The Rings of Power Cast: Breaking Down All the Characters

The Rings of PowerThe new J.R.R. Prime Video’s new Tolkien series, which premieres Sept. 1 on Prime Video, is set during the Second Age of Middle-earth – thousands of years prior to the events of Lord of the Rings. It begins after Sauron’s master, the evil lord Morgoth, is defeated. Sauron may have gone into hiding, but he’s still alive: the series will eventually show Sauron’s creation of the titular rings of power—including the one ring to rule them all. Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have already plotted out five seasons that will culminate in a battle between Sauron’s evil forces and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.

Anyone who has read the books or watched Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy knows where the story is headed: During that battle, a man named Isildur cuts the ring from Sauron’s finger, thus defeating him. He is not able to defeat the powerful object, and thousands of years later that job falls to Frodo. Still, the showrunners have promised a story—with many twists, surprises, and adventures along the way—that deepens our understanding of that final showdown.

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The story requires you to familiarize yourself with the major characters from the Second Age. Some characters will be familiar: The immortal lives of elves span Middle-earth’s many ages. Tolkien fans may know other characters by name since they’re referenced in his books and particularly the appendices of The Return of the King These are the main events that will take place in the Second Age. Other characters are brand new, and what part they’ll play in the larger story remains a mystery.

Here’s everyone you need to know before you watch the show.

Galadriel (Morfydd Clark)

The role of Galadriel was immortalized by a young Cate Blanchett in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In that movie she was a powerful—even a little bit terrifying—elf who helped guide Frodo on his journey to destroy the ring. Frodo even offered her the object, and she resisted. This is quite an accomplishment.

The immortality of elves is unbreakable. The Rings of PowerClark portrays a younger Galadriel. She is thousands of years younger than Blanchett’s version and far more brazen. It will show her transformation into the wise stateswoman she is. Lord of the Rings.

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Her brother was murdered fighting Sauron, and her sister is an impressive warrior who sets out to kill him. She is a hunter for Sauron, who has vanished from Middle-earth.

Halbrand (Charlie Vickers).

Halbrand is an original character that was created by author David E. Smith. The Rings of Power. Galadriel is a mystery man who has been a mortal. Many fans have already begun theorizing that Halbrand may be hiding his identity given that he seems to be a rather important player and was never mentioned in Tolkien’s works. Plus the whole “mysterious background” description should give you pause. And, after all, Tolkien wasn’t big on coincidences. In Tolkien’s stories, fate often brings people together. Galadriel’s discovery must be a sign that he plays a larger role in fighting evil and good.

Elrond (Robert Aramayo).

Lord of the RingsFans will recognise Elrond as the Elven king of Rivendell. Hugo Weaving was Elrond’s actor in the Jackson trilogy. Elrond not only fights against Sauron’s army in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, but he plays a pivotal role in determining the fate of the ring. Frodo will be able to help him with the mission of destroying the object in thousands of years.

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Elrond wasn’t a military leader before he had Arwen and was also a stateman for Gil-Galad the High King of Elf. Early in the show, he is sent on a mission to the Dwarf kingdom of Kazad-dûm early in the show to meet with his old friend Prince Durin IV.

High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker)

Lord of the RingsIn the very first minutes of High King Gil-Galad’s performance (played briefly by Mark Ferguson), fans were allowed to take a quick look. Fellowship of the Ring. Gil-Galad is the founding member of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men w/ Elendil and can still be seen at that battle. He is the foremost elf in Second Age. Gil-Galad is the ruler of Lindon, an elf kingdom.

Celebrimbor by Charles Edwards

Fans and readers of this popular book Shadow of War Shadow of MordorCelebrimbor will be recognized in video games as an elf smith who was tricked to forge the rings of power. He is literally the foundation of all that TV has. Celebrimbor appears in early episodes Rings of Powerand speaks longingly about the desire to make powerful objects.

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Isildur (Maxim Baldry)

Isildur is the man who manages to cut the one ring from Sauron’s finger. He fails to remove the ring. Sauron is able to rise once more in the Third Age because of this failure. Lord of the Rings takes place. Aragorn (a descendant of Isildur) worries that he too will make a mistake in his fight against the great evil.

But while Isildur’s tale is a tragedy, he also accomplished some good things. He founded and ruled Gondor with his brother Anárion. Along with his father Gil Galad, he led the fight against Sauron. He is a mere sailor and not yet a leader of man when we first meet him on the TV show.

Elendil, (Lloyd Owen).

