This article contains spoilers for The Rings of Power episode 3.The major twist concerning Halbrand in The Rings of Power episode 3 shockingly reveals his true identity, and it potentially hints at the character's future in Middle-earth. As it is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, Amazon's The Rings of Power takes place long before the events of The Lord of the Rings that many of its viewers will be most familiar with. The Rings of Power begins with the High King of the Elves, Gil-galad, declaring an official end to the threat of evil in the land, disregarding Galadriel's warnings that she believes Sauron remains and is amassing power in the shadows.
However, it is in more than just its place in the timeline that The Rings of Power sets itself apart. The show takes some creative liberties with Tolkien's original works, particularly where the Southlands are concerned. In Tolkien's books, the Southlands were geographically situated south of Mordor and were only vaguely described offhandedly. However, The Rings of Power's Southlands are far more important to its story, with much of the action taking place within its borders.
One of a number of important characters that hail from the Southlands is Halbrand, a Man met by Galadriel adrift at sea who spoke of how Orcs destroyed his home. The Rings of Power episode 3 saw Galadriel learn that Halbrand is in fact the rightful king of the Southlands, a fact which he appeared to shrug off, believing his homeland lost to the forces of evil. The notion makes it clear that Halbrand will play an important part in shaping The Rings of Power's story, but it's yet to be clarified exactly what the twist means for the character.
King Halbrand? What We Know About His Family In The Southlands
The reveal that Halbrand is in fact the rightful king of the Southlands is shocking, but little else has been revealed about his past. Other than a glimpse of his necklace, Halbrand offered no indication of his status to Galadriel and spoke very little of the life he had lost when Orcs attacked his home. All that is truly known is what Galadriel confronted Halbrand with: that years before, a man united the Southlands and was hailed as King for his efforts, and that the title lies with her companion. As The Rings of Power has already made a major change to the Southlands by incorporating the region into the land of Mordor, it's difficult to determine the future of the original character Halbrand from Tolkien's own works.
However, as the Southlands are inherently linked to Mordor and Sauron's amassing forces, Halbrand's fate seems tied up with the rise of evil in Middle-earth. As the king of the Southlands, Halbrand will undoubtedly oppose the forces laying claim to his home, but his people's history of allying with Morgoth potentially hints at another fate. The Lord of the Rings doesn't divulge the identities of all nine Ringwraiths but simply explained that they were once Lords of Men. Halbrand now certainly seems to fit this bill, and it's possible that he may yet have a tragic end as a servant of Sauron in The Rings of Power.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power releases new episodes on Thursdays/Fridays on Prime Video.
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