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them. With his partnership with Celebrimbor almost done, it’s very possible Sauron will end season two by finishing his life’s work.

Fortunately when he does he will seemingly forget about another lesson he learned in Eregion. He also told Mirdania that the crafting of the rings left Celebrimbor “diminished.” It surely has, just as the One Ring—whenever he forges it—will leave Sauron diminished, too.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. A ring of power would not corrupt him (maybe). You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power tells the tale of Middle-earth’s Second Age, a time described by Tolkien in The Silmarillion and other texts. That means those who have delved into the world of The Lord of the Rings in some capacity have a pretty good idea about the fates that await certain characters. Still, adaptations occasionally make changes to the narrative where relevant, and The Rings of Power has introduced many beloved original characters—more than enough to keep fans at the edges of their seats worrying over their fates. The Rings of Power is bound to have its fair share of character deaths in a season. And so, for the morbidly curious, we’ll keep track of all the The Rings of Power season two’s major characters deaths below.

Here’s who faded away in season two.

The Rings of Power, Season 2, Episode 5 Deaths

Valandil’s Death Leaves The Rings of Power Fans Shocked and Sad

Say it ain’t so! After we sadly lost Ontamo in The Rings of Power season one, Isildur has now lost his other best friend, Valandil, and he doesn’t even know it yet. We’re honestly really sad about Valandil’s death in The Rings of Power season two. Although we didn’t spend too much time with him, Valandil seemed like a great character. He was loyal, hardworking, and a little snarky. And in these dark times, he proved that he was made of some strong stuff. Unfortunately, Valandil’s loyalty was also his undoing. He just couldn’t stomach the wretched Kemen and his arrogant and humiliating ways. When Kemen came to destroy a holy shrine, mocked its priest, and disrespected Elendil, it was too much for Valandil.

Brashly, Valandil attacked Kemen, but in the end, did not kill him. Alas, Kemen has no honor and stabbed Valandil right in the back, literally, killing him in the shrine. It’s a death that makes sense for Valandil in The Rings of Power but nevertheless, one that shocks and saddens us. Sometimes, deaths are not necessary. And here, it feels like Valandil could have served a much greater purpose alive. Valandil’s death does offer a lovely evolution to The Lord of the Rings’ lore, though. Isildur’s fourth and youngest son is named Valandil in Tolkien’s world. And now we know why. Excuse us while we find some tissues.

The Rings of Power Season 2, Episodes 4 Deaths

The Barrow-wights Lead to the Elf Daemor’s Death

Alas, we barely knew him, but one of Elrond’s company is killed by the Undead Barrow-wights in episode four of The Rings of Power. Sadly, the elf Daemor meets his death.

The Rings of Power Season 2, Episodes 1-3 Deaths

Sauron’s Post-Morgoth Form “Dies”

In season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Adar tells Galadriel that he killed Sauron. And we do see Sauron meet a death of sorts in the opening scene of The Rings of Power season two. Sauron, played by Jack Lowden in the opener, moves to assume power after Morgoth’s defeat. But Adar and the Orcs, having suffered much mistreatment at Sauron’s hand and having endured for long enough, have other ideas for him. Instead of crowning Sauron, Adar stabs him with his very own helm and is joined in his attack by the masses of Orcs gathered at the would-be coronation. After enough hits rain down on Sauron, he dramatically explodes, turning the fortress into an icy sepulcher.

Of course, as a Maia, Sauron is much harder to kill than that, and his dark spirit lives on. We see it return to life later in the episode, transforming into the Charlie Vickers form we now know as Sauron. But, in a sense, one version of Sauron did go to his death. Gold star to you, Adar.

Waldreg Meets His Death at the Hands of Sauron

Poor Waldreg. He was so ready to serve Sauron but abandoned that desire to loyally serve Adar, his Lord Father, instead. And Waldreg was a loyal servant. Unfortunately, in episode one of The Rings of Power season two, he meets his death thanks to Sauron.

Waldreg had been in charge of torturing the prisoner whom he’d thought to be the King of the Southlands, Halbrand. And Waldreg took his job very seriously, tormenting and taunting the captive. Of course, Halbrand is really Sauron in disguise, and it’s not really wise to anger the Dark Lord. Using his considerable powers, Sauron manipulated the Warg in his cell to follow his commands. And after convincing Adar to set him free, he left a gift behind for Waldreg. On Sauron’s orders, the Warg attacked Waldreg after Sauron had gone, presumably mauling him to death in The Rings of Power episode one. Sauron, of course, found the whole affair to be very funny.

The Rings of Power Confirms Bronwyn Died From Her Season One Wounds

Alas, we saw this death coming after Bronwyn’s actress, Nazanin Boniadi, announced that she was leaving The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. But, still, it hurt when season two, episode three of The Rings of Power confirmed that Bronwyn, indeed, died. Arondir shares that even though Bronwyn appeared to heal, the orcish arrow that had struck her contained a slow-acting poison that brought about her death in the end.

Though Bronwyn and Arondir had seemed like they were heading for a happy ending, it was not meant to be for the two. In the early episodes of The Rings of Power season three, we see Bronwyn’s funeral pyre as her body is set aflame. This heartbreaking scene is gorgeously tragic and creates a new story for those Bronwyn left behind. Instead of a love story, Arondir will now grapple with grief. And the death of Bronwyn on The Rings of Power leaves a tremendous gap between her son Theo and the elven archer. We’ll see if the pair can work together to begin healing from this pain.

Many More Deaths Are Likely on Season 2 of The Rings of Power

With evil on the rise during season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, surely more deaths will follow. After all, even among immortal beings, the cost of war is high. We bet there will be plenty of casualties on the side of good and evil before the season is out. We guess we will just have to hope Sauron doesn’t cast his eye on any of our very favorites.

Originally published on August 29, 2024.

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It’s hard when a ship is separated by the narrative. (Although, the most amazing thing ever when the story brings them together.) And for Haladriel/Saurondriel shippers, who are legion in The Rings of Power‘s world, it’s been an especially trying time. For those not in the know, Haladriel shippers is the name for fans who love the relationship between Galadriel and Sauron (formerly known as Halbrand). But although the pair are parted, it seems that The Rings of Power wants shippers to know: it’s going to be okay. Sauron is definitely still thinking about Galadriel. (Although he’s being kind of a creeper about it!) Here are The Rings of Power season two’s most distinct Haladriel crumbs to date.

In season two of The Rings of Power, Sauron heads off to Eregion to manipulate Celebrimbor into making more Rings of Power. But Celebrimbor isn’t the only elf in Eregion that Sauron has been influencing. He also seems to be having quite an impact on Celebrimbor’s student and protege, the elven smith Mirdania (played by actress Amelia Kenworthy). And there is something about Mirdania. Something very… Galadriel-esque. In fact, in the lead-up to The Rings of Power season two, fans even speculated that Mirdania was Galadriel’s daughter Celebrían, whom the show has still not introduced. But it turns out the resemblance has a bit of a different purpose, and we’re not the only ones who have noticed. In The Rings of Power season two, episode five, Sauron and Mirdania share a moment that’s all about Galadriel.

Sauron has been extra honey-tongued and solicitous toward Mirdania since he arrived in Eregion. And we learned a big reason why in The Rings of Power season two, episode five. Sauron is slowly setting the scene to turn the other elves of Eregion against Celebrimbor. He wants the elves to feel Sauron/Annatar is the force of good and calm in the kingdom. Thus, Sauron can alienate Celebrimbor and make him easy prey to his gaslighting ways. But amid this manipulation, Sauron finds time to be just a little extra creepy to Mirdania, talking suddenly about how she reminds him of Galadriel. This The Rings of Power scene both highlights to us that Sauron is not our friend and gives Haladriel shippers cause to rejoice.

Sauron says to Mirdania, “How strange. When the light caught your hair for a moment, you seemed her perfect likeness.” And when Mirdania asks, “Whose likeness?” Sauron responds with, “Why Lady Galadriel’s, of course.” And then strokes her hair. Ahhh (don’t touch her!), or AHHHH (Haladriel!), as you prefer. The moment is so icky and yet so good. Clearly, Galadriel is very much on Sauron’s mind. She’s someone he’s seeing in the shadows and on the faces of others. And there is something incredibly intimate and darkly romantic about it. Especially since it comes complete with a hair touch. It definitely adds to the gothic romance energy that is slowly descending upon Eregion. And clearly, although he’s presently wooing Celebrimbor, Sauron thinks he and Galadriel are the stars of this twisted movie.

It’s not as good Galadriel and Sauron/Halbrand spending a whole season together in The Rings of Power‘s first chapter. But it’s certainly something. Congratulations Haladriel shippers, that was intense.

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Toward the end of The Rings of Power season two, episode four, the series brings us a beautiful and deeply emotional scene that meditates on some truly powerful themes. The elf Arondir, an Ent, and an Entwife find and offer one another forgiveness for wounds dealt, and a moment of peace arrives in an otherwise ominous season as healing rains fall. It’s an incredible sequence and one of the most Tolkien-esque we’ve ever seen on screen to date. Lurking in the backdrop of this momentary lightness, however, in its shadows, some might say, is the specter of darkness. But, here, specifically, that darkness takes the form of The Rings of Power‘s orcs. The orcs are directly responsible for the Ents’ pain and Arondir’s, past and present. And still, the juxtaposition of their presence against the idea of forgiveness and serenity invokes one of the most complicated series of questions that The Rings of Power has proposed for itself. Are the orcs deserving of healing? Can they find forgiveness? And should they get to know peace?

It’s clear we’re meant to share in the heartbreak of the Ents as they mourn the destruction of their forest. And we undoubtedly do. The Ents’ pain manifests as grief in broader strokes, over the destruction of nature, and grief in more emotional strokes, over the loss of family. It’s great pain and all too resonant in both regards. It feels impossible not to ache with the Ents as they recount sundering and felling, burning and snapping. The Entwife Winterbloom wails in pain when Arondir speaks of the orcs to her. And her husband, the Ent Snaggleroot, tells Arondir, “Winterbloom nourished many of those trees from seed and sprout. Do not ask her to speak more of it.” In short, Winterbloom and Snaggleroot appear to us as grieving parents. Winterbloom has lost children.

But intended by the narrative or not, this invocation of children in the scene evokes another grief for another set of children. Indeed, grief for the culprits of destruction themselves, the orcs. After all, The Rings of Power has taken great pains to link the orcs, or Uruk, as they prefer we call them, with the idea of children. The character of Adar’s very name, which means Father in elvish, reminds us constantly that at least one figure sees the orcs as children. And so when there is mention of offspring and a conversation about orcs at once, the concept becomes especially highlighted. In this case, the scene with the Ents sets up a fascinating dichotomy: that of trees as children and orcs as children.

It might be easy in this moment of great grief when a tearful Ent is discussing its burned offspring to imagine trees as children and the great injustice done to the forest by the orcs. It is harder, it seems, to do so when it’s a single tear in Adar’s scarred face. But ultimately, The Rings of Power presents the question, is an elf felling an orc different than an orc felling a tree? 

The Ents say that the orcs were “maiming and murdering as they marched.” And that is wince-inducing. But not so long ago, it feels quite certain that orcs were saying the same thing about Galadriel and the elves. When season one of The Rings of Power began, the elves seemed quite sure they had meaningfully eradicated the orcs. Galadriel even says, “To the ends of the earth we hunted Sauron.” (Orcs implied.) And Elrond asks Galadriel, “Do you truly believe seeking [Sauron] out will satisfy you? That one more orc upon the point of your blade will bring you peace?” The implication here is that there have been quite a few on the point of that blade already. And that some portion Galadriel’s peace has been won by spilling that blood, the blood of Adar’s children, in great quantities.

Though Galadriel is not at peace, she has known it. As have Ents. And that’s what allows them both to mourn the loss of it. The Ents grieve the destruction of their forest, their home. They wish for it to be untouched; they wish for it to be left alone. They wish for it to be able to heal to its fullest form and them with it. But, ultimately, that’s what the orcs seek as well on The Rings of Power, though blindly. Their entire journey has been about finding a home where they can settle, rest, and stop the long journey of enduring, knowing that they are finally safe. They are on a quest for a peace they have never tasted.

The orcs here have hurt nature, and it is easy to empathize with nature being so hurt. But are the orcs not too part of nature, though nature turns its back on them? Adar tells Galadriel, “We are creations of The One, Master of the Secret Fire, the same as you. As worthy of the breath of life, and just as worthy of a home.” Adar essentially tells Galadriel that he and the orcs are a part of nature and that they, too, have “a heart, a name.” The presence of orc babies in season two of The Rings of Power further underscores this. Does an orc baby breathe its first breath desiring to fell a tree? Probably not. But an orc baby does not ever know the peace the Ents and their tree children know. From an orc’s first moment of existence, the very progenitor of nature, the sun itself, shuns them, burns them as aberrations. And so, why should the orcs take nature into their hearts? One might even propose that without ever fully having known peace, it is quite difficult for Uruk to understand the ways in which their ruination of it deeply wounds.

For the orcs, there’s a very real sense of generational trauma in place, a perpetuating cycle of abuse. Sauron lays it out for us in episode one of The Rings of Power season two. He tells Adar and the orcs, “You have nowhere else to turn. The Valar will never forgive you. Elves will never accept you. Men will never look upon you with anything but horror and disgust, a corrupted and ignoble race-worthy only to be hunted and slaughtered.” After which, of course, Sauron turns and slaughters an orc. But he’s right, and every race in Middle-earth comes together together to make the narrative true. The orcs do maim and murder, but it is all they have ever known and all they have been shown. And what better outcome waits for them? To be maimed and murdered instead? No one has ever offered peace to the orcs on The Rings of Power save Adar. And choicelessly, that peace cannot come peacefully, because no one in Middle-earth will permit it.

The Ents have the protection of allies, the shield of their innocence. We mourn for them, for the pain the orcs have wrought on them as the forest burns. But in the subtext, the truth remains that the orcs do not have that; they have never had it. No one except Adar has ever promised an orc that time will make their lives better. And this picture invites us to mourn for the orcs, too. Would they have burned this forest if they had a safe place of their own? The Rings of Power tells us the orcs likely would not have.

But, despite it all, Adar plants a seed in the ground and prays to Yavanna, the Valar who watches over growing things, the very Valar who created the Ents, to protect his children. And are the orcs not growing things? Should the gods not protect them as they do the trees? Should the orcs, who are, too, children, Adar’s children, their parents’ children, who have children of their own, not then also deserve to know peace?

Isildur asks of the Ents, “Think they know what peace is?” But the Ents do know that, and it’s critical that they do. The knowledge of peace gives them precious hope and allows them to feel forgiveness. But the Orcs do not know what peace is. And perhaps, if they did, things would be different. And, indeed, if The Rings of Power has the courage of its convictions, new bark will come to cover old scars for the orcs (and Adar!) as well in the space of the series.

We’ll keep our fingers crossed. Forgiveness, as they say, takes an age, but eventually it arrives.

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Ar-Pharazôn now rules in Númenor, but he craves much more than a scepter. He seeks something forbidden to men: eternal life. Not even the gods will stop him from trying to attain it. In The Rings of Power season two’s fifth episode, Númenor’s ambitious new king turned his gaze west across the sea to The Undying Lands. That is home to immortal beings like the Valar, Maiar, and elves. What is that very real place? Why are men are barred from entering it? And why will The Undying Lands soon vanish from sight entirely? It all began the moment Ar-Pharazôn set his sights on a kingdom he could never have.

The Lord of the Rings fans know The Undying Lands (which we explained in-depth during season one) as a special plane of existence hidden to those on Middle-earth. One day Círdan the Shipwright will bring Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, to the realm of gods and elves. It exists outside of the physical world Hobbits and men call home know, but that wasn’t always the case.

Also known as Valinor, the Undying Lands sits on the continent of Aman. During the First Age of the world mortals were permitted to travel there. In The Rings of Power‘s first season Galadriel sailed there to live out eternity before she jumped to stay behind and fight Sauron. It’s where Gil-galad said all elves would go if they could not restore the light of the Valar in Middle-earth. All elves will go there eventually. Some never left it at all.

Mortal beings were no longer permitted to walk in Valinor after the defeat of Morgoth during the War of Wrath. At the end of the First Age the Valar rewarded the men who suffered greatest in the fight by raising up a grand island from the sea. Those who lived there were also granted vastly longer lifespans then normal men.

For generations Nûmenoreans thrived, building beautiful cities full of skilled craftsmen and warriors. The Valar only placed one limit on the otherwise privileged Nûmenorans. The gods banned them sailing west beyond sight of their island. The Undying Lands were no longer open to mortals.

For centuries those on the island obeyed the rules. Even when they began conquering the mainland they did not sail west. That changed when evil came back with them…

The Lord of the Rings fans know Nûmenorean survivors will go on to found great kingdoms of men in Middle-earth. The Rings of Power series will show us how they lost their island home in the first place. It will explain why the universe’s supreme being, Eru Ilúvatar, will soon make the world round so no mortal can ever sail to Valinor again. The Prime Video series has now began telling the story of Nûmenor’s end.

Ar-Pharazôn’s followers are destroying temples as he rejects something better than eternal life. The Valar barred men from their land, but Eru Ilúvatar gave men something special instead. He called their mortality “the Gift.” But when Nûmenor’s greedy King looks across the sea to the White Tower of Eressëa in The Undying Lands he only sees a limit. He wants to climb higher. In doing so he will help bring his own land down.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who would simply not be mad about Valinor. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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The Rings of Power‘s first season began telling a beautiful backstory about the legendary Doors of Durin. That magical gateway, which famously held up Frodo and his companions in The Fellowship of the Ring, was borne from the special bond between Elrond and Durin IV. Now that passageway is ready to serve as Khazad-dûm’s West-gate. It’s also ready to serve as a lasting testament to a once unlikely connection between two proud races. Only, season two has now shown the tragic side of this otherwise touching tale. The Doors of Durin stands as a symbol of friendship between elves and dwarves, but fittingly it also stands as a testament to the dark lord whose watchful and deceiving eye it was made under.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote that Celebrimbor and the celebrated dwarf craftsman Narvi made the Doors of Durin together. The Rings of Power showed them doing just that in season two’s fifth episode. The sequence also highlighted the significance of this joint endeavor. “Dwarves and elves working together?” said a smiling Celebrimbor. “It was said to be impossible. But our cooperation has achieved this wonder. And today we embark on a new dream, to enshrine our friendship in stone.”

The Doors of Durin are “un-breachable, visible only by moonlight, and guarded by a password known only to friends.” (Or grey wizards who eventually figure it out long after they should have.) That gateway truly is a symbol of the “lasting friendship between elves and dwarves.”

That friendship will see its ups and downs, just as Elrond and Durin IV have. But it will always prove true when it matters most. Elves and dwarves will soon fight side-by-side against Sauron in the The War of the Last Alliance. And they will come together in the Third Age when the world needs them. Gimli and Legolas will join Frodo on his journey to Mordor. That journey that will bring them to much more than the Doors of Durin. It will lead to a lifelong bond.

The Rings of Power has also expanded the passageway’s lore by delving deep into the creation of mithral. In season one, the show shared an original tale about a battle between a pure-hearted elven warrior and a balrog of Morgoth. They fought above a tree said to contain one of the famed Silmarils created by Celebrimbor’s grandfather Fëanor, the greatest elf craftsmen ever. When a bolt of lightning struck the tree the elven warrior poured “all his light” into saving the tree. Meanwhile the balrog “channeled all his hate” into its destruction. Legend says their combined power led to the creation of mithral, which Gil-galad described as being equally “pure in light as good” as “strong and unyielding as evil.”

Mithral brought elves and dwarves together. Elrond asked for that special metal to save the elves of Middle-earth. But it also made both races vulnerable to Sauron’s false friendship. The Dark Lord is deceiving the world with rings of power. “Annatar” was also there when the two races came together to make the Doors of Durin, which fittingly uses mithral.. Celebrimbor made his magical moonlight inlay with ithildin, a thin, extremely refined form of mithril.

The very thing elves and dwarves made together—the one that encased their bond in stone forever, the door that will protect dwarves of Khazad-dûm until they must abandon their home because of greed driven by Sauron’s rings—contains both good and evil in it. Just as all of Middle-earth does.

Fortunately for elves and swarves the one power in Middle-earth that always proves un-breachable is friendship.

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On The Rings of Power, Ismael Cruz Córdova plays Arondir, the most elven elf of them all. Through Arondir, we meet a whole new kind of elf, one full of rich complexities and new perspectives. And Cruz Córdova, who has long desired to play one of Tolkien’s mythical beings, brings this role to life with absolute perfection. In season two of The Rings of Power, Arondir’s journey takes a turn into grief when he loses his great love, Bronwyn. For Cruz Córdova, this journey hits intensely close to home, creating “a difficult but beautiful experience” that, indeed, many of us sadly share. But as we walk with Arondir in season two, his story becomes one of the most resonant and human tales that The Rings of Power has to offer its fans.

Ahead of The Rings of Power season two, Ismael Cruz Córdova sat down with Nerdist to discuss Arondir’s unique perspectives, how the elf contends with grief and darkness, his relationships with humans and other elves, and how nature and nurture conspired (much to our joy) to help him become The Rings of Power‘s Arondir.

Nerdist: In many ways, Arondir is one of the true MVPs of The Rings of Power. He’s soft but strong. He has a keen sense of what’s right, and yet he has an empathy for everyone around him. Where do you think that compassion comes from for Arondir, and what is it like balancing all the layers of the character?

Cruz Córdova: I think, in life, when you are someone that is perhaps at the bottom of things, at the bottom of the pyramid, you tend to have nowhere else to look back up. And so I think that kind of being gets a more global sense of things and is able to hold more complexity and often is able to hold more empathy as well as resentment for the things that are happening. You can understand things, but also you can resent others. And I think that balancing creates a very rich being.

And I think so far, we’ve seen elves that are regal or have high political positions, positions of power, more “blessed,” more comfortable. We haven’t seen this perspective before, which to me is very; I think that’s why he sees humans as closer than perhaps other elves see them. And this fascination for them and this respect for them and trying to understand his own emotions and how is it to balance that? I think to balance that is just how we balance our every day. The complexity of emotions that you may have in a day, I’m sure that I have in a day. It’s very similar to what this guy is going through.

In season one, encountering darkness actually pushes Arondir to evolve in certain ways and take charge of himself and those around him. But as the darkness continues to grow, do you think it pushes him to thrive and take on these leadership roles? Or does it entangle him in its grasp?

Cruz Córdova: I think there’s a little bit of both. I think he steps up when it’s needed. That’s something that we know about him. He will step up. But, of course, this grief and this darkness… I know it first-hand, and it can entangle, and it really does make you question just about everything.

I’ve experienced great loss in my life, and it’s defined my character, and it’s defined my journey through my twenties and thirties. I lost my sister when I was 20 years old, and it’s definitely a great force to try to survive. It’s something that you really have to push against and survive from, and it completely changes your perspective on things. But you’re called upon to do other things as well. I was called upon to continue my journey, to keep my dreams, to finish college, to do right by that wonderful, wonderful best friend of mine. And I think that in answer to, “What did you draw upon?” I didn’t have to move that much.

I have this little tattoo in honor of my sister, so I only had to look at that. I actually got it right before the season. And I have that hand wrap [that Arondir wears], funny thing is that I was like, let me get it right there [on the forearm] because you won’t be able to see it. But when we went to the season, and I put the hand wrap on, it ended right before!

But it was beautiful, still, too. I could see it and connect with her. My own experience was informing this character. And it was a beautiful, difficult but beautiful, experience to have to bring that to the screen and bring that reality that many of us have had to experience. This reality that is so hard to talk about, but I think people can feel it more when they see it.

Absolutely, and, as you’re mentioning, Arondir does suffer the great loss of Bronwyn this season. How do you think that changes him and shift his motivations?

Cruz Córdova: I mean, it does both. It poses existential questions. It brings about new responsibilities because now Theo is very, very strongly his responsibility, and he promised Bronwyn that he would keep him safe.

So there’s this motivation to be a father, this is motivation to be a leader, but it’s very hard to fight against that loss. So there’s also, I feel that it definitely awakens other darker motivations, motivation for vengeance and motivation for maybe some recklessness as well. Because you’re like, “Why am I here? What is this experience of living? Is this it?” So I think it definitely awakens a set of very important new aspects of him that can definitely take him left or right.

In season one of the most compelling scenes to me was between Arondir and Adar. And I love that of all the characters, only Adrondir seemed to acknowledge Adar’s elven roots and their shared origins and the tragedy of him. Could you discuss their relationship a little bit more and how Arondir views it?

Cruz Córdova: We talked earlier about empathy when you’re coming from a lower aspect of things. In that place, things are not black and white. There’s a lot of gray. And you recognize that there’s darkness as much as light in everyone. That everyone has a story. That often there’s a hair between a hero and a villain. That often villains, perhaps, are almost more noble than heroes in their pursuit of things. In their reality, they carry a sense of nobility. And Arondir sees that in Adar. He sees his relationship with his orcs, his children, as he calls them, and they call him Adar, they call him father. And so it begs the question, who is the villain?

Arondir is extremely curious. So it’s like: How did this man get here? How did this happen? Adar said, “You’ve been told many lies,” and that really awakened something in Arondir that I think carries through to the season. It’s like, “What does he feel about it all really?” And now, with this loss, is it going to spark danger in him? Where is he going to go?

Do you think we’ll see Adar and Arondir interact more this season? And does that nascent empathy he feels for Adar survive the explosion of Mount Doom and Bronwyn’s death?

Cruz Córdova: I can’t tell you much about their interaction. You’ll have to watch and see. I think that certain events complicate that empathy and I think it definitely has an impact on him that we see play out later in the season.

In broad strokes, what do you think the main themes of Arondir’s storyline are this season?

Cruz Córdova: It’s pushing through. It’s battling sadness and pain, grief and duty. It’s putting one foot in front of the other. It’s reminding yourself of who you are, trying to dig deep to stay true to your beliefs while opening yourself up for different knowledge and different people. Though my pairing with Isildur, for example, that forces me to interact through grief, but also with an unlikely guy, this slow human, speed-wise. He’s like, “I don’t do fast,” and it’s like I have to drag this human around. So yeah, I mean, I think he’s trying to make it.

That’s all we can do! Speaking of his relationship with Isildur, how would you describe the duo’s dynamic and how it evolves?

Cruz Córdova: It is so improbable, but it happens, and it’s good, and it’s so unpredictable, and it’s refreshing. But it’s also mutual discovery, mutual respect. I think there’s a part of Arondir that is both equally curious about Isildur and equally annoyed, in some moments. He’s skeptical of Estrid as well. I’m equally, again, equally as admiring of humans as I am skeptical of them. I can see what they can do as well and what their motivations are.

And were there any parts of Tolkien’s lore that you were especially excited to see come to life this season?

Cruz Córdova: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And that I can’t really tell you. But I read the script, and I definitely think that there are many, many moments that are sprinkled through the season that the fans are going to be so excited about. They are just cool, great moments. I have a couple of those. One specifically that I’m very much looking forward to seeing on the screen and sharing with the fans.

And then, just to finish off, you’ve spoken before that you had a long-time desire to be an elf. What drew you to the elves? And now that you are an elf, what has your perspective on elves changed at all?

Cruz Córdova: Yes, I had a very long-standing desire to be an elf. And what drew me to be an elf is… I don’t know, nature or nurture, I can’t tell, it’s chicken or the egg kind of thing. I grew up in the mountains in Puerto Rico, very rural. I was very contemplative. I didn’t really have a lot of friends, and I was a little bullied in school, a little… I was quite bullied in school. But also my environment growing up poor, and we didn’t have a TV, and, so I spent a lot of time just outside and by myself. I was sketching, and playing with flowers, and making ink out of flowers, and climbing trees. And one of my best friends was a mango tree that I loved, absolutely loved. I would climb it every afternoon and do my homework there after school.

And once I got my hands on The Lord of the Rings and the movies, it felt so familiar. The elves felt so familiar to me, with the reverence that they have for nature, and the whimsy and the contemplation. I would look at the clouds and just try to figure out “What is that?” I was mesmerized by everything: these giants, and the sun, and the soil, and I still am. I respect and revere it.