Isildur’s father Elendil played a crucial role in the fight against Sauron. His name literally translates to “Elf Friend,” and he did indeed form a crucial alliance with the elves to stop great evil from spreading through Middle-earth. He is a captain on a ship, trying to control the tempers and anger of his adult children when we first meet him.

Prince Durin IV, Owain Arthur

Durin’s father King Durin III rules over the Dwarf kingdom of Khazad-dûm. You may recall Gandalf facing down a Balrog in the mines of a destroyed Khazad-dûm (later known as Moria) toward the end of Fellowship of the Ring. The Second Age sees the subterranean kingdom flourishing thanks to the wealth hidden on the mountain, where the dwarfs live.

Princess Disa, Sophie Nomvete

Durin’s wife, Disa, is the first female dwarf ever depicted in a Tolkien adaptation. One of the many dwarves that sing to the mountain to discover its secrets is Disa.

Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova)

Arondir is an Elf created specifically for this show. He is Silvan Elf rather than a High Elf, which basically means he’s less interested in pomp and circumstance and more interested in nature. The Silvan Elves live in what becomes Mirkwood and Lothlórien. When we meet Arondir, he’s a soldier who is in love with the human Bronwyn. As you may recall from Aragorn and Arwen’s romance, human-elf relationships are frowned upon in Middle-earth. Elves and humans are both mortal, so any human-elf relationship is likely to lead to tragedy. The trailers show that Arondir ends up fighting a whole host of orcs.

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Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi)

Bronwyn, a healer, is single mom to her son Theo. They live in Tirharad, a name that translates to “near Harad.” Given that Harad is a mysterious region south of Mordor, that doesn’t bode particularly well for her people. Perhaps that’s why Arondir—and possibly Bronwyn—run into orcs.

Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin)

The son of Bronwyn, Theo’s character is another invention of the show. Intriguingly, in trailers for the series he’s looking a rather a broken sword with evil Mordor vibes. What the weapon is or how Theo acquired it—perhaps from his unidentified father?—remains a mystery.

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Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh)

How would you describe a Lord of the Rings show be without hobbits—or at least hobbit-adjacent creatures? Nori is a Nori, who belongs to the nomad ancestors group of hobbits. Tolkien wrote about harfoots in his work “Concerning Hobbits.” The harfoots hide from humans and other creatures, which explains why Nori may be missing from the great histories of Middle-earth. She has a crucial role in the series. A stranger falls from the sky in a meteorite and she discovers that she has a burning desire to adventure with him.

Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards).

Poppy is Nori’s friend and often finds herself dragged into Nori’s mischievous antics.

The Stranger (Daniel Weyman).

The mysterious man who fell from the skies on a meteor is unable to be identified. He seems to have some magical powers but doesn’t speak Nori’s tongue so his origins are unclear. The Stranger was dubbed by the showrunners and they have not revealed his identity. Although this is speculation, whenever I see magic-users in the show, I assume they are wizards until proved otherwise. Technically, according to Tolkien’s writing, neither Gandalf nor Saruman arrived in Middle-earth until the Third Age. But it’s certainly possible, if not likely, the writers would find a way to work a beloved character like that into the show.

Sadoc Burrows (Lenny Henry)

Lenny Henry, another Harfoot, is capable of reading signs from the stars. He seems to be at the very least one of their leaders.

Largo Brandyfoot by Dylan Smith

Largo Brandyfoot is Nori’s father who indulges her occasionally troublesome ways.

Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson)

A key spot in Rings of Power will be the island kingdom of Númenor, which was ruled by humans of half-elven heritage. Aragorn, Boromir, and Faramir all descend from the men of Númenor. The time was however, Lord of the Rings, Númenor has fallen: Our heroes briefly sail through its ruins in Fellowship of the Ring. However, at the time Rings of PowerBut the land is still majestic.

When the show begins, Queen Regent Míriel rules over the land. However, her subjects are disillusioned and dissatisfied about the future of their kingdom. And a man named Pharazôn has some ideas of his own.

Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle)

Pharazôn is an advisor to Míriel. But he’s also amassing a following of his own. He will play a major role in determining the fate of Númenor.

Mysterious character from the Rhûn (Bridie Sisson)

Comic-Con fans were able to spot a strange character in the trailer. Rings of PowerThe internet speculated that the individual might have been Sauron disguised. Although initially, the Internet believed that the blonde-haired mysterious being was Anson Boon. Rings of PowerTIME’s executive producer Lindsey Weber has confirmed that Bridie Sisson will play the role. She would not confirm the character’s name, but did say that she is traveling from the east “from the lands of Rhûn,” which happens to be one of Sauron’s favorite haunts.

Send an email to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com.