It's an exciting and trepidatious time to be a fan of classic fantasy thanks to Amazon Studios. Beginning with an adaptation of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time in 2021 and following up with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in 2022, fans of the genre have much to anticipate.
While The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit have been wildly popular for decades, many fans are not as familiar with the Second Age - the period of The Rings of Power - or the characters that inhabit it. There will be quite a few familiar faces, but, with the series taking place so long before the books/films, those characters may not be exactly what fans expect. There will also be some characters even die-hard fans won't recognize because they have been created specifically for the show.
Elrond
To existing fans, Elrond will be one familiar face appearing on Amazon's The Lord of the Rings; The Rings of Power. Originally portrayed by Hugo Weaving in Peter Jackson's trilogy, Robert Aramayo will be bringing the younger version of this character to life on the small screen. Elrond is a half-elf and, as such, was given the choice, at the end of the First Age, to be counted as an Elf or Man. Elrond chose the Fate of Elves, basically meaning he is an Elf.
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In the Third Age, we see Elrond has developed a distaste for Men and is planning on leaving Middle-Earth forever. However, in the Second Age, we will likely see a more optimistic take on the character. Elrond is also a bearer of one of the Elven Rings of Power - Vilya, the Ring of Air.
Bronwyn
A village healer, Bronwyn will be played by Nazanin Boniadi. Bronwyn is a single mother from a village called Tirharad, likely somewhere on the border of Harad in the far south of Middle-Earth. Little is known about Bronwyn's character since she is one of the original creations of The Rings of Power. However, it is known that she develops a forbidden romance with Arondir, a Silvan Elf.
For some fans, original characters can leave a bitter taste, but she may be an amalgamation of other characters that a series wouldn't have the time to explore individually. Only time will tell how significant a role Bronwyn will play in the overall story of The Rings of Power.
Arondir
Another original character for the Amazon Prime series, Arondir is set to be played by Puerto Rican actor Ismael Cruz Córdova. While Cordova is not the first person of color to play an elf in a fantasy franchise, it is a welcome trend as studios continue to adapt classic fantasy.
Arondir is a Silvan Elf (sometimes called Wood Elves), which means his homeland is likely Lorien or the Woodland Realm (later Mirkwood). At some point in time, possibly before The Rings of Power, Arondir travels to Tirharad and falls in love with the village healer Bronwyn.
Disa
Princess of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, Disa is also an original character developed for the series. While she may not be sporting a beard, Sophia Nomvete looks the part of a royal Dwarf. Like the other original characters, there is not much known about Disa, but it is safe to say she is related to King Durin III. Whether she is his daughter or niece, however, is yet to be determined.
As a royal Dwarf and the first depiction of a female Dwarf on-screen, Disa could play an interesting role in the series as a whole. Unfortunately, this is one character that we will need to wait to learn more about. Hopefully, the wait isn't too long.
Durin IV
Son of King Durin III, Durin IV is the prince of the Dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm and will be portrayed by Welsh actor Owain Arthur. Long before the Dwarves dug too deep and unleashed the fiery Balrog, Khazad-dûm was ruled by the line of Durin.
Tolkien wrote little on Durin III, but one thing we do know is that he eventually inherits one of the Dwarven Rings of Power from his father. Given the title of the series, it's safe to say that this trinket will play a major role in the story of Durin III and his family.
Galadriel
First depicted on screen by Cate Blanchett, a younger Galadriel will be played by Morfydd Clark. Younger, however, is quite misleading. Galadriel was born in Valinor (the Undying Lands that Frodo traveled to at the end of The Lord of the Rings) before the First Age, which makes her around 5,000 years old by the Second Age.
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From The Lord of the Rings, we know Galadriel eventually becomes the bearer of Nenya, the Ring of Water - one of the Three Elven Rings of Power. The story of Galadriel in the Second Age is one of the most exciting plots to look forward to.
Isildur
The son of Elendil, Isildur will likely play a significant role in The Rings of Power and will be portrayed by Maxim Baldry. Like all Men of Númenor, Isildur was long-lived. His life was cut short at the beginning of the Third Age at the tender age of 234. However, we will be seeing Isildur in his younger years, before he cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand and claimed it for himself.
His homeland, Númenor, was an island nation far more advanced than what the kingdoms of Men could achieve in the Third Age. The Rings of Power will explore Isildur's early years in Númenor and how he and his family ultimately left the island to become Kings in Middle-Earth.
Gil-galad
High King of the Elves in Middle-Earth, Gil-galad is to be played by Benjamin Walker. As High King, Gil-galad held the highest authority of Elves in Middle-Earth and was a key player in forming the Last Alliance to defeat Sauron at the end of the Second Age. He also bore two of the Elven Rings of Power, though he passed them on to Elrond and the Elf Cirdan.
A wise ruler, Gil-galad saw the benefits of working with Men and allied with King Elendil - the father of Isildur and Aragorn's ancestor - to combat the growing threat from Mordor.
Celebrimbor
The Ringmaker himself, there are few characters as important to the history of Middle-Earth as the Elf Celebrimbor. Played by Charles Edwards, Celebrimbor is a master smith and ruler of the realm of Eregion. The smiths of Eregion, under the guidance of a stranger called Annatar, learned to craft the rings of power. Celebrimbor created the Elven Rings himself, without the aid of Annatar, and these would become the Three.
When the existence of the One was revealed, Celebrimbor wisely sent the lesser rings away for safety. Much to the chagrin of the Dark Lord, Celebrimbor never gave up the location of the Three.
Annatar
Currently unconfirmed to make an appearance in the series, it is ridiculous to consider Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, will not play a significant role in The Rings of Power. It is possible Annatar is Daniel Weyman's The Stranger, but that is pure speculation.
Annatar is Maia (powerful beings analogous to angels; Gandalf's resurrection as the White Wizard is because he is a Maia) and traveled to the Elves of Eregion to teach them the crafting of magical rings, of which many were created. This was, in the end, a treacherous gift, for Sauron forged the One Ring to rule over all other Rings of Power.
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