So yeah, that’s what drew me to want to be one. And after playing one, has my opinion changed? No, I think they’re great. I still think they’re great. I still think they’re just magical and badass. But I love to see the more questionable aspects of them that The Rings of Power is bringing. You are like, “Hmm, you’re not the elves that I thought you were.” The decisions that you’re making, some rash decisions, some money inequality. You see that they have a hierarchy that includes just like drafted soldiers essentially. I’m from Beleriand and I was a grower and how do I end up in the military? Was I drafted? Was I taken away? Is this forcible? Do just lower, lesser elves get the appointed in these position?

I like that it’s complicating it for us and showing different heroes that are not just the regal royal elves.

The post Ismael Cruz Córdova on Arondir’s Resonant (and Personal) Journey in THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

There and back again, as the famous saying goes. Bilbo Baggins felt that was the theme of his life in The Hobbit, and now life is reflecting art. We are all going there and back again to the world of The Lord of the Rings. In early 2023, we learned that new live-action The Lord of the Rings movies were in the works at Warner Bros. Discovery. And now, our most recent updates reveal that Peter Jackson will once again craft these fantasy films. Additionally, we will see these new live-action The Lord of the Rings movies sooner than we think. The first of the new The Lord of the Rings films will release in 2026. (Yes, that’s 2026, not 2006, we had to check too.) It will be titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and will focus on Andy Serkis’ Gollum.

Sir Ian McKellen recently shared more about his possible return as Gandalf in The Hunt for Gollum. He notes he expects to see a script in 2025 and then he will decide if he should go back. But more interestingly indicates that this new The Lord of the Rings movie is actually two The Lord of the Rings movies. “I’m told it’s two films.” McKellen says.

Additionally, Orlando Bloom, who plays the elf Legolas in The Lord of the Rings movies, expressed interest in returning for the film. But his tease of what the future would look like had fans raising their eyebrows. Bloom shared, “Oh, man, those things are amazing. Yeah. I don’t know how they’d do it. I guess with AI you can do anything these days. But, if Pete [Peter Jackson] says jump, I say, ‘how high?’ I mean, he started my whole career.”

Bloom also noted, “I really don’t know what [they are planning]… I did speak to Andy [Serkis] and he did say they were thinking about how to do things. I was like, ‘How would that even work?’ And he was like, ‘Well, AI!’ and I was like, ‘Oh, OK!’ It was a pretty magical time in my life, and it’s one of those things where there’s not a downside to it.”

Personally, we’d prefer recasting these iconic roles and giving new actors a shot instead of using AI on actors who have already had their turn, depending on how heavily AI is applied in the scenario. Of course, Bloom was speaking casually, so it’s too soon to understand what level of AI might be involved. Even still though, we feel wary of the note. But we guess we’ll have to wait and see what Peter Jackson has in store.

Here’s what we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum movie so far.

What Will the New The Lord of the Rings Movie, The Hunt for Gollum, Be About?

But what story will this new The Lord of the Rings movie tell? Well, Zaslav initially noted that it will “explore storylines yet to be told.” That could mean many things. But we certainly have a few ideas of what The Lord of the Rings tales we’d like to see on-screen. However, per Variety, the working title of the movie is The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and it will star Andy Serkis’ Gollum. Andy Serkis will also direct the movie.

“Yesssss, Precious,” shared Serkis, “The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa. With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our filmmaking family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”   

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy further noted, “For over two decades, moviegoers have embraced the Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter [Jackson], Fran [Walsh] and Philippa [Boyens] have shown towards protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works, and to ensure audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision. We are honored they have agreed be our partners on these two new films. With Andy [Serkis] coming aboard to direct Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (working title), we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to venture ahead and further contribute to the Lord of the Rings cinematic history.”

Peter Jackson Will Be Involved in the New The Lord of the Rings Movie

Zaslav also revealed that the genius behind the first set of live-action The Lord of the Rings movies, Peter Jackson, will return for these new films. He notes that Peter Jackson and his writing partners, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens “will be involved every step of the way.” The trio is producing the Gollum movie. Walsh and Boyens will also be writing the script. They will be joined by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.

Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens noted of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, “It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker — Gollum! As life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”

Recently, the movie’s creators shared a little bit more about why they chose to center Gollum in the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie.

Will We See Other The Lord of the Rings Characters or Familiar Actors in The Hunt for Gollum?

Peter Jackson revealed a bit of insight into the decision and also noted that it’s too early to tell whether other The Lord of the Rings character will appear in The Hunt for Gollum. He said, “The Gollum/Sméagol character has always fascinated me because Gollum reflects the worst of human nature, whilst his Sméagol side is, arguably, quite sympathetic. I think he connects with readers and film audiences alike, because there’s a little bit of both of them in all of us. We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films. It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien.”

Serkis also teased a bit about whether other familiar characters and their original The Lord of the Rings actors could appear in The Hunt for Gollum, noting, “That’s a difficult question to answer right at this moment in time, because we’re really in the nascent stages of what it is exactly where we’re doing, and where the story’s going to take us. So I don’t want to commit anything right now. I mean, because it’s so raw and so raw and wriggling, and we are just literally having very early state script discussions and ideas of exactly where and how we’re going to drop anchor with the character and his journey and how he is or comes into contact with other characters, and the characters that we know and don’t know. So still, I would hate to say anything that’s going to commit us at this point, because it’s literally all up for grabs.”

Would Any of the Original Actors Return for the New The Lord of the Rings Movie?

We haven’t yet heard from too many The Lord of the Rings actors, other than Serkis, about a return in the new The Lord of the Rings movie. But Viggo Mortensen did recently reveal that he would return as Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum if it was right for the character.

Ian McKellen also shared he would happily return as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings movie… as long as he’s alive. McKellen has also noted that production has indicated they would like him to return.

Why Gollum as the Star of this New The Lord of the Rings Movie?

Additionally, Boyens added of selecting Gollum’s story, “Gollum’s story is one of the most compelling to us in terms of a character that we couldn’t go as deeply into as we wanted to before, which sounds strange when you say that, given how familiar he is to everybody. Gollum’s life span takes place in such an interesting period of Middle-earth. When the question was first asked, this was the first story we thought of. Because I can tell you, and people might not believe this, but we had zero expectations of going back to this. It wasn’t something we were looking to do, particularly. So when the question was asked, it was, what would draw you back? And it was about working with the people we we’re working with. It was also about the chance to work with Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy at the studio. Alan Horn is now back at the studio. It just felt right.”

Once the story of the movie settled on Gollum, Serkis was the natural choice for director if it wasn’t going to be Peter Jackson. Boyens adds, “We wanted him to tell the story of Gollum and the hunt for Gollum as soon as we decided, okay, that’s the story. And Pete knew he didn’t want to direct go back into the world of Middle-earth again. [Peter] really enjoyed working with Kenji Kamiyama, who directed War of the Rohirrim. As soon as Pete decided, okay, I’m not going to direct it myself, and it’s going to be Gollum’s story, I swear to God, there was no one else but Andy Serkis.”

Finally, Serkis revealed, “Gollum has always stuck with me throughout all of these years. I’ve read audio books of the trilogy and the Silmarillion and The Hobbit, so Tolkien’s world has never left me in all of that time since we did the first films. And the character particularly has remained such an enormous part of my life. So it’s absolutely thrilling to be able to go back and do a deep dive into his world again, and specifically into Gotham’s psychology. I know we’re all interested in investigating on a deeper level who that character is, and on top of that, to be able to direct and hopefully create a film which has its place within the canon, but also something that’s fresh and new and a different approach.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Is Coming in 2026, Other New Movies on the Horizon

During Warner Bros. Discovery’s first-quarter earnings conference call, which we first saw on Variety, CEO David Zaslav dropped the precious news. He shared that Warner Bros. Discovery is “now in the early stages of script development” for the first of the new The Lord of the Rings movies. And that the company “anticipates” that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will “release in 2026.”

Zaslav additionally noted, “Lord of the Rings’ is one of the most successful and revered franchises in history and presents a significant opportunity for theatrical business.” With a 2026 release date, we guess we’ll hear more about these The Lord of the Rings movies sooner rather than later. Of course, given the “opportunity” here, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear about more new The Lord of the Rings movies very soon.

Originally published on June 10, 2024.

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The Rings of Power‘s second season is already teasing the Stranger’s true identity. Considering Daniel Weyman’s tall, unkempt magical mystery man wanders around in rags with halflings after arriving on Middle-earth in a literal ring of fire, there’s plenty of reason to think he’s Gandalf. But he’s no longer the the show’s only Istar. Ciarán Hinds has joined the series as a powerful dark wizard. That intimidating cult leader already feels threatened by the Stranger’s presence. And combined with his appearance, loyal acolytes, hunt for Sauron, and his outpost in the East, The Rings of Power might now feature another legendary wizard from The Lord of the Rings. Hinds might really be playing Saruman.

Like much of J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore, the history of Istari during the Second Age is a muddled mess of conflicting tales, timelines, and monikers. In some accounts he wrote the Valar sent Istari to Middle-earth to undermine Sauron’s grip on the east and south. But who the Valar sent exactly and when, if at all, changed over time like so many of Tolkien’s other stories. The result is that the canonical history of wizards during this era is debatable at best.

Like with other questionable/unofficial lore, that ambiguity means The Rings of Power can pick and choose which Tolkienian elements it wants to adapt. And that means it’s possible Saruman was already living on Middle-earth during the Second Age. The Prime Video series has already given us lots of evidence he was.

Hinds—a great actor who can match the intensity and onscreen presence of the late Christoper Lee— is playing a powerful dark wizard weary of another Istar. (One who might very well be his uncorrupted counterpart Gandalf.) The dark wizard’s two-toned beard and staff that looks like the Eye of Sauron are also remarkably reminiscent of Lee’s character in Peter Jackson’s iconic films.

Just like with the future Saruman, Hinds dark wizard also has loyal followers willing to do terrible things on his behalf. He also seems obsessed with control and suppressing the abilities of another Istar he sees as a challenge to his position. The Rings of Power‘s dark wizard does not want the Stranger to remember who he is or how powerful he is.

Hinds’ evil Istar also calls Rhûn in the east home. That’s where evil will soon rise during the Second Age, and Saruman’s legacy is defined by his embrace of darkness which he personally spread into the west. And the Istar’s mystics spent season one looking for the Stranger because they believed he might be Sauron. In season two’s fourth episode Tom Bombadil also said the Dark Wizard seeks power but can only get it with the help of an even stronger ally. In the Third Age Saruman will first serve Sauron as a follower. He will then secretly try to usurp the Dark Lord as ruler of Middle-earth. Saruman’s ultimate second fall is directly connected with the Dark Lord’s growing power.

The parallels between Saruman during the Third Age and Hinds’ incredibly powerful Istar of the Second are obvious and bountiful. That doesn’t mean he’s definitely Saruman, however. Morgoth’s lingering evil, combined with Sauron’s darkness, could have corrupted any wizard present on Middle-earth during the Second Age. Hinds could be playing one of the blue wizards Tolkien said wandered the lands at this time. Or he might be another Istar entirely the show is introducing.

But if the Stranger proves to be the wizard we think he is, it seems very likely Hinds will, too. In the Third Age the Valar sent Saruman to Middle-earth ahead of Gandalf. Ultimately good defeated evil because they did. The Rings of Power might show the Valar did so because they knew it would work for a second time.

This post originally published on August 29, 2024.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who prefers the color grey over white. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post Is THE RINGS OF POWER’s New Dark Wizard Ciarán Hinds Really Saruman? appeared first on Nerdist.

The Harfoots are no longer The Rings of Power‘s only little folk. In season two’s fourth episode Poppy and Nori came across the Stoors, one of the three tribes that will one day be known in Middle-earth as Hobbits. Who are these halflings? What will become of them? And what did the show reveal about their connection to the Harfoots? Here’s everything you need to know about the Stoors in The Rings of Power.

The Stoors, along with the Harfoots and Fallohides, are one of three tribes of Hobbits during Middle-earth’s Third Age. They’re both taller and stouter to their halfling counterparts, the closest of all Hobbits in appearance to men. Stoors are also the only breed of the three that can grow beards.

Despite the location of their village on The Rings of Power, the Stoors are also known for their affinity for living on flatland or near rivers which they sail on and fish from. Unlike other Hobbits, Stoors do not fear water. (That is not a minor detail in their story…)

The Stoors were also the last of the three tribes of little folk to make their way to the Shire during the Third Age. However, some stayed behind in the Anduin Vale while others lived apart from the Shire. Their late, very different path to their iconic races land resulted in them speaking their own dialect separate from other Hobbits. It also contributed to them being far friendlier with the race of men than their halfling counterparts.

Little is known about where Hobbits, the last of the five free people of Middle-earth, came from. They were discovered after already existing for unknown generations. Whatever connection they had with men was lost to time.

The Rings of Power leaned into that aspect of Hobbit history when Nori and Poppy encountered a Stoor named Merimac in the desert of Rhûn. They called him a Harfoot, but he didn’t know what that was. Instead he called himself a Stoor.

Unlike the Harfoots, a clan of wanderers who constantly move to new temporary homes, the Stoors live in a secret village in the ground. There they grow fruit and vegetables, teach their young, and have a dwell-leader known as The Gund. (Just don’t call her that.) They must steal water, though, which might explain why they will become so fond of it one day. Unfortunately, it will also lead the most infamous Stoor of all-time to find the One Ring while fishing with his friend. The Stoor love of water is why Smeagol will turn into Gollum.

Nori learned the Harfoots were once Stoors themselves. Her and dwell-leader Gundabale Earthhauler realized they had an old, forgotten bond. The Harfoots are led by a trail-finer who guides them in their perilous journeys. Nori and Poppy’s was Sadoc Burrows who appeared in the show’s first season. The name Burrows caught Gundable’s attention and ultimately led her to protect Nori and Poppy rather than banishing them to the desert.

The Gund told a story about a Stoor from “ancient days” who “wasn’t like the rest of us.” He dreamed of a place “with endless streams of cold water and rolling hills so soft a family could dig a hole and live in it in less than a month.” That Stoor, named Rorimas Burrows, left with “a caravan of followers” to find that place he called the Sûzat, which we know as The Shire.

He never found it. Nor did he return to the Stoors he left behind. Instead they kept walking and became Harfoots, as each tribe of little folk forgot about the other. The only connection between them that remained was the name Burrows and Poppy’s wandering song that remembers the dream of Rorimas.

We know someday both clans, along with the Fallohides we have yet to meet on The Rings of Power, will find the Sûzat. Will Nori and Poppy lead them to The Shire? Will The Stranger? Someone else? Before we get answers the halflings of Middle-earth wil have to wander through the nightmare that is coming to the Second Age.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist and huge advocate of Second Breakfast. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER’s New Hobbit Tribe the Stoors and Their Harfoot Connection, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Celebrimbor is a name that The Lord of the Rings fans may recognize as an important one in Middle-earth. In short, Celebrimbor is the elf responsible for forging the Rings of Power alongside Sauron. However, like many of Tolkien’s characters, Celebrimbor has a complex history and lineage in The Lord of the Rings world, and he’s only becoming more nuanced during his tenure in Prime Video’s The Rings of Power. In the spirit of exploring Celebrimbor’s importance to The Lord of the Rings series, we’ll first review his place and journey in The Rings of Power’s first two seasons. And then we’ll dive into what The Lord of the Rings‘ extensive lore shares about the elven smith.

Let’s take a closer look at what we know about Celebrimbor’s The Rings of Power story and his history in The Lord of the Rings greater world.

Jump to:

• Who Is Celebrimbor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?: Celebrimbor in Season One // Celebrimbor Forges the Elven Rings of Power // Celebrimbor and Sauron in Season Two // Who Plays Celebrimbor on The Rings of Power?
• What We Know About Celebrimbor From The Lord of the Rings Lore: Celebrimbor’s Ancestry // Celebrimbor Creates the Rings of Power // Celebrimbor’s Other Achievements
• Will Celebrimbor Have a Banner Season This Year on The Rings of Power?

Celebrimbor on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: His Character and Story

Celebrimbor is a main character in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two. So, let’s review his season one role on the series and what season two has held for him so far.

Celebrimbor in Season One of The Rings of Power

Season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power introduces us to the elven smith, Celebrimbor. While Celebrimbor does not play an enormous role in the first season of the show, he still has a major impact on the world of Middle-earth and the future of The Rings of Power.

Celebrimbor originally comes onto the scene as a part of Elrond’s storyline. Celebrimbor confides in Elrond that he wants to create work that really matters, that truly impacts Middle-earth. He reveals plans to build a mighty forge where he can create things of great power. Of course, though this is undoubtedly true for Celebrimbor, it’s really a ruse for a much more pressing concern. In The Rings of Power season one, Celebrimbor and High King Gil-galad are searching for a way to keep the light of the Valar from fading in Middle-earth. If the light of the Valar fades, the elves will be forced to leave Middle-earth or fade away.

In season one of The Rings of Power, we come to understand Celebrimbor as ambitious, brilliant, and more than a little bit vain. Although he is good-hearted, he is blinded by a desire for greatness and legacy. And this main drive pushes him to sometimes use people and be blind to certain dangers around him—ideas that only continue to grow in season two.

Ultimately, Celebrimbor’s manipulations of Elrond prove fruitful as Elrond uncovers the Dwarven discovery of Mithril and is able bring a small amount of it back to the Elves. Mithril, it is implied, contains some light of the Valar inside of it and can thus aid in strengthening it for the elves. However, despite the presence of Mithril, Celebrimbor cannot seem to devise a way to solve the problem at hand—enter, Halbrand.

Celebrimbor Forges the Elven Rings of Power

Galadriel brings Halbrand to Eregion after he suffers injuries in the Southlands. Of course, we, and Galadriel, quickly learn Halbrand is Sauron on The Rings of Power, but not before he helps Celebrimbor devise a method of forging rings that will create the power they all seek, a power not “of the flesh, but over flesh.” Sadly, Celebrimbor is not privy to the discovery about Sauron, and Galadriel merely tells him that he is not to treat Halbrand again.

Celebrimbor, ignorant of the truth that Sauron is really Halbrand in The Rings of Power season one, goes forward with the forging of the Elven Rings of Power at Galadriel’s behest. These Rings are made after Sauron/Halbrand leaves for Eregion, and thus, though his methodology is in play, he is not himself present for the forging of the three Rings of Power. Melting Galadriel’s dagger, which contains pure gold and silver from Valinor, with Mithril, Celebrimbor creates the first Rings of Power for the elves.

In season one, we simply see the Rings forged. But in early season two of The Rings of Power, the elves in Lindon finally don the Rings, and ‘lo, they work as desired, amplifying the light of the Valar in Middle-earth and letting it shine down upon the elves. Celebrimbor has done what he sought and saved the elves from a terrible fate. However, he is still in Eregion and does not know if his creations have been successful. Enter, again, Sauron.

Celebrimbor’s Relationship with Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season Two

Appealing to the vein of vanity in Celebrimbor, Sauron, posing as Halbrand, appears desperate to work with Celebrimbor once more, causes the smith to forget his caution. And, of course, Sauron wastes no time in making Celebrimbor feel as though the elves are ungrateful for his contributions to saving their race, cleverly alienating him from Gil-galad, Galadriel, and the rest. As the cherry on top, Sauron transforms into his fair form, Annatar, and tells Celebrimbor the Valar themselves have selected the smith to help them do their great work. How is an elf obsessed with legacy supposed to resist?

Sauron as Annatar tells him, “I have walked through the dusts and the deserts of far away lands in search of an artist possessing the craft to save all Middle-earth. A storm is coming, Celebrimbor. I can bring you the knowledge none other possess, I can unlock your grandest abilities. And when our work is complete, never again will the world overlook you as the mere scion of Fëanor. But forevermore know you as The Lord of the Rings.” To be fair, it would be hard for anyone to resist that.

For now, Sauron drives Celebrimbor to create more Rings of Power. Of course, they’ll need Mithril to do that, so Sauron and Celebrimbor invite Prince Durin IV and King Durin III to Eregion to propose a trade of the powerful artifact for the precious metal… A deal the dwarves agree to at the end of The Rings of Power episode three.

A Closer Look Than Ever Before at Sauron and Celebrimbor’s Dynamic

In sum, Sauron needs Celebrimbor’s skills to make Rings of Power, and Celebrimbor needs Sauron’s vision and power to create a legacy. In The Lord of the Rings‘ lore, the relationship between Celebrimbor and Sauron is only described in the broadest of strokes. But The Rings of Power will allow us to delve deep into the heart of its terrible intimacies and intense back and forth.

Charlie Vickers, who plays Sauron shares, “I’d say their relationship is one of mutual respect, in that it’s kind of like the meeting of two minds to create an amazing piece of technology. One of them brings one element and the other, I like to think of Sauron as the idea man. He brings this thing that he’s been stewing on. Not a power of the flesh, but over flesh, an idea he’s had stewing for centuries. But he doesn’t have the practical knowledge about how to implement it. And then all of a sudden he meets this guy who knows his way around a forge really well. Not that Sauron doesn’t, but he thinks, ‘Well, I can work with this person to put my ideas into motion.’ It’s the bringing of them together. They push each other to new heights throughout the season.”

The relationship between the pair will be absolutely central to this season of The Rings of Power.

Elrond and Celebrimbor on The Rings of Power Season 2

In season one of The Rings of Power, Celebrimbor recalls that Elrond’s dad, Eärendil, once told him that his fate would be in Elrond’s hands. This sentiment is echoed in season two as Elrond rides to try to save Eregion and Celebrimbor from Sauron. But what will Elrond do with the life in his hands? Only time will tell.

Who Plays Celebrimbor on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Charles Edwards plays Celebrimbor on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Jump to:

• Who Is Celebrimbor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?: Celebrimbor in Season One // Celebrimbor Forges the Elven Rings of Power // Celebrimbor and Sauron in Season Two // Who Plays Celebrimbor on The Rings of Power?
• What We Know About Celebrimbor From The Lord of the Rings Lore: Celebrimbor’s Ancestry // Celebrimbor Creates the Rings of Power // Celebrimbor’s Other Achievements
• Will Celebrimbor Have a Banner Season This Year on The Rings of Power?

Who Is Celebrimbor, the Elven Smith, in The Lord of the Rings Lore?

Now that we’ve taken a look at Celebrimbor’s place on Prime Video’s The Rings of Power, it’s time to delve into how his history from The Lord of the Rings informs his character in the series. We’ll strive to simplify the details of Celebrimbor’s history and offer the most important points you might need to know to understand his position and perspectives in the Prime Video series.

Celebrimbor Is the Descendent of Fëanor, a Highly Skilled Elven Craftsmith (Who Also Flew too Close to the Sun)

In The Lord of the Rings‘ world, Celebrimbor comes from a storied elven line with a history of producing masterful craftspeople (that have a vein of vanity to them). Celebrimbor is, in fact, a descendent of a First Age figure called Fëanor. Fëanor, like Celebrimbor, was a craftsman and gem-smith of unparalleled talent, and he created the mythical Silmarils, gems that captured the very light of the Valar (a.k.a. the pure essence of elven power). In season one of The Rings of Power, Celebrimbor tells Elrond that the jewels of Fëanor were so beautiful that they almost turned the heart of Morgoth, Sauron’s wicked predecessor, from evil. However, creating such power and beauty did not lead Fëanor down happy paths; instead, the creation of the Silmarils inflamed Fëanor’s worst traits, jealousy, greed, and anger, and brought him and those around him much misery.

Fëanor’s story foreshadows Celebrimbor’s in many ways, an irony planted by Tolkien. But on The Rings of Power, Celebrimbor doesn’t seem to consider the tragic outcomes creating the Silmarils wrought on his ancestors. Instead, he is more preoccupied with the idea that his own work has not achieved anything close to those who have come before him. This facet of Celebrimbor’s story, the idea that living up to the legacy of Fëanor drives him, actually comes right from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings writings. In the Unfinished Tales, Tolkien writes, “Sauron had better fortune with the Noldor of Eregion and especially with Celebrimbor, who desired in his heart to rival the skill and fame of Fëanor.” It’s no accident Sauron brings up this pain point to Celebrimbor in The Rings of Power season two.

Celebrimbor Helps Sauron Create the Rings of Power in The Lord of the Rings‘ Lore

Speaking of the Dark Lord, of course, the main thing we learn about The Lord of the Rings‘ Celebrimbor from its source texts is that Celebrimbor was responsible for helping Sauron to craft the 19 Rings of Powers. As we know from The Rings of Power, in the Second Age of Middle-earth, Celebrimbor is Lord of Eregion, an elven realm that plays host to a guild of the most skilled craftspeople in the elven world. (In the texts, they are known as  Gwaith-i-Mírdain, or “People of the Jewel-smiths.”) Led by Celebrimbor, the smiths of Eregion welcomed Sauron into their ranks when he came to them in his fair form, Annatar, with a promise of gifts and teachings.

The Silmarillion notes, “It was in Eregion that the counsels of Sauron were most gladly received, for in that land the Noldor desired ever to increase the skill and subtlety of their works…They hearkened to Sauron, and they learned of him many things, for his knowledge was great. In those days the smiths of Ost-in-Edhil surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power.” Among the Rings of Power created in Eregion by Celebrimbor, with Sauron’s guidance, were the nine rings for man and the seven rings for Dwarves. Celebrimbor also made three Elven Rings of Power without Sauron’s guidance.

While crafting these rings, Celebrimbor believed Sauron to be a friend. It was not until Sauron made his One Ring of Power in Mount Doom that Celebrimbor and all the other elves knew they had been deceived. Celebrimbor attempted to hide the location of the Rings of Power from Sauron. But, of course, Sauron did not like that very much. In retaliation for Celebrimbor seeking to deny him, Sauron marches on Eregion. We will leave what ultimately happens to Celebrimbor in The Lord of the Rings obscured for now. The Rings of Power will no doubt address it in season two.

Celebrimbor’s Other Achievements

In addition to creating the Rings of Power, during Middle-earth’s Second Age, Celebrimbor saw “friendship arise between Dwarves and Elves, such as has never elsewhere been, to the enrichment of both those peoples.” In the Unfinished Tales, Tolkien says Celebrimbor “had an almost ‘dwarvish’ obsession with crafts.” And “his greatest friend was Narvi.” Together, the pair of them oversaw the building of the Doors of Durin, gates that allow greater communication and cooperation between elves and Dwarves. Narvi is a Dwarven smith of great talent who will also appear on The Rings of Power season two. We can’t wait to see that relationship play out.

Will Celebrimbor Have a Banner Season on The Rings of Power?

All of this brings us to the crucial question at hand. Will Celebrimbor have a banner season on The Rings of Power this year? Well, Charles Edwards, who plays Celebrimbor, teases, “That may be premature.” A fascinating thing to hear. Well, if you know, you know!

Jump to:

• Who Is Celebrimbor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?: Celebrimbor in Season One // Celebrimbor Forges the Elven Rings of Power // Celebrimbor and Sauron in Season Two // Who Plays Celebrimbor on The Rings of Power?
• What We Know About Celebrimbor From The Lord of the Rings Lore: Celebrimbor’s Ancestry // Celebrimbor Creates the Rings of Power // Celebrimbor’s Other Achievements
• Will Celebrimbor Have a Banner Season This Year on The Rings of Power?

Originally published August 29, 2024.

The post Who Is Celebrimbor on THE RINGS OF POWER? THE LORD OF THE RINGS’ Elven Smith and Sauron’s New Best Friend, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power introduces us to a mysterious new character by the name of Estrid. Estrid appears to be a human character from the Southlands who crosses paths with Arondir and Isildur. But is she more than she seems? Although Estrid is not a The Lord of the Rings name we recognize from the lore, it’s possible this The Rings of Power character just might be an important figure that paves the way for the salvation of Middle-earth.

Jump to: Who Is Estrid on The Rings of Power? // Is Estrid Evil? // Is Estrid Isildur’s Love Interest? // Could Estrid Actually Be a Character From The Lord of The Rings‘ Lore? // Estrid as Isildur’s Wife on The Rings of Power

Who Is Estrid on The Rings of Power?

But just who is Estrid on The Rings of Power? Well, we honestly don’t know too much about her except for the fact she’s already keeping secrets. It seems like Estrid is a normal human who was living in the Southlands when Mount Doom erupted and turned the land into Mordor. After the eruption, she was taken prisoner by Adar and the orcs but was set free again when Sauron, as Halbrand, manipulated Adar into letting the people of the Southlands go from his prisons. After that, she was trying to find the rest of the Southlanders in the area around Mordor when she met Isildur in the woods.

