Summary
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerstill has some Tolkien characters to introduce, andone character of special significance may make an appearance in one of the battles confirmed for season 2.The Rings of Poweremerged onto television in 2022 to a mixed reception, controversially combining some ofTolkien’s best characterswith original characters. Season 2 could curry audience favor by introducing more book characters in canon-friendly ways, so the upcoming battle may provide a good opportunity to develop the show, but overall, its success will rest on its faithfulness and impact as an adaptation.
In telling the story of authorJ.R.R. Tolkien’s Second Age,The Rings of Powermust follow the key narrative of the source material, as per the deal it struck with the Tolkien Estate. Therefore, while the beginning and end points of many characters' arcs must likely remain intact, their journey could diverge from the source material to fit the adaptation and its required pacing. For this reason, it is hard to predict exactly which characters from Tolkien’s iconic and influential work will enter the series and when. Nevertheless, despite this uncertainty, one character remains an exciting possibility.
Who Is Galadriel’s Brother? The Rings Of Power’s Finrod Explained
Galadriel’s brother, Finrod, appears in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Here’s the elf’s backstory, and how the TV version is different.
Celeborn Could Have Survived The War
AsThe Rings of Powerseason 1 finale explained, Halbrand was Sauron, which damaged the intimacy he had built up with Galadriel over the season and made space for Celeborn to enter the show. Galadriel’s canonical husband was declared lost to the war in season 1 by Galadriel but importantly, she didn’t state that he was dead, rather that she “never saw him again” after he went to war. As such,Celeborn could have survived the warand could enter the show in a future season.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 will start airing on August 17, 2025.
Galadriel never seeing Celeborn again could have been a simplistic in-universe explanation for why the show had to kill off an important character to allow a relationship to blossom between Galadriel and Halbrand. However, it’s more likely thatGaladriel’s reference to Celeborn was a Chekhov’s Gun narrative point, meaning it was a setup for a subsequent Celeborn appearance. This makes sense because Celeborn appears inThe Fellowship of the Ring, and the show isn’t allowed to contradict significant elements of the original source material, which such a character’s death would appear to be.
The Elves' War Against Sauron Can Bring Celeborn To Eregion (If He’s Alive)
Sauron Will Fight The Elves In The Rings Of Power Season 2
A battle that has been all but confirmed by showrunners for season 2 offers a chance forThe Rings of Powerto bring Celeborn back into the narrative. In recent comments toTotal Filmin a print feature, showrunners confirmed that “Sauron’s agenda” will “set everything in motion” in season 2, pitting an “army of Orcs” against “armies of Elves.” This lines up with The War of the Elves and Sauron from Tolkien’s books, whereby Sauron ended up invading Eregion to demand the Rings of Power. In one version of Tolkien’s story,Celeborn was involved in the Eregion battle.
In accordance with the mystery box writing it favors, the show hasn’t disclosed clues as to Celeborn’s status or whereabouts. Celeborn could be dead, or alive and a prisoner of war. In this instance, he could be being held somewhere as a part ofSauron’s overarching plan. Alternatively, Celeborn could have chosen to stay away from Galadriel for some reason.The coming battle in Eregion would present a real threat to Celeborn’s people, which could tempt him out of hidingor otherwise disrupt events so that he could escape imprisonment.
Celeborn’s Role In The War Between The Elves & Sauron Explained
Celeborn Participated In The War In One Version Of The Story
In one version of events unpublished by Tolkien in his lifetime, Celeborn played a military role in the Siege of Eregion, defending it when Sauron invaded. InThe Silmarillion, it was told how Sauron launched “open war” on the Elves and “Eregion was laid waste” but more detail was provided inUnfinished Tales, describing how Celeborn was in Eregion at the time and “made a sortie” to defend the city from Sauron’s troops.Defending Eregion in its moment of need could be a powerful entrance for Galadriel’s missing husbandinThe Rings of Powerseason 2.
And in fact,Rings of Powerdoes seem to have taken inspiration from this tale already, as it provided lots of detail on Galadriel and her character, which the show focused on heavily in season 1. For instance, this tale alluded to “Galadriel’s remaining in Middle-earth” over a “sense that it was her duty not to depart while [Sauron] was still finally unconquered,” which season 1’s Galadriel fully embodied. However,this record of events also had Galadriel and Celeborn ruling Eregion together, so it was clearly an experimental, alternative versionofThe Lord of the Ringstimeline.
Difficulties notwithstanding, the show may be seriously considering how to bring Celeborn back before its completion, and season 2’s Eregion battle could provide an answer.
As such, although useful as a character study, this tale’s plot shouldn’t guide a faithful adaptation of Middle-earth’s events, which the showrunners probably know. That makes Celeborn’s return inThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2for the Siege of Eregion gray territory canonically, but a possibility.The show would also have to explain what had happened to Celeborn before he could defend Eregion, presenting the show with challenging narrative gymnastics. Difficulties notwithstanding, the show may be seriously considering how to bring Celeborn back before its completion, and season 2’s Eregion battle could provide an answer.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