In The Rings of Power‘s first episodes, we see that Adar had been offering the captives a choice, pledging allegiance to him and the Orcs or death. Those who chose life were branded with the mark of Mordor. Estrid appears to have such a brand of Mordor on her. Naturally, Estrid hides this mark from Isildur and Arondir after they meet her on the road to Pelargir. At the end of The Rings of Power episode three, Estrid obscures the brand by burning herself with a knife on top of it. In episode four, we learn that she indeed is part of the “Wild Men” who took the mark of Adar.

Is Estrid Evil on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

So, is Estrid evil on The Rings of Power? That seems to be a bit hasty. After all, when given a choice between death and pledging yourself to the forces of darkness, choosing life doesn’t necessarily mean you agree with what your captors stand for with your whole heart. Estrid could still be evil, but just because the mark of Mordor ended up on her neck doesn’t mean that she is.

Of course, in interviews, it was teased that The Rings of Power‘s Arondir is suspicious of Estrid, feels she’s hiding something, and doesn’t trust her. Arondir does seem to be a pretty good judge of character, so his distrust might be a much bigger signifier that The Rings of Power‘s Estrid isn’t quite as pure as Isildur might want to believe her to be.

Isildur and Arondir discover Estrid’s mark in The Rings of Power season two, episode four. Isildur is quick to turn on her, feeling betrayed by her omission. But eventually she saves his and Arondir’s life from an angry swamp monster when she could have ran and left them for dead. After a few more tense exchanges, it seems the trio has come to an understanding.

Is Estrid Isildur’s Love Interest on The Rings of Power?

In the first episodes of The Rings of Power, Isildur and Estrid get pretty close, pretty fast. From her initial stabbing of him on the road to sharing deep pains about their dead mothers by the fire, the two are forging a bond. But is Estrid Isildur’s love interest on the series? Well, all signs point to yes. Unless it turns out she’s really the human manifestation of Shelob or something, it feels like romance is in the air for Estrid and Isildur. Estrid and Isildur even almost kiss in The Rings of Power episode four. Supposedly, though, Estrid is searching for her betrothed all this time. He’s back on the scene now, after the Ents who captured him let him go, so we’ll have to wait and see how Estrid and Isildur navigate things from there.

All of this leads us to suspect that though Estrid may be a morally gray character at the moment on The Rings of Power, the series is actually setting her up to be an important, albeit unexplored, character from The Lord of the Rings‘ lore.

Jump to: Who Is Estrid on The Rings of Power? // Is Estrid Evil? // Is Estrid Isildur’s Love Interest? // Could Estrid Actually Be a Character From The Lord of The Rings‘ Lore? // Estrid as Isildur’s Wife on The Rings of Power

Could Estrid Actually Be a Character From The Lord of The Rings‘ Lore?

Although Estrid is now a character on The Rings of Power, most of us probably don’t associate the name Estrid with The Lord of the Rings. But we sure do associate the name Aragorn with it. And Aragorn, of course, is famously a descendant of Isildur. (Hence his wielding of “the blade that was broken” Narsil [reforged as Andúril] in The Lord of the Rings, the sword which Isildur originally used to cut off Sauron’s hand and Ring.) Aragorn is a descendant of Isildur through his fourth son, Valandil (another name that now carries more meaning for us after The Rings of Power). But in addition to detailing his sons, Tolkien writes that Isildur had a wife—paving the way for Estrid to play an important role.

Isildur’s Wife in The Lord of The Rings Companion Book The Peoples of Middle-earth

Isildur’s wife is never given a name in any of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings works. We actually know almost nothing about her. Isildur’s wife is primarily mentioned in the book The Peoples of Middle-Earth, wherein J.R.R. Tolkien’s son complied additional The Lord of the Rings writings authored by his father. The Peoples of Middle-Earth notes that in the Second Age, year 3429, “Sauron attacks Gondor from the neighbouring land of Mordor. He destroys Minas Ithil and burns the White Tree. Isildur escapes by ship down Anduin, and sails north from Anduin’s Mouths to Elendil in Arnor, with his wife and sons; he bears with him a seedling of the White Tree, grown from its first fruit in Middle-earth.”

The specific time of Isildur’s marriage to his wife, when they met, or her identity is not noted in this The Lord of the Rings text at all, nor in any other. However, before the above singular overt mention of Isildur’s wife in The Peoples of Middle-Earth, it is written that the first son of Isildur, Kiryandil, was born in Númenor in 3299. While we couldn’t swear to it, the implication of this timeline is that Isildur met and married his wife at least 20-ish years before the fall of Númenor in 3319.

Estrid as Isildur’s Wife on The Rings of Power

Given that The Rings of Power will be five seasons long, and this season covers the siege of Eregion, it seems likely that next season will turn its eye on Númenor, its civil war, and its ultimate fate. With the idea that Isildur might meet his wife sometime before this comes to pass, season two of The Rings of Power seems like the perfect time to begin embarking on the story of Isildur’s romance. And who has appeared in Isildur’s sights but Estrid? While all of this could be a misdirect, it does feel like The Rings of Power is setting up Estrid to be Isildur’s mystery The Lord of the Rings wife.

If Isildur and Estrid fall in love, then it will be a great opportunity to shed light on an important Tolkien character who has never before been detailed. After all, Isildur’s wife will be by his side through so many of his trials and tribulations in the Second Age of Middle-earth. Unnamed in The Lord of the Rings as she is, Isildur’s wife must have played an important role in helping Isildur to escape the fall of Númenor, to found Gondor, and to bring the armies of men and elves together in their last stand against Sauron. And, unknowingly, if Estrid does indeed become Isildur’s wife on The Rings of Power, then she will forge a lineage that will one day bring the golden age of Man to all of Middle-earth. That’s quite a lot for a character whose name we just learned.

Jump to: Who Is Estrid on The Rings of Power? // Is Estrid Evil? // Is Estrid Isildur’s Love Interest? // Could Estrid Actually Be a Character From The Lord of The Rings‘ Lore? // Estrid as Isildur’s Wife on The Rings of Power

Originally published on August 29, 2024.

The post Who Is Estrid on THE RINGS OF POWER? Could She Be a Character From LORD OF THE RINGS’ Lore? appeared first on Nerdist.

One of the most enduring, saddest mysteries of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the fate of the Entwives. During their travels together Treebeard told Merry and Pip that Ents, an ancient Middle-earth race of sentient tree people, “lost” the Ent women long ago. Tolkien never revealed what happened to the Entwives in The Lord of the Rings, but The Rings of Power, set during Middle-earth’s Second Age, long before Treebeard met those Hobbits, has shown us exactly what the world lost when they vanished. Season two’s fourth episode introduced one of the Entwives to The Lord of the Rings audiences everywhere, a beautiful and loving creature named Winterbloom.

Season two’s third episode saw Theo and others getting easily manhandled by unseen figures. The Rings of Power‘s next episode confirmed it was the large, powerful Ents who’d grabbed them. But unlike the era of Middle-earth fans know from The Lord of the Rings, the Entwives were still living with their male counterparts during the time of The Rings of Power. The show introduced the Ent couple of Winterbloom (voiced by Olivia Williams) and Snaggleroot (Jim Broadbent).

Though already many thousands of years old by this time, Ents of the Second Age are also thousands of years younger than the ones Merry and Pip will one day meet. No surprise then that on The Rings of Power, Ents move faster and with more agility. They’re maybe even more powerful. Ents are so strong that Morgoth created trolls in response to them. But trolls were never as strong as the tree folk. The Ents of the Second Age were also still just as protective of their barked brethren as ever. None more so than Winterbloom, who fully captures the nature of the Entwives imbued in them by their creator, Yavanna.

In The Lord of the Rings‘ lore, the Valar Yavanna, responsible for all growing things in the world, asked for the Ents to be created in response to her husband creating dwarves. She wanted her tree folk to serve as “shepherds” who would protect the trees from dwarves’ axes. The Ent men tended to the larger trees. The Entwives, more beautiful than their male counterparts, looked after smaller living things.

On The Rings of Power, Winterbloom showed exactly why Yavanna created the Ents. The Entwife fiercely protected her fellow living creatures, many of which came birthed. She was not simply acting as a guard; this Entwife mourned for every living thing the orcs had destroyed. Winterbloom loved those trees, plants, and flowers deeply. The passion, vigilance, and care she felt for them made it easy to see why Treebeard will one day speak so sadly of losing the Entwives. Yet it was the tree folks’ past that ultimately mattered on the Prime Video Series.

While always sentient, Ents only learned to speak thanks to the elves. The Ents never forgot that bond, and it might have saved Arondir and his cohorts on The Rings of Power. While Winterbloom said it would take an age to earn forgiveness for any trees elves had felled, she began that process immediately when Arondir promised elves would protect those woods forever. Unlike orcs or even men, Winterbloom had reason to trust Arondir.

It was a beautiful scene, one that both leaned into Tolkien’s lore and captured the spirit of Middle-earth. But it was an inherently sad one, too. Entwives have always been defined by their absence in Middle-earth. They will leave the Ents towards the end of the Second Age to start a new garden, we may even see it happen on The Rings of Power. No one will ever see them again after that. (Possibly because Sauron will kill them all.) That will ultimately doom the race of Ents entirely. No Entwives mean no new Entings. But even before the day comes when the final Ent takes his final giant step, The Rings of Power shows Middle-earth lost something special when it lost the Entwives. In a world so often overrun with darkness and death, they were loving shepherds of life.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist and definitely an Entwife guy. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post The Loss of LOTR’s Entwives Is Much Sadder After Their THE RINGS OF POWER Debut appeared first on Nerdist.

The Rings of Power has done something Peter Jackson didn’t with his The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. The Prime Video show has brought a live-action Tom Bombadil to Middle-earth. Who is this strange jolly fellow full of magic and mystery? Why are some fans excited to see him while others might not be? And what role does he seem set to play on The Rings of Power? Here’s everything we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s Tom Bombadil—along with everything we don’t—and what his arrival means for The Stranger during the Second Age.

What The Lord of the Rings Book Does Tom Bombadil Appear In?

The magical, mysterious Tom Bombadil appears in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo and his Hobbit friends accidentally come across the rotund, gregarious figure near Tom Bombadil’s home deep in the Old Forest near the Withywindle tributary valley. Tom Bombadil actually ends up saving Merry and Pippin from a particularly hungry tree, Old Man Willow, who pulls them into its depths. We see an echo of this in The Rings of Power‘s introduction of Tom Bombadil as well.

The area around his small dwelling is under Tom’s domain, and the tired Hobbits spend a couple of days feasting under his roof before leaving. But it’s not long before Frodo must call on Tom, using a special song Bombadil taught him, to rescue the halflings from Barrow-wights. (Those terrifying creatures made their The Rings of Power debut in the same episode Tom did.)

Tom Bombadil, who has a fondness for singing silly songs, sports long hair, and a long beard. He wears a blue jacket, blue feathered hat, and yellow boots. He’s taller than a Hobbit but shorter than a man. Tom Bombadil is also the very, very old, the “eldest” living creature in the world. Tom says he “remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn,” as he predates them.

While he is usually merry, he’s also capable of being serious when the moment calls for it. However, Tom Bombadil showed no interest in the matters of the rest of the world, so while he did not support Sauron during the Third Age, he also did not join in the second war against the Dark Lord.

What Kind of Creature is Tom Bombadil? How Powerful is Tom Bombadil?

No one knows exactly what The Lord of the Rings‘ Tom Bombadil really is. He’s arguably the greatest mystery of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic tale. His age suggests he might be one of the Ainur, but that’s only one theory. What we do know is that he’s magical and powerful. He also has dominion over nature, which he can commune with. Those abilities are why some think Tom Bombadil is the physical manifestation of the natural world itself. Tom also uses his songs, some of which he sung quietly to himself on The Rings of Power, to control the Barrow-wights and other creatures.

The true depth of his abilities was best exemplified when Frodo willingly handed over the One Ring to him.

Did Tom Bombadil Hold the One Ring?

Frodo was reluctant to give anyone the One Ring, yet freely gave it over to Tom Bombadil without thought when asked in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Unlike everyone else on Middle-earth the One Ring had no power over Tom. He didn’t disappear when he wore it. He was also able to see the otherwise invisible Frodo when he did.

Soon after Elrond, who’d met Bombadil long ago, suggested Tom as an option to carry the One Ring to Mordor. But Gandalf said the jolly fellow’s disinterest would make it likely Tom Bombadil would simply throw the ring away and forget about it.

Why Didn’t Tom Bombadil Appear in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies?

Tom Bombadil plays a very minor role in the plot of The Fellowship of the Ring, something Tolkien himself admitted. The author said he included Bombadil because the character represented something “important” he did not specify. With so much story to tell onscreen Peter Jackson decided to leave Tom Bombadil out of The Lord of the Rings trilogy entirely. (Though he did give the Ents some of Tom’s book dialogue in his The Two Towers adaptation.) Tom Bombadil has appeared in some other live-action adaptations as well as other media, like Magic: The Gathering.

Until recently, Tom Bombadil’s depiction in a new out-of-print TCG called The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game was the most canonical rendition of the being we had. The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game was released in 2001 and was based on The Lord of the Rings trilogy by Peter Jackson. Even though that movie series did not include Tom Bombadil as we just mentioned, The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game still featured the character in a card.

Bombadil’s exclusion from Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films disappointed many ardent fans of the character, but not everyone disagreed with his omission. Some readers find Tom Bombadil, with his penchant for communicating via absurd songs while doing silly dances, a divisive figure. The Rings of Power co-showrunner J.D. Payne told Nerdist “one of the challenges” in bringing the character to live-action “is that Tom Bombadil sort of defies drama by his very nature.”

That didn’t stop the Prime Video series from introducing him to their story, where he doesn’t feel out of place at all.

What is Tom Bombadil Doing on The Rings of Power?

The Stranger didn’t realize his star map was bringing him to another magical, powerful being who seemingly exists outside of time, but he was always meant to find Tom. The slightly more muted version of Tom Bombadil will need to see if The Stranger is worthy of his capabilities, which he will need to stop the mysterious Dark Wizard and Sauron from teaming up and engulfing Middle-earth in flames.

Tom Bombadil is not living in his normal home in the Old Forest in The Rings of Power, though. He is currently residing to the west in Rhûn, where he came to personally see its change from a lush green land into a harsh desert.

Tom Bombadil and Goldberry in The Rings of Power

He did not arrive in Rhûn alone though. The woman’s voice The Stranger heard was Tom’s wife Goldberry. She’s a river-spirit, which is why The Stranger did not see her. Goldberry chose not to reveal her human-form to him at this time and we don’t know if we’ll see it at all on The Rings of Power. Outside of Tom’s cottage The Stranger also had an unfortunate encounter with a grumpy tree. Tom called that tree Old Man Ironwood, but it seemed remarkably similar to Old Man Willow from Tolkien’s novel. That equally cantankerous tree was the one who made the Hobbits fall asleep in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which led to them meeting Tom Bombadil in the first place.

Tom Bombadil did not go on to fight Sauron in the Third Age. But that war takes place thousands of years after The Rings of Power. The show is introducing Tom during the Second Age before the Dark Lord even forged his One Ring to rule them all. The pleasant Tom Bombadil might be more subdued because he knows he has an important job to do on The Rings of Power. Istar are relatively new to Middle-earth, and The Stranger needs someone powerful and magical like him to guide him in his quest to understand who he is and what he can. By the Third Age, Gandalf (who The Stranger might actually be) will be well-versed in fighting Dark Lords and not need Tom Bombadil’s help.

Who Is Playing Tom Bombadil on The Rings of Power?

Rory Kinnear (Men, The Imitation Game, Penny Dreadful) plays Tom Bombadil on The Rings of Power. Star Daniel Weyman told us what it was like filming with such a legendary character of Middle-earth.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who is pro Tom Bombadil. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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In Tolkien’s lore, one of Sauron’s fearsome powers was his ability to shape-shift. Being a shape-shifter helped Sauron deceive and fight his many foes and, in fact, allowed him to create The Rings of Power in the first place, coming to elves in a fair form and deceiving them with promises of knowledge and gifts. It was this shape-shifting ability that also drove so many questions about the exact identity of Sauron during The Rings of Power season one. Ultimately, it proved that Sauron had taken the form of the human king, Halbrand, during the season, crafting himself an image that he thought would most appeal to Galadriel.

In early The Rings of Power season two, we learn that Halbrand was actually a form Sauron shapeshifted into after Adar and the orcs “split him open.” Although no actor will replace Charlie Vickers as Sauron, the showrunners assure us, it turns out at least two actors play a form of the Dark Lord on The Rings of Power. And in addition to that, the first three episodes of The Rings of Power reveal that Charlie Vickers will play more than one form of Sauron himself in the series. But just how many forms has Sauron taken in The Rings of Power thanks to his shapeshifting abilities? Let’s take a look.

Sauron’s Earliest Form, Played By Jack Lowden

In the first scene of The Rings of Power season two, Jack Lowden plays a form of Sauron. This is the form of Sauron that existed about 1,000 years before the events of The Rings of Power, immediately after Morgoth’s defeat in the War of Wrath. Jack Lowden’s Sauron seems intent on taking power and picking up where Morgoth left off in his pursuit of ruling Middle-earth. But, of course, we know that this form of Sauron won’t last the next 1,000 years on The Rings of Power. In episode one of The Rings of Power, Adar and the orcs dispatch this form of Sauron, turning him into…

Black Goo Sauron

Black Goo Sauron is the interstitial form Sauron takes between bodies. It seems like The Rings of Power is implying that this black good is really Sauron’s essence, but he can’t craft a new form for himself until he has had enough nourishment or maybe until he has performed enough evil. In any case, we see Black Goo Sauron flopping along in The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power season two. Sauron feasts on rats and innocents until he’s consumed enough life to emerge again. But Black Goo Sauron has done more than just eat a poor wanderer; he’s also captured the hearts and minds of fans. We have to admit, he is a mood and a vibe.

Sauron’s Halbrand Form, Played By Charlie Vickers on The Rings of Power

Next up, is, of course, Sauron’s Halbrand form played by Charlie Vickers. We’ll miss you, Halbrand. This Sauron form shifted into catering to the version of Sauron that Galadriel most wanted to see. In this form, Sauron pretended to be part of a royal lineage that ruled the Southlands. Sauron, in his Halbrand form, dabbled at becoming a true hero on The Rings of Power, the kind of leader his people needed, who could fight by Galadriel’s side and stave off the coming of darkness. Sauron convinced Galadriel and the Southlanders that he, as Halbrand, was meant to be their King with a necklace bearing a Southlander royal crest. But, of course, Sauron himself tells Galadriel, “I took it off a dead man.” In the end of The Rings of Power season two, Sauron’s ruse with Galadriel comes to a close, but his Halbrand form lives on a little longer.

In clips from season two of The Rings of Power, we see Sauron bring Halbrand out to manipulate Adar. He pretends to be the King of the Southlands and murmurs in Adar’s ear that Galadriel has sided with Sauron. We’ll see how long Sauron’s Halbrand form lasts into season two.

Sauron’s Annatar Form, Played By Charlie Vickers on The Rings of Power Season 2

In a featurette for The Rings of Power season two, Charlie Vickers shares that one of Sauron’s primary powers is the ability to change forms. And Vickers does some form-changing himself in season two, episode two of The Rings of Power. Leaving Halbrand behind at some point in season two of The Rings of Power, Sauron takes the form of Annatar, a Quenya elvish word that means “Lord of Gifts.”

Vickers explains that “the Annatar form that we see this season is all for Celebrimbor because he needs Celebrimbor and his understanding and his methodology and his craftsmanship to make these rings. He’ll stop at nothing to rule Middle-earth.” Annatar is Sauron’s “fair form” in The Lord of the Rings universe, the one he initially wears to deceive the elves in Tolkien’s writings. On The Rings of Power, the story is a bit different, but no doubt Sauron’s Annatar form will be enough to convince Celebrimbor to forge more than a few rings. Shape-shifting will get you everywhere.

Other Sauron Forms We Might See on The Rings of Power

During the height of his powers, in the First Age of Middle-earth, Sauron would shapeshift into a serpent, a vampire, and even a wolf. We’d honestly love to see Sauron take on some of those forms in The Rings of Power. Even though we’ve left the first age behind us, we feel Sauron still has enough juice to quickly transform into a wolf for half an episode or so. It really would fool his enemies.

Whatever shapeshifting Sauron wants to get up, though, he’d better do it quickly. Soon, Sauron will lose this ability to change forms once and for all on The Rings of Power. And then he’ll end up stuck as an evil spirit just trying to make a body to survive.

Will We Ever See Sauron in Eye Form on The Rings of Power?

Fans of The Lord of the Rings movies are probably asking if we will see The Eye of Sauron in The Rings of Power. And the answer to that is we very well might. In The Silmarillion, Sauron’s eye is first mentioned just after the sinking of Númenor.

Tolkien writes, “Sauron was not of mortal flesh, and though he was robbed now of that shape in which he had wrought so great an evil, so that he could never again appear fair to the eyes of Men, yet his spirit arose out of the deep and passed as a shadow and a black wind over the sea, and came back to Middle-earth and to Mordor that was his home. There he took up again his great Ring in Barad-dûr, and dwelt there, dark and silent, until he wrought himself a new guise, an image of malice and hatred made visible; and the Eye of Sauron the Terrible few could endure.”

Of course, in Tolkien’s lore, Sauron does not necessarily become only an Eye in his dark spirit era. But given the popularity of the eye as a symbol, it could very well make its way onto The Rings of Power as yet another possible version of the Dark Lord Sauron.

Originally published on August 22, 2024.

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Hey dol! Merry dol! The time has come, fellow The Lord of the Rings fans. A highly anticipated moment is here at long last. Yes, we mean the first appearance of the mysterious being Tom Bombadil in a major live-action Tolkien adaptation. In our exclusive clip from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two, episode four, our favorite wandering wizard, The Stranger, ends up in a bit of a bizarre position, though not one unfamiliar to fans of Tolkien… Especially not when a certain being is about to appear on the scene. Luckily for the Stranger, Old Tom Bombadil is in a helping (and singing) mood in this The Rings of Power scene.

You can take a look at the pair’s meeting and, finally, properly meet The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s Tom Bombadil in our exclusive clip below.

In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two, Tom Bombadil is played by Rory Kinnear. We’ve seen glimpses of Kinnear’s Tom Bombadil in the trailers for the series, but this is our best look at the character yet. And we have to say, it’s full marks from us. A melodic voice, check. Long hair, check. Long beard, check. The inner glow of an unbothered ancient, check.

But all kidding aside, even in this short scene from The Rings of Power, we get all of Tom Bombadil’s best qualities on full display. Kinnear’s Tom is cheerful but enigmatic, soothing but mysterious. There’s a great deal of wonderful warmth in this Tom Bombadil, but just enough of a gentle scold to let us know he’s seeing inside our very souls. “Who are you?” The Stranger asks, and though we’ll unlikely get a straight answer to that question (and nor should we!), it’s a great deal of fun to finally get to watch Tom Bombadil name himself in a The Lord of the Rings project.

Of course, we always love a good Tolkien Easter egg, and true-heart fans will delight in how Tom Bombadil’s introduction in The Rings of Power season two echoes his introduction in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. There, Frodo meets Tom Bombadil after those scamps, Merry and Pippin, get gobbled up by Old Man Willow, and Bombadil helps to save them. In our exclusive The Rings of Power season two clip, it’s The Stranger who has been consumed by a tree instead, only to have Tom Bombadil come to his rescue. We don’t think it’s Old Man Willow this time, but perhaps a cousin. If The Stranger really is Gandalf, someone ought to remind him later that he has more in common with Merry and Pippin than he thinks!

To put the Goldeberry on top, we even believe we hear a touch of “Concerning Hobbits” in the theme that plays for Tom Bombadil when he greets The Stranger. And that really cements for us the deep connection between these two The Lord of the Rings meetings.

The Stranger, of course, seems to be on the hunt for his staff when he meets Tom Bombadil. But tugging on random tree branches does not feel like the right way to go about things. Hopefully, Tom Bombadil can guide him toward a better one. We’ll find out as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two continues streaming on Prime Video. The first three episodes of the series are now available to watch, with new episodes arriving on Thursday until October 3.

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One little orc/uruk baby is in the middle of much discussion among the lovers of Middle-earth in our world. During The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two’s first episode, we got to meet the orc Glûg, who seemed very concerned about the orcs marching back off to war after they just found a home in Mordor. But it turns out, Glûg the orc’s motivation for peace runs deeper than just wanting a little quiet. The Rings of Power season two reveals to us that Glûg has an orc family waiting in the wings, which includes an orc wife and an orc baby. It turns out that neither orc ladies nor orc babies have ever been depicted in a The Lord of the Rings adaptation before. And for some, this was a shocking turn of events.

Aren’t the orcs just purely evil beings who could have no love in their hearts? Well, we suppose that’s a fair question to ask. But The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has long been veering away from that interpretation of orcs, or as they like to be called, Uruk. So, we feel it makes a lot of sense to have orc families in the narrative. But beyond that, J.R.R. Tolkien and his writings leave much room for orc babies and orc familial ties to exist. (And yes, orcs do reproduce like humans and elves. Once again, get over it!)

Here’s What J.R.R. Tolkien Has to Say About Orc Babies and Orc Families

Of course, it’s fair enough to ask what J.R.R. Tolkien, the creator of The Lord of the Rings world, would have to say about orcs having families and babies. Handily, Tolkien does address these ideas WHILE also leaving the door open in a way that 100% allows for The Rings of Power‘s interpretations of orc community.

Orcs Reproduce Like Men and Elves, and That Means an Orc Baby Is Totally Valid

Most notably, Tolkien said of the orcs in The Silmarillion, “And thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of the Orcs in envy and mockery of the Elves, of whom they were afterwards the bitterest foes. For the Orcs had life and multiplied after the manner of the Children of Ilúvatar; and naught that had life of its own, nor the semblance of life, could ever Melkor make since his rebellion in the Ainulindalë before the Beginning: so say the wise. And deep in their dark hearts, the Orcs loathed the Master whom they served in fear, the maker only of their misery.”

Two important aspects of that quote jump out. First, Tolkien makes it plain that orc babies do exist. He literally says, “Orcs multiply in the manner of the Children of Ilúvatar.” Yes, that’s elves and men. So, yes orcs have sex. I am sorry to break this to you, but it feels relevant in this case. They reproduce like elves and men, which means that orcs have babies. A totally incontestable fact.

Of course, one might argue that having a baby doesn’t necessarily mean having a family. Although most creatures on earth, especially our direct comparison point here, elves and men, do often have communities that revolve around children. That leads us to, second, the fact that Tolkien stresses specifically that orcs have life and, in the same breath, notes orcs actually loathe Morgoth. That information makes you feel like the Orcs are not just mindless evil but actually have nuanced feelings of their own. If they feel enough to feel misery, they probably feel enough to feel love.

Orc Family Ties And Friendships

In both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien writes of the orc Bolg and his father, Azog. Tolkien notes in The Hobbit, “Bolg of the North is coming, O Dain! whose father you slew in Moria.” Additionally, a footnote in the The Lord of the Rings books notes, “Azog was the father of Bolg.” While he doesn’t come right out and say it, Tolkien implies that Bolg seeks revenge against Dain. That is certainly the tact The Hobbit movies took when portraying the relationship. Seeking vengeance for a father would certainly indicate family ties and orc kin affinities, even though this, of course, is the darkest manifestation of them.

Additionally, in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers book, we meet two orcs, Gorbag and Shagrat, who appear to be friends. Gorbat notes that he’d love to slip off with Shagrat, somewhere away Sauron’s control, to have their own equitable and easy lives. “Just like old times,” Shagrat says. Old orc times, sounds like the ones we see in The Rings of Power season two.

We Just Don’t Know That Much About The Lord of the Rings Orcs, Their Feelings, Hobbies, or Anything Else

Ultimately, though, Tolkien leaves the door fully open for The Rings of Power or any other adaptation to portray orcs, their families, babies, and their interior lives. Tolkien writes in his Letter to Mrs. Munby, “There must have been orc-women. But in stories that seldom, if ever, see the Orcs except as soldiers of armies in the service of the evil lords, we naturally would not learn much about their lives. Not much was known.”

Basically, Tolkien himself says that orcs have lives we just don’t know about. It sounds like he’s saying with complete certainty that orcs do engage in activities other than soldiering and menacing, but we just haven’t yet had occasion to hear about them. (And orc-women are totally an approved part of The Lord of the Rings‘ world.)

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Has Been Setting Up Sympathetic Orcs All Along

Happily, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a story that does want to take the time to get to know the orcs as more than just agents of pure evil. While the presence of an orc family might crystallize this on our screens, The Rings of Power has been working toward this moment ever since Adar told Galadriel in season one that each of his children were “creations of the secret fire” and had “a name and a heart.” If you were busily thinking Adar was the villain in that exchange, perhaps its time to watch once again. We even see Adar and the orcs engaging in a burial rite in season one of the series. Taking the time to honor one’s dead, again, implies a deep sense of community.

In The Rings of Power, the whole Uruk story has been about a search for a home in The Rings of Power and escaping the torment, some might say, misery, long placed on their shoulders. And so, it stands to reason that creatures looking for a home would be doing so for their families, orc or not.

The Time Has Come to Accept the Orc Family, the Orc Baby, and the Orc Community Into Our Hearts!

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s showrunners told Nerdist that whether the orcs were orcs or Uruk would play a big role in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two. But whether the orcs eventually fall into total darkness or not, they’ll have at one point had enough love in their hearts to care for one another and their children. And we feel like that’s a much more fascinating story to explore than if they were just purely evil. If the orc baby and orc family on The Rings of Power is really such a bothersome concept to anyone, perhaps they should take a minute and evaluate why! Meanwhile, we’ll be buying Glûg a baby shower gift.

The post Yes, There Was a Baby Orc and an Orc Family on THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 (Get Over It!) appeared first on Nerdist.

Darkness has its Lord in Sauron, but the elves have a High King of their own. He will lead them in the fight for Middle-earth’s soul. How will Gil-galad do that in season two on The Rings of Power after barely averting disaster in season one? Nerdist spoke to star Benjamin Walker ahead of the show’s second season at Prime Video about just that. We also asked about his wide-ranging career, how it prepared him to play one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s most famous leaders, the High King’s reaction to peace giving way to war, and more. 

Nerdist: Before we get to The Rings of Power season two, I want to go back because I have been fascinated by your career for a long time. It’s not even that you’ve worked with some really famous and talented actors and directors. It’s that you’ve played an incredibly wide range of parts across very different genres. Do you actively seek out such different parts? Or is that just sort of how things have fallen for you?

Benjamin Walker: There’s an element to every actor’s career that’s just dumb luck. But I am pretty picky. I kind of live by…I like to collect directors, just in my mind. I want to know how they do what they do and have the opportunity to. Because every time you work with a different director, it’s like a different vocabulary. It’s a different workflow. I really like jumping in between different ways of working. I kind of live by, “What am I going to learn? Is this going to make me better?”

For example, I just did a show in the West End with the director Ivo van Hove. He’s this Dutch avant-garde theater director where you make a film of play you’re doing. While you do the play that video is live projected behind you. And the narrative is often disjointed and confusing on purpose, but it illuminates something unique about the story you’re trying to tell because the audience kind of has to play catch up the entire time. That to me, doing something different every time, is important. It keeps the job fresh. It keeps your tools sharp. And it’s one of the biggest joys I find doing the job, being a collaborator with people you haven’t collaborated with.

The things I’m about to bring up, I bring up specifically because I like them and I especially like you in them. Just want you to know-

Walker: :laughs: Disclaimer, alert.

Well I just want to make sure, because I imagine a lot of people first remember you from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Walker: Sure.

But then you followed that up with an HBO movie about the Supreme Court (Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight) and a Ron Howard film about a famous shipwreck (In the Heart of the Sea). Now you’re a famous Elf King on a Lord of the Ring series. How does playing Gil-galad compare to the many other types of roles you’ve had?

Walker: Oooh. I mean, certainly in terms of the scale, you talk about collaboration, the army of artists and craftspeople that are there to work with you and also support you, that’s been profound on this. That the size and scale of the show, by necessity, if you’re going to do Tolkien, that’s kind of the bare minimum of what it takes.

But, in some ways, now that I’m saying it, it feels a bit…for example, in the Ron Howard film, there were a few days where you’re exhausted, emaciated, and you’re just kind of stuck in a dinghy out in the ocean while (cinematographer) Anthony Dod Mantle has this handheld camera. And it’s like you’re doing almost a Guerrilla independent college film. Or it’s just some guys that have gotten together and they’re going to try and make this little story on this. That was an epic film, but in those moments, it feels very Guerrilla in that way.

We still have those moments on The Rings of Power. You walk into this massive sound stage where they’ve built the forest of Lindon, and you’ve got your ears glued on and you’re wearing a crown, and every leaf has been painted gold. But then you find yourself standing under a tree going, “Alright, but how do we milk every bit of magic out of this scene?” So in some ways the scale is different, the level of production is different, but if it’s good at its core, that’s what you try and do.

In addition to being wise and noble, the elves of Middle-earth are also smug. (Walker agrees) I believe that description definitely applies to Gil-galad. What’s the key to finding the balance between likable yet arrogant with the High King?

Walker: Oh that’s a great question. I think it comes from experience. His perceived smugness, especially in the second season, you’re going to start to see unravel a little bit because it’s one thing to have the experience to know the right move to make because you’ve done it before. But then inversely, when you have had that much experience, what’s the thing that makes you go, “I’ve never seen this before?”

So it’s important to lay in the foundation of the King that he has his hands on the wheel of peace time. But what does he become when peace time starts to slip away? In some ways, the first season is just laying the foundation for where we’re going throughout the course of the remaining seasons.

It’s like you anticipated my next question because in season one, he’s problem solving a desperate situation. But in season two, he’s confronted with the possibility that the cure could be worse than the disease. How does he deal with that and what’s the real driving factor behind his response to Sauron’s potential manipulation?

Walker: For the elves, it’s about the relationships among themselves and among the peoples and species of Middle-earth. You talk about smugness unraveling, with Elrond, for example, they have this great relationship, this kind of mentorship they have fostered. But you look at his relationship with Elrond and what does it mean for him to know that the person you’re mentoring is going to make a mistake. Is going to defy you. It’s almost like a parent-child relationship. A loving parent has to, at some point, let their child make a mistake. “Alright, you climbed up that tree. Now how are you going to get down?”

If every time they need to get out of the tree, you go pull ’em out, they don’t know how to climb trees. You’ve deprived them of that. And I think that’s something that Gil-galad does well, actually, but is also frustrating and costly.

I was going to ask you about your relationship with the other Elf leaders. There’s also Galadriel, Celebrimbor, Círdan. All of them look up to the High King, but they also answer to him. You talked about Elrond, but how would you define your relationship with the rest of them?

Walker: Galadriel and I have a fraught relationship to be sure. On paper, other than the hierarchy that the elves really respect, on paper we are equals. And for those that really know the book, technically she’s older than I am. So that is a recipe for disaster. But they also admire each other in that she often pushes the King and he often needs to pull her back. They need each other in order to be a successful people.

And Celebrimbor, he does something that no other creature has ever done, which is to harness the power of his smithing artistry. He, in some ways, is the pivotal character in all of Tolkien. If he were terrible at making rings, you wouldn’t have much of a story. And there’s a level of respect there that they share, but also they’re playing with technology that nobody fully understands. It’s a bit “Oppenheimer” of Tolkien. That moment of, “I think we can do this. Should we?” And they don’t fully understand what they’re doing.

What’s great about all the High Elves is that they’re in, some ways, the most capable characters in Middle-earth, but also the most fallible. That’s a testament to Tolkien, and, I hope, to what we’re doing with the show.

We know the High King’s fate in this story. Does any part of you keep that in mind so you can sort of reverse engineer how he gets to that point? Or do you simply try to stay centered on exactly where he is at this in the story right now,

Walker: It’s helpful for you as the actor to know. A production of Macbeth where Macbeth knows he’s going to die is not a good production. He has to have hope. But that’s also unique about the Elves in general. How do they live this long? Survive such death and destruction and boredom and misery, but still have hope? That’s unique and part of the fun to know the end of the story and then forget it. And in the pursuit of that hope you help the audience forget it.

What have you learned about Gil-galad after two seasons that has surprised you?

Walker: About how him losing his cool manifests itself. The elves don’t really lose their cool, but if there’s ever a time to lose your cool, it’s when evil has resurfaced and you’ve told all of your lieutenants the right thing to do and they didn’t do it. Part of the fun of Gil-galad is, like we said earlier, this kind of smug peace time consigliere. But what does it look like when he casts off his robes and goes, “Okay, all you guys to your rooms, I’m pulling this car over.” That’s part of the fun. What happens when they’re ready to kick some ass.

What are you most excited for fans to see this season?

Walker: If you know the books, you know it’s about to get really messy.

Also…how do I word this without getting in trouble…

In the books, the elves and music have such a deep relationship. About every two seconds they’re staring into a pool of water and singing to the Valar. It is nice that our show is accepting that and using that. And that we have such great musical team like Bear (McCreary).

The post THE RINGS OF POWER’s Benjamin Walker On High King Gil-galad’s Response to Coming War in Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

Few men of Middle-earth have ever left a more complicated legacy behind than Isildur. Fans of The Lord of the Rings know why. As does The Rings of Powers‘ Maxim Baldry, who plays a younger version of the character on the show. What’s it like playing such an important figure from J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary story? How will things change for Isildur in season two of the show? And what’s it like building a meaningful human/elf relationship? We asked Baldry about all of that and more when we spoke to him ahead of the show’s return on Prime Video.

Nerdist: I’ve done so many of these interviews over the last two days I am now in my head with how to properly say the names of every character. It’s so intimidating because obviously all of you know how to say them perfectly.

Maxim Baldry: Well we’ve lived with them for a while now. I was speaking with someone today about this. We got the job five years ago, and it’s insane to think how quickly time moves. We were talking about what kind of characters we would love to be, and I think I said an elf, just to be able to see time pass in a way that stresses me out. Whereas, for (elves), they’d be able to be slightly more detached from it and see it things come and go. It’d be quite a beautiful experience.

The season opens with you believed dead and abandoned in Middle-earth, which is a pretty big change from where you were last year when you’re mostly in Númenor. What was it like playing the character under such drastically different circumstances this time?

Baldry: I loved it. Isildur lends himself to being thrown around in the mud. He’s a physical character. It’s important to have all of that, to influence and maybe make light of why he chooses to not throw the ring into the fire. That’s what all of these early seasons are about. For him, it’s very exploratory, it’s world-building, it’s understanding who he really is rather than what he does.

And fighting Shelob is just an extension of this whole season for him. It’s a story of survival. Not only is he abandoned by Númenor and left to fend for himself, he also has to survive. He’s thrown into the world of adulthood when he’s out there. He kind of entered as a boy into Middle-earth and is now learning pretty fast that he has to grow up, he has to fend for himself, he has to learn to survive.

So that is Shelob you fight in episode three?

Baldry: In episode three, it’s Shelob. It’s baby Shelob.

You touched on my next question a little bit, because every Lord of the Rings fan, whether they are book readers or moviegoers, know Isildur’s ultimate fate. With each season and episode bringing you closer and closer to that moment, does the knowledge of where he is going to end up influence your choices as a performer at all? Do you try to reverse engineer versus focusing solely on where he is in his life right now?

Baldry: My instinctive reaction was to reverse engineer and (showrunners) Patrick and J.D. sat me down and were like, “We know the end point, but let’s just play here and let’s really create who he is as a person.” I think we did a really good job with season one, because you’re thrown into this family dynamic of a broken one. They’re missing the mother. They’re all grieving in their own respective ways. And Isildur’s fractured relationship with his father never really resolves up until the last scene in episode seven where they have this touching moment and understand their mother’s influence on each other.

Thinking to the end is almost the wrong way of looking at it. Which is what I wanted to do. I’ve always been like, okay, “But he ends there, so how…?” But it’s actually about, “Let’s create this character. We know that he comes from a broken family. We know that he wants more. He’s driven and he’s ambitious.”

What’s more interesting is the ambition that he has in him. On one hand, it can make him resilient on one hand, can propel him to these new extremes of being able to survive, being able to fend off evil. But then it could be a double-edged sword later on. That ambition could also be used in ways that….and I’m just throwing things out here and speculating…but it could be when he takes the ring, it could be, “I’ve lost so much that I will do good with this. I am so ambitious and driven that I know I’ll be able to withstand this evil.”

Obviously, it ends up corrupting him. But there are so many ways to play him and all of the experiences that he has in seasons one, two, and three will shed light on who he is as a person and will actually inform the later decision that he makes.

I asked you about your choices as a performer, but personally…and maybe this is a loaded word…are you ever intimidated by who you are playing?

Baldry: Hell yeah. When I was first told, Patrick and J.D. sat me down on a Zoom call before I went to New Zealand. And they were like, “We just want to let you know who you’re playing. You’re playing Isildur. And they took off a ring. My instinctive response was, “Holy sh….”

There’s a weight of expectation because a lot of fans have an idea of who he is to them and what he represents to them. I did a lot of reading and I did a lot of digging as to who he really is, but we don’t really know that much. We know what he does, but you don’t really know who this character is, what motivates him, what his relationship looks like with Elendil.

This was all world-building that Patrick and J.D. crafted. And I’m very grateful to them because they’re very collaborative in their approach to creating these characters. They like our input. And I’ve lived with the character a lot longer than they’ve actually lived with Isildur now. So they do value my opinion. I think that’s so wonderful, to wake up at 3:00 AM when you’re in the makeup trailer and you are pinning your eyes open, and yet you know that your opinion and your voice is heard.

It’s a wonderful place to work at, because I think great things happen because of collaboration. We all put so much time and effort into it. And we truly have a love for Tolkien. So it’s a fantastic place to work and I think we do it justice. I really truly think so, because our intentions are firstly to respect the works of Tolkien that we all grew up loving. And secondly, to create a compelling story that inspires a new generation of Tolkien lovers.

Speaking of your story this season, there’s a brewing partnership between Isildur and Arondir.  What can you tell us about their relationship in season two?

Baldry: They’re unexpected. They meet in unexpected circumstance, and they have a real profound respect for one another. Elves have always been infatuated with Isildur. There’s a kinship to his elven history as a Númenorian. So when he meets Arondir in such close proximity, they just instantly gravitate towards each other. Isildur learns so much about resilience from Arondir, who has withstood so much. (Arondir) has grown and he’s kept himself together, he’s shown up for everyone in the southlands. To Theo with his grief with Bronwyn. And Isildur, with Arondir, he’s taking notes. He’s like, “Oh, I see how to do this.”

That’s a nice relationship for Isildur to have because he doesn’t really have anyone like that back home. He’s sort of been alone. And he’s learning that bond and community is very important. That’s what drives him to really reevaluate his relationship with his home.

Did you look at other human/elf partnerships in Tolkien stories to help understand how you might feel and interact with him?

Baldry: I thought of Aragon and Legolas in a weird way, because obviously Isildur and Aragon are connected. That’s quite a nice relationship, in a way, that they sort of have a respect for each other. They’re both kind of similar in the way that they’re both physical, but in very different ways. But that’s kind of the extent of my thinking of elves and human partnerships.

What did you take from that, if that’s the one that stands out to you? In what ways does it influence what we’ll see with Isildur and Arondir this year?

Baldry: What we also developed was a sort of look that we wanted to give each other, in the way that Legolas has a very strong gaze. Aragorn was a little bit more malleable, but we wanted to have a moment of stillness between all this chaos. So we’d do this thing where, whenever a situation would happen, we’d look at each other and it would just be a gentle nod. It was just a wonderful moment of appreciating one another for what they’ve done, but also reserving each other with our emotions and actually without having to speak a lot. It’s all done in looks. That’s what a lovely relationship is like between an elf and a human. It’s all done in the look rather than with actual words and dialogue.

What did you learn about Isildur this season that you didn’t know or maybe fully appreciate before you filmed it?

Baldry: His resilience. That’s what I also connected with the most. It’s the fact that he shows up, continues. He pushes forward, and it’s the undercurrent of drive and ambition that I was talking about before. That resilience is also linked with that drive and ambition, which I think is a double-edged sword to him, but one that I’m very keen to explore further on down the line because I think personally he’s hardened by season two. He is blunter and more fanatical. It won’t surprise me if he becomes more of a mercenary. More of a warrior.

This season introduces a new character, Estrid. Her motives and allegiances are not clear. Did the events of season one make Isildur more discerning and wary about strangers? Or is he still just as trusting as before?

Baldry: Estrid is an enigmatic one because she has also lost a lot of things. She’s lost her whole family. And when she opens up to Isildur about this. Something in that response allows him to connect with her over a shared loss that they both feel. So it’s almost trauma bonding, in a way. But obviously, it’s deeper and profound.

What I love about that is that it’s not superfluous love at first sight. It’s deep. It’s a Tolkienian connection in the way that Aragon falls in love with Arwen. It’s not just a facade. There’s something deeper. It’s rooted in something in the cosmos. Isildur is one of those people. He feels a kinship towards her and their relationship sort of blossoms from a shared loss. And what she will present to him is another case of him having to decide whether or not his love for her is stronger than his love for Númenor. So, season two poses him with this dilemma. Does he choose his heart or does he choose his home? Or are they inextricably linked? Should she be his wife?

There are a lot of questions. Those are the sort of questions that make Tolkien so fascinating to so many people. Because they connect with those feelings of being human. Even though you’re in a fantasy world, even though you’re escaping into this Middle-earth, they still resonate. They still pull on your heartstrings. That’s what I love about it.

It’s clear you have a reverence for Tolkien. What part of his lore are you most excited for fans to see during season two?

Baldry: It’s obviously the Akallabêth. It’s the Civil War of Númenor, it’s unrest, it’s bloodshed.

I love politics and I love when a city becomes split down the middle and there’s two factions. There’s the King’s Men, and then there’s the New World, the New Republic. And I love when those things happen. I love the repercussions of those two things. Especially because, as my character, I’m so connected to it. I’m excited to see the Civil War, the Civil Unrest in Númenor.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER’s Maxim Baldry on Isildur’s Journey in Season 2 and Beyond appeared first on Nerdist.

Hobbits have been at the very heart of Middle-earth’s greatest stories since Gandalf recruited Bilbo for a grand adventure. But while J.R.R. Tolkien’s Second Age didn’t call any race by that iconic name, the Harfoots are one of the tribes who become Hobbits. That puts star Markella Kavenagh at the heart of Prime Video’s The Rings of Power. What’s it like filling such an important role? How will the lovable, positive Nori respond to the evil shadow spreading across the world? And what’s it like going on a journey with a wizard? We asked her about all of that and more when ahead of The Rings of Power‘s second season.

Nerdist: After two seasons of lengthy productions, how sick are you of wandering around outside in rags without shoes?

Kavenagh: I love it. Love it. Could do it all day. I mean, obviously it still feels like you’re wearing shoes because the silicon is so thick. I think it’s silicon that they use. But the feet that you wear are so thick the underneath still feels like a shoe. But I love it. I love the feet, they’re great.

The relationship between Hobbits and a powerful Istar is the very heart of The Lord of the Rings. Now that we know for sure the Stranger is a wizard, do you feel any added pressure playing his Hobbit friend?

Kavenagh: :laughs: The pressure I feel is to betray Nori’s truth. As truthfully as possible and in the most believable way. I don’t really think it’s helpful to think too much about the kind of Wizard/Harfoot dynamic. Just because it’s so specific to our story and to The Rings of Power. It exists in its own kind of narrative. In that sense, I just would get too in my head and I wouldn’t be able to focus on the story we’re telling, which is what’s important for Nori and what’s important for me and portraying Nori. So that’s what I focus on the most.

How does Nori knowing the Stranger’s real identity and just how powerful he is change their relationship in season two?

Kavenagh: She’s more prepared for it now. She had season one, where obviously there was so much experimentation and so much uncertainty and unpredictability, because it was so out of his control. And then in this season, it’s really his responsibility to try and harness it and really work on why it’s so uncontrollable. So for Nori, instead of it being as fearful as she was in season one, for her it’s more curious. It’s more trying to understand where it comes from and how she can also help him navigate it. And realizing it might take something else, some time, in order for him for it to fully come to fruition in a way that works for him and that is not taken out on everyone else around him or the environment.

Does the growing darkness that is spreading over Middle-earth change Nori this year? Or does her kind of purity of heart help her stay the same Harfoot that we met in season one?

Kavenagh: I would definitely say she’s still playful and has that really joyful energy. And, hopefully, a lot of heart. The things that she’s been through towards the end of season one have definitely impacted her in season two. And she just has a little bit more maturity around it and she’s less naïve. She’s just growing. She’s evolving. So there are going to be things, or the way she approaches things, might not always be the same, but she definitely has that underlying sense of that lightness and that purity and wanting everyone and everything to be okay.

What did you learn about Nori during season two that you didn’t know, or maybe didn’t even fully appreciate, before the season?

Kavenagh: How much she underestimates herself. Sometimes she can come across as this Harfoot that’s super forthcoming and super strong-willed and loves adventure and loves being curious and loves all these new experiences and connections. But I think she also really struggles with her own self-confidence and trusting herself. So you really see, I think in this season in a way that you didn’t in the last, is thats she’s on her own a lot more now. She actually has to be with herself and figure out what she wants and what her purpose is in a larger sense. She does have Poppy, so there’s that familiarity there, but ultimately she’s also navigating a lot on her own. It does require a self-awareness that she didn’t really have to confront in the same way in season one.

Harfoots are one of the three tribes of Hobbits, a group that holds a really sacred place in pop culture at large. How do people treat you now that you’re a very important part of a beloved group?

Kavenagh: I don’t obviously look very similar to Nori in my day-to-day. So I’m fine, walk around and no one really says anything. But for people who do like it, yeah, it’s really lovely when it resonates with people, to be able to see the joy on their faces, watching the show as a whole and the series as a whole. And then I’m so glad that in some ways Nori has resonated with people.

I feel so grateful to be a part of it and a part of Tolkien’s world. In that sense, it’s been really lovely hearing that Nori has resonated with some people or that they can feel they can relate to her or have connected to her in some way. But also, I don’t really read a lot online about how it’s been received, so it is always lovely and surprising when someone voices how it’s affected them in a positive way.

I talked to your very tall screen partner and I was asking him about how much, if at all, he draws on the other famous relationships between wizards and Hobbits, and he said that he thinks that your onscreen relationship is actually rooted in your offscreen bonding. Could you talk a little bit about how you and Daniel have evolved together and built this bond?

Kavenagh: We have spent so much time together. Season one, we were there together pretty much the whole time. We were hanging out all the time. And I feel like in many instances with friendships, or people who have to portray friendships on screen, you try and meet up and create a friendship of some sort off screen. At least in my experience, it’s what I’ve attempted to do. But in this instance with Dan, it was so natural and so easy that we really did become really close friends.

I am so fortunate to be able to work with him and to be able to act opposite him and have that friendship. And we just really spent so much time together. We spent so much time together. And even in the UK as much as possible, we would talk about scenes and hang out. But creating a friendship really did. And the same with Megan Richards. It really helped us. Hopefully it reads on screen, because we really do have a lot of love for each other and a lot of respect for each other as humans. I think it always helps when you are taking from your real life into a dynamic on screen. And in this instance, I think it definitely helped us that we just happened to get along.

I’m really fascinated by the craft and how different performers create their characters. And I know you kind of touched on this a little bit, but I do want to just ask because I asked Daniel, too. Is your performance at all, either with the relationship with him, or even just in general, influenced by Peter Jackson’s movies? And I only ask because they’re so big and so iconic and so well-known, and there are onscreen parallels to what you’re doing on this show, even if Nori is completely new. Is there anything you take from them?

Kavenagh: I really love those films. And I love those actors so much and respect their performances and just think they’re really, really incredible. But in terms of whether I look to them for this, I didn’t because the story is so specific and it’s just so way before that time that the Harfoots are just in a completely different space. Headspace wise, their experiences are different, their circumstances are so different. These are people who have had to survive. They don’t even have a base. They’re moving constantly. So their personalities and their makeup internally, and the way they view the world and their perspectives are just so, so different that we really had to start from scratch in a way.

Even though Harfoots exists, Nori is not in the lore. So to be able to create a fully-fledged Harfoot that exists in her own right and with the other Harfoot, that was more focusing on what the showrunners had provided us. And obviously being so inspired and making sure that there’s respect for the lore and making sure that it’s as truthful to that as well. Then also my own backstory, and fusing all of those together. So more focusing on that and what was relevant to Nori, which was her past experiences and her present rather than everything else. They’re just so different. Their circumstances are so different.

You’re already such an important part of the show. But as we talked about, Sauron is rising, things are getting worse in Middle-earth. And they’re only going to get worse and worse as the show goes on until it ends. What do you expect for Nori in terms of how much more important she becomes in this story?

Kavenagh: That’s an interesting question. I hope for her she fulfills her purpose. I know I’ve said that a lot this interview. But in this season particularly, you find out why and what she has to do, essentially for herself and for the bigger picture. I just hope we see her fulfill that. I mean, I personally want her to meet all these other storylines, which I know…technically, who knows? But yes, I think you’ll see her fulfill that purpose. And I hope you see that happen and how Sauron rising and all of that actually affects her and the Harfoots.

I’m not asking you to spoil anything. Your showrunners told me, yes, definitively this season we will get an answer as to who the Stranger really is. So my question to you is, how do you think fans are going to respond to that revelation?

Kavenagh: Whooo knows? Like, who knows? Honestly, I couldn’t even tell you because I think it’s… people have such strong opinions, of course, about Tolkien and Tolkien’s lore. And obviously there are going to be character reveals. It’s just so difficult to say how it’s going to be received. I just…who knows.

How did you react when you found out?

Kavenagh: (laughs) This is so ambitious? I really respect this ambition, for you to try.

I’m not asking you to spoil it, just how did you respond to it?

Kavenagh: How did I react to it? I mean, I love Daniel Weyman. So I was glad he was able to know who and what he was playing.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER’s Markella Kavenagh on Nori’s Response to Season 2’s Growing Evil appeared first on Nerdist.

Celebrimbor is one of the most notorious elves in the history of Middle-earth, but you wouldn’t know that from The Rings of Power‘s first season. The ruler of Eregion and master smith was only a minor character during the show’s inaugural year. But that’s all about to change during its second. Celebrimbor is about to etch his name in infamy by making some powerful rings. What’s it like going from a bit player to one of the show’s most important? And what elements of J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore explain why this noble elf will fall prey to Sauron’s deceptions? We asked the great Charles Edwards about all of that in more when we spoke to him after seeing the first three episodes of the new season.

Nerdist: Your showrunners told me they convinced you to join the series in season one by saying you’d be really important in season two. What exactly did they tell you about your role initially and how it would grow?

Edwards: Pretty much that. They said, “Okay, here’s the deal. You are in a little bit of season one. Then season two everything kicks off,” or something like that. “Then beyond that, who knows?” So they’re quite right. That’s exactly how they sold it to me.

In season one, you’re really just there to serve the story and make some rings. There’s not a lot going on with your character. Was that frustrating or did you have faith in what was going to happen and you’d really be that important?

Edwards: No, I knew it was coming, so I was perfectly happy with that setup. I enjoyed very much the scenes with Rob Aramayo and I enjoyed establishing this character that no one had seen before. But that was all it was, an establisher. The first scene I felt his season two story kind of creep into season one was when he meets Halbrand in the forge and they’re both alone. That’s essentially what season two is for us. And that’s where the spark of season two, the flavor of season two, started to creep in for me when the two of them met.

What did you do differently to prep for season two considering it’s not only it’s a bigger role, all of a sudden it’s a much more dynamic character?

Edwards: You just go where the story takes you and react accordingly. The joy of this for us was that, amazingly, we got to shoot all our scenes in season two in order. It was Charlie Vickers and I in the forge for weeks, every day, telling the story in order chronologically, which is unheard of. It was really, hugely satisfying work for us both. We both really had a great summer doing it.

You want to set (Celebrimbor) up so that he’s ready to receive what Annatar brings, as in he’s got to be at a particular stage of vulnerability or uncertainty to be a juicy bit of prey for the predator. And he’s happy to see (Halbrand) again because he thinks he’s forged some kind of a relationship with this guy. But I believe that in season one, when they first meet, that’s when Sauron first casts whatever spell it is that he casts on Celebrimbor, in that brief scene when he suggests using the mithral. Celebrimbor is very susceptible to flattery. Then, as you’ll see as the season progresses, it becomes more and more aggressively psychological and violent. The relationship is not a healthy one.

I want to get into that a little bit more, but I want to take a step back because I’m curious how much of Tolkien’s lore did you rely on to develop the character versus how much is coming from the scripts themselves?

Edwards: Celebrimbor is obviously a very vital part of Tolkien’s world, in terms of the rings and the ring making. But very little is written about him. What there is is either contradictory, or fascinatingly elusive and juicy, saying that he was an ambitious, vain person. He was desperate to emulate the success of his grandfather. All of those are just little diamonds.

That’s all we had. Two versions said he was from a different place. And one version says he’s in love with Galadriel, which we’re not following with this show. So there was a real concoction of possibilities.

The answer to your question is that it came from, obviously, (showrunners) J.D. and Patrick, their vision of him and my version of him. They kind of combined to take Celebrimbor down this path. His vulnerability is what’s interesting to me, brought on by the vanity and feeling he’s never quite made it, even though everyone else would say he had. There’s something in him. He’s kind of having an Elvish midlife crisis. Then the storyline for season two was presented to me by J.D. and I went, “Wow, that sounds great. That’s really good.”

Like you said, there are different parts of the lore that say different things, and there’s some that says he’s not a prideful figure. He’s almost dwarf-likein his devotion to just making stuff.

Edwards: Tolkien says that too. That’s what’s so great about it. A bit of everything.

But when you see how Annatar persuades him, how much of Celebrimbor’s own downfall, and the horrors that are going to come for the next two ages of this world, come because he has pride? And how much of his story is the bad kind of pride versus the good kind of pride in his work?

Edwards: It’s all of those things. Tolkien gives us that too, in these contradictory versions. He says that about the dwarf-like obsession with craft. That’s great. I love that. And when I first got the role, I looked online because I didn’t know Celebrimbor and all the fan art images of this guy with a leather apron and a huge hammer with huge pecs. And I went, “Oooh, okay. Alright. That’s kind of Celebrimbor, is it?” But the dwarf-like obsession with craft suggests to me someone much more cerebral, much more bookish in a way. And the work he does is so detailed. It is all about filigree and delicacy. That’s the kind of direction I went with him.

Then you have a comment in one of the books which I searched for, this comment about his relationship with pride. I was jubilant when I found it. It’s just a sentence, but it’s there. I seized on that because that’s a wonderful combination. Someone who never felt like he quite achieved, someone with a chip on his shoulder. There are many, many versions that are possible within what we’ve been given. I hope I’ve done some of it justice.

You might’ve already kind of answered this, but what do you think is the biggest reason he lets Halbrand back in the first place after Galadriel already warned him not trust this guy.

Edwards: She has told him not to let him in, but he doesn’t know why. And at the point we find him at the beginning of season two, he feels ignored. He feels let down that he hasn’t heard any news how the three rings have done. He feels slightly abandoned because all the missives and letters coming from the king have been intercepted. So he’s going, “What the hell’s going on here?”

Then Halbrand turns up, and as I mentioned, there is something about Halbrand that already has his hook in Celebrimbor in season one. And when Halbrand turns up, there’s something maybe quite titillating about disobeying Galadriel because he’s pissed off with everyone. Then later in the season, he says, “No, no, it’s my kingdom. I’m going to do what the hell I want.” There’s a bit of petulance there, going, “No, I’m going to do this.” There’s a bit of that. He feels like he’s being forgotten.

Season one really establishes just how conniving and manipulative Sauron is and how easily he can get someone to trust him. But is there any part of Celebrimbor that doubts Annatar’s story? Or is he really that convincing?

Edwards: When Annatar presents himself to Celebrimbor as the messenger of the Valar at that moment, he goes, “Wow, this is extraterrestrial. This is extraordinary.” As anyone would in that situation. Later, as you’ll see, he will start to question it.

But right now what’s so interesting about it is that he does present himself in that way to Celebrimbor. Then they start to work together and they bicker like workmates do. It becomes this almost domestic relationship. They’re spending all the time in the forge, and the psychological battle that starts to occur between them is a very domestic setup, the games that start to get played between them. It’s so satisfying to play against the backdrop of this big fantasy show. It’s suddenly very insular and interesting and gripping, in a very psychological way. Later he will start to question, he will start to doubt.

We’re only discussing the first three episodes, but you’ve hinted at this a little bit. What can you tell us, without spoiling anything, that you’re really excited for fans to see with you and Sauron this year?

Edwards: The way that Celebrimbor fights back is great. There’s an episode towards the end, the way Celebrimbor starts to see what has been done to him.

You’ve clearly looked at Tolkien’s writing closely and saw how there’s both depth and freedom to craft this character. Considering we know Celebrimbor’s ultimate fate, and we know how important he is to what’s going to be two very destructive periods, is there any part of you that sort of tries to reverse engineer how he will get there? Or do you just try to stay in the present moment of his life?

Edwards: The latter. For those who aren’t aware of what might become of him, I wouldn’t want to hint at anything.

And because all this happens so fast and so intensely in our version, he’s caught at every moment. He’s just kept on the hook by Annatar, so he just has to live in the moment. But in terms of his tragedy, that is sort of self-evident later. I haven’t tried to preempt him as a tragic hero or anything like that. Hopefully he might be that anyway.

My last question is not mine. I spoke to Charlie Vickers yesterday. It’s clear he reveres you.

Edwards: Likewise.

I asked him what question should I ask you? He said I wasn’t allowed to ask him this, but he wants to know if you had a ring and it could give you some kind of power, what power would you want?

Edwards: :laughs: What would my answer to that be…

…Probably to live forever.

Really?

Edwards: Probably.

Oh, so you really are an elf. You don’t want The Gift.

Edwards: No, but with a little sub clause saying you could be reborn every, I dunno, 80 years. Not turn into a child again, but be reborn in your current form. And you don’t age, of course, you stay at about forty five. Forty maybe. But you get reborn not knowing everything that you knew when you last died, if you see what I mean?

That is such an elf answer. Thank you so much. This was really great.

Edwards: You’re very welcome.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER’s Charles Edwards on Celebrimbor’s Pride, Season 2, and Annatar appeared first on Nerdist.

Middle-earth’s Second Age was a time of peace…until it wasn’t. According to The Rings of Power‘s showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne that growing darkness will dominate the show’s second season. But what else can we expect from the show’s sophomore outing? That’s what we wanted to know when we spoke with them ahead of the show’s return at Prime Video. From Tom Bombadil and Tolkien lore to finding out the Stranger’s real name and why this season is even more epic, they gave viewers a lot to be excited about as they dive int The Rings of Power season two.

Nerdist: Before we get into season two, I wanted to know, did the reactions to season one, good or bad, influence your approach to season two in any way?

Patrick McKay: Season two was conceived and written before a single frame of season one was seen by anybody, so in this particular instance, while it might be really tempting and easy to try to do a cause effect situation there, no, no. This was always the story. This was the plan from the beginning.

To the extent that season one influenced season two, it’s more our own experience. We like to say making season one was a bit like building a pyramid, before anyone had ever attempted to build a pyramid, including us. In season two, we’re building another pyramid, and that’s drawing on all the experience we have of having done it once before. And hopefully, we’re getting better at our jobs. We want every season and every episode to raise the bar, and if we’re getting better at doing that, then hopefully, some of the fruits of that labor are beginning to show. At the end of the day, we feel like we’re just hitting our stride.

What are the biggest, most obvious differences between season one and two of The Rings of Power?

J.D. Payne: Season one starts in a time of relative peace for Middle-earth. We’re bringing audiences to the Second Age in a time when the shadow had just sort of receded a bit. And we were setting up the chessboard, meeting a bunch of our heroes and one of our villains, in particular. But he was behind a cloak, so to speak, and he was not played open season one.

Season two, Sauron is out in the open. The audience knows who he is, and he’s coming to Celebrimbor in the form of Annatar. So now that the villain is here, really everything is going to be set in motion.

Season one is about the heroes and bringing people to Middle-earth. Season two is all about the villains. Annatar has been ascendant in Mordor. Sauron has left season one with three rings he created, but he was unable to turn Galadriel to his side. He doesn’t have any of the rings. He has no armies. And he has no orcs, no weapons. All he has is his own cunning, and he’s going to use it to set in motion Adar and his armies, Gil-galad and the elves in their armies, and set Middle-earth on a collision course with some pretty disastrous stuff.

Patrick McKay: We very consciously designed season one, as J.D. says, a return to Middle-earth, but one in which you would feel the breadth of the different kinds of peoples, the different characters, the different realms, the different races, all of which are on their own journeys. And then season one, you just started to see some of those journeys converge.

Season two is really all those different journeys, starting more and more, to feel like one epic, and that is the story of Sauron’s rise and all of Middle-earth, despite all their disparate origins and interests, having to come together to face him. But what that also means is along the way, different characters are going to rise and become major protagonists from episode to episode and even season to season. Celebrimbor, played by the amazing Charlie Edwards, has a supporting role in season one.

We lured Charlie Edwards to join our merry band with the promise that in season two, in some ways, Celebrimbor is the emotional heart of the whole season. And in future seasons, I daresay other characters might become more prominent or less prominent. We’re trying to create a rotating cast of heroes and, indeed, villains, and everybody gets their moment to shine. And season two is going to be focused much more on Sauron.

J.D. Payne: And Celebrimbor, because there’s a great psychological thriller between them. There’s this sort of cat-and-mouse game, as Sauron is trying to manipulate Celebrimbor into making the rings. So that’s something that we’re excited for our audiences to experience.

Patrick McKay: But it necessitates a darker tone as well as higher stakes, and not everybody’s going to get out of the season alive.

Oh. I can’t imagine you want to tell me who’s not making it out of alive.

McKay: You got to watch.

I asked you about the most obvious, major differences. What are some of the more subtle differences between these two seasons?

Payne: We’re working with a new production designer this season named Kristian Milsted. He worked on a lot of different shows and films before this, including a bunch of the Watchmen season that was on HBO, which we were great admirers of.

Our goal is always to do as much practically and in-camera as we possibly can. Season two, the on-set builds, the in-camera worlds, are several layers of magnitude richer and larger than anything we attempted in season one. Khazad-dûm, which we’re meeting at a time of great splendor and majesty, season one, in terms of what was actually in-camera, there were a couple of rooms and a bridge. Season two, we built an entire working dwarf mine with various tunnels and passages and unexplored caverns and marketplaces, and a huge throne room, in addition to a bridge and several other rooms. In terms of what we’re actually getting in-camera, it’s much, much, much more this season. And that all, adds to a tonal shift that we were interested in subtly applying.

Patrick McKay: We’re enormously proud of season one, but as J.D. said, that was Middle-earth in a time of peace. Season two, the shadows are creeping in. That means it’s going to be grittier, it’s going to be darker, and our producing director this season is the enormously talented Charlotte Brändström, who recently did an episode of Shogun we’re great admirers of, working with her in the later episodes of season one, we really found a tone that was very heart-on-sleeve emotionally, but also very grounded visually and rich in its performances.

We really wanted to capitalize on that and carry it forward. You feel a shift in the storytelling that’s not always so obvious in terms of just the gravity with which we’re approaching each of these scenes, each of these performances, each of these worlds in their depiction visually, but also hopefully how they play emotionally from scene to scene.

Payne: A not such a subtle difference, I can’t help but mention as I’m looking at your (wedding) ring on the Zoom screen, is now we’ve got rings in play. There’s the three Elven rings. We’re going to see the seven Dwarven rings forged. We’re going to start to see the effects that those have on our characters. The Elven rings have some mysterious qualities of healing, of preserving and protecting, and we’re going to see some of these come out in the drama.

McKay: There’s a new magic in Middle-earth this time.

Oh, and I shall also say new characters and new creatures. We’re going to see Tom Bombadil and we’re going to see Cirdan. We’re also going to see Ents, and we’re going to see Barrow-wights. There’s canon characters and creatures that I think fans are going to be very excited to see, and there’s also a ton for people who have never heard of Middle-earth before to come and enjoy the party.

Okay. You brought him up, so I’m going to jump the gun on asking about him. You are bringing a beloved yet divisive Middle-earth figure to the screen with Tom Bombadil. Why did you decide to include him, and what can you tell us about the role he’ll play this season?

McKay: I’m going to come at this tonally. Season two, as we said, is a darker season by virtue of the fact that Sauron is unleashed. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t still want room for Tolkienian whimsy, wonder, and humor. And in thinking about our storyline, we knew Tom Bombadil was around at this time, and we knew Tom Bombadil had never been brought to the screen in the way that we feel he deserved. Those two ultimately proved irresistible questions that we had to answer, so he’s sort of bringing the light in a season with a lot of shadow.

J.D. Payne: But one of the challenges is that Tom Bombadil sort of defies drama by his very nature. Frodo and the Hobbits go to him, not really to figure out what to do with the ring, not really figure out how to battle Sauron, just kind of to hang out, hear him sing some songs and say some rhymes and tell him about some trees and the old forest and the Barrow-wights. But he’s a powerful character, and he’s a character with deep wells of wisdom. If I can hang out with anyone in Middle-earth, anyone, it would be Tom Bombadil because he just knows everything. He’s been around forever.

The challenge was to find what’s a way you can bring a character like that into the drama in a way that doesn’t stop the story dead, but also doesn’t violate the essential nature of who Tom Bombadil is. We sort of tried to walk that line, and we think audiences here are going to enjoy it.

He’s such an important part of the lore, and I do want to ask you a couple of questions about that, but I don’t think everyone realizes just how many years of story this show has to condense for obvious reasons. What omission of Tolkien’s lore are you most upset you had to leave out this year?

Patrick McKay: I don’t know that we ever feel upset about our ability to play in this world. It is just such a constant source of joy and magic and wonder. What we end up feeling is gratitude for the enormous banquet that Tolkien is serve. And then to be able to every season pick a few things and fill a plate is an opportunity more than anything that would upset us.

J.D. Payne: I’ll take a nibble at the question, in as much as one of the things that is interesting about Tolkien on a literary sense, is just the sense of almost the geological timescale on which things happen in Middle-earth.

The rings are forged and then hundreds of years pass where nothing happens, and you just sort of have a shadow brewing. Or the rings are just sort of working on people. And you also have generations passing in Númenor as things are slowly, slowly, slowly getting worse. And that works in literature. It’s next to impossible to accomplish in a dramatic, especially televised or filmed dramatic dramatization.

So you lose some of those, but what you lose in that you gain in cohesion of narrative-

McKay: And emotional impact.

Payne: And emotional impact, by giving people characters they’re able to invest in. Instead of human characters dying every season and then having to meet new humans while you’re sort hanging out with these immortal elves, you get to really invest in your human characters and be with them for the entire series.

McKay: We love this material so much, and we’re always looking to bring it to the screen in the grandest way imaginable that is true to the spirit of the source, and that’s something that we’re never going to be satisfied that we’ve fully pulled off.

We’ve only got a couple of minutes left, so I’m going to go kind of rapid-fire here. What part of Tolkien and lore are you most excited for viewers to see this year?

Payne: Sauron, Celebrimbor, and Eregion.

McKay: The forging of the rings of power in Eregion.

You already mentioned Annatar. We see a very different version of Sauron at the start of the season. Can you tell us if there are other versions of Sauron that are going to appear?

McKay: It’s an evolution. Sauron appears in many forms, and over the course of season two there’s quite a growth and change in his chameleonic nature. But it’s not whack-a-mole with different Saurons popping up all over the place. It’s all the development of the character as his relationships inevitably erode from his inherent evil.

The first few episodes tease it. So I have to ask, I know you’re not going to tell me who the Stranger is, but will we find out who The Stranger is by the end of this season?

Payne: Definitive yes.

I think we should also say that that’s not why you should go on the Stranger’s journey this season. We like to say that he’s someone who’s come to Middle-earth; he’s learning his purpose. He knows he’s a wizard now, but he doesn’t really know what it means to be a wizard, and what does it mean to have these powers? What are my powers? How do I control my powers? What am I supposed to use them for? Who do I fight? How do I fight them? What impact is that going to have on my friends? What impact is it going to have on me? All those are the questions he’s asking on the journey’s going on as he comes into his own. So that’s the ice cream sundae. The name is just the cherry on top.

So when we finally learn his name is Mithrandir, will you come back and talk to me again after the season?

McKay: No comment. But yes, we will come back and talk to you.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER’s Showrunners on Season 2’s Growing Darkness, Tolkien’s Lore, and More appeared first on Nerdist.

During the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, one question ruled the thoughts of fans: Which character would turn out to be Sauron? If you watched season one of the series, you know that it was The Rings of Power‘s Halbrand who emerged as Sauron himself. But as The Rings of Power season two quickly reveals, Halbrand was less a pure vision of Sauron and more just one form of him, a version specifically created to deceive Galadriel into becoming his ally. This season, Sauron is after someone else’s attention on The Rings of Power, the great elven smith, Celebrimbor, whose knowledge Sauron needs to create his ruling rings. And with a new target in his sights, Sauron transforms again in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, this time becoming his “fair form,” Annatar.

But who is Annatar exactly on The Rings of Power, and what do we know about him from The Lord of the Rings texts? Let’s dive in to explore the “divine” figure.

Jump to: Who Is Annatar on The Rings of Power? // How Did Sauron Become Annatar on The Rings of Power? // What Does Annatar Mean in The Lord of the Rings World? // Charlie Vickers’ Annatar Transformation // Why Didn’t Celebrimbor Know that Halbrand/Annatar Was Sauron? // Annatar on The Rings of Power Season 2 // More About Annatar From The Lord of the Rings‘ Lore

Who Is Annatar on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

Quite simply, Annatar is Sauron on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. In the specific context of The Rings of Power, Annatar is the form that Sauron believes is most likely to sway Celebrimbor to his side. When Sauron becomes Annatar, he loses the noble yet humble human trappings that characterized The Rings of Power‘s Halbrand. After all, Halbrand was designed specifically to appeal to Galadriel and her goals in season one. More specifically, Sauron took on the guise of the human King of the Southlands, becoming the perfect ally to help Galadriel wage war against the Orcs in the Southlands as she sought to root out Sauron.

Celebrimbor, however, has a different set of goals in mind on The Rings of Power. Namely, he’s obsessed with creating a legacy that leaves a true impact on Middle-earth for ages to come. When Sauron transforms into Annatar on The Rings of Power episode two, he tells Celebrimbor that he is an emissary of the Valar, or gods, on a mission to save Middle-earth from darkness by means of the Rings of Power.

Halbrand Becomes Annatar

Sauron, as Halbrand, says to Celebrimbor, “There are forces in this world, beyond evil, Celebrimbor. And sometimes they send aid in the form of an envoy, a messenger, sent to bring guidance to the ears of the wise.” And then transforming into Annatar, Sauron dramatically booms out, “I have walked through the dust and the deserts of faraway lands in search of an artist possessing the craft to save all Middle-earth. A storm is coming, Celebrimbor, I can bring you the knowledge none other possess, I can unlock your grandest abilities. And when our work is complete, never again will the world overlook you as the mere scion of Fëanor. But forever more revere you The Lord of the Rings.”

Of course, these dramatics from Sauron, complete with clanging explosions and plumes of fire, lead Celebrimbor to believe he is chosen by the gods themselves, via Annatar, to bring to life their creations on earth. Sauron as Annatar leads Celebrimbor to believe he is destined to save Middle-earth from darkness by creating rings. There’s nothing Celebrimbor could desire more in this world.

On The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Sauron doesn’t appeal to the weaknesses in the characters around him, but to their strengths and hopes. In this way, Annatar is the perfect creation to tempt Celebrimbor into helping Sauron create the Rings of Power he needs to rule Middle-earth.

Charlie Vickers Reveals More About Sauron’s Annatar Form on The Rings of Power Season 2

Charlie Vickers, who plays Sauron in his Annatar form, shares a bit more with us about who Annatar is on The Rings of Power and where he’s coming from.

Vickers notes, “Approaching it from a creative point of view, Annatar is very different [from Halbrand]. I took some ideas from the book, this idea of a fair form. I always thought of him as quite an angelic being. And everything that he does is for Celebrimbor. So the way I play the character comes from the place of I want Celebrimbor to do what I want, basically. There were certain ways that I would move, and ways that I’d speak, and things that I developed with lots of different people that are inherently different to Halbrand. But it all comes from the place of how can I best get the oldest, greatest elven smith in the history of Middle-earth to listen to a complete stranger.”

Jump to: Who Is Annatar on The Rings of Power? // How Did Sauron Become Annatar on The Rings of Power? // What Does Annatar Mean in The Lord of the Rings World? // Charlie Vickers’ Annatar Transformation // Why Didn’t Celebrimbor Know that Halbrand/Annatar Was Sauron? // Annatar on The Rings of Power Season 2 // More About Annatar From The Lord of the Rings‘ Lore

How Did Sauron Become Annatar in The Rings of Power Season Two? Sauron’s Shape-Shifting Powers

But just how did Sauron become Annatar on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? Well, it turns out Sauron is a pretty powerful fellow. Sauron is one of the Maia, in The Lord of the Rings world, spirits who came to Arda, or Earth, to help the Valar, the gods, create the world. Although Sauron in the Second Age of Middle-earth, when The Rings of Power takes place, is not quite as powerful as he was in the First Age, when he served Morgoth, he still has more than a few tricks up his sleeve. And one of the powers Sauron happens to have is that of shape-shifting.

In The Rings of Power season two’s first three episodes, we see Sauron change forms a couple of times. The first time is after Adar and the Orcs “split him open.” He looks one way before his first “death” and then emerges again in his Halbrand form. Whether this is Sauron shape-shifting or merely reflects the idea that, as a Maia, his spirit is difficult to kill and can emerge again even after “death,” is up for debate. But to become Annatar, we clearly see Sauron pulling out his shape-shifting powers on The Rings of Power. It’s quite a neat trick going from a ragged mortal to a divine, angelic being. And it has us wondering, what guise will Sauron wear next when Annatar no longer serves him. We bet the men of Númenor may have a few thoughts.

What Does Annatar Mean in The Lord of the Rings World?

“I am your partner, no more, no less, a sharer of gifts,” Sauron tells Celebrimbor on The Rings of Power episode two, “Annatar.” Of course, Halbrand would no longer suit Sauron, who is now proudly wearing a form that more recalls divinity and angels and less men and muck. But what does the name Annatar mean on The Rings of Power and in The Lord of the Rings world? Celebrimbor is happy to explain; he translates for the audience that Annatar means “Lord of Gifts.”

And, it’s true. As Celebrimbor confirms, the name “Annatar” indeed means “Lord of Gifts” in the elven language Quenya. Annatar is actually a compound word. It is composed of the elven word “anna,” which means “gift,” and the affix –tar, which indicates “lord,” or more specifically, “high, high; king or queen (in compounds).”

Does Charlie Vickers Wear Any Kind of Prosthetics or Makeup to Become Annatar on The Rings of Power?

Charlie Vicker’s transformation from Sauron’s Halbrand to Sauron’s Annatar on The Rings of Power season two is truly astounding. Even more astounding is that this transformation into Annatar is done solely by means of makeup on The Rings of Power. Vickers tells Nerdist, “It’s all just the work of the makeup team. What they really wanted was angular lines, and that was something that kind of creates this sense of evil and darkness and sharpness. They used a lot of contouring and shadowing to do that.”

He additionally shares, “Annatar, he is very clean. He’s a hygienic guy with almost kind of translucent skin, and wearing more clothes, in a gown the whole time. So it was quite nice not to have to get home at the end of the day and wash my whole body. It was kind of just my face.”

Jump to: Who Is Annatar on The Rings of Power? // How Did Sauron Become Annatar on The Rings of Power? // What Does Annatar Mean in The Lord of the Rings World? // Charlie Vickers’ Annatar Transformation // Why Didn’t Celebrimbor Know that Halbrand/Annatar Was Sauron? // Annatar on The Rings of Power Season 2 // More About Annatar From The Lord of the Rings‘ Lore

Why Didn’t Celebrimbor Know Halbrand/Annatar Was Sauron?

Quite simply, The Rings of Power prevents Celebrimbor from ever receiving word that Halbrand was really Sauron. All Galadriel tells Celebrimbor about Halbrand is that the elves are not to treat with him again. Though Gil-galad sends messengers to Celebrimbor to alert him that Halbrand is Sauron, the Orcs following Halbrand to Eregion kill the messengers, and word never arrives to Celebrimbor. Thus, Celebrimbor does not know that Halbrand, who transforms into Annatar, is Sauron.

What Can We Expect From Annatar, Lord of Gifts, This Season on The Rings of Power?

Now that Annatar, Lord of Gifts, is on the scene, what does he want? Well, as mentioned, he’s after the power to control, or, heal, as he’d probably tell it, Middle-earth. Vickers notes of Sauron as Annatar’s great purpose and his relationship with Celebrimbor. “He brings this thing that he’s been stewing on. Not a power of the flesh, but over flesh, an idea he’s been stewing on for centuries. But he doesn’t have the practical knowledge about how to implement it. And then all of a sudden he meets this guy who knows his way around a forge really well. Not that Sauron doesn’t, but he thinks, ‘Well, I can work with this person to put my ideas into motion.’ It’s the bringing of them together. They push each other to new heights throughout the season.”

Of course, we can see from trailers for the season that Annatar won’t stay so divine as he first appears and will slowly become a darker, more menacing figure as his machinations as Sauron come to light. Will we see Sauron transform out of Annatar and into a darker form this season on The Rings of Power? We’ll have to wait and find out.

What Does Tolkien Tell Us About Annatar in The Silmarillion and His Other The Lord of the Rings Writings?

That’s Annatar on The Rings of Power. But, of course, Sauron’s Annatar form comes straight from The Silmarillion. Tolkien writes of Annatar, “Sauron took to himself the name of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, and they had at first much profit from his friendship. And he said to [the elves]: ‘Alas, for the weakness of the great! For a mighty king is Gil-galad, and wise in all lore is Master Elrond, and yet they will not aid me in my labours. Can it be that they do not desire to see other lands become as blissful as their own?” Additionally, Tolkien notes in the “Index of Names,”: “Annatar ‘Lord of Gifts’, name given to himself by Sauron in the Second Age, in that time when he appeared in a fair form among the Eldar who remained in Middle-earth.”

It was in his Annatar, “fair form,” that Sauron managed to convince the elves of Eregion to forge the Rings of Power alongside him. Of course, Celebrimbor forged three rings without Sauron’s influence, and Sauron forged the One Ring by himself in the fires of Mount Doom before returning to wage war on the elves. In The Simarillion all this happens in a matter of pages. But what exactly we’ll see take place in season two of The Rings of Power is yet to be determined.

Annatar in Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth

One interesting note about Sauron’s time as Annatar in Eregion from Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales reads:

Sauron used all his arts upon Celebrimbor and his fellow smiths, who had formed a society or brotherhood, very powerful in Eregion, the Gwaith-i-Mírdain; but he worked in secret, unknown to Galadriel and Celeborn. Before long, Sauron had the Gwaith-i-Mírdain under his influence, for at first they had great profit from his instruction in secret matters of their craft. So great became his hold on the Mírdain that, at length, he persuaded them to revolt against Galadriel and Celeborn and to seize power in Eregion; and that was at some time between 1350 and 1400 of the Second Age. Galadriel thereupon left Eregion and passed through Khazad-dûm to Lórinand, taking with her Amroth and Celebrían; but Celeborn would not enter the mansions of the Dwarves, and he remained behind in Eregion, disregarded by Celebrimbor. In Lórinand Galadriel took up rule, and defence against Sauron.

It will be interesting to see how the other smiths in Eregion react to Sauron’s Annatar in The Rings of Power season two… and whether Sauron can convince them to revolt against their elven brethren.

Jump to: Who Is Annatar on The Rings of Power? // How Did Sauron Become Annatar on The Rings of Power? // What Does Annatar Mean in The Lord of the Rings World? // Charlie Vickers’ Annatar Transformation // Why Didn’t Celebrimbor Know that Halbrand/Annatar Was Sauron? // Annatar on The Rings of Power Season 2 // More About Annatar From The Lord of the Rings‘ Lore

The post Who Is Annatar? Sauron’s New Form on THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

What’s in a name? On The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power there’s clearly one important theme, and that’s rings. We know this season on The Rings of Power, we’ll be seeing at least 19 Rings of Power (drink) come to life at the hands of Celebrimbor, Sauron, or both. But how many of these Rings of Power have been forged already on season two of The Lord of the Rings series? Which ones are they? Who wears them as their ring bearers? Most importantly, what the heck do these Rings of Power even do on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? (And do they do different things?)

Join us as we forge into the power (not of the flesh but over flesh) and break down all the Rings of Power we’ve seen so far on The Rings of Power.

Jump to:

• The Three Elven Rings: Who Wears Them the Three Elven Rings of Power? // What Are the Names of the Elven Rings? // What Powers do the Elven Rings of Power Have on The Rings of Power?
• The First Dwarven Rings of Power: How Do the Rings of Power Impact the Dwarves?
• Will We See the One Ring on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2?

The Three Elven Rings of Power (Forged During The Rings of Power Season One, Episode Eight)

In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season one finale, we see the three elven Rings of Power forged in Eregion. It is true that these rings were formed according to the plan that Celebrimbor devised with Sauron. However, as noted in Tolkien’s lore, the three Elven Rings of Power are created after Galadriel confronts Sauron and he flees the elven realm. In this way, the three elven Rings of Power were “forged by Celebrimbor alone, and the hand of Sauron had never touched them.” (The Silmarillion) The elven rings of power are made out of mithril and gold and silver from Valinor. Thus, the Rings of Power can amplify the fading light of the Valar and stop the elves from fading away on Middle-earth.

Who Wears the Three Elven Rings of Power on The Rings of Power Season Two?

In season two, the Elven Rings of Power finally choose their ring bearers. Although Elrond wishes for Círdan, one of the oldest and most noble elves in Middle-earth, to destroy them. Ultimately, Círdan is unable to throw them into a deep trench in the ocean. Instead, he brings them back to the High King Gil-galad, entranced by their power and beauty. A ring slips from his grasp and rolls over to Galadriel, ostensibly choosing her.

And so the three Rings of Power go to their first elven owners, Galadriel, Círdan, and High King Gil-galad. In the story of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the three elves become the first ringbearers in Middle-earth. It’s worth noting that in Tolkien’s lore, the elven rings were actually made last, and so they possessed the greatest power. However, adaptation is all about changing the narrative to suit the story, and so, in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the three Elven Rings of Power were made first instead.

What Are the Names of the Elven Rings of Power?

The three Elven Rings of Power have specific names that hail from The Lord of the Rings lore. They are Narya, Nenya, and Vilya. The Ring of Power Círdan bears is called Narya. The Ring of Power Galadriel bears is called Nenya. And finally, the Ring of Power Gil-galad bears is called Vilya.

Tolkien shares in The Silmarillion, “Narya, Nenya, and Vilya, they were named, the Rings of Fire, and of Water, and of Air, set with ruby and adamant and sapphire.” The Rings of Power follows these descriptions in creating its Elven Rings of Power.

What Powers Do the Elven Rings of Power Have on Prime Video’s The Rings of Power?

Restoring the Light of the Valar

The first power revealed by the Elven Rings of Power in The Rings of Power series is the power to restore the fading light of the Valar to Middle-earth. When Galadriel, Gil-Galad, and Círdan don their rings, the effect is immediate. The dying Great Tree of Lindon is immediately restored to its full glory, signifying the light of the Valar, too, has been restored in Middle-earth. Had the light faded, the elves would have faded with it.

This interpretation of the Elven Rings of Power’s powers makes a lot of sense based on what we know about the three rings from The Lord of the Rings‘ lore. In Tolkien’s texts, the Elven Rings of Power are known to have the ability to “ward off the decays of time and postpone the weariness of the world” (The Silmarillion) and are “directed to the preservation of beauty.” (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 131) We see both these ideas come directly to life in the context of The Rings of Powers‘ rings replenishing the fading light of the Valar.

Foresight

In addition, the Elven Rings seem to offer the power of Foresight or predictive visions. Galadriel, at least, seems to catch whispers of the future after donning Nenya. She has a rather disturbing vision of the seeds of Sauron she helped sow coming to life and suffocating Celebrimbor. Her Ring of Power appears to be drawing her into the Unseen World.

Attraction

Finally, the Elven Rings of Power seem to have a certain attractive sway over all living things that cross their path. When Círdan demonstrates the power of his ring to Elrond, it draws all the living things around it to it its light. Círdan seems to feel like this power can have a positive use… but it feels like a lot of power for any being to possess.

• Jump to The Three Elven Rings: Who Wears Them the Three Elven Rings of Power? // What Are the Names of the Elven Rings? // What Powers do the Elven Rings of Power Have on The Rings of Power?
• Jump to The Dwarven Rings of Power: How Do the Rings of Power Impact the Dwarves?
• Jump to Will We See the One Ring on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2?

The Dwarven Rings of Power (Forged During The Rings of Power Season Two, Episode Three)

In The Rings of Power season two’s first episodes, Prince Durin IV receives a mysterious summons from Celebrimbor in Eregion. Prince Durin and his father, King Durin III, agree to a temporary truce from their familiar spat to pursue it. After all, Khazad-dûm is in a bad way after the explosion of Mount Doom, and perhaps Celebrimbor and his mysterious collaborator, Annatar, can offer a power that will help. What kind of power? Dwarven Rings of Power.

In exchange for Mithril to make more rings, for the Dwarves and the rest of Middle-earth, Celebrimbor and Annatar/Sauron will give this power to the dwarves, making rings for the Dwarves, “one for each of Middle-earth’s most powerful Dwarf Lords.” Although Prince Durin is suspicious of the offer, he and King Durin agree to see where the Rings of Power will take them. Thus, we see the first Dwarven Ring of Power begin to be forged in The Rings of Power episode three. Celebrimbor promises that he can provide Rings that will heal Durin’s mountain, just as they healed Lindon’s Great Tree.

It’s bad news for the Dwarves, though, because Sauron, as Annatar, himself drops the Mithril into the fire to be forged. And that means this Dwarven Ring of Power has officially been corrupted by the Dark Lord before its even fully formed.

What Powers Do the Dwarven Rings of Power Have? And What Impact Do They Have on the Dwarves?

It’s too early to tell exactly what the impact of the Dwarven Rings of Power will be on the Dwarves. But in trailers for The Rings of Power season two, we see the Dwarven Ring of Power may very well corrupt King Durin III, turning him against his family and people.

In The Silmarillion, Tolkien notes the following The Lord the Rings‘ Dwarven Rings of Power: “The Dwarves indeed proved tough and hard to tame; they ill endure the domination of others, and the thoughts of their hearts are hard to fathom, nor can they be turned to shadows. They used their rings only for the getting of wealth; but wrath and an overmastering greed of gold were kindled in their hearts, of which evil enough after came to the profit of Sauron.”

In short, the Dwarves were less likely to fall under the evil manipulations of Sauron’s rings in The Lord of the Rings‘ world. However, the Rings of Power still inflamed some of their instincts toward greed and anger. We’ll just have to wait and see how The Rings of Power portray the powers and effects of the Dwarven Rings of Power.

Will We See the One Ring on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2?

As mentioned, official sources have confirmed we’ll see 19 Rings of Power this season on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. But will we see Sauron’s One Ring forged in The Rings of Power season two? The answer is… it’s possible. The Silmarillion‘s description of the events surrounding the forging of the Rings of Power is incredibly abridged, so it’s hard to say when exactly the forging of the One Ring will occur in the context of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. However, it’s worth nothing Sauron forged the One Ring before the sack of Eregion according to The Lord of the Rings‘ lore. With the sack of Eregion happening this season on The Rings of Power, it could be very possible we’ll see the forging of the One Ring as well.

For now, I’ll place my bets that we’ll see the One Ring forged as the final scene of The Rings of Power season two.

• Jump to The Three Elven Rings: Who Wears Them the Three Elven Rings of Power? // What Are the Names of the Elven Rings? // What Powers do the Elven Rings of Power Have on The Rings of Power?
• Jump to The First Dwarven Rings of Power: How Do the Rings of Power Impact the Dwarves?
• Jump to Will We See the One Ring on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2?

The post Which Rings of Power Have Been Forged on THE RINGS OF POWER? (Plus: Who Wears Them? And What Do They Do?) appeared first on Nerdist.

When real-life circumstances intervene in the filming of a fictional series, there are several paths a show can take. If an actor is no longer available to play a character, that character could be recast, they could be written off the story for a time, or they might be simply killed in the narrative to explain their absence. In June of 2024, Nazanin Boniadi, who played Bronwyn, announced that she would return in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two. And, of course, that left Bronwyn’s fate hanging in the balance. But what exactly happened to Bronwyn in the story of The Rings of Power after Boniadi departed from the series? Here’s what we learned about Bronwyn in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season three, episode two.

What Happens to Bronwyn on The Rings of Power Season 2?

Alas, it seems that when Nazanin Boniadi revealed she would not return as Bronwyn in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two, she meant that her absence would be a permanent one. The third episode of The Rings of Power‘s second season reveals that Bronwyn has indeed met her death in the world of the show.

Bronwyn’s Death On The Rings of Power

But just how did Bronwyn die in The Rings of Power‘s world? After all, last we saw her, she and Arondir seemed ready to begin a new life together in Pelargir, a Númenorean colony in Middle-earth. Arondir explains that although she appeared to be recovering from her wounds, as we saw at the end of The Rings of Power season one, that recovery was a deceptive one. Instead, the series reveals there was orcish poison on the arrow that wounded Bronwyn during The Rings of Power season one’s sixth episode actually contained orcish poison. Though Bronwyn seemed on the mend, this poison actually proved to be fatal, killing her on the series.

Bronwyn’s death takes place off-screen since Nazanin Boniadi did not return for any part of The Rings of Power season two. But despite this, we “see” a body to confirm Bronwyn’s death. The Rings of Power shows us Bronwyn’s funeral pyre in the third episode of season two. It seems that she had only just died when The Rings of Power season two begins. The funeral pyre is gorgeous and tragic, we feel for Arondir and Theo as they lay Bronwyn to rest.

Nazanin Boniadi Chose to Leave The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Although we will miss Bronwyn on The Rings of Power, we respect that actress Nazanin Boniadi made the decisions that were most right for her regarding the role. On Instagram, Boniadi explained a bit more about her departure from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power ahead of season two. She wrote, “I made the choice not to return for season two of ‘Rings of Power.’ This was unrelated to my subsequent decision to prioritize my advocacy. Throughout my career, the values I have held most dear are honesty, empathy and integrity.  My character Bronwyn was committed to these same ideals in striving for a fairer world, which is why I connected so deeply with her. I look forward to sharing my latest projects with you soon.”

Although Bronwyn’s tale in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has ended with death, her influence will no doubt be felt as the series continues. Both Arondir, the elf she loved, and her son, Theo, will continue the legacy of her story.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 Reveals Bronwyn’s Fate After Actress Nazanin Boniadi Leaves Series appeared first on Nerdist.

Círdan the Shipwright is a familiar figure to those invested in The Lord of the Rings lore and the world of  J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. But those who are more casually acquainted with the franchise and its many nuances and materials might not be as aware of him. But now that Círdan has appeared in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two, it’s time to get to know the oldest elf in Middle-earth.

Like many of Tolkien’s characters, Círdan has a long and winding history. And so, here, we’ll touch on the parts of it that are most relevant to his appearance in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Jump to: Who Is Círdan the Shipwright? // Círdan as The Lord of the Grey Havens // How Old Is Círdan the Shipwright? Círdan’s Origins // Círdan’s Power as an Elf: Wisdom and Foresight // Círdan as a Ring Bearer in The Lord of Rings‘ Lore and His Connection to Gandalf // Círdan in The Lord of the Rings Movies // Círdan the Shipwright’s Beard (As Seen in The Rings of Power)

Jump to: Círdan the Shipwright in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Who Is Círdan the Shipwright? Círdan’s The Lord of the Rings History as it Pertains to The Rings of Power

In short, Círdan the Shipwright is the oldest known elf to remain in Middle-earth during the time of the Second Age, the period when The Rings of Power takes place. Given that elves are immortal beings, this is really saying something about Círdan. We’ll discuss just how old he is in upcoming sections and what that means for his power as an elf.

Over the years, Círdan has honed the craft of shipbuilding, motivated by his desire to one day sail to the elven Undying Lands of Valinor. And this, of course, earned him the title of Círdan the Shipwright.  “Círdan” actually means “shipwright” in Sindarin elvish, so the title of Círdan the Shipwright is a bit redundant. But we guess it just underscores the point that no one builds better ships than Círdan. For The Lord of the Rings‘ Círdan, however, building ships is more than just a hobby; it’s one of the main thematic points of his story.

Círdan as The Lord of the Grey Havens

One of the most salient aspects of Círdan’s story lies in his shipbuilding, an art we see him engaging with in The Rings of Power season two. Círdan was meant to sail to Valinor, the revered realm of the elves, when the elves first set sail for it, before the ages of Middle-earth even began. But through a series of different circumstances, he ended up not undertaking the journey the first time or second time, and remained instead in Middle-earth, honing his shipbuilding craft.

At first, Círdan intended to use his skills in order to sail to Valinor himself, the light of it calling to him from the distance. But, as described in The Peoples of Middle-earth, a compilation of Tolkien’s writings, the Valar (or gods) sent him a vision that told him he could not yet embark on such a journey. Despite his great yearning to see realm of the elves, Círdan forewent the fulfillment of his greatest wish for an incredibly long time. The Lord of the Rings‘ texts note that Círdan’s “love of his kin and allegiance” lead him “forfeit the fulfilment of his greatest desire: to see the Blessed Realm.”

Instead, Círdan remained in Middle-earth to facilitate the building of such ships as the one Earendil, Elrond’s father, used to sail to Valinor in order to convince the Valar to help defeat Morgoth, Sauron’s predecessor, during the War of Wrath. Additionally, Círdan would become the Lord of the Grey Havens, helping to design the ships that could carry his fellow elves from the Havens to Valinor. Without Círdan’s knowledge, no elves could reach Valinor. Thus, while Círdan facilitated the connection to the lands, he, himself, could not sail over until the last days of the elves on Middle-earth. And, indeed, he was one of the last elves to leave Middle-earth.

How Old Is Círdan the Shipwright? Círdan’s Origins

We know that Círdan the Shipwright is the oldest elf in Middle-earth during its Second Age. But how old does that make him during the time of The Rings of Power? The truth is that Tolkien does not fully clarify Círdan’s age in his The Lord of the Rings writings. There is much discussion of whether Círdan, originally known as Nowë, awoke in Cuiviénen among the first elves ever created, but ultimately, Tolkien was not clear on this point. It seems some lean toward the idea that he was born in Cuiviénen, though he did not awaken there, while others believe that he did awaken with the first elves.

Regardless, as mentioned above, we do know that Círdan was a part of the “Great Journey” in The Lord of the Rings world. This refers to the journey the elves took from the place they first awakened, Cuiviénen, to the lands of Valinor. That journey took place on 1105th Year of the Trees, so Círdan must have been born before then.

In English, that means that Círdan would be upward of around 10,000 years old during the events of The Lord of the Rings and somewhere around 7,000 years old during the events of The Rings of Power, which take place about 3,000 years before the Fellowship of the Ring forms.

Jump to: Who Is Círdan the Shipwright? // Círdan as The Lord of the Grey Havens // How Old Is Círdan the Shipwright? Círdan’s Origins // Círdan’s Power as an Elf: Wisdom and Foresight // Círdan as a Ring Bearer in The Lord of Rings‘ Lore and His Connection to Gandalf // Círdan in The Lord of the Rings Movies // Círdan the Shipwright’s Beard (As Seen in The Rings of Power)

Jump to: Círdan the Shipwright in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Círdan’s Power as an Elf: Wisdom and Foresight

Of course, as such an old elf, Círdan is known to be one of the wisest and most respected elves around. Galadriel notes this of Círdan in The Rings of Power season two’s first episodes, saying that even High King Gil-galad would be forced to respect his opinions. But in addition to this, Tolkien seems to imply that Círdan was blessed by the Valar with special powers of foresight. Tolkien writes that after the Valar gave Círdan the vision not to sail to Valinor, and to remain in Middle-earth; “From that night onwards Círdan received a foresight touching all matters of importance, beyond the measure of all other Elves upon Middle-earth.”

Additionally, Tolkien writes, “Círdan is said in the Annals of the Third Age (c.1000) to have seen further and deeper into the future than anyone else in Middle-earth.(31) This does not include the Istari (who came from Valinor), but must include even Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn.”

Círdan as a Ring Bearer in The Lord of Rings‘ Lore and His Connection to Gandalf

Tolkien also reveals that Círdan was one of the original bearers of the Elven Rings of Power. As we see in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Círdan was the first to wear the elven ring Narya, the Ring of Fire.

In The Lord of the Rings lore, Círdan spoke out against the creation of the Rings before they were made and was suspicious of Sauron. But, of course, in The Rings of Power, he did not know about the creation of the rings until they were already made. In The Lord of the Ring‘s books, he also accompanies Elrond and Isildur into the heart of Mount Doom after Sauron’s initial defeat at the end of the Second Age. There, he and Elrond urge Isildur to throw the One Ring into the fire and destroy it (and Sauron) once and for all. Isildur, of course, does not do that.

Círdan and Gandalf

But Círdan makes one very important decision with his Ring. Although it is a precious possession to him, he gives it to Gandalf during the Third Age of Middle-earth as the threat of Sauron begins to grow again. Tolkien writes in The Lord of the Rings’ Appendix B, that Círdan said to Gandalf. “Take this ring, Master… for your labours will be heavy; but it will support you in the weariness that you have taken upon yourself. For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it, you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill. But as for me, my heart is with the Sea, and I will dwell by the grey shores until the last ship sails. I will await you.”

It was his great powers of foresight that allowed Círdan to know how crucial it would be for Gandalf to bear the Ring of Power. But with The Rings of Power hinting that The Stranger might very well be Gandalf, we may see this Ring of Power leave Círdan’s hands earlier than planned.

Jump to: Who Is Círdan the Shipwright? // Círdan as The Lord of the Grey Havens // How Old Is Círdan the Shipwright? Círdan’s Origins // Círdan’s Power as an Elf: Wisdom and Foresight // Círdan as a Ring Bearer in The Lord of Rings‘ Lore and His Connection to Gandalf // Círdan in The Lord of the Rings Movies // Círdan the Shipwright’s Beard (As Seen in The Rings of Power)

Jump to: Círdan the Shipwright in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Círdan in The Lord of the Rings Movies

But is Círdan in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies? Yes, but only very briefly. In the movies, we see Círdan twice. First, we see him in the prologue of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; he is behind Galadriel admiring his ring. Second, we see him at the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, standing behind Galadriel, Elrond, and Celeborn in the Grey Havens as they finally prepare to depart for Valinor. Notably, Círdan does not appear in the scene where Elrond tries to convince Isildur to destroy the One Ring. However, perhaps The Rings of Power will take the chance to give Círdan back this important role.

In The Lord of the Rings movies, Michael Elsworth plays Círdan.

Círdan the Shipwright’s Beard (As Seen in The Rings of Power)

Yes, Círdan is an elf with a beard. Tolkien only mentions Círdan’s beard once, in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, when Círdan is preparing to finally leave Middle-earth and sail West with Elrond and Galadriel. Tolkien writes, “As they came to the gates, Círdan the Shipwright came forth to greet them. Very tall he was, and his beard was long, and he was grey and old, save that his eyes were keen as stars; and he looked at them and bowed, and said: ‘All is now ready.’”

Why does Círdan have a beard when no other elves do? We assume it’s because he is just that old. Although we meet Círdan with his beard in The Rings of Power, he shaves it off in episode three. We feel curious to know how long it might take an elf to grow his beard back.

Círdan the Shipwright in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Círdan is a lot younger in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power than he will be when he finally sails west to Valinor. But as mentioned, The Rings of Power already gives Círdan his beard in the Second Age, if only for an episode or two. But, hey, he’s already pretty old. In The Rings of Power, Círdan is played by Ben Daniels.

We first meet the series’ version of Círdan in The Rings of Power season two’s first episode. Elrond turns to him for counsel on the Rings of Power. Recall that Círdan knew Elrond’s father. At first, Círdan is on board to destroy the Rings, even if it means that all elves must leave Middle-earth to its fate. Círdan trusts Elrond’s instincts and refuses to even examine the Rings of Power for fear of how they might sway him. But when fate intervenes to knock one into his hands, he too falls under their spell. Ultimately, Círdan brings the rings back to High King Gil-galad in Lindon. He, Gil-galad, and Galadriel put on the elven Rings of Power and, in doing so, restore the light of the Valar to Middle-earth.

Círdan seems to think the elves can harness the Rings of Power for good and that “beauty born in evil is no less beautiful.” He tells Elrond in episode three of The Rings of Power, “We do not yet fully understand these rings, but look at the power they exert over every form of life. In Sauron’s hands, they could work an evil beyond reckoning, dominating the minds and wills of all. This is why they must remain in the hands of Elves. You are wise to fear this power… but do not let that fear blind you to the ways it can be used for good.”

We’ll have to wait and see what journey Círdan undertakes in The Rings of Power‘s second season and beyond.

Jump to: Who Is Círdan the Shipwright? // Círdan as The Lord of the Grey Havens // How Old Is Círdan the Shipwright? Círdan’s Origins // Círdan’s Power as an Elf: Wisdom and Foresight // Círdan as a Ring Bearer in The Lord of Rings‘ Lore and His Connection to Gandalf // Círdan in The Lord of the Rings Movies // Círdan the Shipwright’s Beard (As Seen in The Rings of Power)

Jump to: Círdan the Shipwright in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

The post Who Is Círdan the Shipwright? The Oldest Elf in Middle-Earth’s RINGS OF POWER Journey and LORD OF THE RINGS History appeared first on Nerdist.

In season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the elf Galadriel inadvertently fell prey to the Dark Lord Sauron and his deceptions. While seeking to destroy Sauron, Galadriel, in her stubborn single-mindedness, helped him return to his full power instead. Despite this, Galadriel followed through with Sauron’s plan and helped to forge the Elven Rings of Power at the end of the season. But all of that has left its mark. In celebration of season two of The Rings of Power, Nerdist sat down with Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel on the show, to discuss where Galadriel’s journey will take her in the wake of her season one revelations. In our conversation, Clark dives deep with us to discuss Galadriel’s still-present pull toward Halbrand, the potential for fireworks with Sauron, a complicated relationship with Adar, and where the elf finds herself heading this season.

You can check out our full The Rings of Power season two Galadrien interview with Morfydd Clark below.

Nerdist: The loss of a friendship is never easy, and in season one, Galadriel lets Halbrand into parts of herself that she walled off from almost everyone else. Does Galadriel miss Halbrand, and how does she deal with the loss of him in The Rings of Power season two?

Morfydd Clark: I feel she definitely misses Halbrand, and I think she also misses herself before she was betrayed. I think there’s a loss of innocence once that’s happened to you. And yeah, and I think also something big that has happened is that she’s seeing herself as corruptible and that’s a tough thing to come to terms with.

Do you think that Galadriel believes anything Sauron told her as Halbrand, for instance, being sorry for killing her brother, not really wanting to go back to Middle-earth, things like that?

Clark: Yes. I feel there are parts of her that want to that she doesn’t allow herself to feel. It’s taking fierce control from her to, first of all, not kind of give into him and then also to kind of move on from this entanglement that she was in. But I also think that whether she thinks what he said is true or not, he’s changed her, and that’s so annoying.

What do you imagine a The Rings of Power reunion between Sauron and Galadriel would be like at this point?

Clark: I mean, I’m really excited about them eventually, say, coming face to face again because there’ll be fireworks for sure. And I mean, it just was interesting comprehending that as an actor, thinking in this world, there is the most evil thing, and he’s kind of obsessed with you. And you know now that it’s so real and what it would mean to join him. What I love about Tolkien is that there are loads of shades of gray within his world, but then also there’s kind of Galadriel and Sauron are just stark opposites. And so the idea of them coming together is just always going to be exciting because it’s like they shouldn’t exist in the same universe, but they do.

In season one, Galadriel was so singularly self-assured in her past, but then that assurance did lead her astray. Does her guilt over her mistakes drive her or make her doubt herself? And what roads does that lead Galadriel down in The Rings of Power season two?

Clark: I think that they make her healthily doubt herself, but also she knows that there’s no time for her to be in a slump. And so she’s kind of like a wounded animal who’s having to keep running and try and lick their wounds, but there’s no time for it. And that’s tough.

Have her own black-and-white visions of the world softened or hardened in the wake of Halbrand’s betrayal?

Clark: So this is what I think is beautiful about elves: they continue to see kind of light and beauty no matter what happens. And ultimately, even though she was kind of almost as individualistic and unconnected to her elfness last season as she could be, she is an elf. And so, even though the darkness is so much more frightening and so much more real, she still can see it. She knows that light is there and has to be thoughtful.

Something that struck me as I was rewatching season one and beginning season two are the interesting parallels between Galadriel and Adar on The Rings of Power. They both have this complicated love-hate relationship with Sauron, and they kind of want to kill him but also crave him. Adar pointed this out a little bit in season one. Do you think that’s something Galadriel could ever consider in a kind of “enemy of my enemy as my friend” way? Or could she just never see something like that?

Clark: Yeah, it’s an interesting thought. I mean, Adar is so interesting because he was an elf, and I think that will always be something that she can’t forget. And he also was an elf who was abandoned. And so this is something that’s so interesting about elves as well, is they’re complicit in everything that’s ever happened because they were there. So I think seeing Adar’s existence is extremely confronting and will never be something that she’ll be able to get any easy answers from or know what’s the right thing to do necessarily. I think he’s much more confusing to her than Sauron.

Do we see them have any more interactions this season?

Clark: Maybe.

Although the Elven Rings of Power were not touched by Sauron, they do have this hypnotic pull to them. Does Galadriel’s ring control her, or does she control her ring on The Rings of Power season two?

Clark: Well, the thing is, they don’t know. This is what is the big thing. They’re taking a massive risk because the situation is so dire, and they don’t know what’s going to happen from that. And that’s going to be really interesting seeing whether they’ve made the right decision, whether they’ll ever feel whether they have, and I like to think that the rings influence the people, but also, or the elves, but the wearer influences the ring as well. So it’s going to be forever changing.

Galadriel confirmed the existence of Celeborn in season one of The Rings of Power. Is that a facet of her life that’s explored in season two?

Clark: Well, I find it really emotional that she thinks that Celeborn is dead. And I like to feel that there’s this part of her that isn’t awake; the softest part of her has been closed. And one day, hopefully, Celeborn will be there to make her safe again.

Are there any new characters that Galadriel interacts with this season of The Rings of Power that you particularly enjoyed seeing her meet?

Clark: Yes. Her and Elrond have a little band of elves, which was so much fun. And yeah, that was great. And it’s also exciting whenever a new elf is cast, like what’s their special thing? What are they going to be particularly amazing at? And we had some great, great actors. So yeah, we see her in very different situations to season one, where she was alone amongst men.

Speaking of Elrond, their bond begins in a complicated place in season two. How do you think the pair might begin to mend that relationship?

Clark: Yeah, I think it’s really tough for Elrond to forgive what she did, and I think all she can do is wait and hope.

And finally, are there any parts of Tolkien’s lore that you’re especially excited to see brought to life this season of The Rings of Power?

Clark: My desire to spoil right now is very strong, but I can’t, so I’ll just say there are things I’m very excited about.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is now streaming on Prime Video.

The post Morfydd Clark Dives Into Losing Halbrand, Fireworks with Sauron, and Celeborn’s Potential Return in THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

Middle-earth’s Dark Lord didn’t reveal his true identity on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power until season one’s finale, when “Halbrand” asked Galadriel to join him. During the show’s second season, Sauron will be able to fully embrace who he really is… Or at least he will when he’s not pretending to be someone else entirely. What will that mean for Sauron actor Charlie Vickers in The Rings of Power season two? How did this year differ from the show’s inaugural outing? And what has it been like walking around as “Hot Sauron” for two years? Nerdist asked Charlie Vickers about all of that and more when we spoke to him ahead of The Rings of Power season two.

Nerdist: We spoke days after season one ended, so the world had only just learned Halbrand was really Sauron on The Rings of Power. What has it been like the last two years walking around with people thinking of you as one the most infamous villains ever created?

Charlie Vickers: It’s been cool. I mean, to be honest, it’s only ever been a pleasure being able to play this character, and it’s become such a massive part of my life. But it is really a part of my life away from the normal part of my life, I guess. And luckily, so far, the two haven’t really crossed over that much so that it’s not something I really have to deal with in day-to-day life.

For me, it’s been huge. It just makes me really excited every day. Particularly when you get to go in and make the show and film the whole second season, and finally, you can be able to be Sauron and not Halbrand anymore.

We’re going to get to that, but I need to know: Do people still call you Hot Sauron?

Vickers: :big laugh: Not to my face. Not to my face.

You spent season one of The Rings of Power deceiving Galadriel and, in turn, viewers. Did the fact that everyone now knows you’re really Sauron change your performance in any way this time around in The Rings of Power season two?

Vickers: Yeah, I mean also by the nature of where the character goes, it changed my performance. I guess it’s about manipulation, and the difference this season is he doesn’t really have to hide anything. There are, of course, smaller things, but in terms of who he is for the audience—he’s still hiding things from other characters. But in terms of who I am for the audience, I no longer have to hide anything. So I was kind of…reveling is the wrong word, but I was really just trying to enjoy myself playing this iconic villain. And it’s such an incredible privilege and place to be in to be able to do this. So I just kind of really let myself sit in it.

The key thing, if I’m really honest, is you know you’re playing a villainous character, but Sauron never believes he’s a villain. And I think that’s a real key theme in this scene series.

I’ve seen the first three episodes of The Rings of Power season two, and it definitely comes across that you’re having a blast playing Sauron, who definitely seems more obviously evil and maliciously slippery than before. With Halbrand, there was at least a small chance he was a good, flawed person. Now that the mask is ripped off, do you think it is intentional that Sauron seems so much more evil this year? Or is that on me as a viewer because they can no longer give the character the benefit of the doubt?

Vickers: There’s definitely an intent from a creative point of view. When we were putting the look together and really creating the character, there were elements of a character that, I guess, thematically scream evil. But never from my performance was I trying to be evil. It’s the way that the show sets it up with the music and the lighting and the private moments that you see him have.

It’s kind of like those stolen moments that we’re now in on as an audience member, where Halbrand might’ve previously turned away and had a moment the camera doesn’t capture. Now, when Sauron turns away and has a moment, we’re with him, and you can see the cogs turning, and it’s that presence of evil is almost on us in a way as the viewers because we know everything that’s come before. But in the design there are definitely evil, evil elements for sure.

You spent all of season one working with Morfydd Clark, but obviously, that wasn’t really possible in season two of The Rings of Power. What was it like filming with so many new cast members this year?

Vickers: It was amazing. In a way, I spent most of this season with Charles Edwards, similar to the amount of time that I spent with Morfydd in the first season. But then I did dip in and out of a few other different worlds this season. The thing that just blew me away every day was acting opposite Charles. He’s such a legend.

He’s done so much here in England and all over the world, and he’s a real pro and just a really gifted actor. And to be able to go to work with him every day was such a privilege. And all of the same can be said for Morfydd. So it was similar in that respect, but it was an absolute joy to film with different people. Then there are times when I won’t say too much because [this interview] is going to be up before the show, but there are times when I meet characters from other worlds, and that opened my mind to some of the complications in filming technically. The technical complications of living in Middle-earth.

Speaking of your old screenmate, Sauron asked Galadriel to be his queen at the end of season one of The Rings of Power. How much, if at all, does he still want that by this point? And does he think it’s a possibility?

Vickers: I think he probably does think it’s still a possibility because he has this hubris and this self-love. He thinks he’s really cool, and he thinks, “Well, she rejected me once, but next time I come back for her, she won’t reject me again because I’ll be so powerful she won’t be able to.”

But I don’t think he necessarily wants that. I think his initial proposal to her was to join him, and they could be king and queen of Middle-earth, but really, he would’ve been king, and she would’ve been his righthand woman. Any kind of dreams he has involve her being number two and him being number one.

What are Sauron’s long-term plans for Adar on The Rings of Power?

Vickers: Healing. I think he wants to kind of…what’s the best way I can put it…

Without spoiling anything, he is pissed off at him. I would say that Adar is going to, I think Sauron wants Adar to sort of get his comeuppance because what he did to him. And we see this in the first episode, so it’s not really spoiling anything. The thing that I love about the start of the show is we see the backstory and the history between these two characters. And I think, ultimately, Sauron wants Adar to get what he deserves for what he did. Throughout the season, we can see his plan to do that.

Nerdist: We can talk about this because season two The Rings of Power trailers show you as Annatar, the deceptive form Sauron took on to trick Celebrimbor. What did you do to differentiate that version of Sauron with the other versions of him we see on the show?

Vickers: Obviously, there’s a big physical difference, but approaching it from a creative point of view, Annatar is very different. I took some ideas from the book, this idea of a fair form. I always thought of him as quite an angelic being. And everything that he does is for Celebrimbor. So the way I play the character comes from the place of I want Celebrimbor to do what I want, basically. There were certain ways that I would move, and ways that I’d speak, and things that I developed with lots of different people that are inherently different to Halbrand. But it all comes from the place of how can I best get the oldest, greatest Elvin smith in the history of Middle-earth to listen to a complete stranger.

Practically, it is an assuredness and a calmness. And I love this idea of his stillness, of Sauron’s stillness in the sense that everything is very centered, grounded, and still. Because if it wasn’t like that, there’s so much power. He’s holding so much power that any kind of shadow movement, whatever it might be, would cause ripples in the atmosphere from hundreds of miles. So it all needs to be contained, and everything is very under the surface. That demands respect from someone of the stature of Celebrimbor.

What was it like getting dressed up and made up as Annatar after usually filming in rags covered in dirt?

Vickers: It was certainly a longer process. I spent a lot of time, much more time, in the makeup chair. I was wearing ears, and I had different hair. It was quite nice, actually, because I was so used to full body makeup being Halbrand, in the sense of always covered in dirt or always covered in some kind of scabs or blood. Being Annatar, he is very clean. He’s a hygienic guy with almost kind of translucent skin, and wearing more clothes, he’s in a gown the whole time. So it was quite nice not to have to get home at the end of the day and wash my whole body. It was kind of just my face.

Did you have any prosthetics on your face to play Annatar?

Vickers: No. It’s all just the work of The Rings of Power‘s makeup team. What they really wanted was angular lines, and that was something that kind of creates this sense of evil and darkness and sharpness. They used a lot of contouring and shadowing to do that.

Nerdist: You’ve already kind of hinted at how important their relationship is this season. How would you describe Sauron and Celebrimbor’s partnership in season two of The Rings of Power? And how does it differentiate from the way it’s described in Tolkien’s writings?

Vickers: To be honest, it’s very similar to the way it’s described in Tolkien’s writings. What we cover a lot of this season is the lore, what’s in The Silmarillion, in the chapter of The Rings of Power and the Akallabêth. So there’s some really exciting things for real fans of Tolkien there.

But I’d say their relationship is one of mutual respect, in that it’s kind of like the meeting of two minds to create an amazing piece of technology. One of them brings one element and the other, I like to think of Sauron as the idea man.

He brings this thing that he’s been stewing on. Not a power of the flesh, but over flesh, an idea he’s had am mean stewing on for centuries. But he doesn’t have the practical knowledge about how to implement it. And then, all of a sudden, he meets this guy who knows his way around a forge really well. Not that Sauron doesn’t, but he thinks, “Well, I can work with this person to put my ideas into motion.” It’s the bringing of them together. They push each other to new heights throughout the season.

Nerdist: You say there’s a lot of lore this year. What are you most excited for fans to see in season two? It can be about Sauron or just in general.

Vickers: The thing that sticks out to me is…it’s tough and there’s no spoiler here because it is in the name of the show…just some guys making rings. Really, that is the exciting thing to myself as a fan. When I read the script, and when I think about all the things that are to come in this show, there are certain big bullet points that this show about this time in Middle-earth need to tick off and will tick off. Whether it’s the Fall of Numenor and beyond, the Battle of the Last Alliance, this one is about the crafting of the rings of power. And this is the exciting thing about this season is where we’re at. We’re up to it, and we get to see these things happen for the first time. That’s what I’m excited for fans to see.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is now streaming on Prime Video.

The post Charlie Vickers Talks Sauron’s Plans for Galadriel, Celebrimbor Relationship, and Being Evil in Plain Sight on THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

Recently, we at Nerdist had the pleasure of speaking to Charles Edwards, who plays Lord Celebrimbor, and Charlie Vickers, who plays Sauron, about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two. Since our recent tweet was such a hit, we couldn’t help but ask Charles Edwards if he thought Celebrimbor would have a banner season this year on The Rings of Power. As Edwards considered his answer, Charlie Vickers very helpfully illustrated our question with some evocative hand gestures. This is an, if you know, you know, kind of situation for The Lord of the Rings fans, and we’re not going to get too deep into spoiler-territory, but we’re going to put it under a spoiler warning anyway.

You can watch Charles Edwards and Charlie Vickers react to the mention of Celebrimbor, The Rings of Power, and a banner in the video above. And it is truly hilarious. But we felt the most interesting thing was Edwards’ response to the invocation of a banner. He noted that rumors of Celebrimbor’s banner year in season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power “might be premature.” Make of that what you will. More than that, he couldn’t possibly say. But honestly, it’s a lot to consider. Could he mean that Celebrimbor will never have a banner year on The Rings of Power? Or just that it just won’t be in season two? We’ll have to mull that over a while longer.

In the meanwhile, thanks to Vickers, we have an approximation of Sauron’s banner behavior to tide us over. Let no one ever say we never gave you any gifts, good people of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power fandom. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two begins streaming on Prime Video on August 29.

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Perhaps you, like me, have become a huge fan of Adar on The Rings of Power and, by extension, feel fondly toward his beloved children, the Uruk—derogatorily known as orcs. If so, then you’ve probably found yourself returning to one important line from Tolkien’s lore. In The Lord of the Rings precursor text, The Silmarillion, Tolkien shares something very interesting about The Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the final great stand of Middle-earth’s forces of good against Sauron’s evil in the Second Age (when The Rings of Power takes place). He writes, “All living things were divided in that day, and some of every kind, even of beasts and birds, were found in either host, save the Elves only. They alone were undivided and followed Gil-galad.” What was that Tolkien, some of every kind?

To us, that sounds very much like the orcs, or Uruk, as they prefer everyone call them, had a canonical presence on the side of good during this great battle. And that means they fought against Sauron to help save Middle-earth from evil. On The Lord of the Rings‘ prequel series, we’re still some time away from The Last Alliance. But if the Uruk/orcs intend to join the forces of goodness on The Rings of Power, they should probably get started sooner rather than later. Maybe as soon as season two?

We brought up this point and quote to showrunner Patrick McKay, who agreed that the story of the Uruk/orcs sits at the heart of The Rings of Power‘s second season. In fact, the question of the orc and Uruk dichotomy is exactly what’s at on the table in The Rings of Power season two.

McKay shared with the following about the orcs’ story in The Rings of Power upcoming episodes:

Season two of The Rings of Power is very much concerned with who the orcs are, or as they prefer to be known, the Uruk. Well, actually, maybe that’s a good way of saying it. Are they orcs? Or are they Uruk? That is very much one of the questions that season two is interrogating. We have this battle for control of Mordor and the Orc Nation between Adar and Sauron. There are two snakes in a basket here, and you have to see who wins and how to see what the fate of the Uruk will be.

Are they orcs? Or are they Uruk? For now, they’re obviously Uruk. But will they be able to stop themselves from becoming orcs when Rings of Power are in play? In early clips from season two of The Rings of Power, Sauron has already threatened Adar with this outcome. Under the guise of Halbrand, Sauron insinuates he’ll enslave the Uruk when he rises to power. It’s clear he means to bind them to his will with the rings. If that happens on The Rings of Power, Adar’s children will have no choice but to obey and will undoubtedly become orcs, as we know them in the Third Age, at Sauron’s hands.

But in The Rings of Power season two, the Uruk might have more options available to them. Before Adar tried to kill Sauron, both Sauron and the Elves threatened the orcs’ survival in The Rings of Power‘s world. The former tried to enslave them, and the latter to slay them. The Uruk were between a rock and a hard place. No beings truly allowed them to be better than the expectations set out for their kind. Would the elves really have entertained an orc pledging to fight alongside them for good in the early Second Age? It seems unlikely.

But as Sauron’s threat grows in The Rings of Power season two, the status quo for orcs could change. It looks like Galadriel and Adar might come to form a tenuous alliance despite themselves. Perhaps, through that connection, the elves might understand that the orcs are not just simple instruments of evil. But, as Adar said in season one, each of the Uruk has a name and a heart. Each of the Uruk has the ability to choose to be more than just an orc in The Rings of Power‘s Middle-earth. At least for now…

Quite honestly, The Rings of Power‘s Uruk/orcs seem to want nothing more than a home and quiet. Uruk nation, we’re rooting for you. We just hope that when the moment comes, Adar can also make it to the Last Alliance alongside his children.

The post Are They Orcs or Uruk? THE RINGS OF POWER Showrunner Says Uruk Nation’s Identity Is Central to Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age of Middle-earth. And those familiar with the lore will know that sometime during that time period of Middle-earth, the elf Elrond founds a now iconic Middle-earth location, The Lord of the Rings‘ Rivendell. But could we start to see the first hints of Rivendell coming onto the scene in The Rings of Power season two? When Nerdist asked this question of The Rings of Power Showrunner Patrick McKay, he offered, “Oh gosh… No comment.”

Below, we discuss the finer points Tolkien shares about the founding of Rivendell in the Second Age and how they might relate to The Rings of Power season two. We’ve put up a spoiler warning out of an abundance of caution.

The Timeline of Rivendell’s Founding Matches The Rings of Power Season Two’s Time Frame

McKay‘s answer regarding The Rings of Power‘s Rivendell is fair enough. After all, season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has not yet even released. But one thing we do know about season two of The Rings of Power is that it will feature the Siege of Eregion. This siege is a famous Second Age battle in The Lord of the Rings world. It takes place because after the elven smith, Celebrimbor, who is Lord of Eregion, learns of Sauron’s evil, he seeks to deny Sauron the Rings of Power they forged together in the realm. Sauron, of course, does not like that and attacks Eregion. And it’s this Seige of Eregion that led us to think of Rivendell’s emergence on The Rings of Power in the first place.

According to The Silmarillion, “From that time (after the forging of the rings) war never ceased between Sauron and the Elves; and Eregion was laid waste… In that time the stronghold and refuge of Imladris, that Men called Rivendell, was founded by Elrond Half-elven.” The siege of Eregion seems to lead right into the founding of Rivendell, according to The Lord of the Rings‘ lore.

Tolkien speaks of this time with a little more detail in the Unfinished Tales. He notes, “Elrond was able to extricate himself (from the siege of Eregion), but he was forced away northwards, and it was at that time [in the year 1697, according to the Tale of Years] that he established a refuge and stronghold at Imladris (Rivendell).” Of course, in Tolkien’s writings, the siege of Eregion began in 1695, and Elrond founded Rivendell in 1697. However, in The Rings of Power, the siege of Eregion is unlikely to take two years to finish, at least, not without a time skip. So, although it’s not certain, and timelines could always change or evolve on the series, it does look like there is some chance that Rivendell will begin to emerge in season two of The Rings of Power; especially if the series doesn’t want to end the season on a wholly dour note.

The Rings of Power Season 2 Could Use Rivendell to Bring Some Light to the Series

After all, we do see Elrond heading into battle this season on The Rings of Power, which, as The Lord of the Rings‘ texts share, is the step that comes before he founds Rivendell. The Rings of Power‘s Elrond does seem like he still has some growing up to do before he assumes major power. That much feels true. But the coming of evil will certainly speed up the process of his maturing. If nothing else, it would be nice for Elrond to found Rivendell in season two of The Rings of Power as a source of light in the darkness. With so many villains rising and wickedness taking hold across Middle-earth, a stronghold of light and hope would be a welcome sight indeed. And if The Rings of Power season two wanted to end the season on a hopeful note instead of a dour one, concluding with the founding of Rivendell would certainly leave us and Middle-earth with a little light.

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The Rings of Power‘s stars recently sat down with Nerdist for an interview to discuss season two of the series. Among other fascinating insights, Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel, Charlie Vickers, who plays Sauron, and Sam Hazeldine, who plays Adar, chimed in on the trailer-teased “Meeting of Sauron’s exes” in the upcoming season. Yes, however unlikely it might have felt in season one, in season two of The Rings of Power, Galadriel and Adar seem to (at least consider) teaming up against the being that hurt them both (in not dissimilar ways), Sauron. But what is that alliance like for the fairly antagonistic Galadriel and Adar? And what does Sauron think about two old flames teaming up against him in such a fashion? Here’s what Clark, Hazeldine, and Vickers had to share about the complex relationships between their characters in The Rings of Power season two.

When asked about what Nerdist has termed “the meeting of the exes,” Clark notes that there’s shared pain that connects Galadriel and Adar when it comes to Sauron, and that’s quite possibly the only thing that their tenuous relationship is based on. “The thing that unites them is that they’ve both been deceived and hurt in the same way, which I don’t think is often the case and can make for quite a complicated alliance.” She goes on to share, “Neither of them are comfortable with it. I would say that there’s a possibility that they could be on the same page about anything. No. I think particularly for Galadriel, the thought that she ever be anywhere near close to agreeing with Adar is just gross to her.” But regardless of those feelings, there’s an urgency at hand that draws them together.

Hazeldine agrees, “But what can we do? We have to do something because we could all be completely enslaved, wiped out by Sauron. So we have to kind of think of something and there’s no time.”

Still, beyond a meeting of circumstance, it feels like the relationship between Adar and Galadriel will evolve in The Rings of Power season two. It is after all their intimate knowledge of Sauron and his threat to all things that brings them together, and the very specific experience they both went through as elves touched by evil. Morfydd Clark notes that we very well may see Galadriel regret the exchange she had with Adar in season one of the series, now that she herself has been transformed by darkness. In it, she very callously dismissed him as “ruined,” among other choice words.

Clark shares, “I think that she was as far away from her elveness and herself as she has ever been during that meeting. And I think also it’s good for her to feel a little ashamed. It’s difficult for the elves because they don’t make a huge amount of mistakes and you do learn from them. And with mistakes come wisdom depending on how you manage it. Yeah. So I think, as Adar alluded to in the first season, he does hold up a mirror to her that is painful to look into.”

As to the question of how they both feel about with Sauron in The Rings of Power season two, Clark notes that “she’s being haunted” by him. She offers a very coy shrug when asked if Sauron is whispering inside of Galadriel’s head this season. But Hazeldine chimes in to say, “Yeah, well he does, doesn’t he?” Before adding that, Sauron is relying on having broken Galadriel. He shares, “For Galadriel, it’s a fresh hurt. Sauron’s relying on her being broken by what he’s done to her and she has to not be broken and step up when she’s most needed.” Clark gives his assessment of Galdriel and Sauron’s current status the seal of approval.

But what does the Dark Lord himself, Sauron, think of all this wound-licking and aligning between the two elves, whom in a sense, he hoped to manipulate and deceive so that they would join him in his cause? Charlie Vickers’ Sauron is pointing his finger at Adar and Galadriel. Vickers shares, “I think he’d be a bit bitter. Two old foes just finally uniting against him. I think he’d probably be quite upset because I think he would hope that they would’ve joined him and be fighting alongside him, but that makes him all the more determined to defeat them.” He concludes by sharing that Sauron thinks, “They chose the wrong person, they chose the wrong side.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power releases on August 29th, it streams on Prime Video.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER Stars Tease ‘Meeting of the Exes’ as Galadriel and Adar Face Off Against Sauron appeared first on Nerdist.

Tolkien’s fans all visit Middle-earth with slightly different interests. Some think the elves are clearly the best, while others most enjoy the world of the Shire and Hobbits. Still, there are those who see the dwarves as their kindred spirits. But if it’s the journeys of man that most draw you, then you’re in luck. The next outing into the world of The Lord of the Rings will take us into the history of Rohan and explore “the untold story behind the fortress of Helm’s Deep.” The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an epic animated adventure, an original anime movie, that tells the tale of the legendary Helm Hammerhand and his previously unnamed daughter, Héra. We’ve seen glimpses of the movie before, but now we can finally immerse ourselves in the full trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

You can check out this sneak peek at this The Lord of the Rings anime movie below, and make sure you watch this The War of the Rohirrim trailer until the very last moment…

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Trailer

The Lord of the Rings fans will know, of course, of Ralph Bakshi’s animated version of the main trilogy from 1978. But The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim‘s anime style offers a much different vision of an animated Middle-earth, an enchanting and gorgeous one if we do say so ourselves. It’s clear that The War of the Rohirrim‘s director Kenji Kamiyama knows exactly what he’s doing when it comes to creating an anime movie version of The Lord of the Rings. This one brings high art and high storytelling if The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim‘s trailer is anything to judge by.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim‘s trailer also very cleverly lures viewers in by reminding them of everything they loved about Rohan in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Who among us doesn’t feel stirred by the epic sounds of Rohan’s theme? We even see small clips from The Lord of the Rings movies and watch as they transform into The War of the Rohirrim‘s animated style. Miranda Otto even reprises her role as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, to walk us through this tale with The Lord of the Rings trailer with a familiar guide.

For a special treat, you can also check out the Japanese version of the trailer, which showcases none other than Saruman.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Story and Synopsis

Éowyn’s voice echos through the trailer and introduces us to the story of The War of the Rohirrim, “All Middle-earth knows the tale of the War of the Ring, but 200 years before that, there was an older tale…” And thus our journey into the anime world of The Lord of the Rings begins.

The trailer hints at love stories gone awry, power tainting the hearts of man, the story of Héra, the daughter of Helm, coming into her own, and the gradual acceptance of her strength by her father. The War of the Rohirrim‘s trailer also makes it very plain that Helm Hammerhand is not a King of Rohan to be messed with. And last but not least, The War of the Rohirrim promises us many, many epic battles, on both a massive and small scale. We’re excited to continue to see more from this The Lord of the Rings anime movie.

Of course, though the characters in this story might not be familiar to The Lord of the Rings fans yet, even in this animated form, all the hallmarks of Middle-earth are in place. We see our favorite creatures such as the Great Eagles, Oliphaunts, tentacle monsters, and more. Éowyn even blows on a horn of Rohan to call her soldiers to battle. It gives us chills!

The War of the Rohirrim Synopsis

The synopsis for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim shared along with the trailer notes:

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan.  A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg—a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep.  Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction. 

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim‘s Trailer Teases Rings of Power

Of course, it wouldn’t be a The Lord of the Rings movie without, well, Rings of Power. At the last moment of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’s trailer, we see what looks like the One Ring, perhaps in the clutches of Gollum?! It’s not entirely clear, but it definitely has us buzzing to learn more. We the connective thread of the rings tying on The Lord of the Rings story to another.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Poster

In addition to the above, you can also check out the epic poster for the movie.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim‘s Release Date, Cast, and More

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be released in theaters on December 13, 2024, in the US and internationally beginning December 11, 2024. We’ll also soon learn more about the movie because it’s heading to NYCC in October.

More about the movie’s cast and creators is below:

Under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” TV series), the talented voice cast is led by Brian Cox (“Succession”) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise (“A Walk in the Woods”) as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino (“Snowpiercer”) as Wulf.  Miranda Otto, who delivered an unforgettable, award-winning performance in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, reprises her role as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, who serves as the tale’s narrator.  The voice ensemble also includes Lorraine Ashbourne (Netflix’s “Bridgerton”), Yazdan Qafouri (“I Came By”), Benjamin Wainwright (“World on Fire”), Laurence Ubong Williams (“Gateway”), Shaun Dooley (“The Witcher”), Michael Wildman (“Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”), Jude Akuwudike (“Beasts of No Nation”), Bilal Hasna (“Sparks”) and Janine Duvitski (“Benidorm”). 

With Kamiyama at the helm, the original feature is being produced by Oscar winner Philippa Boyens, from the screenwriting team behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” Trilogies, alongside Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou, who, in addition to their many separate animation projects, collaborated on the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” series. The executive producers are Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Sam Register, Carolyn Blackwood and Toby Emmerich.  The screenplay is by Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews and Phoebe Gittins & Arty Papageorgiou, story by Addiss & Matthews and Boyens, based on characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien.  The team of creative collaborators returning from “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy also includes Oscar winners Alan Lee and Richard Taylor, along with esteemed Tolkien illustrator John Howe. 

Originally published on August 22, 2024.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two will take us back to Middle-earth on August 29. The show plans to tackle The Fall of Eregion in this season, and will almost definitely tackle one of the most major event of the Second Age, the rise and fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, in seasons to come. If you’ve watched season one of The Rings of Power, and even if you’ve only seen Peter Jackson’s films, you’ll recognize this baddie. The Dark Lord Sauron, of course, plays a major role in the Second Age of Middle-earth. He also survives into the Third Age, when The Lord of the Rings takes place. But where does he actually come from, and how did he rise to such destructive power in Middle-earth? Here’s everything you need to know about Sauron and his influence in The Rings of Power.

The History of Sauron and the first Dark Lord Morgoth

Before we get into Sauron, it’s best to start with his predecessor and the first Dark Lord of Middle-earth: Morgoth. First known as Melkor, he was a Valar—or one of the most powerful beings in Arda. He was created by Eru Ilúvatar, the supreme deity. Melkor was there from the beginning of creation, and came to Arda with the other Valar. Originally a pure being, he eventually rebelled against his creator, obtained the name Morgoth, and was ultimately cast out of Arda and into the Void. But before all that happened, he attracted the attention of another soon-to-be Dark Lord.

Sauron began his days as Mairon (“the admirable”), a powerful Maia—spirits who came to Arda to help the Valar shape the world. (Other Maia include Gandalf and Saruman.) He was a pure and orderly being in the beginning, who studied the craft of forging. But he grew selfish, and eventually aligned himself with Morgoth. Though he served the Dark Lord Morgoth, he didn’t necessarily believe in the exact same things. While Morgoth was obsessed with conquering, Mairon wanted to dominate the minds and wills of Arda’s creatures.

During his time with Morgoth, Mairon was deceptive. He maintained appearances, pretending to be faithful to the other Valar, But when Morgoth established his place in Middle-earth, Mairon dropped the charade and made his allegiance with the Dark Lord known. It is then that he came to be known as Sauron, or “the abominable.”

Sauron in The First Age

Sauron was Morgoth’s servant during his war against the Elves in the First Age of Middle-earth. He ruled the fortress of Angband during Morgoth’s reign, a location he later escaped during the War of the Powers—the first time Morgoth was seized by the Valar. Sauron gained a fearsome reputation during this time, conquering the Elvish island Tol Sirion that he renamed Tol-in-Gaurhoth, or “The Isle of Werewolves.” To make things extra metal, Sauron had a servant named Thuringwethil on Tol-in-Gaurhoth who took the shape of a Vampire. Sauron himself would shape-shift into a Werewolf or Vampire during this time, when he was at the height of his power.

While Morgoth was the enemy of Elves, Sauron was the enemy of Men. He also factors into the epic love story of Beren and Lúthien, that fated romance between a mortal man and Elvish woman. (Aragorn sings about them in The Lord of the Rings, as their love reminds him of his romance with Arwen.) Sauron captured Beren and the Elven king Finrod at one point, and imprisoned them on Tol-in-Gaurhoth. Though Finrod later died, Lúthien helped Beren escape when she arrived at the Werewolf island with the wolfhound Huan. Sauron, in werewolf form, fought with Huan—and lost. He yielded his power to Lúthien, took the form of a vampire, and went into hiding.

He emerged after Morgoth was finally defeated, and pled the Maia Eönwë for mercy. But out of fear of judgment, he fled and went into hiding in Middle-earth once again.

Sauron and the Forging of the Rings of Power

After about 500 years, Sauron emerged once again and established himself in Mordor, where he built the tower of Barad-dûr. He raised armies of Orcs and Trolls, as well as Men, luring them with promises of wealth. Though he originally meant only to rebuild after Morgoth’s war, once he recognized his power and sway over his armies, he began plotting ways to overtake Middle-earth. To do this, he took a new shape, as the handsome Annatar. This disguise was meant to fool the Elves, and it worked on some, though not everyone. (Galadriel and Elrond were among the Elves who didn’t fall for this trick.)

As Annatar, Sauron persuaded the Elven-smiths of Eregion to craft the Rings of Power, using his knowledge of craftsmanship to advise on their creation. Once they were made and distributed to the Men, Dwarves, and Elves, Sauron secretly created another ring: the One Ring. This ring, forged in Mount Doom in Mordor, controlled the other rings using dark magic. On the ring, Sauron inscribed this phrase in Black Speech:

Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul. (Translation: One Ring to Rule Them All, One Ring to Find Them, One Ring to Bring Them All, and in the Darkness Bind Them.)

Sauron’s plan quickly backfired. Once he wore his One Ring, the Elves immediately sensed his treachery. They hid their rings from him, and the Dwarves proved fairly resistant from Sauron’s influence over theirs. However, the nine Men who received rings were all corrupted. They became the Nazgûl (seen prominently in Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring, as the hooded figures stalking Frodo), Sauron’s greatest servants.

Sauron declared war on the Elves, and nearly conquered all of Middle-earth. But the Men of the West intervened, led by Tar-Minastir, King of Númenór. Sauron was defeated, and retreated to Mordor. There, he slowly regained power, and began calling himself “The King of Men.” This pissed off the Númenóreans, who arrived in Mordor and took Sauron as a hostage back to Númenor.

Sauron’s Evil Plans for Númenor

This imprisonment proved fruitful for Sauron. Though he feigned unhappiness, he was actually thrilled at the opportunity to corrupt Númenor from within. He cozied up to King Ar-Pharazôn, slowly corrupting him until he was the king’s most trusted adviser. He convinced Ar-Pharazôn and other Númenóreans to worship Morgoth, as he sensed in them a fear of death. Sauron helped them erect a temple on Númenor devoted to Morgoth, where the king performed human sacrifices. Eventually, he even convinced Ar-Pharazôn to rebel against the Valar and take their home of Valinor for themselves.

Like many of Sauron’s plans, this one also backfired. When the Men stormed the West, Eru Ilúvatar himself intervened. He sank Númenor, and bent Arda from flat to round so that Men could no longer reach Valinor. During his time on Númenor, Sauron had disguised himself in a handsome mortal form, but its sinking destroyed his body and permanently robbed him of the ability to shape-shift. His spirit fled back to Mordor, where he built a new body and regained his strength. This time, he wasn’t concerned about minds—he started to rule and attack with blunt force and terror.

The Men of Númenor who remained faithful to the Valar were able to escape the island’s destruction. They came to Middle-earth and established the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. Sauron learned that these men were led by Elendil, whom he despised. He led a war against these Men, but they teamed with Elven king Gil-Galad and created the Last Alliance. During this war, Sauron himself fought and killed Elendil and Gil-Galad, killing them both. But Elendil’s son, Isildur, took up his father’s broken sword, and cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand. Because the ring was Sauron’s ultimate source of power, he lost his body and power when it was taken from him. His armies fled and Sauron’s broken spirit escaped to Mordor, where he went into deep hiding.

Sauron in The Lord of the Rings

This is where the story starts sounding pretty familiar. Isildur took control of the One Ring, but couldn’t bring himself to destroy it. He was killed by Orcs, the ring was lost, and it lay dormant for many years. That is, until it was discovered by the Hobbit relatives Sméagol and Déagol. Sméagol took possession of the ring, hid away in the mountains, and became the creature Gollum. This marks the beginning of the Third Age, and leads us into the story of The Hobbit and then The Lord of the Rings. The title of the later refers to Sauron himself, who sought to once again regain ultimate power. (Spoiler alert: he didn’t.)

Sauron’s time on Númenor will be a part of The Rings of Power‘s story. So it’s important to have all of this context heading in. Sauron is the literal Lord of the Rings, the biggest bad in all of Middle-earth with so much power, and one of the greatest fictional villains of all time. I can’t wait to see him come to screen in a brand new way.

Originally published March 22, 2021.

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Remember when I said it was all happening for me regarding The Rings of Power season two’s sneak peeks, trailers, and teases? Good news, it’s still all happening for me. And hopefully, you feel the same way. The first released clips from The Rings of Power season two spotlight two of the best characters from the series, Sauron and Adar. Of course, Adar thinks he killed Sauron and has no idea the Dark Lord has, in fact, returned. Then, on the other hand, we have Sauron, who knows Adar betrayed him, who almost killed him in season one, and probably still would like to, but instead, he’s doing what Sauron does best on The Rings of Power, messing around in the heads of others and manipulating them to his aims.

In the first clip from The Rings of Power (which begins at the 4:24 time code for the Fallon clip), we see Sauron, pretending to be Halbrand, King of the Southlands, bartering for “his people” and their freedom. He purports to want to save the Southlanders in exchange for information about “a sorcerer” that he claims Galadriel is working with. Of course, he drops just enough hints to ensure that Adar knows he’s referring to Sauron, quoting his own favorite refrain, “a power over flesh.” Sauron must know how intensely the implication that he is alive will haunt Adar, who thought himself free of his and his children’s tormentor. But, obviously, that’s part of the fun of it for Sauron.

“You can’t kill me.” Sauron then tells Adar. And it’s true, Adar really cannot kill Sauron. The mind games are already running thick and fast, teasing what’s sure to be a season full of mischief on Sauron’s part and much pain on everyone else’s part.

These clips make me intensely excited for what’s to come on The Rings of Power season two. Not only because I am the world’s foremost Adar-lover, although I am, but because these The Rings of Power clips truly blow it out of the water. Charlie Vickers and Sam Hazeldine crush their performances, the tension in the scenes is delicious, and the nuances and story layers of each performance really take your breath away.

Where will this go for Sauron and Adar on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? Probably nowhere good for the current ruler of Mordor, especially since we already know he’ll be the ex-ruler of Mordor sooner or later. I just hope he ends up with the elves and not dead. But either way, we’ll be excited to tune in every step of the way. The Rings of Power premieres with its first three episodes on August 29.

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If there’s one soapbox I’ve stood on since I first watched The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season one, it’s that the series’ best character (yes, I said it, best), Adar, deserves to have an “enemy of my enemy is my friend” storyline and his own version of a heroic arc. And now, as the series’ second season comes tantalizingly close to releasing, for the first time, it seems like I may actually get my wish. A key aspect of The Rings of Power season two’s final trailer seems to center around Adar and Galadriel realizing that they have more in common than they think. (Another long-treasured hope of mine.) And as Sauron looms large over Middle-earth, there might even be a team-up on the table.

But will it actually happen? Can Galadriel and Adar put their (many and painful) differences aside to fight the true evil that threatens them all? The Rings of Power trailer leaves us in a place that could go either way. But I am here to say, that regardless of what actually comes to pass, Galadriel and Adar SHOULD work together against Sauron in The Rings of Power season two. The complicated paralells between them, ones that echo louder than their differences, demand it.

From afar, it might seem like there are no The Rings of Power characters more unlike one another than Galadriel and Adar. After all, Galadriel is a high elf to her core, the Lady of Light. She’s a staunch believer in the distinctions between good and evil, right and wrong. Above all else, she’s on a mission to eradicate darkness from Middle-earth, permenantly. And, in Galadriel’s estimations, at least so far, that darkness firmly includes Adar at its center. Adar, meanwhile, exists as an elf fallen from grace. Over the ages, he’s been corrupted at the hands of Morgoth and Sauron and become the literal father of Orcs or Uruk, as we should probably call them in deference, the race most associated with evil.

Certainly, Galadriel would shudder to think she has anything in common with Adar, if her first meeting with the one-time elf is anything to go by. In it, she calls him “ruined,” among other pleasant things, and basically threatents to exterminate every one of his children. But although contemptous himself, Adar seems to see something in all of Galadriel’s rage at him that she can’t yet see in herself. He tells Galadriel in The Rings of Power season one, episode six, “It would seem I am not the only elf alive that has been transformed by darkness. Perhaps the search for Morgoth’s successor should have ended in your mirror.”

While the latter half of that sentiment certainly could be true, it’s the former that is of specific interest here. Adar refers to the way Galadriel’s fury and vengence have consumed her when he notes that she’s been “transformed by darkness.” But he’s more right than he knows at the time. At that very moment Galadriel is as bestotted with the Dark Lord himself, Sauron, in his Halbrand form, as she ever will be. Of course, she’ll soon further transform when she finds out the hard way that her stubborn, relentless pursuit of Sauron led her right to him, and him to his return. And its knowledge of this last painful transformation that Galadriel and Adar singularly share and make it so critical that they get the chance to work together.

Undoubtedly, Sauron hurt many people throughout the The Lord of the Rings‘ War of Wrath and after it. But none so intimately as Galadriel and Adar. They have both touched darkness, so to speak, and know what the feeling of hate Sauron but at the same time be drawn to him. In many ways, it seems to me that Sauron’s relationship with Adar was almost a prototype for Sauron’s relationship with Galadriel on The Rings of Power. In both cases, it seems that Sauron sought to corrupt an elf with pure intentions and bind them to his side and to his will. Adar was, perhaps, an imperfect model, one who became too corrupted, let’s say, damaged, but, in Galadriel, the Dark Lord saw an equal, someone to “bind him to the light.”

Still, Galdariel and Adar’s stories are remarkably similar. Adar, of course, succumbed to this corruption initially, allowing Sauron’s darkness to enter him in ways that we’ll hopefully learn more about in season two. But eventually, when the torment of his children grew too painful, Adar forcibly severed the ties between them. “I split him open,” Adar tells Galadriel, faintly prideful, faintly wounded. “I killed Sauron.” But we see throughout season one of The Rings of Power that Sauron lingers in Adar’s being. When the Southlander Waldreg accidentally calls him Sauron, he flies into a rage. When he sees what ostensibly is a homage to Sauron at Ostirith, he gazes up at it for a long moment, enchanted and terrified. And despite all the strife, he carries out the orders Sauron left behind for him and creates Mordor by exploding Mount Doom.

Galadriel, meanwhile, refuses to give into Sauron’s seductions once she learns his true identity and goes right to the attempted stabbing. Though for her too, the choice to refuse Sauron is clearly anything but simple, and costs her dearly. Clearly, her desires run in different directions although her brain knows what she must do. But again, despite strife, she too goes forth with the plans Sauron created for her, forging the elven Rings of Power. In short, though the contents of their journeys seem different, Adar and Galadriel travel twinned paths. They are mirrors of one another, both of them forged by Sauron. Both of them rejecting him, yet connected to him, and inadvertantly helping him get what he wants. And so it is only fitting they come together to defeat him.

And, most importantly, as The Rings of Power trailers seem to hint, both Adar and Galadriel will always have Sauron in their minds. At least someone defeats him. Gil-galad says in the latest The Rings of Power trailer, “Once the deceiver gains a being’s trust, he gains the ability to sculpt their very thoughts.” And Adar further notes, “Sooner or later, Sauron’s eye bores a hole, and the rest of him slithers in.” No doubt, both Galadriel and Adar feel this phenomonen acutely. Despite surface differences, the pair of them are perhaps the only two individuals in existence who have been engulfed by Sauron, but have resisted him, only to never truly free of him. And that is a character and story dynamic too naunced and fascinating not to explore.

After The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season one, I wrote that Adar was such a tragic character because he was singular. As neither a true elf, nor a true Uruk, he was all alone. But now it seems, there is more than one elf alive who has been transformed by darkness. And in deference to the deep parallels that connect them, I think it would be only right for Galadriel and Adar to team up on The Rings of Power season two, no longer singular, but united, against Sauron, the one who created them both.

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San Diego Comic-Con 2024 briefly turned into Middle-earth when the cast and crew from The Rings of Power came to Hall H to celebrate the series’ upcoming return to Prime Video. They did that by debuting an all-new season two trailer. But humans, dwarves, wizard, Harfoots, and elves weren’t the only ones from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world to make the trip to pop culture’s premier showcase. The Rings of Power panel also debuted a behind-the-scenes featurette of the many creatures that will also appear during the show’s sophomore season. Now Prime Video has shared it with everyone on this Earth.

In addition to some terrifying beasts and an army of Orcs, we’ll be revisiting some truly iconic figures from The Lord of the Rings. Ents and a young Shelob will make their presence felt during the Second Age.

This creature teaser has everything: Barrow-wights, Hill-trolls (our new boy Damrod!) and Sea-worms. And since this is Middle-earth after all, there are also plenty of Orcs around. and dark lords are only some of the enemies you’ll have to face during your journeys. But we’re most excited to see two very memorable creatures.

The show is bringing back our favorite lumbering, slow-moving talking trees, the Ents. Only, they don’t seem that slow at this point in their lives, which is thousands of years before they meet Pip and Merry. And we’re also going to get the chance to see another of Middle-earth’s most notorious creatures as a youngster. The spider Shelob is here to eat anyone and anything unlucky enough to cross her path.

We can’t wait to see a youthful, nimble, still totally horrible Shelob in action. This teaser also includes some tantalizing scenes of non-creatures in combat or on trial. And we can’t wait to see all of them, but we have to wait a little longer for that. The Rings of Power will return to Prime Video for its second season on August 29.

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Recently, Warner Bros. announced a new The Lord of the Rings movie, The Hunt for Gollum. While the movie centers on Gollum, it could also include some familiar characters from The Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies. But will it include familiar actors? Viggo Mortensen chimed in on whether he would return to his The Lord of the Rings character, Aragorn, in The Hunt for Gollum. And his answer? Yes. Mortensen noted that he would be happy to play Aragorn again in the new The Lord of the Rings movie, but only if it was the right thing to do for the character.

Mortensen revealed, “Sure. I don’t know exactly what the story is, I haven’t heard. Maybe I’ll hear about it eventually. I like playing that character. I learned a lot playing the character. I enjoyed it a lot. I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise.”

We appreciate that Mortensen has such care for the character of Aragorn, although we would want to see him again in a new The Lord of the Rings movie. Potentially, Mortensen could return in some kind of cameo if a younger Aragorn was needed in The Hunt for Gollum. We’d love to see him as the narrator or storyteller in this Lord of the Rings tale.

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Viggo Mortensen famously lost a tooth filming The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but he gained something much better. He took home Aragorn’s legendary sword Andúril. The actor hasn’t left his valuable collectible to just hang on a wall, though. Mortensen recently used Aragorn’s sword in his new Western The Dead Don’t Hurt.

Viggo Mortensen confirmed to British GQ that he re-used the same sword he wielded as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings in his new movie. Viewers can see the sword briefly appear during a scene reminiscent of a knight in battle. Don’t worry about him getting in any legal troubles for this steel-y cameo. He said he got permission from both Peter Jackson and the studio to use the sword, which he said he wanted to film with because it’s “really good.”

We can’t argue with that. Or at least we can’t so long as he doesn’t accidentally break Andúril while shooting. There are no elven smiths in the Wild Wild West to fix it this time.

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Warm up your vocal chords and put on your finest pointed hat, because a true legend of Middle-earth is coming to Amazon. Tom Bombadil, one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s strangest, most notorious Lord of the Rings characters, will appear in season two of Prime Video’s The Rings of Power. But we don’t have to wait for the show to return to see him. The studio has already shared its first images of the strange character. Let’s take a look at Tom Bombadil in The Rings of Power.

Tom Bombadil Joins The Rings of Power Season 2

Vanity Fair has the exclusive first look at an almost unrecognizable Rory Kinnear (No Time to Die, Men) as the mysterious Tom Bombadil. (Some fans would say “maddening” over “mysterious.” Others would say “delightful.” He’s a polarizing figure.) This The Lord of the Rings character is well-known to readers of Tolkien’s seminal trilogy. However, in the lead up to his The Rings of Power appearance, Tom Bombadil has been excluded from some of the books’ most famous adaptations. That includes Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films.

Bombadil, a very ancient being with a fondness for singing who some believe is the living embodiment of nature itself, appears early in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. He aids and guides the traveling Hobbits during a time of great danger. However, the long-haired, bearded figure expresses little concern for the outside world. He instead prefers his woodland life free of the worries the living deal with.

Here Are First-Look Images of Tom Bombadil From The Rings of Power

The Rings of Power will introduce Tom Bombadil during an era long before Frodo carried the One Ring. And these first images show that Daniel Weyman’s The Stranger, a wizard (we’d bet a lot of money is definitely Gandalf) will visit Tom on his journey with Nori and Poppy. Why are these two powerful figures meeting? What knowledge does Tom Bombadil have for a member of the Istari? And how will that factor into both season two and Middle-earth’s coming war with Lord Sauron?

Tom Bombadil’s Role in The Rings of Power Season 2

Co-showrunner J.D. Payne offered some insight into Bombadil’s role on the show.

When he finally crosses paths with the Stranger, you could say he has a desire to try to keep the destruction that has happened there from spreading to his beloved lands in the West,” Payne told Vanity Fair. “He nudges the Stranger along his journey, which he knows will eventually protect the larger natural world that he cares about. So I’d say our Tom Bombadil is slightly more interventionist than you see in the books, but only by 5% or 10%.

Does that mean he’ll also sing 5% or 10% less, too? It better not. Fans haven’t waited this long to see Tom Bombadil without also hearing him sing.

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In season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, we witnessed the formation of the evil land of Mordor. Following Sauron’s plan, but for his own aims, the father of orcs, Adar, oversaw the explosion of Mount Doom and its fallout, a land where the sun never shines. Now, the trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two is teasing a live-action origin story for another dark place, Barad-Dûr. If our first look at The Rings of Power‘s second season is anything to go by, we’ll soon be seeing Sauron’s fortress rising in Mordor.

Barad-Dûr is one of the most iconic symbols of The Lord of the Rings franchise, after its rings, of course. LEGO has even decided to turn Barad-Dûr into its next The Lord of the Rings LEGO set. The pointy ends of Sauron’s tower can be recognized instantly. Fans of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy know that Barad-Dûr will eventually come to house Sauron’s evil spirit when it transforms into the great eye. But in the Second Age of Middle-earth, while Sauron is still taking on many different forms, including hot elf Sauron, he can move around his tower a bit more freely.

Celebrimbor, the master elven smith, did tell Elrond he wanted to build a tower containing a powerful forge in season one of The Rings of Power. And it looks like in season two, he’ll finally get his wish. Most likely, we’ll see Sauron at least start to forge the One Ring in Mordor, with Barad-Dûr as his stronghold. We can’t say it seems like a fun place to visit. But Barad-Dûr will likely rise when The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power releases on August 29.

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In the Land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie, the One Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. But the fiery Mount Doom isn’t the only interesting feature to be found in Mordor. No, The Lord of the Rings fans will know that Sauron built (and then re-built) one of the mightiest fortresses in all of Middle-earth in Mordor, a place called Barad-Dûr. Of course, Sauron probably didn’t originally envision Barad-Dûr becoming his permanent home after he turned into a roving eye, but we can’t always get what we want. To celebrate Sauron and this darkly powerful place, LEGO is bringing a brand new The Lord of the Rings set to life, The Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr.

Sauron, as we know, is able to shift into many forms. But could his LEGO form be the ultimate version of him? You decide as we dive deep into everything we know about LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr, including its release date, Minifigures, special features, and more.

Jump to: The Lord of the Rings Barad-Dûr Set Details // Dimensions // Rotating Eye of Sauron // Minifigures // Release Date // The Lord of the Rings Barad-Dûr Cost // Other The Lord of the Rings LEGO Sets

The Lord of the Rings Barad-Dûr Set Takes You to LEGO Mordor

The Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr LEGO set comes to us from LEGO and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, and is thus based on the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies. A release shares more about LEGO Barad-Dûr, it notes:

Prepare to journey deep into the heart of Middle-earth with the unveiling of the spectacular LEGO Icons Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr set! With its imposing 5,471 pieces, this awe-inspiring masterpiece brings to life the dark tower of Mordor in stunning detail, packed with thrilling features and beloved characters from Tolkien’s timeless saga.  The journey through the dark tower continues with the throne room – which includes a compartment that opens to reveal a map, and a ladder on the top floor of the tower that can be moved left and right

LEGO also teases that the dark tower and Eye of Sauron build has a ton of “hidden treasures,” Easter eggs, and story references to The Lord of the Rings.

Click To View Gallery

While the set does not come with an active volcano, the build is split into four main sections for ease of building and moving the set. LEGO notes that the tower section is fully modular. Incredibly, if fans purchase more than one The Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr LEGO set, they can stack the tower portions together to create an even taller dark tower. We love LEGO’s ever-present cleverness.

LEGO Barad-Dûr’s Dimensions

Just in case you’re not sure if Mordor will fit on your shelf, here are LEGO Barad-Dûr’s Dimensions:

• Width: 30 CM   
• Length: 45 CM,
• Height/Depth: 83 CM  

LEGO’s New Barad-Dûr Set Features a Rotating Eye of Sauron (That Glows)

Of course, one question The Lord of the Rings fans will no doubt have about this Barad-Dûr LEGO set is: Will the Eye of Sauron actually be able to rotate and rove? After all, if the Eye of Sauron can’t always be watching you, it’s not really doing its job right. What if the most unlikely of creatures was able to sneak all the way into the heart of Mount Doom… and… well, you get it.

But happily, or unhappily, depending on what side you’re one, this LEGO Eye of Sauron can catch you in its gaze no matter where you go. LEGO reveals that at Barad-Dûr’s summit “lies the Eye of Sauron that rotates in various directions and features a light brick to make the eye glow.” We can’t wait to see this eye in action.

Which The Lord of the Rings Minifigures Are Included In the Barad-Dûr Set?

The LEGO Icons Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr set comes with 10 LEGO Minifigures. These include: Sauron, Mouth of Sauron, Orc, Frodo, Sam, Gollum, and Gothmog. I don’t know about you, but I was really crossing my fingers for a LEGO Gothmog Minifigure. And the more Orcs, the merrier.

Fans who purchase the set between June 1 and 7 will also receive a free LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings™: Fell Beast set, “which features posable wings and joints and a Nazgul minifigure.” Okay, that I want with no snark.

When Does This LEGO Barad-Dûr Set Release?

This new The Lord of the Rings Barad-Dûr LEGO set releases on June 1 for LEGO Insiders and on June 4 for everyone else.

How Much Does the LEGO The Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr Set Cost?

Okay, well, we know Sauron likes shiny things, so it’s no surprise this LEGO set costs a precious penny. The Lord of the Rings Barad-Dûr LEGO set will cost interested parties $459.99.

Barad-Dûr Is the Second Major The Lord of the Rings LEGO Set in Recent History

LEGO Icons’ Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr set marks the second epic LEGO LOTR set in recent history. Last year, of course, we saw an incredible LEGO rendition of Rivendell released into the world. It was a truly awe-inspiring build that has us expecting a lot from LEGO Barad-Dûr. We’re excited to see the beautiful bright world of The Lord of the Rings juxtaposed with its darkest.

You can keep track of all the LEGO The Lord of the Rings sets, builds, and new releases, here.

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Update: The Hunt for Gollum fan film is now restored and available to watch on YouTube again, here.

15 years ago, the YouTube channel Independent Online Cinema put out a The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) fan film titled The Hunt for Gollum. Since 2009, this LOTR fan film has garnered 13,684,715 views. A fairly impressive number! And judging by online buzz, many Lord of the Rings fans really enjoyed it. However, since the announcement of Warner Bros.’s new The Lord of the Rings movie, The Hunt for Gollum, YouTube has removed the fan film. A message on the movie’s page notes, “This video contains content from Warner Bros. Entertainment, who has blocked it on copyright grounds.”

This seems like a truly unfortunate confluence of events. Warner Bros. cannot truly fault The Hunt for Gollum fan film from 15 years ago for having a similar name to the new The Lord of the Rings movie. Hopefully, this Warner Bros. takedown was more of an automatic algorithmic effort than anything purposeful.

The creators of 2009’s The Hunt For Gollum have shared a statement about the takedown of their The Lord of the Rings fan film. They seem both very excited for a new film and hopeful their movie will return to YouTube, sharing, “We’re all pretty excited here about The Warner Bros announcement making an adaptation of The Hunt for Gollum with Andy Serkis & Peter Jackson!… [It] seems our short got blocked from YouTube, hope temporarily—we’re enquiring in case it can be reinstated as it’s clearly a non profit homage/fan effort.”

The creators add that deep, fannish love drove the making of their film. And note, “We were so inspired by how they imagined Middle-earth (and Gollum) that we spent 2 years making our micro budget film version as a labour of love.” That much feels clear!

If Warner Bros. were smart, it would both reinstate The Hunt for Gollum fan film on YouTube and bring its creators in to help with The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. That would bring much joy to fans. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for a precious/happy ending.

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If there’s one thing The Lord of the Rings teaches us, it’s that no one knows how to have a good time like a Hobbit. And that’s why we wish we, too, could have been a part of this magnificent reunion of The Lord of the Rings‘ Hobbit actors (plus one elf). Dominic Monaghan, known for playing Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck, shared photos of this cheerful reunion via Instagram. Joining him in the reunion of the Fellowship were fellow The Lord of the Rings actors Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Orlando Bloom. These four, of course, played Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin “Pippin” Took, and the elf Legolas. We love seeing this The Lord of the Rings reunion. According to Deadline, Liv Tyler who played the elf Arwen, joined in the fun via a comment, adding “Ohhhhhh too much” with several heart-eyes.

Four Hobbits and an elf. What could be better than that?

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Actor Bernard Hill, best known for playing Captain Edward Smith in Titanic and King Théoden in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, has died at 79.

Every actor dreams about merely appearing in a film that wins Best Picture, let alone playing an important role in one of the most beloved, most popular movies ever. But Bernard Hill didn’t just do that once. He was a big part of two such films in his 50-year onscreen career. In 1997, he played the captain of the ill-fated ocean liner in James Cameron’s historic box office smash hit Titanic. Hill then followed up that feat by playing Théoden in 2002’s The Two Towers. The next year he then reprised his role as the King of Rohan in The Return of the King. Like Titanic before it, the final movie in Jackson’s series took home 11 Oscars, including winning Best Picture.

Born on December 17, 1944 in Blackley, Lancashire, England, Hill’s career was much more than just those blockbusters. His first credit came in 1974 for an episode of Childhood. Other notable roles in his long career include playing Yosser Hughes in the 1982 Britich miniseries Boys From the Blackstuff, Warden Luther Plunkitt in Clint Eastwood’s 1999 film True Crime, and Philos in The Scorpion King. His most recent work came on season two of The Responder, currently airing.

Hill’s family did not reveal the cause of his death. He was set to appear at an event in Liverpool on Saturday before he cancelled. Bernard Hill’s family did say his fiancée Alison and son Gabriel were with him when he died on Sunday, May 5.

Generations of fans who will remember Hill for his place in movie history join them in their mourning. They are also joined by his many co-stars. It is to one of them we give the final word. Elijah Wood shared his goodbye to the King of Rohan on social media.

“So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill. We will never forget you. ‘For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning.'”

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Fans of Middle-earth might want to get a huge pot of potatoes cooking. They’re going to need a whole lot of sustenance for a very long journey this summer. They also might want to get some comfortable pants. For the first time ever the remastered, extended versions of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is coming to the big screen.

In news we first heard at The Hollywood Reporter, Fathom Events is partnering with Warner Bros. for a special cinematic event. All three The Lord of the Rings movies are coming back to the big screen in June. The Fellowship of the Ring will return to theaters on June 8. The next day, on June 9, humans, dwarves, and elves can hunker down for a viewing of The Two Towers. And on June 10 the three-day celebration will come to an end with The Return of the King.

This is an extra special re-release. Fathom Events is not only showing the (superior) extended versions of the movies, though. It is showing Jackson’s 2020 remastered versions of the film. Fans first got to see those via a 4K Ultra HD home release. However, they have never been seen in theaters.

Frodo supporters and Sauron backers alike can get their tickets at local participating locations. Among the chains participating in the Middle-earth fest are AMC, Cinemark, and Regal. Other theaters are also getting in on the Tolkien fun, as well, so look to see if your preferred theater is among them. Tickets are already on sale via Fathom Event’s website.

Those who opt to see all three movies in three days will spend more than 11-and-a-half hours watching the complete extended trilogy. That’s almost enough time to walk to Mordor yourself, assuming you have a special ring that keeps you invisible to both orcs and frustrated family members.

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